How to stop your British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia, Qatar Airways and Finnair Avios from expiring
Avios are the rewards currency of British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Plus, Qatar Airways Privilege Club, Aer Lingus AerClub and now Finnair Plus.
Avios are easy to earn, and with so many different ways to use them, they are definitely a currency you should know about.
Related: 5 versions of Avios: When to use Aer Lingus, British Airways, Finnair, Iberia and Qatar Airways
Flyers can earn Avios with the right credit card by taking flights with any Oneworld alliance partner and through many nonairline partners. The same broadly applies to redemption: Passengers can redeem Avios toward flights on each of the previously mentioned airlines and many others.
However, holding large amounts of Avios carries certain risks. The first risk is devaluation, an unfortunate reality of the points and miles industry. Typically, devaluation means either that the earning rates decrease or the spending rates increase.
While some points and miles, like Delta Air Lines SkyMiles, never expire, Avios do. Knowing when they will expire is important so you don't suddenly see your hard-earned balance disappear.
The good news is that the Avios programs have generous expiration rules compared to other programs. Let's examine the rules of each program and explain some tips to keep your Avios alive.
Avios expiration policy for British Airways Executive Club, Aer Lingus AerClub, Qatar Airways Privilege Club and Iberia Plus
Your Avios will not expire in your British Airways, Iberia, Qatar Airways or Aer Lingus accounts if they have some earning or spending activity every 36 months.
Earning activities include:
- Crediting a flight taken on British Airways, Iberia, Qatar Airways, Aer Lingus or any partner airline of that program
- Online shopping through the Avios e-store
- Crediting hotel stays or package holiday bookings
- Crediting car rentals from a program partner
- Using a credit card that directly earns Avios, once the Avios sweep to your airline loyalty account at the end of the statement period
- Transferring credit card rewards such as American Express Membership Rewards points, Bilt Rewards Points and Capital One miles (Note that Aer Lingus and Iberia do not partner with Capital One, while Qatar Airways only partners with American Express Membership Rewards and Citi ThankYou Rewards)
- Transferring Avios to your Iberia Plus, Aer Lingus AerClub, Qatar Airways Privilege Club, or British Airways Executive Club accounts from another program's Avios account
- Purchasing or sharing Avios
You can also prevent your Avios from expiring by spending them. These options include:
- Booking a reward flight with Avios — either an outright Avios redemption or using a combination of Avios and cash
- Upgrading a flight using Avios
- Using Avios to save money on cash flights
- Booking a hotel or car rental with Avios
- Transferring Avios from your British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Plus, Aer Lingus AerClub or Qatar Airways Privilege Club accounts to another program's Avios account
Avios expiration policy for Finnair Plus
Finnair Plus has a stricter expiration policy than the other Avios programs. Avios in your Finnair Plus account expire after just 18 months (so half the time of the other Avios program accounts) when no Avios have been "collected or used." While most of the activities above would keep your Avios alive, remember that Finnair Plus only partners with one credit card currency, Capital One miles.
Also, the program specifically excludes transferring Avios from another Avios program (such as British Airways Executive Club) to reset the expiration clock.
So, if you wish to keep your Avios in your Finnair Plus account, you'll need to be much more conscious of their stricter expiration than if they were in another Avios program.
Related: Move over, British Airways — Finnair Plus now has some excellent Avios sweet spots
How to earn Avios with a credit card
Five Avios credit cards are available in the U.S., including three from Chase, which come with generous welcome bonuses:
- Aer Lingus Visa Signature® Card: Earn 75,000 Avios after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
- British Airways Visa Signature® Card: Earn 75,000 Avios after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
- Iberia Visa Signature® Card: Earn 75,000 Avios after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
The information for the Aer Lingus Visa Signature and Iberia Visa Signature has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Cardless now offers two Qatar Airways-branded credit cards, including the Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Signature Credit Card, which has a $99 annual fee and a welcome offer of up to 40,000 Avios — 20,000 Avios after the first transaction and an additional 20,000 Avios after you spend $3,000 in the first 90 days.
There is also the Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Infinite Credit Card, which has a $499 annual fee and a welcome offer of up to 50,000 Avios — 25,000 Avios after the first transaction and an additional 25,000 Avios and 150 Qpoints after you spend $5,000 in the first 90 days. This card also comes with Privilege Club Gold status.
The information for the Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Infinite and Signature cards has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Here are some of the best cards that earn points or miles you can convert to Avios:
- American Express® Gold Card: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new card within the first six months of card membership.
- The Platinum Card® from American Express: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on the card in your first six months of card membership.
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Earn 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Bottom line
You work hard to build up your Avios balance, so you should do everything possible to ensure you don't unintentionally lose your rewards. The good news is that there are many ways to earn and redeem Avios, especially as so many programs now use Avios as their reward currency.