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Avios are shared by several airline programmes, and you can move them 1:1 between linked accounts in your own name. BA lists Iberia Club, AerClub (Aer Lingus), Loganair Loyalty, Vueling Club, Qatar Airways Privilege Club and Finnair Plus (BA: Transfer your Avios, checked 13 Nov 2026). Each programme prices reward seats and adds taxes, fees and charges in its own way, so the same flight can cost a different total depending on where you book it. Sometimes that's cheaper than ba.com, sometimes not.
What we'd do first: before moving a single Avios, price the same flight on ba.com and on the partner's website, logged in, as far as the page before payment. Write down the Avios and the cash for each, and the date and time you checked. Then compare them as one number (below), and confirm on the avios.com transfer screen that you can actually move Avios to that programme before you commit.
Why the charges differ
On BA-operated flights, BA Reward Flights carry "a fixed cash cost, inclusive of taxes, fees and carrier charges". For partner flights booked through BA, BA says "the cash amount required to cover the taxes, fees and carrier charges is variable rather than fixed", and "The number of Avios required for partner flights may vary from British Airways" (BA Reward Flights, checked 13 Nov 2026).
The other programmes set their own rules. Qatar Airways says that for award flights with partners "you will need to pay for duty and tax surcharges, passenger/carrier service charges" and other government charges (Qatar Airways: Fly with Avios, checked 13 Nov 2026). Iberia publishes its own Avios redemption tables by distance (Iberia: Purchase flights with Avios, checked 13 Nov 2026), and Aer Lingus publishes a zone chart (below).
Independent context, not verified by us: UK points sites have long reported that booking Iberia-operated flights through Iberia's own programme avoids carrier charges that ba.com adds to the same flights (for example, Head for Points, December 2020). We couldn't reproduce live charges on either site, so treat that as a reason to check, not a promise.
Compare as one number
The trap is lower charges that come with more Avios. Put each option on one scale:
total = cash + (Avios × your value per Avios)
We use an assumed 1p per Avios (a Credit Club working figure, not an airline value).
Worked example (hypothetical figures, not quotes for any airline), one person, one way:
| Where booked | Avios | Cash | Total at 1p per Avios |
|---|---|---|---|
| ba.com (hypothetical) | 50,000 | £300 | £300 + £500 = £800 |
| Partner programme A (hypothetical) | 50,000 | £120 | £120 + £500 = £620 |
| Partner programme B (hypothetical) | 62,500 | £90 | £90 + £625 = £715 |
In this hypothetical example, programme A saves £180 against ba.com (£800 − £620). Programme B has the lowest cash but uses 12,500 more Avios, so on a 1p value it's still worse than A. If you valued Avios at 0.5p, B would come to £90 + £312.50 = £402.50 and win. That's why the value you choose matters; see when cash beats Avios for how to set it.
Aer Lingus: the chart it publishes
Aer Lingus publishes its AerClub Avios prices by zone, one way, with peak and off-peak columns (Aer Lingus route chart, PDF, downloaded 13 Nov 2026; the file carries no date). For North America:
- Zone 5 (Dublin to Boston, Chicago, New York, Newark, Washington and others; Shannon to Boston and New York): economy 13,000 off-peak / 20,000 peak; business 50,000 off-peak / 60,000 peak.
- Zone 6 (Dublin to Los Angeles, Miami, Orlando, San Francisco, Seattle and others): economy 16,250 / 25,000; business 62,500 / 75,000.
- Zone 1 includes Dublin to London: 4,000 off-peak / 4,500 peak (economy only on the chart).
Taxes, fees and charges are on top and aren't on the chart. Aer Lingus also publishes a 2027 peak and off-peak calendar (PDF).
Worked example (Avios from the Aer Lingus chart; charges not included): London to New York in business via Dublin, off-peak, one person, return. Dublin–New York 2 × 50,000 = 100,000 Avios, plus London–Dublin in economy 2 × 4,000 = 8,000 Avios. Total 108,000 Avios plus taxes and charges, if priced as the sum of the chart amounts (we haven't confirmed how AerClub prices a connection).com shows for your dates and run the one-number test. Our London to New York business class on points guide compares this with BA and Virgin.
