19 Best Ways to Earn Lots of British Airways Avios Points

BY 

Spencer Howard

- UPDATED: March 18, 2019

1. Earn Points  / 
2. Earn Airline Points

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British Airways is the United Kingdom’s flagship airline. As a part of the Oneworld Alliance, British Airways offers flights to a variety of locations for the cost of very few Avios points.

Before you can figure out how to use Avios for award flights and upgrades, you have to learn how to earn them! We’ve put together a list of the best ways to earn British Airways’ valuable Avios, so check out our ideas below.

Earn British Airways Avios With Credit Cards

Before we get into the many ways you can earn British Airways Avios points, let’s look at the different ways you can transfer points from other rewards programs into your Avios account.

There are two transferable points programs that partner with British Airways:

• Chase Ultimate Rewards
• AMEX Membership Rewards

All of these offer the chance to transfer points into British Airways Avios. Marriott Bonvoy points transfer to Avios at a rate of 3:1, and you can receive a bonus of 5,000 Avios if you transfer 30,000 Marriott points at once. That means 60,000 Marriott points can get you 25,000 Avios.

Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer to British Airways Avios points at a simple 1:1 ratio. Finally, American Express Memberships Rewards points transfer at a rate of 1:0.8. However, Amex occasionally runs promotions that boost the transfer rate by up to 50%.

1. The British Airways Visa Signature® Card

The only reward credit card that lets you earn British Airways Avios directly is the British Airways Visa Signature® Card. With this card, you earn 3x Avios per dollar spent on British Airways flights and services.

While you do get a good earnings rate for Avios, the card does not offer fringe benefits like priority check-in or discounted inflight purchases. This is not a huge loss, but it’s important to note if you’re accustomed to using other airline cards.

The British Airways Visa Signature® Card comes with a $95 annual fee, but by hitting the minimum spending requirement when you open the card you can earn a sign-up bonus (see the review for current offer details).

One great feature of the card is the Travel Together Ticket, which is a companion ticket that you get after spending $30,000 per year on the card and is good for any cash or reward flight, regardless of class! The companion ticket is subject to taxes and surcharges of $1,500-$2,000.

Need help booking? See our step by step guide for booking British Airways business class or first class.

2. Chase Ultimate Rewards Credit Cards

Several other Chase cards can also help you earn British Airways Avios. All Chase cards that earn Ultimate Rewards points can help boost your collections of Avios.

Each card has a sign-up bonus offer, but you will only be able to combine and transfer these points to British Airways from Chase Ultimate Rewards if you own one of the 3 travel rewards cards.

Recommended Chase Cards (Personal)

CHASE CARD	BENEFITS & INFO
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card How We Get $1k+ Value From Just 60k Pts >	Biggest Bonus Ever! Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months That's worth $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards. 2X points on travel and dining at restaurants worldwide. Annual Fee: $95
Chase Freedom Unlimited®	Earn $150 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months Unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase - it's automatic. 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases & balance transfers, then a variable APR of 17.24 - 25.99%. Annual Fee: $0
Chase Sapphire Reserve®	Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. $300 Annual Travel Credit 3X points on travel immediately after earning your $300 travel credit. 3X points on dining at restaurants. Access to 1,000+ airport lounges worldwide. Annual Fee: $450

Recommended Chase Cards (Business)

CHASE CARD	BENEFITS & INFO
Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card We Get $1,600+ of Value Using This Card >>	Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months That's $1,000 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards® Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases in the following categories each account anniversary year: Travel, Shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, Advertising purchases with social media sites and search engines. Get up to $600 per claim in Cell Phone Protection against covered theft or damage. Annual Fee: $95
Ink Business Cash℠ Credit Card	Earn $500 bonus cash-back after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months Earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 15.49% - 21.49% $0 Annual Fee
Are you a business owner? For more detail, see our Chase business credit cards article, or in-depth business credit card guide to make an ideal choice for your situation.

3. American Express Membership Rewards Credit Cards

As we mentioned above, Chase isn’t the only bank that can help you earn Avios. American Express cards that earn Membership Rewards can also boost your Avios collection.

