Avios is shortly changing into one of the vital broadly used loyalty currencies. Lengthy utilized by British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus, Qatar Airways and Finnair have just lately joined the celebration and adopted Avios.
A neat characteristic of the 5 airline packages is the power to switch Avios between them in any course at a 1:1 charge at no further value. This implies a stability in Iberia Plus can simply turn out to be a stability in Qatar Airways Privilege Membership and vice versa. This provides vacationers huge flexibility to decide on the Avios program that’s greatest for them, and transfer their Avios stability into their program of selection.
I am primarily based in the UK, so you might assume I’d default to the most important and hottest Avios program, British Airways Government Membership. Whereas it was initially my go-to loyalty program, with so some ways to earn and redeem Avios, with two new packages becoming a member of the Avios household in 2024, I’ve saved a eager eye on the advantages of every program to resolve if I ought to leap ship.
Whereas all 5 packages have distinctive and rewarding advantages, as somebody who analyzes loyalty packages for a dwelling, right here is why I am persevering with to concentrate on British Airways Government Membership as the general greatest Avios loyalty program for 2025.
Associated: 5 variations of Avios: When to make use of Aer Lingus, British Airways, Finnair, Iberia and Qatar Airways
Simply achievable elite standing
The way you earn elite standing in any Avios program relies upon significantly in your private journey and spending habits. If you happen to’re constantly flying long-haul, business- and first-class merchandise on paid tickets, you may seemingly shortly climb the elite standing tiers in any of the 5 packages.
I’ve held both mid-tier Silver or top-tier Gold standing with British Airways for the previous six years. Oneworld Emerald standing positive is sweet, with first-class lounge entry even when flying financial system and extra redemption seats made out there for Gold members, however I have never discovered the advantages important sufficient to achieve for Gold yearly.
Total, I am completely happy to achieve Silver standing (Oneworld Sapphire) for the foreseeable future. BA Silver standing comes with all types of perks like precedence check-in, safety and boarding; further checked baggage; free seat choice; and worldwide lounge entry when flying Oneworld airways, which I’ve discovered very beneficial when flying in financial system.
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Plus, I’ve discovered this elite standing has benefited me on Oneworld companions, particularly when flying on American Airways, which generously offers Sapphire standing members Flagship Lounge entry and permits them to pick out Primary Cabin Further seats.
As a result of Aer Lingus shouldn’t be a member of a significant alliance, I don’t worth incomes elite standing within the AerClub loyalty program. Whereas the Qatar Airways Privilege Membership program lets you earn elite standing by way of bank card spending, reaching Gold standing (Oneworld Sapphire) by way of bank card spending would require a major amount of cash. Whereas the Qatar Airways Privilege Membership Visa Infinite Credit score Card does supply Gold standing, it is solely complimentary for the primary yr.
The knowledge for the Qatar Airways Privilege Membership Visa Infinite Card has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.
Subsequently, to earn the equal of Oneworld Sapphire standing, I might must hit the next thresholds inside every Avios loyalty program:
- British Airways Government Membership requires incomes 600 Tier Factors (and taking 4 qualifying flights)
- Qatar Airways Privilege Membership requires incomes 300 Qpoints
- Finnair Plus requires incomes 45,000 Tier Factors
- Iberia Plus Gold requires incomes 2,250 Elite Factors or taking 50 flights
Whereas Qatar’s 300 Qpoints appear the best to earn, crediting the identical flight inside every program doesn’t earn the identical variety of standing factors.
For instance, a flight on American Airways home top notch from Boston Logan Worldwide Airport (BOS) to Ronald Reagan Washington Nationwide Airport (DCA) would earn:
- 40 British Airways Tier Factors (6.7% of the whole required)
- 16 Qatar Airways Qpoints (5.3% of the whole required)
- 598 Finnair Plus Tier Factors (1.3% of the whole required)
- 75 Iberia Plus Elite Factors (3.3% of the whole required)
So, should you’re flying American Airways in home top notch, which might usually be an inexpensive option to earn elite standing, it is faster to earn Oneworld Sapphire standing with British Airways Government Membership than with different Avios loyalty packages.
