Avios launches handy new tool to help you find British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus award seats faster
If you have ever been frustrated trying to redeem your Avios flying on British Airways, Iberia or Aer Lingus because you could only search for availability one day at a time, help has arrived.
International Airlines Group (the parent company of these three airlines plus Vueling and Level) has added a calendar-based reward flight search to the Avios website that displays an entire month of award availability in a single view, covering flights operated by British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus to book via British Airways Club, Iberia Club and Aer Lingus AerClub programs.
Best of all, it costs nothing to use. You just need a free Avios loyalty account.
Here's how it works and what you need to know to maximize your Avios.
How the new Avios calendar search works
Say you're looking for two seats to fly from Miami International Airport (MIA) to London in May next year (an ideal month to visit the United Kingdom) on British Airways.
Set your departure and arrival airports in the new Find Reward Flights tool, the number of travelers and the month you want to fly, as well as whether you want one-way or round-trip flights.
Ignore the reference to having a Companion Voucher. Select U.K. American Express cardholders who hold a Companion Voucher from a cobranded British Airways card receive additional award seats, and while Chase offers a similar Travel Together Ticket on its U.S. Avios credit cards, there are unfortunately no additional seats for these ticket holders beyond what regular Avios members can access.
The search results will then let you filter by cabin type (let's say you're aiming for lie-flat business class).
A half circle means limited availability, while a full circle means good availability.
Hovering over an available date reveals how many seats are on offer, which cabins they are in and the Avios price. You can click the specific date for more details on flight times, seat availability and Avios rate.
When you select the seat you want, you can then click through and book it through the Avios program of the operating airline, in this case, the British Airways Club program.
You can also use this to find flights operated by Iberia and Aer Lingus, which is especially handy given the great sweet spots Iberia offers on nonstop flights to Spain, combined with low taxes and fees.
What the tool cannot do yet
There are three limitations to this new tool worth noting:
- It shows nonstop flights only, so connecting itineraries are currently invisible, though Avios says that capability is coming.
- It also does not display total taxes and carrier-imposed surcharges, which vary enormously between these three airlines, with British Airways-operated flights often attracting large surcharges.
- You cannot book on the Avios site; once you find a seat, you are sent to the operating airline's website to complete the redemption, which may be frustrating if you want to, say, book an Aer Lingus flight but only have an Iberia Club account.
Because availability is concentrated at each carrier's hub, the tool works best for point-to-point searches from London's Heathrow Airport (LHR), Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD) and Dublin Airport (DUB). Run separate searches from each if your route could plausibly connect through more than one.
Qatar Airways and Finnair, both of which also use Avios, are not included.
Related: What it's like flying Aer Lingus' Airbus A321XLR to Ireland
How to earn Avios
One of the reasons Avios are so valuable is how easy they are to earn.
In addition to cobranded cards that earn Avios directly, British Airways Club, Aer Lingus AerClub and Iberia Club are all transfer partners for Chase Ultimate Rewards points, American Express Membership Rewards points, Bilt Points, Wells Fargo Rewards points and Marriott Bonvoy points.
Related: The Amex transfer bonus I've waited a year for is back: Get 30% more Avios
British Airways is also a transfer partner for Capital One miles, and Qatar Airways Privilege Club (which uses Avios as its loyalty currency) is a transfer partner of Citi ThankYou Rewards points.
You can easily transfer your Avios between any of these airline loyalty programs at no cost as many times as you like.
The following cards all currently offer substantial welcome bonuses that you can 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 in the first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer.
- American Express Platinum Card®: Find out your offer and see if you are eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $12,000 on purchases in 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 in 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 spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
- Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees): Earn 100,000 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.
Bottom line
This new Find Reward Flights tool is a handy way to quickly find nonstop Avios award availability flying British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus.
There are some functionality issues like the inability to show connecting itineraries and no information on those pesky surcharges. However, hopefully this will be fixed soon.
If you are looking to fly nonstop to London, Madrid or Dublin, it should be a real time-saver and is free, unlike most third-party tools that can help you find availability quickly.