What Is The Dollar Value of British Airways Avios?

Avios Value Calculator
British Airways Avios are worth 1 cent each for standard flights, but can be worth up to 2 cents or more for First and Business class redemptions
Last Updated 2023-02-23 By R.Flowers III
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British Airways Avios have the best value when used for flights with British Airways and oneworld partners. Avios can also be used for upgrades, hotels, and car rentals.

How much are British Airways Avios worth in dollars?

Avios are worth around 1 cent each for economy flights, but you can get as much as 2 cents or more for business class flights. This means 10,000 Avios can be worth anywhere from $100 to $200 on average depending on how you use them.

British Airways Avios value

Redemption option Redemption value in cents
Business and first class flights with British Airways and oneworld partners 1.8 - 2.2
Standard flight redemptions with British Airways and oneworld partners 0.8 - 1.2
Redeeming points for hotels and car rentals 0.6 - 0.7

Redeeming Avios for Reward Flights

Avios will have the best value when redeemed for reward flights with British Airways and oneworld partners. Your standard economy flights will get you anywhere from 0.8 to 1.2 cents per Avios on average while business class flights will be around 2 cents each.

Listed below are a few of the best ways to get the most value out of your flight redemptions.

Short-haul flights

One of the best way to use British Airways Avios is for short-haul flights on British Airways and partner flights. This is due to British Airways having a distance-based award chart.

Short-haul one-way flights of up to 651 miles to, from, or within North America will cost you 7,500 Avios while the same flights everywhere else will cost you at 6,000 Avios.

You can also fly a farther distance of between 651 and 1,151 miles for 9,000 Avios.

Since American Airlines and Alaska Airlines are oneworld partners, you can use the British Airways website to book short-haul flights with these airlines.

In the U.S., for example, you can fly from Seattle to San Francisco using Alaska Airlines for 9,000 Avios.

Or from New York (JFK) to Boston (BOS) for 7,500 Avios.

It's also useful for bouncing around Oneworld hubs in other places around the world. For example, you can fly from Hong Kong (HKG) to Taipei (TPE) on Cathay Pacific Airways, a oneworld partner, for 7,500 Avios plus taxes/fees.

West Coast flights to Hawaii

If you're on the West Coast of the United States, you can fly from major West Coast cities to the Hawaiian Islands for 13,000 Avios one-way. This is due to the Avios distance-based chart and both American Airlines and Alaska being a oneworld partner.

Qatar Flights

British Airways Avios can be converted to Qatar Airways Avios at a 1:1 ratio which opens up all of the best options for Qatar Airways. This can be done by linking your British Airways Executive Club and Qatar Privilege Club accounts through the Combine my Avios option under Manage My Account.

Qatar doesn't have the best redemption options, but there are a few sweet spots in the program if you're looking to fly first or business class with Qatar.

  • Qatar: U.S. to Doha, 70,000 Avios in Business Class, one-way
  • Qatar: Europe to Doha, 64,500 Avios in First Class, one-way

You can also use Qatar Avios to fly first and business class with partner airlines, though it will cost you astronomical amounts of Avios. For example, there's a few select routes you can use to fly in Qantas First Class to Australia starting at 225,000 Avios.

Iberia Flights

British Airways Avios can be converted to Iberia Avios at a 1:1 ratio through the Combine my Avios option. This isn't necessarily a top-tier option, but it's worth mentioning if you find a good award redemption through Iberia Plus.

Upgrading flights with Avios

British Airways Avios can be used to upgrade a cash booking to the next cabin whenever there's availability. This can be done on British Airways, Iberia, and American Airline flights.

You can upgrade an existing booking or upgrade at the time of booking and it doesn't matter if it's a one-way or roundtrip.

The cost of the upgrade will vary, but it will be based on the Avios costs for reward flights in the cabins you are upgrading from and to. It will also depend on whether your flight is scheduled on a peak or off-peak date.

You can search your flight and look at the cost in Avios between the class you're in and the one you'll be upgraded to. That will give you an idea (if not the exact) cost of the upgrade.

Using Avios as part payment

When making a cash booking with British Airways, you'll be given the chance to use your Avios to reduce the price of your flight. This can be done on all British Airways flights, American Airlines flights between the UK and North America, and on British Airways codeshare flights with the following airlines:

  • Air Baltic
  • Alaska Airlines
  • American Airlines
  • Bangkok Airways
  • Cathay Pacific
  • China Eastern
  • China Southern
  • Fiji Airways
  • Finnair
  • Flybe
  • Japan Airlines
  • LATAM
  • Loganair
  • Qantas
  • Qatar
  • S7
  • Vistara
ba avios part payment
You'll get better value when you use lower amounts of Avios.

When booking your cash flight, you'll be able to choose the option you want (assuming you have enough Avios). The value you get out of this option will vary, but you will typically get more value when you choose to redeem less Avios.

