Avios Transfer Fail: What I Learned From Chase and Capital One Glitches

Transferring rewards to airline loyalty programs is at the heart of the points-and-miles game. So when your favorite mileage program stops accepting your transfers out of the blue, what do you do?

That’s exactly what happened to me with Avios and 2 of the banks that issued my cards through no fault of my own, leaving my travel plans in serious jeopardy. And it took a lot of time and effort from me to come up with a fix, imperfect as it turned out to be.

Even though I had changed nothing at all on my end, my transfers to Iberia and British Airways from Chase, as well as my transfer to British Airways from Capital One, suddenly just stopped working. They would bounce back, and no one could figure out why, even when I called both issuers multiple times. Meanwhile, my transfers from Amex continued working just fine.

Here’s the full story of what happened, and how I resolved it (sort of). If you encounter issues transferring rewards, you can follow the same steps.

Why I Love Transferring to Avios

I have transferable points and miles with Chase Ultimate Rewards, Capital One Miles, and American Express Membership Rewards. One of my favorite ways to use these credit card rewards is to transfer them to Avios, which is a shared loyalty currency of a few Oneworld alliance airlines, including British Airways, Iberia Airlines, and Qatar Airways.

I reside in Spain, so flying Iberia between Madrid and the U.S. is an excellent way for me to use my Avios. My family frequently travels the route from Chicago (ORD) to Madrid (MAD) and vice versa, which happens to be in a sweet spot on the Iberia award chart. Even though Iberia just increased its award rates, you can still fly off-peak economy rates for just 16,000 Iberia Avios one-way.

Chase Points Stopped Transferring to Avios

I had no problem transferring points and miles from Chase and Amex to Iberia, from Capital One to British Airways (then to Iberia) for years, until one day I wasn’t able to transfer my Chase points and Capital One Miles to these programs.

After calling and speaking with numerous representatives, I began to feel frustrated. Chase’s system is to investigate the problem and then mail a letter to you within 6 weeks to explain the resolution. After waiting weeks (and missing out on a 30% Avios transfer bonus), I received a letter stating that my middle name was the issue.

Due to system limitations, Chase were unable to add my middle name to my rewards account. (My bank account only had my middle initial.)

It’s true that my Iberia account has my full middle name, just like my passport does. However, for years, transfers worked, so this was never an issue, until one random day it was. Bizarrely, my Amex account doesn’t have my middle name yet, and I have no issue transferring Amex Membership Rewards points to Iberia.

Unable To Transfer Capital One Miles to Avios

With Capital One, I had a similar situation. However, instead of mailing a letter to my home, they strategically called me when they had a resolution, even though I repeatedly requested email contact. Because I missed one of their calls, they closed my case and I received no resolution. I begged them to email me, but they wouldn’t.

After opening another case with Capital One, I finally obtained the information I needed: They also stated that my middle name was the issue.

I went through an annoying process where I had to upload a photo of my passport, fill out a form, and even upload a W-9 to add my middle name to my Capital One account. My middle name was successfully added, but unfortunately, I would soon realize that it wouldn’t matter.

Capital One Miles Transfer Issue Is Still Unresolved

Ready and armed with my matching middle names, I attempted the transfer to British Airways Avios. The transfer failed.

I opened another case with Capital One and was finally able to get some clarity. They told me that it doesn’t matter that I added my middle name to my account because middle names don’t show up in reward transfers.

I’m not sure if that’s true, but it seems pretty crazy to me. If it’s my name, why doesn’t it count? How can they expect people’s names to match exactly if they won’t include middle names on reward transfers? What about people who have 2 first names? Or a complicated, long name? Why does it work with Amex, not Chase or Capital One? I have so many questions that remain unanswered.

Unfortunately, my Capital One case remains unresolved. Of course, I could always remove my middle name from my Iberia account, but dealing with Iberia customer service can be extremely tedious — and that is indeed the name on my passport, which means I’m keeping it there for now. I prefer that the name on my passport match the name on my frequent flyer programs and airline tickets, to avoid issues with earning miles.

How I Resolved My Chase Transfer Issues

I decided to get creative with Chase, adding my husband as an authorized user to my account. Since he is a valid authorized user, I can transfer the points from “his” Chase account to his Iberia account without any issues. He, being from Spain, has 2 last names, which often causes problems, but ironically, for Chase transfers, my plan worked.

Although he’s also an authorized user on my Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, that trick doesn’t work there. So I’m still at a loss for what to do with my Capital One Miles, which have become much less useful to me given this situation.

Instead, I’ve been spending a lot more on my American Express Green^® Card* and using Rakuten as my top shopping portal (you can earn Amex Membership Rewards points instead of cash-back) because I know my Amex Membership Rewards points will transfer to Avios without issues.

Thanks to the newly revamped Avios.com, both my husband and I are now able to transfer Iberia Avios to other Oneworld programs, such as British Airways and Qatar, which is very useful. For now, I’ll focus on earning Chase points with my Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card and Amex points on my Amex Green card, because I know I’m able to get those points where I most need them — over to Avios.

*The information regarding the American Express^® Green Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

Final Thoughts

If I can transfer my Amex points to Iberia without issue, I’ll hold on to my Amex Green card for life. Since I have a semifix for my Chase-to-Avios transfers, I definitely won’t be canceling my Chase Sapphire Preferred card anytime soon.

But I don’t have a fix for Capital One. Only time will tell how long I’ll hold on to my Capital One Venture X card — although I do find value in its $300 Capital One Travel credit.

If you’re struggling to transfer points and miles to specific partners, I encourage you to contact the banks and seek assistance, but I wouldn’t count on a quick or helpful resolution. Your best bet, for now, would be to add an authorized user you trust with a simpler name (thank goodness I married someone without a middle name), who you could transfer rewards to and book travel with, such as a partner or family member.