Keep in mind that Membership Rewards transfer to Avios at a 1:0.8 ratio, which is not ideal. However, American Express occasionally runs promotions that improve the transfer ratio by up to 50%. Keep an eye out for these opportunities if you need Avios!

Recommended Amex Cards (Personal)

AMEX CARD	BENEFITS & INFO
American Express® Gold Card	Earn 35,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $2,000 on eligible purchases with your new card within the first 3 months. Earn 4x points at US restaurants; Earn 4x points at US supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year in purchases, then 1X). Annual Fee: $250 For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, please click here.
The Platinum Card® from American Express How We Get $1,500+ In Value From This Card (Per Year) >	Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases in your first 3 months. 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel. Access 1,200+ airport lounges including the amazing Centurion® lounges. Up to $200 Uber Savings Annually. $200 Airline Fee Credit. Annual Fee: $550 For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, please click here.

Recommended Amex Cards (Business)

AMEX CARD	BENEFITS & INFO
The Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card from American Express	Earn 2X points on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners. 0.0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, then a variable rate, currently 13.49%, 17.49% or 21.49%. Annual Fee: $0 For rates and fees of The Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card from American Express, please click here.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express See How To Also Get $1,250+ in Value Per Year >>	Welcome Offer: Earn up to 75,000 Membership Rewards® Points. Earn 50,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $10,000 & an extra 25,000 points after you spend an additional $10,000 all on qualifying purchases within your first 3 months of Card Membership. Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com. Access 1,200+ airport lounges, including the amazing Centurion® lounges. $200 Airline Fee Credit. Annual Fee: $595 For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, please click here.
American Express® Business Gold Card	Earn 35,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $5,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.* More Rewards: Get 4X Membership Rewards® points on the 2 select categories where your business spent the most each month** **4X points apply to the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these 2 categories each calendar year.* Airline Bonus: Get 25% points back after you use points for all or part of an eligible flight booked with Amex Travel, up to 250,000 points back per calendar year.* Exclusive Offers: Get up to 1 year free on subscriptions to both G Suite Basic for up to 3 users and ZipRecruiter Standard, a combined value up to $3,200.* Pay Over Time Option: A flexible payment option to help manage cash flow on purchases of $100 or more.* Expense Management Tools: Connect to Quickbooks, access SpendManager(SM), receive a Year-End Summary, and more.* Annual Fee: $295 For rates and fees of the American Express® Business Gold Card, please click here. *Terms Apply
Are you a business owner? For more details, see our American Express business credit cards article or in-depth 2019 business credit cards guide to find the perfect card for your company.

4. Marriott Credit Cards

You can earn Marriott points and transfer those to British Airways at a transfer rate of 3:1. Plus, for every 60,000 Marriott points that you transfer, you’ll receive an extra 5,000 Avios bonus.

Recommended Marriott Cards

MARRIOTT CARDS	CARD BENEFITS & INFO
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Card	Limited Time Offer! Earn 100,000 Bonus Points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. An additional Free Night Award (valued up to 35,000 points) every year after account anniversary. Automatic Silver Elite Status each account anniversary year. Path to Gold Status when you spend $35,000 on purchases each account year. Annual Fee: $95
Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card	Earn 100,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months. Offer ends 04/24/2019. Free Night Award Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite Status $125 Annual Fee (If application received before 03/28/19, $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95) For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card, click here.

Earn Avios Through Travel

British Airways has a number of partners in the travel industry that allow you to earn more Avios. If you’re looking for a way to boost your Avios earning, consider these options when traveling.

5. British Airways Rental Car Partner – AVIS

Avis is the only rental car partner of British Airways that will help you earn Avios.

Every rental will earn you 1 Avios point per dollar spent with a minimum of 500 Avios per rental. Additionally, if you pay with the British Airways Visa Signature® Card, you will earn an additional 250 Avios per rental.

If you rent a car from Avis 4 times in a calendar year, you will also receive a bonus of 750 Avios. Occasionally, you will see promotions to earn even more Avios for renting a car from Avis, so keep an eye out for these special offers.

