Updated: 18 August 2026
This page is part of our British Airways Club Hub which pulls together all our articles on BA & Avios
How to Redeem Avios for Flights: The Complete Guide
You can redeem Avios for reward flights with British Airways and a wide range of partner airlines. BA reward flights start from 10,000 Avios plus £2.50 one way, with the number of Avios required depending on your destination, cabin and whether you travel on a peak or off-peak date.
In this guide, we’ll explain how to redeem Avios for flights, how many Avios you’ll need, the taxes and fees you’ll pay, where to find reward availability and how to work out whether you’re getting good value for your points.
The BA website is not the only option for your Avios flying, you can also transfer your points over to other Avios issuing airlines and book tickets on the likes of Iberia, Aer Lingus, Qatar Airways, Finnair and Loganair.
Of course, redemptions should always be considered versus the cash price of a flight ticket as some options are better value for money than others.
This article looks at booking flights with Avios. There are other ways of using Avios such as to upgrade cabins or part paying for cash tickets and for non-flight related treats.Â
Quick Summary
- Reward flights start from 10,000 Avios + £2.50
- Off-peak flights need fewer Avios
- BA guarantees reward seats on every flight
- Business Class often offers the best value
- Aim for at least 1p value per Avios, otherwise consider paying cash
- Compare cash prices before redeeming
How to Redeem Avios for Flights: The Complete Guide
Avios is the reward currency of the British Airways Club and is used the basis for flight redemptions. As you might expect, the number of Avios required for a reward flight varies according to the length of journey and the cabin flown in. One-way reward flights start at 10,000 Avios plus £2.50 although you can reduce the amount of Avios required by increasing the amount of money paid.
What are BA peak and off-peak reward dates?
British Airways operates a calendar with peak and off-peak dates for reward flights, with a higher number of Avios required for peak times which are typically around school summer holidays.
Expect to have to use 8-20% more Avios for peak date redemptions in economy and business classes, although premium economy bookings can cost significantly more – if you want to fly on peak dates you will need to use 40% more Avios on all BA premium economy routes (apart from Abuja).
Off peak dates are clearly shown when you search for flights so if you have flexibility in your timings, you can look to take advantage of the lower Avios pricing.
Similarly, sister airlines Iberia and Aer Lingus also have peak and off-peak calendars for their reward flights (which can still be booked on ba.com). The calendars are different for each of the three airlines but in all cases you can expect higher Avios requirements for reward flights during July & August.
Here is the BA, Iberia and Aer Lingus peak calendar for 2027:Â Â
If you prefer, you can download our PDF of the calendar.
Flights booked via the BA Club on partner airlines such as American Airlines, Qantas and Malaysia are always charged based on the peak calendar.
How can I book a reward flight with BA?
- Visit BA.com and log in to your account
- Click Book then Book a flight with Avios
- Enter your departure airport, destination, dates and passengers. If you prefer to fly from a regional airport and connect in London, put your desired airport as the departure location and the website will find the best connection.
- The website will show available Reward Flights and the Avios plus cash required
- Select your flights and choose from the available Avios/cash combinations
- Pay using your Avios balance plus the required cash amount
- Alternatively reward flights can be booked over the telephone by calling British Airways directly (£10 per person charge applies)
- Open jaw flights (where the return journey departs from a different airport) and complex partner bookings cannot be booked online and will require a call to customer services (no charge is made for bookings that cannot be done online).
How many Avios do you need for a British Airways Reward Flight?
The amount of Avios varies on the destination (ie the distance from London), if you want to fly on an peak or off-peak date, and the cabin you want to fly in. Â
We have summarised the number of Avios required for a one-way flight (you should double these values for a return trip) as follows:
|  | Short Haul (Europe, North Africa, Near East) | Long Haul (Middle East & Rest of World) | ||
| Cabin | Off Peak | Peak | Off Peak | Peak |
| Economy (Euro/World Traveller) | 10,000 to 15,000 | 10,750 to 16,750 | 16,000 to 26,750 | 18,000 to 30,000 |
| Premium Economy | n/a | n/a | 41,250 to 88,000 | 52,250 to 126,500 |
| Business (Club Europe/World) | 24,750 to 55,000 | 41,250 to 60,500 | 77,000 to 159,500 | 88,000 to 187,000 |
How much are the taxes and fees on Avios Reward Flights?
BA’s Reward Flight Saver covers the cost of government taxes and airport charges. It lets you pay as little as £2.50 each way on an economy short-haul redemption while on long haul business class, costs start at £249.50. Â
If you prefer, you can normally choose to pay a higher cash amount in exchange for fewer Avios which can be beneficial if you are slightly short of the number of points required for a reward flight.
