The most effective Avios-earning bank cards: Which is the one for you?

Avios are rapidly changing into one of the vital well-liked loyalty currencies in Europe — and worldwide.

Whereas British Airways Government Membership, Iberia Plus and Aer Lingus AerClub have lengthy used Avios as their loyalty foreign money, Qatar Airways Privilege Membership and Finnair Plus have now adopted go well with.

What is exclusive and beneficial about Avios is that you may switch your Avios between these applications in any path at a 1:1 fee as usually as you need. Whereas transfers from bank card applications to airline companions are usually not reversible, you may transfer Avios freely from one program to a different.

The applications that use Avios as their foreign money have standardized some pricing to stop members from transferring all their Avios to this system with the very best charges, however there are nonetheless candy spots in every program to learn about.

A number of cobranded bank cards can be found from airways that use Avios, and each main bank card program has at the least one Avios program as a switch associate at a 1:1 ratio.

So, with Avios really easy to earn, transfer round and redeem, what are the very best Avios bank cards? Must you select a cobranded bank card or one which earns a transferable foreign money?

Whereas there is not a single greatest card that wins in each class, relying in your priorities, listed here are the very best choices.

You need to earn a big welcome bonus

There are many nice welcome bonuses obtainable proper now on a lot of our favourite playing cards; this contains the three Chase-issued Avios playing cards:

The knowledge for the Aero Lingus Visa Signature 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.

With TPG’s April 2025 valuation of Avios at 1.4 cents every, these welcome bonuses are price $1,190 every, sufficient for a first-class flight to London (plus charges, taxes and carrier-imposed surcharges).

The usual provide for these playing cards is 75,000 Avios, so we advocate making use of when the bonus exceeds that.

You spend quite a bit on flights

Should you earn and redeem Avios, you are prone to make some purchases instantly with airways, whether or not it is paying for the charges, taxes and surcharges related along with your redemption or boosting your Avios steadiness with money fares.

Should you primarily fly on Aer Lingus, British Airways or Iberia, including one these cobranded airline playing cards to your pockets is sensible. Should you’re not loyal to 1 airline, although, take into account the next choices in your airline spending:

• The Platinum Card® from American Specific: Earn 5 factors per greenback spent on flights bought instantly from the airline or by means of Amex Journey (on as much as $500,000 per calendar 12 months, then 1 level per greenback). Phrases apply. The Amex Plat has an annual payment of $695 (see charges and charges) however when you maximize its credit and perks, you may offset most or all of this price.
• The Enterprise Platinum Card® from American Specific: Earn 5 factors per greenback spent on flights — and pay as you go motels — bought by means of Amex Journey. Phrases apply. Like its shopper counterpart, the Amex Platinum options an annual payment of $695 (see charges and charges), which may also be offset by maximizing credit and different perks that include it.
• Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card: Earn 5 miles per greenback spent on flights booked by means of Capital One Journey and a pair of miles per greenback spent on all different purchases (together with flights booked instantly with an airline/outdoors of Capital One Journey). The Enterprise X options an annual payment of $395.

Associated: British Airways Visa Signature bank card assessment: Fight excessive gasoline surcharges and earn versatile Avios

You need to maximize switch bonuses

Often, bank card issuers provide switch bonuses for choose airline and lodge associate applications. There is no such thing as a certainty as to when these bonuses will happen, and the variety of factors and miles you may obtain from the bonus can fluctuate from as little as 10% to over 40%.

Wanting on the switch bonuses to Avios applications from main issuers during the last 12 months, American Specific has provided essentially the most bonuses. With that in thoughts, these are the very best Amex card provides presently obtainable:

• The Platinum Card from American Specific: Earn 80,000 factors after spending $8,000 on purchases throughout the first six months of card membership.
• American Specific® Gold Card: Earn 60,000 factors after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. The annual payment on the Amex Gold is $325 (see charges and charges), however when you make the most of the month-to-month assertion credit and perks related to this product, you may principally zero out this price.
• The Enterprise Platinum Card from American Specific: Earn 150,000 factors after spending $20,000 on eligible purchases throughout the first three months of card membership.
• American Specific® Enterprise Gold Card: Earn 100,000 bonus factors after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months of card membership. The Amex Enterprise Gold card’s annual payment is $375 (see charges and charges).

You need to take pleasure in elite status-like perks

Incomes elite standing in an airline loyalty program normally requires important spending instantly with the airline and/or on a cobranded bank card. Luckily, when you want to benefit from the perks of elite standing, you are able to do so with the correct Avios bank card.

The brand new Qatar Airways Privilege Membership Visa Infinite Credit score Card, which comes with a $499 annual payment, has a welcome provide of as much as 50,000 Avios — 25,000 Avios after the primary transaction and an extra 25,000 Avios and 150 Qpoints after spending $5,000 within the first 90 days. Whereas this welcome bonus is decrease than these of the Chase Avios-earning playing cards, it additionally provides one 12 months of complimentary Qatar Airways Privilege Membership Gold standing (equal to Oneworld Sapphire), which incorporates advantages like precedence boarding, most well-liked seating, lounge entry and a 75% bonus on incomes Avios with eligible flights.