Hot Tip: If you book your Avis car rental plus flights using British Airways vacation packages, you can earn even more Avios points!

6. British Airways Hotel Partners

You can earn tons of bonus Avios by staying with British Airways’ hotel partners. You can find all hotel partners listed on the British Airways website.

Each partner hotel offers a different Avios bonus based on either your nightly stay or amount spent. For your calculations, please note some of the hotels earn Avios based on the currency of their location.

7. Earn Bonus Avios on Vacation Bookings

When you book a flight plus a hotel or a flight plus a rental car through British Airways, you will earn a bonus of 2 Avios per dollar spent. This is in addition to the Avios you would already earn on a flight or rental car.

With thousands of hotel options around the world, this is an easy to way earn some extra Avios points!

Earn British Airways Avios by Shopping

From an online shopping mall to individual business partnerships, there are many opportunities to earn British Airways Avios on your retail purchases.

8. British Airways Avios eStore Online Shopping Portal

British Airways reward points can be earned through the Avios eStore online shopping portal. There are over 400 participating online retailers to choose from, and each purchase offers an opportunity to earn Avios.

As you can see below, the offers vary depending on the retailer:

Once you have logged in to your Executive Club account at the Avios eStore Shopping Portal, you can search for and select the store where you’d like to shop.

After selecting a store, you will be taken to a page with the details of the offer to earn Avios. From there, you can select “Shop Now.” You will be prompted to confirm that you are leaving the shopping portal for the selected store’s website.

If you click to confirm, you will be taken to the store’s site where you can begin shopping and earning bonus Avios. Make sure you stay in the new window while you are shopping to ensure your purchases track and you earn your bonus Avios.

Before finishing your purchase, make sure you are still logged in to the store through the portal. Then complete your purchase and enjoy the bonus Avios you just earned!

If after 40 days your reward points have not posted to your account, report it. Use British Airways’ shopping portal contact form to request the missing points be added to your account.

9. Other British Airways Retail Partners

Unfortunately, earning Avios with British Airways retail partners is limited unless you spend a lot of time in Heathrow Airport or shopping around Europe. Alternatively, you’ll have to be an avid wine drinker or read select magazines to benefit from these offers.

Heathrow airport purchases include shopping, eating, drinking, parking, and using the Heathrow Express. This is especially great if you’re someone who flies frequently back and forth to London.

When you register for Heathrow Rewards you’ll receive 100 points just for signing up.

You can transfer Heathrow rewards points into Avios at a 1:1 exchange in increments of 250 points. In other words, reach 250, 500, or 750 Heathrow Rewards, and you will be able to convert them into 250, 500, or 750 Avios points. This is an easy way to earn Avios if you’re a frequent Heathrow visitor!

Hot Tip: The Highlife Shop offers 2 Avios for every £1 you spend on products onboard British Airways flights. You can also pre-order products to your seat before you arrive onboard. That’s a nice little perk if you like what the Highlife Shop offers. Check out the Highlife Shop online to learn more.

10. Earn Avios With Surveys

British Airways has chosen to partner with Rewards for Thoughts to help customers earn bonus points. Rewards for Thoughts participants will earn 600 Avios by signing up for a free account and completing 1 survey.

After that, a minimum of 25 Avios are rewarded for short surveys under 10 minutes, and a minimum of 50 Avios are rewarded for surveys taking 10 minutes or longer.

When you register, just be sure to choose British Airways as your earning program and include your Executive Club number.

Hot Tip: Surveys are an easy way to keep earning Avois during lulls in your spending and traveling, or to top up your Avios points and stretch your redemptions. They are especially useful when your Avios are approaching their expiration date. Avios points expire after 36 months of no activity in your account, which means no earning, redeeming, purchasing or sharing of points.

When you’ve run out of options, taking a survey to earn as little as 25 reward points could be the difference between losing them all and holding onto them until you’re ready to redeem!