Qatar Airways Privilege Club
Qatar's programme uses Avios and links directly with BA. BA says you "Link your Qatar Airways Privilege Club and British Airways Club accounts", then move Avios "as often as you like". Points worth knowing from Qatar's own page:
- Avios plus Cash is offered on Qatar Airways and partner flights.
- Privilege Deals are award flights "at a reduced Avios rate on selected Qatar Airways flights, routes and dates", "generally released on the 5th of each month". Changing to a non-deal flight reprices at the standard rate.
- You pay taxes and charges in cash, and Avios "cannot be earned on award flights with oneworld and other partner airlines".
If you hold Amex Membership Rewards, Amex UK transfers to Qatar 1:1; Amex says to allow 48 hours (where Amex Membership Rewards points transfer in the UK).
Iberia Club
Iberia links to BA through avios.com. Amex UK transfers to Iberia 1:1 directly, with a stated 4 working days; BA is instant. To move Avios already in BA, link the accounts at avios.com. The official guidance on how long a new Iberia account must wait isn't consistent (see below), so check that you can transfer before you commit to an Iberia redemption or move Amex points in. Iberia's telephone sales line for the UK is +44 (0)20 3003 2109 (Iberia's page, checked 13 Nov 2026), useful if a booking doesn't go through online.
How to move Avios between programmes
From avios.com's own FAQ (avios.com: Transfer Avios, checked 13 Nov 2026):
- Check your details match. "The first name, surname, and email address registered on each account must match", plus date of birth if either account holds one.
- Mind the waiting period, and check it yourself. avios.com says "Your accounts must be at least 30 days old", and "You must wait 30 days after joining a loyalty programme before you can move Avios". But BA's Conditions of Use still say "'Combine my Avios' cannot be used to transfer to or from the Iberia Club Programme within 90 days of joining the Iberia Club Programme". Because the two official sources conflict, check your own eligibility before you commit to a redemption or transfer points in:
- Account age: note when each account was opened (the joining email shows it). If your Iberia Club account is under 90 days old, assume you may have to wait.
- Matching names: first name, surname and email (and date of birth, if held) must be identical on both accounts.
- The screen itself: log in to the transfer page at avios.com, link the accounts and confirm the transfer option and an amount field actually appear for the direction you need. If they don't, don't book or transfer anything in yet.
- Link once. "Once accounts are linked, they cannot be unlinked." Linking and transfers are online only: "These services are not available via contact centres."
- Move the amount. BA says Avios are transferred "immediately". Avios can move back the same way.
- Know the cap. For Blue, Clásica, Green and Basic members, "a limit of 1,000,000 Avios applies to the total amount that may be transferred per Avios Programme… in any rolling 12‑month period."
Qatar is linked through BA or Qatar's site rather than the main avios.com list; avios.com sends you to BA for it.
The trade-offs
- You lose BA-only extras. Reward Flight Saver covers "selected British Airways-operated flights" booked through BA. The BA Amex Companion Voucher has to be used on a booking made through BA; see how the BA Companion Voucher really works.
- Different change and cancellation rules. Each programme's rules apply to its bookings. Read them before you pay.
- Expiry isn't reset. BA's Conditions of Use say moving Avios doesn't count as activity and won't prevent expiry.
- New accounts wait. avios.com says 30 days; BA's terms say 90 days for Iberia. Either way, a brand-new partner account can't help with a booking this week. Check the transfer screen first.
If the first option fails
- Partner site shows no seat? Search a day either side, or the other direction; reward space differs by flight.
- Account too new, or the transfer option doesn't appear? Don't transfer Amex points into Iberia or commit to the partner booking. Book through BA and compare the total, or wait until the transfer screen shows the option (allow up to 90 days for a new Iberia account) if the saving is worth it.
- The saving is small? Book through BA and keep things simple, especially if you want to use a Companion Voucher or Reward Flight Saver.
- Still short of Avios? See buying Avios: when a sale makes sense, or Avios pricing explained for Avios & Money options.
