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The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Guides
How to maximize the British Airways distance-based award chart
Ethan's been a frequent flier for as long as he can remember, from studying abroad in Paris to moving to Shanghai after graduating college, where he served as TPG's eyes and ears for all things travel in the Asia-Pacific region. If you asked him where he wants to travel next he'd quote Anthony Bourdain and tell you "anytime I'm eating spicy noodles in a bowl, I'm happy."
Ben Smithson is a senior writer for TPG and is based in London. Originally from Australia and a qualified lawyer with a financial services background, he has almost a decade of experience writing about a broad range of travel and loyalty topics.
also contributed to this story
August 21, 2024 • 12 min read
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don't cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
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Quick summary
British Airways Executive Club uses Avios as its loyalty currency, with an unpublished distance-based award chart for flight redemptions.
Avios are easy to earn through various methods, including transfers from multiple rewards programs and direct purchases.
Award pricing is determined per flight segment, making nonstop routes the best value, especially for short-haul and select international flights.
Carrier-imposed surcharges can be significant, particularly on transatlantic flights, impacting the overall value of some redemptions.
What to consider
Peak and off-peak pricing applies, with higher rates during busy travel periods like summer and holidays.
Each flight segment is priced individually, so itineraries with connections require more Avios than nonstop routes.
Multicarrier awards use cumulative distance for pricing, which may only be advantageous for complex itineraries such as around-the-world trips.
What you'll miss from the article
Detailed examples of Avios sweet spots, partner award charts and strategies for maximizing value on both domestic and international flights.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
British Airways is the largest full-service airline in the United Kingdom and flies to more destinations in the U.S. than any other European carrier.
The airline’s loyalty program is called the Executive Club, and its currency is Avios. With a huge route network and an easily earned and redeemed loyalty currency, it is a program that should be on your radar, even if you aren’t traveling to the U.K.
Rather than dynamic pricing, which can lead to 350,000-plus-point flight redemptions from the U.S. to Europe, British Airways retains an unpublished distance-based award chart that allows you to travel to some of the world’s most expensive markets for reasonable rates. However, you may be on the hook for significant carrier-imposed surcharges. Knowing how to use it can go a long way toward getting maximum value for your Avios.
There are many ways to earn Avios for your next trip, even if you aren’t planning any British Airways (or other Oneworld carrier) flights soon.
Credit cards
Applying for the British Airways Visa Signature® Card (see rates and fees) is one of the easiest ways to earn a meaningful number of Avios for everyday spending.
This card — issued by Chase and, therefore, subject to the 5/24 rule — is currently offering new applicants to earn 75,000 Avios after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. TPG values Avios at 1.4 cents each in our October 2025 valuations, making the full bonus worth $1,050.
The British Airways Visa Signature has a $95 annual fee and earns 3 Avios per $1 spent on purchases with British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia and Level. Plus, you can earn 2 Avios per $1 spent on hotel accommodations when purchased directly with the hotel. All other purchases earn 1 Avios per $1 spent.
Points transfer from Capital One, Chase, Bilt, Wells Fargo and Amex at a 1:1 ratio (in addition to occasional transfer bonuses), while Marriott points transfer to Avios at a 3:1 ratio. Plus, you’ll get a 5,000-Avios bonus for every 60,000 Marriott points transferred.
The following cards all currently offer strong welcome bonuses that you could easily convert to Avios:
American Express® Gold Card: Find out your offer and see if you are eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
The Platinum Card® from American Express: Find out your offer and see if you are eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $12,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees): Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees): Earn 150,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (see rates and fees): Earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
If you don't have enough Avios, you can also purchase Avios.
The basics
ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY
As noted above, British Airways uses an unpublished distance-based formula to calculate the number of Avios needed for a given flight. To maximize value with this chart type, you must take a different approach than zone-based charts or dynamic pricing.
British Airways Avios are typically most valuable on short, nonstop routes where cash fares are expensive. A resource like Great Circle Mapper can calculate the distance of each flight segment to determine its zone.
British Airways’ sweet spots are different compared to other programs. Instead of focusing on specific countries or even entire continents, distance-based sweet spots tend to be individual city pairs close enough to avoid bumping into the next pricing tier — especially if cash tickets are usually pricey on those routes.
With this in mind, let’s dive into specific award charts. We’ll start with the one used for flights operated by British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus, though carrier-imposed surcharges often complicate these redemptions. Each price is in Avios and applies to one-way flights.
Zone (distance in miles)
Economy (off-peak)
Economy (peak)
Premium economy (off-peak)
Premium economy (peak)
Business class (off-peak)
Business class (peak)
First class (off-peak)
First class (peak)
Zone 1 (1 to 650)
4,750
5,250
—
—
8,500
9,750
—
—
Zone 2 (651 to 1,151)
7,250
8,250
—
—
13,500
15,750
—
—
Zone 3 (1,152 to 2,000)
9,250
10,750
—
—
17,750
18,350
—
—
Zone 4 (2,001 to 3,000)
10,000
12,500
—
—
31,250
37,500
—
—
Zone 5 (3,001 to 4,000)
13,000
20,000
26,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
68,000
80,000
Zone 6 (4,001 to 5,500)
16,250
25,000
32,500
50,000
62,500
75,000
85,000
100,000
Zone 7 (5,501 to 6,500)
19,500
30,000
39,000
60,000
75,000
90,000
102,000
120,000
Zone 8 (6,501 to 7,000)
22,750
35,000
45,500
70,000
87,500
105,000
119,000
140,000
Zone 9 (7,001 and up)
32,500
50,000
65,000
100,000
125,000
150,000
170,000
200,000
Note that there are different prices for peak and off-peak dates. Peak dates are generally during the summer and school holidays, while off-peak pricing usually applies during the fall and winter months.