Charges for taxes and fees are the same for peak and off-peak dates.
If you are booking a flight on a partner airline, reward flight saver does not apply and you will be quoted the relevant government taxes & fees (plus potentially a fuel surcharge). If you are considering a non-BA redemption, it might also be worth also pricing this via another Avios issuing airline (Iberia, Vueling, Aer Lingus, Qatar, Finnair or Loganair) as if the taxes & fees are significantly different, you can just move your Avios out of BA, into the other airline and book with them yourself.
Top Tips
- Book 355 days ahead for the most popular routes
- Search off-peak dates to maximise your Avios
- Compare taxes across BA, Iberia, Qatar and Finnair
- Consider transferring Avios between programmes
- Consider to use 3rd party availability services such as SeatSpy or Reward Flight Finder to alert for availability
How many Avios Reward seats does BA release?
BA guarantees a minimum number of reward seats on every flight. On London Heathrow and London Gatwick services they claim to offer at least:
- Eight seats in Euro Traveller or World Traveller (what BA calls economy)
- Two seats in World Traveller Plus (what BA calls premium economy)
- Four in Club Europe or Club World (what BA calls business class).
No seats are guaranteed in First Class although they do appear and in the past I have successfully booked tickets using Avios to Hong Kong and Las Vegas.
London City services only operate to short-haul destinations and use smaller aircraft. On each flight BA offers at least:
- Two seats in Euro Traveller (economy)
- Two in Club Europe (business class)
If you have Gold or Gold Guest List Status in the British Airways Club, additional reward seats are available. See our guide to status here.
Can you use Avios to book British Airways First Class?
Yes but First Class availability is far harder to find than the other classes, partly due to the fact that far fewer flights have first class cabins and also that each first class cabin has less seats than in other areas of the plane. BA does not guarantee any first class availability.
However by using the Qantas search tool, at the time of writing, I can see first class reward availability over the next 12 months with British Airways on London to: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas Fort Worth, Houston, Johannesburg, Kuala Lumpur, Las Vegas, Mexico City, Miami, New York JFK, Newark EWR, Portland, Seattle and Shanghai (although to be fair, availability is very patchy). Â
If you book first class, you will get access to the First Wing at Heathrow Terminal 5 which offers a special check-in and dedicated security facility with direct entry into the First Class Lounge. In addition First Class guests can use the Terminal 5 Concorde Room with waiter service. BA’s First Class cabin is more spacious than Business Class and has a “dine anytime” option for mealtimes.
Taxes & fees on First Class reward flights can be pretty steep. A return trip in first class from London Heathrow to JFK will cost you £1,204 in charges (in addition to the 176,000 Avios).
How do you find BA Reward Flight availability?
Searching for reward flights can be a bit of a slog as airlines are perhaps not as transparent as they could be when it comes to showing their availability on each individual route for all travel classes. However, there are a few tools that you can use to help you.
- Avios Find Reward Flights – Search for availability between two destinations and then filter by cabin class. Additional availability is shown for the BA American Express Companion Vouchers too. Â
- BA Reward Flight Finder – Enables you to search for multiple destinations in one search. Try logging into your BA account if you have errors
- Seat Spy – view economy availability by route by day for the next year. Pay extra for availability for Premium Economy, Business Class & First Class availability & WhatsApp alertsÂ
- Reward Flight Finder – view economy availability by route by day for the next year & get an email alert when your flight becomes available. Pay extra for availability in other cabins & more alertsÂ
- Qantas Flight Reward Finder – Use this to find BA availability on routes from London. Not all destinations are shown but it is super quick. If reward flights are available to Qantas customers, they should be available to BA customers so you can use this site to search and then book on ba.com. Note that the miles and costs shown are for Qantas members, BA will be different.  We used this site to find tickets to go to the World Cup.
Frequently Asked Questions about redeeming Avios
Are Reward Flights Always Better Value?
It is actually sometimes better value just to pay cash so check that option before booking. For example a peak date London-Manchester reward flight will cost 10,750 Avios plus £2.50. However I can find some dates with cash tickets on the same flight for only £57. This means that you are getting 0.5p for each of your Avios, far below the generally accepted value of 1p each.
Our advice is to assume that your Avios are worth at least 1p each for a flight redemption and compare that valuation to the price of a cash booking.
How soon in advance can I book BA reward flights?
BA opens up reward flight availability 355 days in advance of departure at midnight GMT (01:00 BST).
Business class on popular routes such as Cape Town and Sydney can get booked up immediately so if you are really keen on getting these routes, it is a matter of calling up BA as soon as they become available. As the UK call centres are closed at that time, this generally means calling the US call centre to book over the phone. Â
As you can only book the outbound flights at this time, you will have to call up again to add the return flights when they are released. You should not get charged any additional fees for doing this.
