Avios Reward Flight Search: How to Find Award Seats With Connections

The Avios reward flight search on avios.com just got a major upgrade. It now shows award itineraries with one connection, lists British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus side by side, and covers the full 355-day booking window. For US travelers, that means you can search from Chicago, Boston or New York to almost any city in Europe and see every Avios option on one screen.

We tested the tool on November 14, 2026, on routes from the United States and Canada. This guide covers each feature, the traps to avoid and the transferable points programs that feed your British Airways Club balance. To compare cards across the market, see our list of the best credit cards.

What the Avios reward flight search does

In short, the tool answers one question: which days this month have Avios award seats on my route, and how many Avios do they cost?

Where to find the search tool

Go to avios.com, open the Spend Avios menu, then pick Search Reward Flights. Here is the direct link to the Avios Find Reward Flights page. The page is in English and shows prices in Avios.

You need a free Avios account tied to British Airways Club, Iberia Club or Aer Lingus AerClub. The program selector sits at the top left of the page. The search form then asks for five things:

• Return or One Way: round trip or one way.
• From and To: your departure airport and destination.
• Travellers: the number of passengers, which changes the availability shown.
• When: a travel month, not a single date.
• I have a Companion Voucher: an option for certain UK cardholders, covered below.

If you have no destination in mind yet, the Explore destinations link suggests a few.

The monthly availability calendar

Results show two calendars side by side: outbound on the left, return on the right. Each date carries a symbol:

• full circle: seats available;
• half circle: limited availability;
• grayed-out date: not enough seats for your party size.

The arrows move month by month, up to 355 days out. On the left, filters let you keep only certain cabins (Economy, Premium Economy, Business, First) or nonstop flights only.

Hover over a date to see the price

Hover over any date and a tooltip shows the number of flights, the cabins available and the lowest price in Avios. For example, on April 13, 2027, the tool found 24 flights from Chicago to Barcelona, with economy and business seats, starting at 19,500 Avios plus taxes and fees.

Click a date to see every flight

Click the date to open the full list. Each line shows the flight numbers, the operating airline, departure and arrival times, total travel time, the connection airport and layover, the cabin, the seats left and the Avios price. Prices are per adult, before taxes and fees. The Select button starts the booking.

Connecting flights from US airports

Until now, the tool only showed nonstop flights. That left out a lot of trips: no US city has a nonstop flight to every European destination on British Airways, Iberia or Aer Lingus.

The search now allows one connection. Enter Chicago and Barcelona, and the tool returns three families of itineraries: British Airways via London Heathrow, Iberia via Madrid and Aer Lingus via Dublin. If you only want nonstops, tick Show Direct only.

There are two limits. First, the tool handles one connection at most. Second, both flights must be on the same airline, so it will not pair an Aer Lingus flight with an Iberia flight.

Compare British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus

This is where the tool pays off. Each airline sets its own Avios award chart, and the gap on the same route can be large. Here is what we found on November 14, 2026, for a one-way trip from Chicago to Barcelona.

In economy, Iberia and Aer Lingus both charged 19,500 Avios, less than half the 40,500 Avios British Airways asked for. Travel times were similar on all three.

The tool does not show taxes, fees or carrier-imposed surcharges. These vary by airline, and British Airways flights often carry the highest surcharges. Check the total cost at the booking step before you pick an itinerary.

Watch for shared first segments

Companion Voucher: not for US cards

The I have a Companion Voucher box offers two choices, both tied to British Airways American Express cards issued in the United Kingdom:

• the BA Amex credit card voucher, valid in economy only;
• the Premium Plus card voucher, valid in every cabin and with access to extra award seats.

Ticking a voucher cuts the per-person price in half, since the companion ticket costs no Avios. The Travel Together Ticket from the British Airways Visa Signature^® Card is not one of the options. Leave the box unchecked, or the prices and availability will not match what you can book.

What the tool does not do yet

The tool is a big step forward, but it does not cover every use of Avios. For Qatar Airways, American Airlines or Japan Airlines flights, you still need to search on the airline programs themselves. Our guides to Iberia Club, Aer Lingus AerClub and Qatar Airways Privilege Club explain each program.

Booking after the search, step by step

1. Log in to your Avios account and check which program is active.
2. Search by month with the right number of travelers.
3. Filter by cabin and, if you want, nonstop flights only.
4. Click a date and check the seats left on the first segment.
5. Click Select: you land on the operating airline's website to finish the booking.
6. Make sure your Avios sit in the right program. You can move Avios between British Airways Club, Iberia Club and AerClub.
7. Check taxes, fees and change rules before you confirm.

One tip: find the seat first, then transfer points from your credit card. Transfers to airline programs cannot be reversed.

Transfer partners that feed Avios

Most US travelers earn Avios through flexible points, not by flying. These programs transfer to British Airways Club, according to our program page:

Once the Avios land in British Airways Club, you can move them to Iberia Club or AerClub to book the cheaper itinerary the search tool found. Our transfer partners tool lists every partner of each program, and the transfer bonuses tracker shows current promotions.

Cards that earn transferable points

Several cards earn points that move to Avios at 1:1:

• the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card offers 75,000 bonus points after $5,000 in purchases in the first 3 months;
• the American Express^® Gold Card offers as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards points after $8,000 in eligible purchases in the first 6 months, and your offer may be lower;
• The Platinum Card^® from American Express offers up to 175,000 Membership Rewards points after $12,000 in eligible purchases in the first 6 months, and your offer may be lower;
• the Capital One Venture X Rewards card offers 75,000 bonus miles after $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months.

British Airways Visa Signature Card

The British Airways Visa Signature^® Card earns Avios directly in British Airways Club. Its sign-up bonus is 75,000 Avios after $5,000 in purchases in the first 3 months.