British Airways Club

British Airways Avios expire after 36 months of inactivity in your account. This means you need to earn, spend, or purchase at least one Avios every 36 months to keep your balance active. Unlike some other loyalty programs, simply having a co-branded credit card doesn’t prevent expiration—you need actual activity in your account.

Fortunately, there are many easy ways to keep your Avios from expiring:

• Make a small purchase through the British Airways eStore shopping portal
• Transfer points from a partner program like American Express, Chase, or Capital One (even just 1,000 points)
• Book a cheap award flight
• Earn Avios from a hotel stay or car rental
• Complete a survey through Avios for Thoughts
• Purchase a small amount of Avios (though this isn’t the most cost-effective option)

If your Avios have already expired, British Airways may reinstate them in exceptional circumstances, but this is at their discretion and not guaranteed.

Avios and tier points serve completely different purposes in the British Airways Club program:

Avios:
• Function as the program’s reward currency (like miles or points)
• Can be redeemed for flights, upgrades, hotels, and other rewards
• Are earned based on spending with British Airways and partners
• Can be transferred between Avios programs and shared with family members
• Do not expire as long as there’s activity every 36 months

Tier Points:
• Used solely to determine your elite status level (Blue, Bronze, Silver, Gold)
• Cannot be redeemed for anything
• Until March 31, 2025: Earned based on flight distance and fare class
• From April 1, 2025: Earned based on spending (1 tier point per £1 spent on BA, American, and Iberia)
• Reset at the end of your membership year (now standardized to March 31)
• Cannot be transferred or shared with others

Think of tier points as the measuring stick for your loyalty to British Airways, while Avios are the rewards you receive for that loyalty.

You can transfer Avios between different Avios programs (British Airways Club, Iberia Plus, Qatar Airways Privilege Club, Aer Lingus AerClub) at a 1:1 ratio. Here’s how to do it:

1. Ensure your accounts are eligible:
• Your Iberia Plus account must be at least 90 days old
• Your account must have had some activity (earned at least 1 Avios)
• The name, email, and date of birth must match exactly across accounts

2. Link your accounts:
• Log in to your British Airways account
• Go to “Manage My Account”
• Select “Combine my Avios”
• Choose the program you want to transfer to/from
• Enter your membership number and PIN/password for that program

3. Transfer Avios:
• Once linked, you can move Avios in either direction
• Transfers are instant and free
• There’s no minimum transfer amount

This flexibility is extremely valuable because each Avios program has different award charts and fees. For example, transferring Avios to Iberia can save hundreds of dollars in fees on transatlantic flights, while transferring to Qatar might give you better access to certain award seats.

The Travel Together Ticket is one of the most valuable benefits of the British Airways Visa Signature^® Card. Here’s everything you need to know about it:

How to earn it:
• Spend $30,000 on your British Airways Visa card within a calendar year
• The voucher is typically deposited into your account shortly after meeting the spending threshold
• It’s valid for 24 months from the date of issue

How it works:
• When you redeem Avios for a British Airways flight, your companion travels on the same flights for only the taxes and fees (no additional Avios required)
• Both travelers must be on the same exact itinerary in the same cabin
• The primary traveler must use their own Avios for their ticket
• You must designate your companion at the time of booking

Restrictions:
• Only valid on British Airways-operated flights (not partner airlines)
• Must be redeemed from the US (both outbound and return flights must touch the US)
• Cannot be combined with a companion voucher from a UK-issued card
• Both travelers must be traveling together on the entire itinerary

Best uses:
• Premium cabins (business or first class) offer the most value
• Long-haul flights where you’d otherwise use a large amount of Avios
• Off-peak travel when Avios requirements are lower

Despite the high fuel surcharges on British Airways flights, the Travel Together Ticket can still provide exceptional value, especially for premium cabin redemptions where you’re essentially getting a buy-one-get-one-free deal on the Avios portion.

Finding and booking award flights with British Airways Avios is relatively straightforward, though there are some tips to maximize your success:

Where to search:
• The British Airways website (ba.com) is the primary place to search for most Avios redemptions
• Log in to your account and select “Book a flight with Avios” under the “Book” tab
• For some partners like Aer Lingus, you might need to call to book

Search tips:
• When the search screen asks about stopovers, select “No, I want to continue without stopovers” to see partner flights
• Search segment by segment for complex itineraries
• Use the calendar view (±3 days) to find better availability
• Start searching 355 days in advance for the best premium cabin availability

Booking process:
1. Enter your origin, destination, dates, and number of passengers
2. Select “Pay with Avios” to see award options
3. Choose your preferred flight and cabin
4. Select any Avios + Money options if desired
5. Complete passenger information and payment for taxes/fees

If you can’t find what you want online:
• Call British Airways Executive Club (1-800-452-1201 for US)
• Ask the agent to waive the phone booking fee since the flight wasn’t available online
• Be specific about the flights you want, including dates, flight numbers, and cabin

Remember that British Airways charges per segment, so direct flights will always be cheaper than connecting itineraries in terms of Avios required.

As of April 1, 2025, British Airways Club has switched to a revenue-based elite status system. Here’s how the new system works:

Earning tier points:
• You earn 1 tier point per £1 (approximately $1.24) spent on flights marketed and operated by British Airways, American Airlines, and Iberia
• This includes spending on the base fare, carrier-imposed surcharges, and ancillary purchases like seat selection and extra baggage
• Airport fees and government taxes do not count toward tier point earning
• For vacation packages or undisclosed fares, you’ll earn tier points based on a percentage of miles flown
• For other partner airlines, tier points are still earned based on distance and fare class

Status thresholds:
• Bronze: 3,500 tier points
• Silver: 7,500 tier points
• Gold: 20,000 tier points
• Gold Guest List: 65,000 tier points (with at least 52,000 from BA flights)

Status period:
• All members now have the same tier point collection year: April 1 to March 31
• Status earned is valid for the remainder of the current collection year plus the entire following year

Lifetime status:
• Lifetime Gold requires 550,000 lifetime tier points (up from 35,000 under the old system)
• Existing lifetime tier point balances have been converted proportionally

This new system generally makes elite status harder to earn for most travelers, especially those who fly long distances on inexpensive tickets. It rewards those who spend more on premium cabins and additional services, aligning with industry trends toward revenue-based loyalty programs.