Finest methods to redeem Avios: From flights to Hawaii to island hopping within the Caribbean

British Airways is the biggest full-service airline in the UK and flies to extra locations in the US than another European service.

The airline’s loyalty program, British Airways Membership, makes use of Avios as its forex.

With a considerable U.S. route community, wonderful airline companions and a loyalty forex that’s simple to earn and redeem, British Airways Membership needs to be in your radar, even should you aren’t touring to the U.Okay. In contrast to main U.S. loyalty applications, British Airways Membership doesn’t function utilizing dynamic pricing, and there are reductions for off-peak journey dates.

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Listed below are the most effective methods to redeem British Airways Avios.

Associated: 5 explanation why it is best to care about British Airways Avios

E book short-haul flights in Europe utilizing Avios

Brief-haul tickets flying on British Airways, Iberia or Aer Lingus are arguably the most effective British Airways Avios redemptions. They begin at simply 4,750 Avios plus 17.50 British kilos (about $23) for an off-peak award flight that is 650 miles or much less in distance. One instance could be a flight between London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS), which might recurrently value over $100 if bought as a money fare.

Companion awards, together with these operated by Cathay Pacific, Qantas and Japan Airways, begin at 6,000 Avios however exclude flights inside North America.

Due to British Airways’ Reward Flight Saver provide, British Airways Membership members even have the choice to decide on to pay extra Avios to cut back the (already cheap) taxes and costs.

Use Avios to island hop by means of the Caribbean

Here’s a neat trick to experiencing extra of the Caribbean as soon as you’re there.

Whereas flights between islands on this area could be costly, British Airways operates a number of fifth-freedom routes the place, for instance, a British Airways flight originating in London will fly from Antigua’s V.C. Fowl Worldwide Airport (ANU) to St. Kitts’ Robert L. Bradshaw Worldwide Airport (SKB) a number of instances per week.

You may guide simply the brief hop between the islands, and British Airways costs these brief flights like its European short-haul flights. Utilizing the Reward Flight Saver provide, redemptions begin from simply 4,750 Avios every manner plus 17.50 British kilos (about $23) on off-peak dates. Award availability is often excellent in all courses on these fifth-freedom flights, as many passengers disembark on the first cease, leaving loads of empty seats for the second, brief leg.

If you cannot determine between two islands on this stunning a part of the world, think about using Avios to cheaply hop between them.

E book home enterprise class on American Airways utilizing Avios

Though American Airways calls its home premium-class cabin “top notch,” you’ll be able to redeem Avios for this product at business-class-level charges.

The actual kicker is that American Airways recurrently flies internationally configured wide-body plane, together with Boeing 777s and 787s, on home routes. For instance, American’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner operates some flights between Philadelphia Worldwide Airport (PHL) and Miami Worldwide Airport (MIA), a 1,013-mile journey.

You could possibly guide a business-class award on this flight for under 32,000 Avios and $5.60 in charges and taxes. That is a good deal for a correct lie-flat mattress.

Pay for West Coast flights to Hawaii utilizing Avios

Since we’re with reference to American Airways, one other candy spot with Avios is the flexibility to fly from main West Coast cities to the Hawaiian Islands for simply 20,000 Avios every manner, because of the Avios distance-based chart. That beats the award charge for a lot of U.S. airline applications.

However on this case, it isn’t simply American’s route community that is included. Alaska Airways can also be a British Airways accomplice, which suggests you might have entry to the service’s flights to Hawaii, although you may have to name to guide Alaska flights with Avios since they are not searchable on the British Airways web site. That opens up routes that American does not serve however Alaska does, akin to San Jose Mineta Worldwide Airport (SJC) in California to Ellison Onizuka Kona Worldwide Airport at Keahole (KOA) in Kona, Hawaii, and Seattle-Tacoma Worldwide Airport (SEA) to Honolulu’s Daniel Okay. Inouye Worldwide Airport (HNL).

