Transfer Avios Between Accounts
Avios — the mileage currency shared by international airlines Aer Lingus, British Airways, Finnair, Iberia, and Qatar Airways — are some of the easiest airline miles to earn. You can transfer Avios between all the different programs at a 1:1 ratio, which allows you to move miles earned with one airline to another Avios program, or consolidate your miles into one Avios account. This feature opens up options to book award flights through any of these airlines, regardless of which transferrable points you have, and take advantage of the best rates. While this process has always been a little convoluted, it just got easier to transfer Avios between your accounts.
Why Transfer Avios Between Airlines?
Why would you want to move Avios from one program to another? For one, each program has its own award chart (the number of miles you need to book a given flight) and charges slightly different taxes and fees. It may be a better deal to book through Iberia than British Airways for a given flight, for example.
Plus, if you have transferrable credit card points like American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou points, or Wells Fargo Rewards, you have a path to turn them into Avios in any of the five airline programs, even if they're not a direct transfer partner. For instance, while you can't transfer your Capital One miles directly to Qatar Airways, but you can transfer them to British Airways. From there, you can move your Avios from your BA account to your Qatar account to book flights in QSuites, and more.
Transferring Avios between Aer Lingus, British Airways, Finnair, Iberia, and Qatar isn't always straightforward. It often involves multiple steps. In this guide, we'll walk you through the basics of transferring Avios, and how to do it.
The Basics Of Transferring Avios Between Airlines
There are currently seven airline programs that use Avios as their frequent flyer miles: Aer Lingus, British Airways, Finnair, Iberia, Loganair, Qatar Airways, and Vueling. Loganair, the United Kingdom's main regional airline, is the latest airline to adopt Avios as its mileage currency. You can transfer Avios between accounts of all of these airline programs. And Avios has made that even easier recently with a newly revamped transfer tool on Avios.com that allows you to move Avios between programs all through a single site.
These are the airlines that earn and redeem Avios, and which of the programs you can move move miles directly between.
Aer Lingus
- British Airways
- Iberia
- Loganair
- Vueling
British Airways
- Aer Lingus
- Finnair
- Iberia
- Qatar Airways
Finnair
- British Airways
Iberia Club
- Aer Lingus
- British Airways
- Loganair
- Vueling
Loganair
- Aer Lingus
- British Airways
- Iberia
- Vueling
Qatar Airways Privilege
- British Airways
As you can see, you can move Avios freely between Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia, Loganair, and Vueling. However, Finnair and Qatar only allow transfers to and from British Airways. To move Avios from any of the other programs to Finnair or Qatar, you'll first have to transfer them to British Airways. For example, to combine Avios from your Iberia account with your Qatar Airways account, you'll first have to transfer your Iberia Avios to BA, and then move them from your BA account to Qatar.
Before you can transfer any Avios, you'll to sign up for a free frequent flyer account with each of the airlines that use Avios. When creating accounts, make sure the name and address match exactly, otherwise you may not be able to complete the transfer.
How To Transfer Avios To And From British Airways
You can transfer British Airways Avios from your BA account directly to your Aer Lingus, Finnair, Iberia, Loganair, Qatar, or Vueling accounts, and vice versa. There is a different process for moving your Avios between Aer Lingus, Iberia, Loganair, and Vueling versus Qatar, and Finnair. To start the process, head directly to Avios.com and log in using your British Airways Club frequent flyer account information. You may be prompted to set up two-factor authentication for your account at this step, if you haven't already.
From there, select the option to “Transfer Avios.” You can also use this direct link, which should take you right to the transfer tool.
On this page, you'll see all the options for transferring your Avios.
You can move Avios freely between British Airways and any of the other loyalty programs that use Avios through the links on this page.
Read on for a step-by-step guide on how to transfer Avios between each of the airline programs.
Transfer Avios To And From Aer Lingus
You can transfer Avios between accounts directly between Aer Lingus and British Airways, Iberia, Loganair, and Vueling.