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.

It’s also possible to obtain worldwide lounge entry by means of the correct bank card.

The Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card provides limitless complimentary entry for you and two visitors to 1,300-plus lounges, together with Capital One Lounges and lounges within the Associate Lounge Community, together with Precedence Cross places.

Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see charges and charges) cardholders get entry to Chase Sapphire Lounges in addition to entry to Precedence Cross lounges, whereas Amex Platinum cardmembers can entry the American Specific International Lounge Assortment, together with Centurion, Precedence Cross, Escape and Plaza Premium lounges, choose Lufthansa lounges and Delta Sky Golf equipment.*

*Enrollment is required for choose advantages; When touring on same-day Delta flights, eligible Platinum Card members will obtain 10 visits per eligible Platinum Card per 12 months to the Delta Sky Membership or to Seize and Go when touring on a same-day Delta-operated flight.

Associated: Here is what it is like flying American Airways in economic system class with British Airways standing

You need to get monetary savings on airfares and redemptions

Whereas every of the three Chase Avios-earning playing cards provides a companion voucher or low cost for spending $30,000 yearly on the cardboard, the British Airways Visa Signature Card provides further advantages when reserving money and Avios redemptions.

Every year, you may:

• 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) once you ebook by means 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 3 times a 12 months once you ebook 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 once you spend $30,000 on the cardboard in a calendar 12 months — which may also be redeemed for a 50% low cost as a single passenger.
• Once you redeem a British Airways reward ticket, you need to use Avios to pay for taxes, charges and service prices, although this isn’t normally a superb deal.

You spend in non-travel classes

Whereas Avios fanatics could also be directing loads of bank card spending to airfares, when you spend cash on different classes like eating, groceries and different journey, you may earn numerous rewards with elevated incomes charges in these classes with the next playing cards:

• The Chase Sapphire Reserve earns 10 factors per greenback spent on eating if pay as you go by means of Chase Eating bought by means of final rewards (in any other case, earn 3 factors per greenback spent).
• The American Specific Gold Card earns 4 factors per greenback spent at eating places worldwide (on as much as $50,000 per calendar 12 months, then 1 level per greenback) and 4 factors per greenback spent on groceries at U.S. supermarkets (on as much as $25,000 per calendar 12 months, then 1 level per greenback).
• The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card (see charges and charges) earns 3 factors per greenback spent at eating places, supermarkets and gasoline and electrical automobile charging stations, and 1 level per greenback spent on all different purchases.

You need to redeem Avios for the occasional home flight

The entire Chase Avios-earning bank cards (the Aer Lingus Visa Signature Card, British Airways Visa Signature Card and Iberia Visa Signature Card) provide a beneficiant welcome bonus and a low annual payment.

Home flights on American Airways and Alaska Airways begin at simply 12,000 Avios when redeemed by means of British Airways Government Membership. With a single welcome bonus, you may ebook a number of home flights.

Associated: 4 occasions it is higher to ebook American Airways award flights with British Airways Avios

You fly to Europe repeatedly

The British Airways Visa Signature Card has quite a few reductions and assertion credit when flying with British Airways for each money fares and Avios redemptions, with a low annual payment. With BA’s infamous carrier-imposed surcharges, you would save loads of cash on money fares and Avios redemptions the place you ebook a number of seats or flights every year.

Associated: Fast Factors: Here is why you should not finish your European journey within the UK

You need to journey in premium cabins with your loved ones

You would possibly need to earn numerous Avios rapidly to redeem for luxurious merchandise like British Airways’ top notch or Qatar Airways’ award-winning Qsuite enterprise class. In that case, you will desire a card with a excessive welcome bonus and beneficiant class bonuses.

The Citi Strata Premier Card provides 60,000 bonus factors after you spend $4,000 within the first three months of account opening.

It additionally earns 10 factors per greenback spent on motels, automobile leases and sights booked by means of the Citi Journey portal and the beforehand talked about 3 factors per greenback at gasoline and EV charging stations, eating places, supermarkets and on airfare and different lodge purchases.

You possibly can increase your steadiness rapidly when you spend closely in these classes.

Backside line

Even when you do not fly to Europe, the Avios foreign money is price your consideration. Avios are straightforward to earn from many various bank cards and straightforward to redeem by means of the 5 completely different applications that use the foreign money. You even have the distinctive flexibility of transferring Avios between every program for free of charge at a 1:1 fee in any path.

Whereas there isn’t a slam-dunk Avios or transferable points-earning bank card for each traveler, there are glorious choices whether or not you’re on the lookout for a beneficiant welcome bonus, the power to earn Avios with out getting onto a airplane, or the power to avoid wasting money or Avios once you do.

Associated: Is British Airways premium economic system price it on the Boeing 777-300ER?

For charges and charges of the Amex Platinum Card, click on right here.
For charges and charges of the Amex Enterprise Platinum Card, click on right here.
For charges and charges of the Amex Gold Card, click on right here.
For charges and charges of the Amex Enterprise Gold, click on right here.