So, should you dwell virtually wherever on the West Coast — or can simply place your self there — Avios could be your good friend to Hawaii.

Associated: Lower your expenses: How one can guide flights to Hawaii utilizing factors and miles

E book Aer Lingus with Avios at off-peak costs

In case you can journey throughout off-peak dates (which cowl roughly eight months of the yr), you’ll be able to fly to Dublin from a handful of U.S. cities, together with ones as far west as Chicago. This award will set you again simply 26,000 Avios round-trip in financial system or as few as 50,000 Avios one-way in enterprise class.

Suppose you reside within the South in a metropolis like Orlando or Miami, or on the West Coast in Los Angeles or San Francisco. In both of these circumstances, the costs would solely enhance to 32,500 Avios round-trip in financial system and 62,500 Avios one-way in enterprise class. These are nonetheless nice offers, contemplating how lengthy these flights are.

You will not be charged gas surcharges when redeeming British Airways Avios for Aer Lingus flights.

Reserve Iberia business-class seats to Spain utilizing Avios

You may guide Iberia flights between Boston Logan Worldwide Airport (BOS), New York Metropolis’s John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport (JFK) or Dulles Worldwide Airport (IAD) close to Washington, D.C., to Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD) for simply 34,000 Avios every manner in enterprise class on off-peak dates, plus modest taxes and costs.

This stays among the best candy spots of any loyalty program and an unbelievable worth to Europe.

Whereas flights from Chicago’s O’Hare Worldwide Airport (ORD) to MAD are barely exterior this distance vary, in addition they worth at 34,000 Avios one-way in enterprise class, which is a superb deal.

Associated: On board the world’s first Airbus A321XLR, the plane that might revolutionize transatlantic journey

Tips on how to earn Avios

Making use of for the British Airways Visa Signature® Card (see charges and costs) is a straightforward solution to earn a significant variety of Avios for on a regular basis spending.

This card permits new candidates to earn 85,000 Avios after spending $5,000 on purchases throughout the first three months of account opening. Per our April 2025 valuations, TPG values Avios at 1.4 cents every, making the total bonus price $1,190.

The British Airways Visa Signature has a $95 annual payment and earns 3 Avios per greenback spent on purchases with British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia and Degree. Plus, you’ll be able to earn 2 Avios per greenback spent on lodge lodging booked straight with the lodge. All different purchases earn 1 Avios per greenback spent.

Do not forget that Avios could be transferred at a 1:1 charge between the totally different applications that use this forex.

As a result of Avios companions with many transferable bank card currencies, the next playing cards all at the moment provide sturdy welcome bonuses that you could possibly simply convert to Avios:

• Chase Sapphire Most popular® Card: Earn 100,000 Final Rewards factors after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
• The Enterprise Platinum Card® from American Categorical: Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards factors after spending $20,000 on purchases within the first three months of card membership. Plus, earn a $500 assertion credit score after spending $2,500 on qualifying flights booked straight with airways or by means of Amex Journey with the cardboard throughout the first three months of card membership. You may earn one or each of those affords.
• The Platinum Card® from American Categorical: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards factors after spending $8,000 on purchases throughout the first six months of card membership.
• American Categorical® Gold Card: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards factors after spending $6,000 on eligible purchases within the first six months of card membership.
• Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases throughout the first three months of account opening.

Backside line

You might marvel why we did not point out utilizing Avios for transatlantic flights on British Airways metallic or redeeming Avios for nonflight redemptions akin to accommodations and automobiles. Since British Airways tacks on massive surcharges to its award tickets, utilizing Avios for transatlantic flights on the service is not the easiest way to maximise this forex.

Equally, you’ll not get outsize worth by redeeming your Avios for lodge stays and automotive leases.

Now that you already know the most effective makes use of, you will get terrific worth out of your Avios no matter whether or not you like flying in financial system or premium courses.