Redeeming Avios for hotels and cars

British Airways Avios can be used to book hotels and rent cars through the British Airways Hotels and Cars Portal. Hotels will give your British Airways Avios around 0.6 cents in value while car rentals average out around 0.7 cents each.

book hotel with ba avios
Book your hotel stay using Avios.

When selecting a hotel through the portal, you'll be shown the average cost per night in Avios for the hotel along with a bunch of Avios & Money options. The majority of the Avios & Money options seem to give a lower value.

Some options that I tested gave me as low as 0.1 cents per Avios which is quite terrible, but I was also able to find some that gave value as high as 0.7 cents per Avios and actually came out better than paying all Avios.

book london hotel with avios
You'll have a lot of Avios & Money options to choose from.

If you plan on using your British Airways Avios to book a hotel stay and you want the best value, you'll want to calculate the value of each option because you never know which one could be a winner.

ba avios car rental
Rent cars with British Airways Avios.

Renting cars through the portal will behave the same as booking hotels. After doing a search, you'll be shown the cost of the rental in all Avios as well as be given several Avios & Money options to choose from.

With the car rental options, I found the Avios & Money options to still give around the same value as paying all Avios.

Still... you'll want to calculate the value of the Avios & Money options one-by-one if you want to make sure you're getting a great deal.

ba avios car rental manchester
Choose to pay in all Avios or one of the many Avios & Money options.

You can use the Avios & Money Calculator to calculate the cash value you'll get out of these redemptions.

Convert British Airways Avios to dollars

Use the Avios Value Calculator to determine the average dollar value of British Airways Avios when used for flights, hotels, and car rentals. This will give you an idea of how much your Avios are worth.

Enter any amount of Avios to calculate the dollar value.
Avios
Redemption options Average dollar value
Business and first class flights with British Airways and oneworld partners $0 - $0
Standard flight redemptions with British Airways and oneworld partners $0 - $0
Redeeming points for hotels and car rentals $0 - $0

Avios & Money Calculator

When redeeming Avios for hotel, car rental, and flight options, you're given the option to pay with a mix of Avios and cash. Depending on the redemption, you'll usually get a better option when paying Avios & Money compared to paying all Avios.

If you know the full cost of the redemption in cash (including fees/taxes), you can enter in the Avios & Money amounts in the table and it will output the value of your Avios. This will help you easily calculate which redemption gives you the best value.

Cost of Redemption In Cash
Enter how much the redemption would cost you if you paid cash.
$
Cost of Redemption In Avios & Money
Enter how much the redemption would cost you in Avios & Money.
Cost in Avios
Avios
Cost in Money (Cash)
$
Redemption Value
This is how much your Avios would be worth based on the values entered above.
- Cents Per Avios

Best Ways To Earn Avios

The best way to earn British Airways Avios is through intro bonuses and everyday credit card spending across British Airways credit cards and partner credit cards. British Airways Avios can be earned using all major U.S. credit card rewards programs as well as through the Iberia Plus and Qatar Privilege Club.

Listed below are just a few of the best programs and credit card offers for earning lots of British Airways Avios.

Avios Credit Cards

The most straightforward way to earn Avios is by using the British Airways Visa Signature® Card which features a 100,000 Avios intro bonus. You can also earn the same bonus in the Iberia Plus program with the Iberia Visa Signature® Card and transfer those points directly to your British Airways Executive Club account.

Credit Card Highlights Annual Fee
Best For Intro Bonus
  • Intro Bonus: Up to 100,000 Avios
  • Earn 3X Avios on purchases with British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia, and LEVEL
  • Earn 2X Avios on hotel accommodations when purchased directly with the hotel
  • Earn 1X Avios on all other purchases
  • 10% off British Airways flights starting in the US
  • Earn a Travel Together Ticket every calendar year you spend $30,000 on your card
$95
Best For Intro Bonus
  • Intro Bonus: Up to 100,000 Avios
  • Earn 3X Avios on purchases with Iberia, British Airways, Aer Lingus, and LEVEL
  • Earn 2X Avios on hotel accommodations when purchased directly with the hotel.
  • Earn 1X Avios on all other purchases
  • 10% off Iberia flights
  • Earn a discount voucher of $1,000 to use towards two tickets on the same flight every year you spend $30,000 on the card
$95

American Express Membership Rewards

American Express Membership Rewards points can be transferred to British Airways at a 1:1 ratio meaning that every 1,000 points you transfer will give you 1,000 Avios. AMEX credit cards offer high intro bonuses and very good earning rates across popular categories.