An alternative choice can be to fly common financial system V class from John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport (JFK) to London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) on British Airways. This could earn:
- 35 British Airways Tier Factors (5.8% of the whole required)
- 16 Qatar Airways Qpoints (5.3% of the whole required)
- 1,725 Finnair Plus Tier Factors (3.8% of the whole required)
- 350 Iberia Plus Elite Factors (15.5% of the whole required)
Whereas Iberia Plus wins on this instance, BA remains to be a strong possibility for incomes standing in financial system class.
British Airways has additionally provided a beneficiant double Tier Factors promotion the place eligible British Airways Holidays of a minimum of 5 nights will earn double Tier Factors for journey till June 30, 2025 (although this supply has been prolonged quite a few occasions). I’ve taken benefit of this beneficiant supply to earn Silver standing with only one journey to Membership Europe and will likely be wanting to take action once more when my present Silver standing expires subsequent yr.
European redemptions from simply 4,750 Avios
For flights of as much as 600 miles in size, British Airways Government Membership expenses simply 4,750 Avios on off-peak dates plus a set charge of 17.50 British kilos (about $22) in charges, taxes and surcharges because of Government Membership’s terrific Reward Flight Saver possibility. You may as well scale back the $22 charges, taxes and surcharges to lower than $1 by paying extra Avios (9,250 within the case of a Zone 1 off-peak flight).
With a checked bag included and standing advantages honored, this can be a nice deal to go to stunning locations like Amsterdam, Bilbao, Geneva and Milan; it has helped me e-book a number of cheap weekends for myself and my family members.
Associated: British Airways reveals revamped short-haul seats and new transatlantic first-class timeline
Aer Lingus AerClub, in the meantime, expenses simply 4,000 Avios for Zone 1 redemptions off-peak. Nevertheless, this solely covers flights between Eire, the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands, and France, whereas BA’s 4,750 Avios charges cowl many extra locations with its intensive route community.
It is price noting Iberia Plus provides a restricted variety of short-haul seats (together with these operated by British Airways) at barely decrease charges than Government Membership. Nevertheless, their web site and name heart are harder to navigate versus the benefit of reserving on ba.com.
The identical short-haul redemptions flying on BA however booked by way of Qatar Airways Privilege Membership begin from 9,250 Avios plus $50.50.
Smart pricing for companion redemptions
Whereas British Airways makes use of award charts for flights operated by companion airways, it has chosen to undertake a number of the greatest candy spots of different Avios packages, even when this implies providing decrease charges than the award charts show.
For instance, Government Membership’s award chart for British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus flights present off-peak business-class charges for flights of three,001 to 4,000 miles in size at 50,000 Avios off-peak and 60,000 Avios on peak dates. Whereas that is affordable in contrast with what non-Avios packages cost for transatlantic flights, Iberia Plus has lengthy saved a candy spot for nonstop flights of this size that they function between the northeast United States and Spain.
Iberia Plus expenses simply 34,000 Avios on off-peak dates for flights of this size, an astonishingly low worth. Whereas Government Membership ought to cost a better 50,000 Avios for these flights per its award chart, it has adopted the decrease Iberia Plus charge.
It is a terrific option to redeem factors and miles to Europe.
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Government Membership has additionally proven the identical generosity towards Qatar Airways-operated flights.
The long-haul journey of 6,704 miles from JFK to Doha’s Hamad Worldwide Airport (DOH) in Qatar Airways’ award-winning Qsuite business-class product ought to value a whopping 108,250 Avios every manner per particular person, based on the BA Government Membership companion award chart.
Nevertheless, as Qatar’s Privilege Membership program expenses simply 70,000 Avios for a similar journey, BA has additionally adopted this pricing, a wonderful possibility for such a powerful product, and it saves you the necessity to switch Avios to Qatar’s Privilege Membership program.
A secure platform to redeem Avios
Every Avios program has vastly totally different platforms for incomes and redeeming Avios.
Though it is not good, I’ve discovered BA’s Government Membership to be probably the most secure and present probably the most outcomes. It is also fast and simple to cancel and refund Avios redemptions on-line by way of Government Membership.
The Qatar Airways web site shouldn’t be user-friendly and makes it troublesome to search out the suitable web page to seek for reserving flights with Avios; the Aer Lingus web site has been so glitchy that I’ve not been capable of finding a long-haul premium cabin seat to e-book utilizing Avios.
