How Avios and airline loyalty programmes work together
Turn everyday spending into more rewarding travel
Whether you're planning your next holiday, booking a family trip or just looking to get more value when you’re doing your weekly shop, Avios can help take you further.
The good news is that you don't need to be a frequent flyer to start collecting Avios. In fact, many people collect Avios through things they're already doing, like shopping online, using a credit card or booking hotels.
But before you start collecting, it's helpful to understand how Avios and airline loyalty programmes work together.
June 2026
Published by Avios
An example of how to spend your Avios: What is Avios? Turn everyday spending into more rewarding travel.
What is Avios?
Avios is one of the world's most popular reward currencies. It's used by several oneworld Alliance airlines, including British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus, and you can spend your Avios on flights with any airline in the oneworld Alliance giving you access to 16 airlines and over 900 destinations. You can fly to almost every country in the world using Avios!
Because they're used by airlines, lots of people think Avios are air miles - but they're so much more. You don't have to be a frequent flyer to benefit from collecting Avios. There are thousands of opportunities to earn Avios with your everyday spending.
To start collecting Avios, you'll first need to join an airline loyalty programme and depending on the airline loyalty scheme you’re a member of you could use your Avios to get big discounts on everything from the latest iPhone to dining with friends and family as well as flights and other travel benefits like hotels and car hire.
What's the difference between Avios and an airline loyalty programme?
An airline loyalty programme is a membership scheme run by a specific airline. For example, The British Airways Club is run by British Airways, AerClub is run by Aer Lingus, and Iberia Plus is run by Iberia.
By joining one of these programmes, you get an account where your Avios balance is stored. Depending on the programme, you could also receive other benefits such as exclusive offers or tier status.
A simple way to think about it is: Your airline loyalty programme account is your wallet. Avios is the currency inside your wallet.
You join an airline loyalty programme to get an account, and then you collect Avios that goes into that account.
Can I have more than one airline loyalty programme account?
You can be a member of more than one airline loyalty programme if you want to. Having more than one airline loyalty programme account can give you more flexibility when collecting and spending Avios with different airlines.
For example, you might join The British Airways Club and later decide to join AerClub or Iberia Plus as well.
If you have multiple airline loyalty programme accounts, each account will have its own Avios balance.
Avios are not automatically shared between accounts – you’ll need to manually transfer them between accounts. This can be useful if you'd like to combine balances for a specific reward or manage your Avios more easily.
Each airline loyalty programme has its own process for moving and transfering Avios, so visit the transfer Avios section of our website to learn more.
Get started with Avios
Now that you know how Avios works, you're ready to get started.
Join an airline loyalty programme, discover ways to collect Avios through everyday spending and start building your balance towards travel rewards.