To transfer Aer Lingus Avios between any of those airlines, log into your BA frequent flyer account on Avios.com or head straight to the dedicated “Transfer Avios” page on the Avios website. Select Aer Lingus as the airline you would like to transfer Avios from and click “next.”
On the next page, you'll be prompted to log into your Aer Lingus AerClub frequent flyer account. Most Avios-earning airline programs now require two-factor authentication to log in, as an extra security measure against fraud and miles theft. Your personal details for your accounts must match. As in, you cannot use this tool to move Avios from your account to that of another traveler.
From there, you'll be asked which airline you would like to move your Aer Lingus Avios to. Depending on the airline, you'll be prompted to login to that airline's frequent flyer account at this point. In this example, we're transferring Avios from Aer Lingus to British Airways.
You'll be taken to another page where you can choose exactly how many Avios you wish to transfer. You can transfer Avios in any amount; there is no minimum amount of Avios you must transfer.
Transfers are a 1:1 ratio and you can move Avios in either direction at any time, as many times as you want. Once you move Avios to one program, that doesn't mean they are stuck there forever.
You'll get a confirmation that your Avios transfer is complete. In our experience, the Avios should immediately appear in your account for you to redeem for flights.
If you want to transfer between Aer Lingus and Iberia, Loganair, or Vueling, the process is the same. If you receive an error message at any point, simply log out and try again or use an incognito browser. You can also try calling the airline and having an agent transfer your Avios for you. Just make sure you're calling the correct airline customer service number.
You cannot transfer Avios from Aer Lingus directly to Qatar or Finnair. If you want to combine Avios from your Aer Lingus account with Qatar or Finnair, you'll need to first transfer them to British Airways. Then, move them from your British Airways account to Finnair, Loganair, or Qatar.
Transfer Avios To And From Iberia
You can move Avios directly between Iberia and Aer Lingus, British Airways, Loganair, and Vueling. If you don't already have an Iberia Club loyalty account, stop what you're doing and sign up for one immediately. The rule that your Iberia Club account must be open for at least 90 days before you can transfer Avios between accounts is no longer in place.
To transfer Iberia Avios between any of those airlines, log into your Iberia or BA frequent flyer account on Avios.com or head straight to the dedicated “Transfer Avios” page on the Avios website.
Follow the same instructions as above for Aer Lingus, but choose Iberia as the airline you would like to transfer Avios from this time. You'll then be asked to input your Iberia Club account information, if you're not already logged in.
From there, select which airline you'd like to send your Iberia Avios to. You'll be prompted to login that airline's frequent flyer account. In this case, we're moving Avios from Iberia to British Airways.
On the following page, type in how many Avios you want to transfer. Hit “Transfer.”
You'll be notified whether your transfer was successful. The Avios should be available in your account to redeem almost immediately after completing the transfer. You can see the amounts in each of your accounts from the Avios.com homepage.
Whether you want to transfer Iberia Avios to Aer Lingus or British Airways, Loganair, or Vueling, the process is the same. You cannot transfer Avios directly from your Iberia account to Finnair or Qatar Airways. You'll first need to move your Avios to British Airways, and then send them to one of the other airline programs following the instructions below.
**This is the same process for Vueling and Loganair too.
Transfer Avios To And From Qatar Airways
You can transfer Avios between accounts with Qatar Airways Privilege Club and British Airways Club directly by linking your accounts. You can do this either through the Qatar website or Avios.com. Either way, you'll be prompted to link your accounts before you can initiate a transfer.
The process for combining Avios between British Airways and Qatar is fairly straightforward. First, head to the dedicated Transfer Avios page on Avios.com and log in with your British Airways frequent flyer account. Find Qatar Airways from the available airlines.
If your accounts are linked, you will see this reflected on the next page as well as the Avios account balances for both. Otherwise, you'll be prompted to link your accounts at this time.
Scroll down to the transfer tool, where you'll be able to choose which direction and how many Avios you would like to move. Then, hit “Transfer Avios.”