Here's a few of the best credit card offers for earning Membership Rewards points:

Credit Card Highlights Annual Fee
Best For Lounge Access & Luxury Travel
  • Intro Bonus: 80,000 Bonus Points
  • Earn 5X points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (up to $500,000, then 1X)
  • Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels booked through American Express Travel
  • Earn 1X points on all other eligible purchases
  • Global Airport Lounge Access including Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Club Lounges (when flying Delta), Airspace Lounges, Escape Lounges, and Priority Pass Lounges
  • Over $1,400 in annual credits which includes airline incidentals, Uber Cash, digital entertainment, Fine Hotels + Resorts and The Hotel Collection, and more
  • Enroll in complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status and Hilton Honors Gold status
  • Terms Apply
$695
Best For Restaurants & U.S. Supermarkets
  • Intro Bonus: 60,000 Bonus Points
  • Earn 4X points at restaurants and on up to $25,000 in annual U.S. supermarket purchases
  • Earn 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com
  • Earn 1X points on all other purchases
  • Up to $120 in Uber Cash credit each year
  • Up to $120 in dining credits each year
  • Terms Apply
$250
Best For Lounge Access & Luxury Business Travel
  • Intro Bonus: 120,000 Points
  • Earn 5X points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com
  • Earn 1.5X points on select business purchases and on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per year
  • Earn 1X points on all other eligible purchases
  • Global Airport Lounge Access including Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Club Lounges (when flying Delta), Airspace Lounges, Escape Lounges, and Priority Pass Lounges
  • Over $1,400 in annual credits which includes Dell, Adobe, Indeed, CLEAR, and more
  • Get 35% points back when you redeem points for all or part of an eligible flight booked with AMEX Travel
  • Enroll in complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status and Hilton Honors Gold status
  • Terms Apply
$695
Best For Business Rewards
  • Intro Bonus: 70,000 Points
  • Earn 4X points on the 2 select categories where your business spent the most each month
  • Earn 1X points on all other purchases
  • Get 25% points back when you redeem points for all or part of an eligible flight booked with AMEX Travel
  • Terms Apply
$295
Best For Small Business & Miscellaneous Purchases
  • Intro Bonus: 15,000 Points
  • Earn 2X points on the first $50,000 in purchases per year, then 1 point per dollar thereafter
  • No annual fee
  • Terms Apply
$0

Citi ThankYou Rewards

Citi isn't a direct transfer partner of British Airways, but it is a direct transfer partner of Qatar Privilege Club and since Qatar Avios can be transferred to British Airways Avios at a 1:1 ratio, earning ThankYou Rewards points is another option for building up your Avios.

The Citi Premier® Card is the only available premium card in Citi's line-up that allows you to transfer ThankYou points to Qatar and other partners. So you'll need it if you plan on transfering points.

Here are the credit cards you can use to earn ThankYou points:

Credit Card Highlights Annual Fee
Best For Everyday Spending & Travel
  • Intro Bonus: 60,000 Bonus Points
  • Earn an unlimited 3X points on restaurant, supermarket, gas station, hotel, and air travel purchases
  • Earn 1X points on all other purchases
  • Receive an annual $100 credit on any $500+ hotel stay booked through the ThankYou.com portal
  • As a Citi Premier cardholder, transfer ThankYou Points to all of Citi's airline and hotel partners
$95
Best For 2% Back
  • Intro Bonus: No current offer.
  • Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases
  • No annual fee
$0
Best For Automatically Maximizing Rewards
  • Intro Bonus: $200 cash back
  • Earn 5% back on your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, on up to the first $500 spent (then 1%)
  • Earn an unlimited 1% back on all other purchases
  • No annual fee
$0
Best For 10% Point Rebate
  • Intro Bonus: 20,000 Bonus Points
  • Earn 2X points on the first $6,000 spent at supermarkets and gas stations per year, then 1X.
  • Earn 1X points on all other purchases
  • Purchases made to the card will be rounded up to the nearest 10
  • Redeeming your ThankYou Points will earn you 10% of your points back into your account
$0

FAQ

How much are Avios points worth?

Avios points have an average value of 1 cent each for standard economy flight redemptions, but can be worth as much as 2 cents or more for First and Business class flights.

What's the best use of British Airways Avios?

Avios are best used for short-haul trips due to the British Airways flight chart being distance based.

Can you use British Airways Avios for car rentals or hotels?

Yes. You can rent cars and book hotels through the British Airways Hotels and Cars portal.

How much are 250 Avios points worth?

250 Avios are worth about $2.50 for economy flights and $5 for First and Business class flights.

How much are 1,000 Avios points worth?

1,000 Avios are worth about $10 for economy flights and $20 for First and Business class flights.

How much are 3,000 Avios points worth?

1,000 Avios are worth about $30 for economy flights and $60 for First and Business class flights.

How much are 15,000 Avios points worth?

15,000 Avios points are worth about $150 towards economy flights and $300 towards First and Business class flights.

How much are 20,000 Avios points worth?

20,000 Avios points are worth about $200 towards economy flights and $400 towards First and Business class flights.

How much are 50,000 Avios points worth?

50,000 Avios points are worth about $500 towards economy flights and $1,000 towards First and Business class flights.

How much are 60,000 Avios points worth?

60,000 Avios points are worth about $600 towards economy flights and $1,200 towards First and Business class flights.

How much are 75,000 Avios points worth?

75,000 Avios points are worth about $750 towards economy flights and $1,500 towards First and Business class flights.

How much are 100,000 Avios points worth?

100,000 Avios points are worth about $1,000 towards economy flights and $2,000 towards First and Business class flights.

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