What is the British Airways Club?

The British Airways Club is the loyalty programme offered by British Airways. It replaced the Executive Club on 1 April 2025. While the name has changed, many of the core features remain, including earning and redeeming points, now streamlined to reflect the shared points currency used across IAG (International Airlines Group) airlines: Avios.

Avios is the points currency used not only by British Airways, but also by Iberia, Aer Lingus, Vueling, and Qatar Airways. This means you can earn and use your points across multiple airlines, giving you greater flexibility when planning your travel.

If you're unsure about what points are and how they work, learn more on our blog: Here.

What is the British Airways Club?

The British Airways Club is the airline’s loyalty programme. It’s free to join and designed to reward both frequent flyers and everyday consumers. Once you sign up, you begin earning Avios, which can later be used for flights, upgrades, hotels, and more.

What are Avios?

Avios are the shared currency of the IAG airline group. You earn them through flights, shopping, hotel stays, credit card spending and more — and you can use them for:

• Reward flights (one-way or return, including taxes/fees)
• Cabin upgrades (e.g. World Traveller to World Traveller Plus)
• Hotel stays and car hire
• Part payment for cash tickets ("Pay with Avios")
• Experiences and merchandise

You can combine Avios with cash, giving you flexibility when your points don’t quite cover the full amount.

You can also share Avios between household members through a Household Account, making it easier to pool points as a family or couple. If you'd like to learn more about how you can gift, transfer and buy points, you can read about it on our blog: Here.

Earning Avios – the British Airways way

Here’s how British Airways Club members can earn Avios:

1. Flying with British Airways and oneworld partners
   You’ll earn Avios when you fly with BA or partners like Iberia, Qatar Airways, Finnair, and American Airlines. The number of Avios you earn depends on fare class, ticket price, and distance.
2. Credit cards linked to Avios
   British Airways offers co-branded credit cards with American Express in the UK. These cards earn Avios on every pound you spend and can include perks like a Companion Voucher, which allows you to bring someone with you on an Avios flight for no extra Avios (you still pay taxes and fees).
3. Avios eStore and everyday partners
   Earn Avios while shopping online at popular retailers like John Lewis, Apple, or Marks & Spencer through the British Airways eStore. You can also earn through hotel and car hire partners such as Marriott, Hilton, Avis, and Budget.
4. Transferring from other points programmes
   You can transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to Avios at a 1:1 ratio.

Membership Tiers in the British Airways Club

In addition to earning Avios, flights also earn you Tier Points — which determine your membership level within the British Airways Club. Tier Points are now awarded based on the price of your ticket (excluding taxes and fees), at a rate of 1 Tier Point per GBP spent.

There are four levels:

• Blue – Entry-level membership. Access to Avios redemptions and standard benefits like earning Avios on flights, access to the Avios eStore, the ability to manage your Household Account, and eligibility to collect Tier Points for future status upgrades.
• Bronze – Earned with 3,000 Tier Points. Includes priority check-in, priority boarding, and free seat selection 7 days before departure.
• Silver – Earned with 7,500 Tier Points. Adds Business Class lounge access (even on Economy tickets), extra baggage allowance, and seat selection at booking.
• Gold – Earned with 20,000 Tier Points. Includes First Class lounge access, extra reward availability, fast track at security, and more generous baggage policies.

Tier Points reset every year, and you need to meet the threshold during your Tier Point collection year to maintain or advance to the next level.

Avios and Reward Flights: How it works

British Airways uses a distance-based reward chart, which makes short-haul redemptions especially valuable. For example, a return flight from London to Paris or Amsterdam can cost as little as 9,250 Avios + taxes.

There are two pricing tiers:

• Off-Peak: Lower Avios rates, available on selected dates throughout the year.
• Peak: Higher Avios rates, typically during holidays or high demand.

Examples:

• London to New York (off-peak, Club World/Business): from 100,000 Avios + taxes/fees
• London to Rome (off-peak, Euro Traveller/Economy): from 9,250 Avios + taxes/fees

You can also upgrade cash tickets using Avios, which can provide better value than redeeming outright.

Features of the British Airways Club

Here are some of the key benefits that the British Airways Club offers:

• Household Accounts: Pool Avios across up to 7 people living at the same address
• Part Pay with Avios: Use Avios to reduce the cash price of a ticket
• Reward Flight Saver: Capped fees on European flights when redeeming Avios
• BA Companion Voucher: Use one voucher to bring a second passenger for no extra Avios
• Combine Avios across programmes: Transfer between BA, Iberia, Aer Lingus, and Qatar Airways Avios accounts

Final thoughts

The British Airways Club is one of the most accessible and versatile frequent flyer programmes in the UK. Whether you're a frequent flyer or just getting started with points, Avios can be a powerful tool to reduce the cost of travel — especially in premium cabins.

But like any loyalty programme, the key is knowing how to use it wisely. With the right guidance and planning, your points can take you further, faster — and in far more comfort than you might expect.