How do I collect Avios points?

Key takeaways

• You collect Avios points by making purchases with certain American Express credit cards

• ⁠You can convert points from other reward schemes like BPme, HSBC Credit Card Rewards Programme and RevPoints into Avios points

• You can triple Avios points by paying to ‘boost’ them - this is cheaper than making additional purchases for points

How to I collect Avios points?

Avios works just like any loyalty scheme. If you spend money at certain places, you earn points which you can later redeem.

They’re best known for being collected and spent on flights, but there are many other ways to collect them.

How to start collecting Avios:

1. Join the British Airways Club: Sign up for a free British Airways Club account to get your Avios membership number.

2. Choose how you want to earn: Add your membership number to eligible flight bookings, or use Avios Shopping before making an online purchase. You can also earn through surveys, hotels, car hire and participating everyday spending partners.

3. Keep track of your Avios: Check your account to make sure your points have been added. Once you've built up enough, you can use your Avios towards flights, upgrades, hotels and other rewards.

What are the different ways to collect Avios?

You can earn Avios through flying, online shopping, other travel bookings, surveys, everyday spending and credit cards:

Collect Avios when you fly

Flying is one of the most common ways to collect Avios. You can earn Avios when you take eligible flights with British Airways, as well as other partner airlines.

British Airways is also part of the oneworld alliance, a network of airlines including American Airlines, Qatar Airways, Qantas, Iberia, Finnair, Japan Airlines and Cathay Pacific, so you can collect Avios on eligible flights with these airlines too.

How many Avios you earn depends on factors such as the airline, fare and cabin you're travelling in. Make sure your British Airways Club membership number is added to your booking or provide it when you check in so your Avios can be credited to your account.

You can also use your Avios towards eligible flights with British Airways and its partner airlines.

Shop through Avios Shop

The Avios shopping portal lets you collect Avios when you shop online or in store with participating retailers. There are more than 2,000 retail partners, including brands such as John Lewis, Currys and Selfridges.

When shopping online, log in to your British Airways Club account and click through to the retailer from Avios Shop before making your purchase.

You'll pay the retailer's usual price while collecting the advertised number of Avios on eligible purchases. The amount you earn varies by retailer and promotional offer.

For example, current offers include up to 4 Avios per £1 at John Lewis, up to 3 Avios per £1 at Currys and up to 12 Avios per £1 at Selfridges. These rates can change, so check the Avios Shopping portal before you buy.

You can also collect Avios with participating in-store retailers by linking an eligible debit or credit card to your account. Current examples include 3 Avios per £1 at PizzaExpress and up to 4 Avios per £1 at BP Pulse.

Collect Avios from other travel

Flights aren't the only travel purchases that can earn Avios. Depending on the partner and booking, you can also collect points on hotels, car hire, holidays and other travel bookings.

You can also collect one Avios for every £1 spent on eligible Uber journeys when you link your Uber and British Airways Club accounts.

Earn Avios from surveys

If you'd rather earn Avios without spending money, Avios For Thoughts lets you collect points by completing online surveys.

You can currently earn up to 600 bonus Avios when you join, complete the welcome tutorial and take your first survey. After that, completed surveys can earn between 20 and 350 Avios, depending on the survey's length.

Survey availability varies, and you may not qualify for every survey, so it's best viewed as a way to top up your Avios balance in your spare time rather than a regular source of points.

Convert Nectar points into Avios

If you collect Nectar points, you can convert them into Avios by linking your Nectar and British Airways Club accounts.

You can currently exchange 400 Nectar points for 250 Avios. You can also convert in the opposite direction, with 400 Avios becoming 400 Nectar points.

This can be useful if you're already collecting Nectar points from everyday spending and would rather use them towards flights or other Avios rewards.

Boost your Avios

If you've recently earned Avios, you may be able to pay to boost them rather than earning additional points through spending.

You can select eligible Avios collected within the previous 30 days and choose to boost them by 1x, 2x or 3x. This means you can potentially triple the number of Avios you've earned from an eligible transaction.

There's a charge for Balance Boost. MoneySuperMarket's current guide states that prices can start from 0.92p per Avios, although the price varies depending on how many Avios you're boosting.

It's worth comparing the cost of boosting with how much you would otherwise pay to earn or buy the additional Avios.

Use an Avios credit card

An Avios credit cardcan help you collect points on your everyday spending. Some cards also offer introductory bonuses when you meet a minimum spending requirement.

For example, the British Airways American Express card currently earns one Avios for every £1 spent, with a limited-time 10,000 bonus Avios offer for eligible new cardholders who apply and spend £2,000 within their first three months.

However, don't spend more than you normally would just to earn Avios. If you carry a balance, interest and fees could outweigh the value of the points you've collected.

Refer a friend and earn Avios

You may also be able to earn bonus Avios by referring friends or family to selected Avios partners and services.

Referral offers can give you and the person you refer extra Avios when they sign up and complete the required steps, such as making a qualifying purchase or booking.

The exact reward and eligibility requirements vary by offer, so check the current terms before sending a referral.

If you have friends or family who are already planning to use an Avios-earning service, a referral can be an easy way to add to your balance.

When are Avios points added to my balance?

They should arrive shortly after you have travelled or spent money with an eligible retailer – usually within three days, but it can take longer, especially with partner airlines.

Shopping portal and partner earnings can sometimes take weeks or even months, risking user confusion and unnecessary support queries.