British Airways Frequent Flyer Program

11. Join the British Airways Executive Club

Before you can start earning British Airways (BA) Avios points, formerly BA miles, you must join the British Airways Executive Club. The Executive Club is the miles-earning program for British Airways and does not require an affiliated reward credit card to start earning Avios points right away.

To join the Executive Club, you only need to fill out a short registration form.

As a member of the BA Executive Club, you can collect and redeem Avios and receive special promotions from British Airways and other Oneworld partners.

12. Book Flights on British Airways

Once you are an Executive Club member, you can earn Avios on every flight you take with British Airways. The miles you earn per flight are determined by the distance you travel, the class of service, and your Executive Club membership level.

13. Book Flights on Oneworld Partner Airlines

Earn Avios when you make a one-way or round-trip flight with any Oneworld alliance partner airline. Make sure to check how many Avios you will earn when flying with each partner.

14. Book Flights With Other Partner Airlines

British Airways also partners with Aer Lingus and Alaska Airlines that are not part of the Oneworld alliance. You won’t earn tier points or a tier bonus on these partner flights, but you will earn valuable Avios points.

15. Minimum Avios Guarantee

All British Airways flights earn a guaranteed minimum number of Avios based on the fare class. The lowest economy fares earn a minimum of 125 Avios, while a flexible first class fare earns a minimum of 1,500 Avios.

Many flights on partner airlines also include a guaranteed minimum, but you should check the appropriate partner earning chart prior to booking.

16. Class of Service Bonus

When you book flights with British Airways in the lowest economy fare class, the number of Avios you earn is equal to 25% of the miles you fly. The lowest fare class in premium economy, business, and first earn 100%, 150%, and 250% of miles flown, respectively.

Flexible economy, premium economy, business, and first class fares earn 100%, 150%, 250%, and 300% of miles flown, respectively.

When flying with a partner airline, check the respective partner earning chart to determine your class of service bonus.

17. Frequent Flyer Tier Bonus

If you have Executive Club status, you can earn even more Avios on your flights. Bronze members earn a 25% bonus, Silver members earn a 50% bonus, and Gold members earn a 100% bonus on all British Airways flights.

When you fly with partner airlines, be sure to check whether you will earn a tier bonus. You will earn a tier bonus with some partners, including American Airlines, but not others.

18. Reaching the Next Level of Status

The more you fly with British Airways (and some of its partners), the quicker you will earn the next level of status in the Executive Club.

With higher status, you will receive perks that can include airport lounge access, priority check-in and boarding, and an additional baggage allowance.

Hot Tip: You can also get airport lounge access with The Platinum Card® from American Express.

Qualifying for Elite Status

To reach each level of Executive Club status you must earn a set number of Tier Points. With 300 Tier Points, you earn Bronze status. With 600 Tier Points, you earn Silver status. To reach top level Gold status, you must earn 1,500 Tier points.

Oneworld Status

With Bronze, Silver, and Gold status you also receive a corresponding Oneworld status (Ruby, Sapphire, or Emerald) and the associated benefits when flying with Oneworld partner airlines.

Other Methods

19. Buy British Airways Avios

In some situations, you just need some extra Avios points in order to book a specific redemption. This is probably the only situation that we’d recommend buying Avios as usually they aren’t good value to purchase (even if there’s a promotion running).

However, sometimes you can be a little short and so this could be worthwhile. Just don’t buy them on a whim as stockpiling points for one specific airline is risky due to (inevitable) devaluations.

Final Thoughts

Thanks to British Airways’ partnerships with American Express, Chase, and Citi, you have plenty of opportunities to earn Avios points.

Using the British Airways Visa Signature® Card is the most straightforward way to earn Avios points. It also allows you to earn the Travel Together ticket after spending $30,000 (or more) in a calendar year.

British Airways’ partnerships with American Express, Chase, and Citi provide you with plenty of other opportunities to earn Avios. You can top off these earnings with British Airways’ travel partners, shopping portal, shopping partners, and surveys.

Thanks to these partnerships, you will never be lacking in ways to earn Avios through the British Airways Executive Club program. With strategic earning and use of your Avios points, you’ll be on your way to some fun adventures!

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