You'll be prompted to complete two-factor authentication before your transfer can be completed. If the transfer is successful, you should see the Avios in your account almost immediately.
Alternatively, you can also use the Qatar website to transfer Avios between British Airways and Qatar Airways. Use this direct link and log into your Qatar Airways Privilege Club account. If your accounts are linked, you'll be able to see the Avios balances in both accounts and the option to combine your Avios. Type in how many Avios you'd like to move and click “Move my Avios.” You can also change the direction you want to move your Avios in.
You cannot transfer Avios from Qatar Airways directly to Aer Lingus, Finnair, Iberia, Loganair, or Vueling. If you want to combine Avios from your Qatar account with Aer Lingus, Finnair, Iberia, Loganair, or Vueling, you'll need to first transfer them to British Airways. Then, move them from your British Airways account to Aer Lingus, Iberia, Finnair, Loganair, or Vueling.
Transfer Avios To And From Finnair
You can also transfer Avios between accounts with Finnair and British Airways. Note that you will need to be a Finnair Plus member for at least 90 days to transfer Avios, but you can contact Finnair customer care to facilitate earlier transfers. Otherwise, the process is much the same as with Qatar Airways. First, head to the dedicated Transfer Avios page on Avios.com and log in with your British Airways frequent flyer account. Locate Finnair from the list of available airlines.
If your Finnair and BA accounts are linked, you'll be able to see the Avios balances in each account. If not, you'll be prompted to link them before you can use the transfer tool.
Scroll down to find the transfer tool. Type in how many Avios you would like to transfer. Toggle to change the direction you're moving your Avios in. Then, click “Transfer Avios.”
Transfers should be instant and you should see the Avios in your account right away.
Again, you cannot transfer Avios from Finnair directly to Aer Lingus, Iberia, Loganair, Qatar, or Vueling. If you want to combine Avios from your Finnair account with Aer Lingus, Finnair, Iberia, Loganair, or Vueling, you'll need to first transfer them to British Airways. Then, move them from your British Airways account to Aer Lingus, Iberia, Loganair, Qatar, or Vueling.
Ways To Earn Avios
Avios are some of the easiest airline miles to earn because every credit card points program partners with at least one airline in the Avios family. You can then combine Avios between accounts using the above methods to get the miles you need to book award flights through any of the seven Avios airlines: Aer Lingus, British Airways, Finnair, Iberia, Loganair, Qatar Airways, and Vueling. This gives you more options for booking award flights at the best rates.
Below are your options for transferring your credit card points. All points transfer to these programs at a 1:1 ratio.
- American Express Membership Rewards:
- Aer Lingus AerClub
- British Airways Club
- Iberia Club
- Qatar Airways Privilege Club
- Bilt Rewards:
- Aer Lingus AerClub
- British Airways Club
- Iberia Club
- Qatar Airways Privilege Club
- Capital One miles:
- British Airways Club
- Finnair Plus
- Chase Ultimate Rewards:
- Aer Lingus AerClub
- British Airways Club
- Citi ThankYou Points:
- Qatar Airways Privilege Club
- Wells Fargo Rewards:
- Aer Lingus Aer Club
- British Airways Club
- Iberia Club
Additionally, you can transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia, Qatar Airways, and Vueling at a 3:1 ratio.
Of course, you can earn Avios by flying these airlines. But you can also earn Avios when you fly any of Oneworld airlines by crediting your flight to one of the Avios-based airline programs. Make sure you include your frequent flyer account on the booking to get credit for the miles flown.
Combine Avios: ToP Thoughts
The Avios-based loyalty programs offer some of the best points redemptions out there, from Qatar Qsuites to business class flights to Europe to American Airlines flights for less. Understanding how to transfer Avios between accounts is the key to taking advantage of the best award rates rates and lower taxes and fees booking with one airline over the other. With this tool, you have a workaround to get the Avios you need to book a given flight, regardless of which credit card points you earn.