I’ve additionally discovered BA’s name heart to be nice and useful for the restricted variety of features that can’t be carried out on-line.
Whereas the BA app is irritating with its incapacity to finish easy duties like displaying a boarding cross after checking in on-line, BA just lately confirmed me a sneak preview of their new app, to be launched early in 2025, and the preliminary options point out a major enchancment.
Associated: Redeem your factors and miles: The right way to search flight award availability for the main airways
Greatest cobranded bank card advantages
Chase provides three cobranded Avios bank cards:
- Aer Lingus Visa Signature® Card: Earn 75,000 Avios after spending $5,000 on purchases throughout the first three months of account opening.
- British Airways Visa Signature® Card: Earn 75,000 Avios after spending $5,000 on purchases throughout the first three months of account opening.
- Iberia Visa Signature® Card: Earn 75,000 Avios after spending $5,000 on purchases throughout the first three months of account opening.
The knowledge for the Aer Lingus and Iberia Visa Signature playing cards has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.
The welcome bonuses, annual payment and incomes charges on every card are equal. I’ve held all three of those playing cards at totally different occasions, and I charge the British Airways Visa Signature Card the very best for the next annual advantages, which the opposite playing cards do not supply:
- Get 10% off British Airways-operated income flights departing the U.S. to London and past, together with charges, taxes and carrier-imposed surcharges (excluding extra baggage or seat choice charges) while you e-book by way of the web site offered in your welcome supplies.
- Get a $100 assertion credit score ($200 for business- and first-class seats) as much as thrice a yr while you e-book a reward flight to London on British Airways and pay your taxes and charges along with your card (as much as $600 yearly).
- Earn a Journey Collectively Ticket legitimate for round-trip journey on British Airways, Aer Lingus or Iberia originating anyplace these airways fly while you spend $30,000 on the cardboard in a calendar yr — which may also be redeemed for a 50% low cost as a single passenger.
The Iberia Visa Signature Card provides a $1,000 Iberia flight low cost voucher, and the Aer Lingus Visa Signature Card provides an economy-only Aer Lingus companion ticket while you spend $30,000 on the cardboard in a calendar yr. Nevertheless, I do not charge these perks as extremely because the BA Journey Collectively Ticket as a result of I’d quite journey in a premium cabin than financial system. Additionally, BA has a a lot bigger route community than Aer Lingus or Iberia, giving extra choices to redeem the companion ticket.
The right way to earn British Airways Avios
Along with the cobranded British Airways Visa Signature Card, British Airways is a switch companion of Capital One, Chase Final Rewards, American Specific Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Wells Fargo Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy, making Avios one of many best currencies to earn.
Factors switch from Chase, Capital One, Wells Fargo, Bilt and Amex at a 1:1 ratio (along with occasional switch bonuses of as much as 40%), whereas Marriott factors switch to Avios at a 3:1 ratio. You will additionally get a 5,000 Avios bonus for each 60,000 Marriott factors transferred.
The next playing cards all at present supply robust welcome bonuses that you might simply switch to British Airways Government Membership:
- American Specific® Gold Card: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards factors after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases within the first six months of card membership.
- The Platinum Card® from American Specific: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards factors after you spend $8,000 on purchases throughout the first six months of card membership. Examine to see should you’re focused for a greater welcome supply by way of CardMatch (supply topic to alter at any time).
- The Enterprise Platinum Card® from American Specific: Earn 150,000 bonus factors after spending $20,000 on eligible purchases on the cardboard within the first three months of card membership.
- Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases throughout the first three months from account opening.
- Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases throughout the first three months from account opening.
- Chase Sapphire Most well-liked® Card: Earn 60,000 Final Rewards factors after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
Backside line
No program is ideal, and British Airways Government Membership shouldn’t be with out its faults, like these irritating carrier-imposed surcharges. It has been thrilling to see different packages undertake Avios, a novel enterprise choice within the loyalty business, particularly for Finnair Plus, which doesn’t have an possession stake in different Avios program airways and vice versa.
Transferring Avios between the packages in any course is rewarding, so you aren’t locked into one program. Whereas I eagerly await extra innovation within the Avios packages and even perhaps extra packages to undertake the already common forex, British Airways Government Membership will stay my Avios airline loyalty program of selection.