You will also be given the option to redeem more Avios toward fees, taxes and carrier-imposed surcharges thanks to the Reward Flight Saver offer.
Next, look at the award chart for flights operated by a single partner airline (other than Aer Lingus and Iberia, who use the chart above, and American Airlines and Alaska Airlines, who we will discuss below):
Zone (distance in miles)
Economy
Premium economy
Business
First
Zone 1 (1 to 650)
6,000
6,750
12,500
24,000
Zone 2 (651 to 1,151)
9,000
11,250
16,500
33,000
Zone 3 (1,152 to 2,000)
11,000
15,000
22,000
44,000
Zone 4 (2,001 to 3,000)
13,000
25,000
38,750
51,500
Zone 5 (3,001 to 4,000)
20,750
40,000
62,000
82,500
Zone 6 (4,001 to 5,500)
25,750
50,000
77,250
103,000
Zone 7 (5,501 to 6,500)
31,000
62,000
92,750
123,750
Zone 8 (6,501 to 7,000)
36,250
72,250
108,250
144,250
Zone 9 (7,001 and up)
51,500
100,000
154,500
206,000
For flights in zones 1-4 operated by American and Alaska, Executive Club prices are as follows:
Zone (distance in miles)
Main cabin economy
Domestic first class
Zone 1 (1 to 650)
12,000
24,000
Zone 2 (651 to 1,151)
16,000
32,000
Zone 3 (1,152 to 2,000)
18,000
40,000
Zone 4 (2,001 to 3,000)
20,000
50,000
Follow the regular partner chart above for flights over 3,000 miles operated by American Airlines and Alaska Airlines.
For both of the above award charts, pricing applies to each flight in an itinerary. The distance isn’t cumulative across the entire trip. British Airways prices every segment individually, so you’ll want to stick to nonstop routings whenever possible.
For example, say you wanted to fly from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) to Philadelphia International Airport (PHL). This flight covers 992 miles and would require 16,000 Avios per the chart above. However, suppose you could only find award availability on a connecting flight through Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT). In that case, you’d fly 89 more miles but pay 50% more Avios for your trip.
Here’s how the pricing works:
Fort Lauderdale to Charlotte: Covers 632 miles (12,000 Avios)
Charlotte to Philadelphia: Covers 449 miles (12,000 Avios)
Total cost: 24,000 Avios
As such, the best value tends to come from nonstop flights.
Redeeming Avios within the US
MARKUS MAINKA/SHUTTERSTOCK
While short-haul domestic flights are not as good a value as they used to be following several devaluations, you could find good value in short-haul international flights.
For example, you could fly American Main Cabin for just 12,000 Avios from Miami International Airport (MIA) to the following destinations:
Providenciales International Airport (PLS) in Turks and Caicos
American routinely flies internationally configured, wide-body jets on domestic routes.
ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY
For instance, some daily routes between Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) and Miami are often operated by a 777-200. This plane features one of American’s best international business-class products. You can book that flight in business class for only 32,000 Avios.
West Coast to Hawaii
Just because we’re talking about flights within the U.S. doesn’t mean you can’t have a tropical vacation. Hawaii is close to several West Coast cities (less than 3,000 miles), and you can book economy awards for only 20,000 Avios each way.
American Airlines serves several Hawaiian destinations from its Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) hubs. In addition to Los Angeles, Alaska Airlines also flies nonstop to multiple Hawaiian airports from San Diego International Airport (SAN), San Francisco International Airport (SFO), Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) and Portland International Airport (PDX) — among others.
Redeeming Avios outside the US
JIMMOYHT/SHUTTERSTOCK
British Airways’ international partners span the globe, so some of the best British Airways redemptions are bound to come from international travel.
6,000-Avios awards
These low-priced awards are especially useful in pricey markets, such as European or Asian travel. Generally, you want to look for a Oneworld hub airport like Iberia’s home in Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD) or Japan Airlines’ hubs in Narita International Airport (NRT) and Haneda Airport (HND).
Air Lingus sweet spots
The British Airways award chart has peak and off-peak pricing, which also applies to flights on Iberia and Aer Lingus. As a result, nonstop flights between the East Coast and Chicago to Ireland have become incredibly attractive, with transatlantic economy awards starting at just 13,000 Avios each way on off-peak dates.
You can book a round-trip, nonstop flight from multiple U.S. cities to Ireland starting at 26,000 Avios, which is phenomenal.
Multicity trips using Avios
As highlighted above, British Airways charges separately for every segment. More stops require more Avios, even if your origin and final destination are the same. However, this pricing approach allows you to book unlimited stopovers or open jaws on your award tickets.
Multicarrier awards exception
It’s important to note that British Airways has yet another award chart that only applies to award tickets with two or more Oneworld airlines. Unlike the standard award prices above, these multicarrier reward flights use cumulative distance to determine how many Avios you need.
While this typically offers a poor value proposition for simple itineraries, there are times when you should use it — like if you’re booking a round-the-world ticket.
Bottom line
When people think of British Airways’ loyalty program, many assume you’d want to use Avios for premium-cabin transatlantic trips to Europe. But that’s not necessarily the best way to use them.
Long-haul flights cost increasingly more under the distance-based Avios chart. Plus, British Airways tacks on large surcharges to those transatlantic flights.
By employing the above tips, you can maximize your Avios and the British Airways chart without spending a lot of cash.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
