British Airways Avios vs tier points

British Airways Avios vs tier points difference is a crucial distinction for frequent flyers. Avios is a spendable reward currency shared with partner airlines, while tier points determine elite status and are earned only through flights or specific UK credit card spending.

Tier points and Avios are not directly correlated and can be held independently. The British Airways Club uses tier points as a second currency that cannot be spent. They are earned on flights with British Airways and its partners and, in the UK, from spending on the British Airways American Express Premium Plus Card. These points dictate status level from Blue, Bronze, Silver to Gold. Avios, however, can be spent on flights, upgrades, or partner services and are earned through flights and a wider range of partner spending.

How Avios works across the IAG and partner network

Avios can be earned and spent across British Airways, Iberia, Finnair, Qatar Airways and others, but each airline runs its own frequent flyer programme with unique rules. British Airways shares Avios as a reward currency with its sister airlines within International Airlines Group (IAG): Iberia, Aer Lingus, Vueling, and LEVEL. Iberia, for example, has a frequent flyer programme called Iberia Club with a different elite status programme from The British Airways Club.

Avios is also used by Qatar Airways, Finnair, and Loganair, even though they are not part of IAG. Members can transfer Avios between these different programmes instantly and free of charge. Avios can be earned on flights with these carriers and through purchases with partners including car rental, insurance, tours, experiences, and wine.

Why transferring Avios between programmes can be valuable

Moving Avios to partner programmes like Iberia or Finnair can unlock better seat availability, lower taxes, or exclusive rewards not accessible via British Airways. Iberia makes more economy seats available to its own members and runs occasional Avios sales only for Iberia Club. Qatar Airways offers extra Avios seats at higher prices via its Privilege Club and has monthly Avios sales exclusive to its members.

Finnair provides attractive hotel redemptions for Avios via Finnair Plus. On some routes, it also charges lower taxes on its own reward flights than British Airways does. Transfers also allow spending on items not available through a home programme, such as upgrading Finnair flights via Finnair Plus. Avios earned in another programme, for instance from Scandic Hotels via Finnair Plus, can be moved to a main Avios account.

The risk of conflating Avios with tier status

Focusing only on Avios balance can lead to missed elite perks. Tier points reset to zero on 1st April each year and are not earned from Avios redemptions or non-flight spending. A high Avios balance can exist with no tier points if earned from non-flight activities like an Avios credit card. Conversely, a high tier point balance can exist with few Avios after a recent redemption.

Each elite tier offers benefits like free lounge access, additional baggage, and bonus Avios earning rates. Loganair reward flights can only be booked from a Loganair Loyalty account, illustrating the need to navigate separate programmes. Travellers should track both Avios and tier points separately to maximise benefits when using partner programmes.