A beginner’s guide to Avios
Save money and have amazing adventures using Avios
Find out how you can get the most out of our loyalty programme
March 2026
Published by Avios
An example of how to spend your Avios: A beginner’s guide to Avios A simple guide for collecting and spending Avios for
Save money on travel with Avios
Ever dreamed of seeing the world but not sure how you would pay for it? Avios is the ultimate hack that can make that dream a reality for a lot less money. Collect Avios effortlessly when you shop, travel, and dine out, then use them to get money off the cost of flights, hotels, and even car hire.
Intrigued? Watch our video below to find out more.
What is Avios?
Avios is the loyalty currency of more than 30 major airlines, including British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus. You can collect Avios when you shop at more than 2,000 retailers and use them to fly to almost anywhere in the world.
Some people refer to Avios as ‘air miles’ but you can spend and collect Avios on much more than flights and holidays. It’s possible to use Avios to book hotels, rent a car, or even towards paying for some brand new tech from Apple.
If you’ve flown with one of our Avios partner airlines in the past three years, it's possible there are some Avios in your airline account. British Airways Club, Iberia Club and AerClub are just some examples of airline membership programmes where where any existing Avios could be stored. You can log in to your airline membership account to see if you already have Avios. If you have Avios in multiple accounts, it’s easy to move and combine them into one account.
Here’s how it works:
Sign up to an airline programme like the British Airways Club, Aer Club, or Iberia Club. If you already have Avios in these accounts, you can easily move them between accounts to spend.
Start collecting Avios – use the Avios website to explore all the different ways to do this.
Once you have enough Avios, you can spend them on a whole range of things, from flights, to meals out, to luxury luggage.
How can I collect Avios?
There are thousands of ways to collect Avios in your daily life, including your weekly grocery shop, meals out with loved ones, and even the Uber ride home.
Here are some top tips for collecting Avios.
Shop through Avios.com – More than 2,000 of your favourite retailers award Avios when you make a purchase though Avios.com, including John Lewis, ASOS, Argos and more. Just visit the online shopping section of our website and search for your favourite retailer.
Link your payment card and collect Avios with our in-store partners – Once you’ve linked your cards (you can link up to 10) in the account section, you can just shop in store as normal and effortlessly collect Avios with hundreds of partners, including shops like Hamleys, Jojo Maman Bebe, Paul Smith, and well-known restaurants and bars.
Convert points from other loyalty schemes – Did you know that shopping at Sainsbury’s or filling up your car at BP can also increase your Avios balance? You can link your accounts and convert Nectar Points or BPme Rewards to Avios and even set up auto-conversion so you don’t have to think about it.
Buy your wines and spirits from The Wine Flyer – Choose from mixed cases, popular spirits, Champagne, or wine and collect Avios every time you make a purchase. Sign up to their mailing list and keep an eye out for bonus Avios offers to collect even more.
Banking and credit cards – Avios has partnered with a number of financial services to help you collect Avios faster, including bank accounts and credit cards. Explore which banking and finance options could work for you.
Take a flight with one of our partner airlines – Flying with British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia, Vueling or any of our partner airlines is the most well-known way to collect Avios.
How do I spend Avios?
Many people spend their Avios on Reward Flights, these are guaranteed seats on all British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus flights that can only be booked when you use Avios as the main payment method.
But if you've ever wanted to turn left when you board and stretch out your legs in First Class, then you could use Avios to book a cabin upgrade.
Avios Hotels, powered by Expedia, lets you spend Avios on more than 300,000 hotels worldwide. Simply visit Avios Hotels, search for a hotel, and choose how many Avios you want to use toward your booking.
If you’re hiring a car, you can also book through the Avios website to spend your Avios with Avis or Budget. Take advantage of their sustainable fleet of vehicles and pick up your ride at one of their convenient locations – there are thousands to choose from so you’ll be able to find the option that suits you. Booking through Avios also means you’ll be able to add an additional driver for free.
As well as travel, you can spend Avios on a curated selection of products in The Edit by Avios Shop. You’ll be able to use your Avios towards paying for the latest Apple tech, or on luxury travel brands like Antler, Aspinal of London and more.
We’re always looking for more ways to make Avios better for you. We’re adding new partners all the time, so make sure you come back to explore more ways you can use your Avios.
How to get the most out of Avios
Ready to start your own adventures with Avios?
Start collecting on your every day spend and make the most of Avios
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