Additional reward flights are continually opened up throughout the year (presumably based on how ticket sales are going) so availability for the flights you want may be added at a later date
Can I book a connecting flight to London from my local airport
Yes, absolutely – when searching, use your local airport as your start point and the booking engine will find a suitable connection in London. BA serves the following UK airports: Belfast City, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Manchester and Newcastle plus Jersey & Guernsey. Â
Domestic connections on long-haul flights are included at no additional cost, although there must be reward flight availability on the domestic flight. For short haul destinations, both legs of the trip are charged.
What if I want to cancel my booking?
You can cancel reward flights up to 24 hours before departure and get all your Avios plus taxes & fees refunded, less a charge of £35 per person. If you have paid less than £35 in taxes & charges, you merely lose the amount paid.
Do I get free luggage on an Avios booking?
Yes, as well as the hand luggage allowance, Economy ticket holders will get one checked bag included. Passengers in Premium Economy and Business class cabins get 2 checked bags whilst First class customers get 3 checked bags. Check the BA website for sizes and weight allowances.
Do I get free seat selection on an Avios booking?
No, although you can use additional Avios to pay for seat selection. BA Bronze status holders get free seat selection 7 says before departure, while BA Silver & Gold members can select seats at the time of booking.
Do I get any extras if I book a Business Class flight with Avios?
Yes, you will get access to business class check-in, additional checked luggage, fast track security, lounge access, priority boarding, more spacious seating in the Club World/Club Europe cabin and also better food & drinks. Â
Of course, if you are a BA Silver or Gold member, you will get the check-in, security, lounge and boarding benefits anyway so if you are going on a short-haul flight, it may be worth considering if it is worth the extra Avios just for the better seat and food.
Can I book reward flights on other airlines?
Yes, it is possible to book reward flights with the vast majority of BA partners via the BA website. However, if you are looking at flying with one of the other Avios issuing airlines (Iberia, Vueling, Aer Lingus, Qatar, Finnair or Loganair), you may find that the taxes & fees charged could well be less than BA. In this situation, you may consider it better to move your Avios out of BA to the other airline and book there instead.
For complex itineraries that involve two or more non-BA partners, different rules apply and you should call BA directly to book.
When Should I Use Avios?
Use Avios:
- For Long Haul Business Class
- For short haul trips at peak holiday times (ie half term)
- Instead of expensive short haul last minute flights
- To expensive destinations where cash prices are high
- You want the flexibility to cancel without losing the entire cost of your flights
Pay Cash:
- When cash prices are low (especially under £100 each way)
- You are getting less than 1p value per Avios
- If you are flying Long Haul in economy
Also consider:
- If you are flying from London City in Business Class, there is not a significant difference in to economy as there is no lounge at the airport and, as all the BA planes using LCY have 2×2 seating, you will not get an empty middle seat as you would when flying in Business Class from Heathrow or Gatwick. It may be better to book economy and save your Avios.
- If you are BA Silver or BA Gold member, a short-haul reward flight in Business does not give you that much extra versus economy (as you have fast-track, lounge access, priority boarding etc anyway). Again, think about booking economy and saving your Avios for another day.
- You may not maximise your first class experience on an overnight flight if you are planning to sleep for much of the time . First class has a more intimate cabin and far better food & drinks than business class but if you are asleep, you might question if you were better off booking business class and saving the significant cash difference.
Our Take: Get the Best Value from Your Avios
Redeeming Avios for flights is generally the best way to maximise the value of your points, particularly on premium long-haul cabin bookings where cash fares can be very expensive.
However, not every redemption represents good value. Before booking, compare the number of Avios required, the taxes and fees payable and the equivalent cash fare. As a general rule, if you’re getting less than around 1p of value per Avios, you may be better paying cash and saving your points for another trip.
It’s also worth remembering that British Airways isn’t your only option. Because Avios can be transferred between British Airways Club, Iberia Club, Aer Lingus AerClub, Qatar Airways Privilege Club, Finnair Plus and Loganair Loyalty, checking the taxes and availability across different programmes can sometimes unlock better deals.
With a little planning and flexibility, Avios can unlock flights that would otherwise cost hundreds—or even thousands—of pounds.
Further reading
- 90+ Different Ways to Earn Avios
- Your Guide to the British Airways Club: Earning Avios by Flying
- Your Guide to the British Airways Club: Earning Status & Status Benefits
- Your Guide to the British Airways Club: Using Avios for Flight Upgrades
- Your Guide to the British Airways Club: Using Avios in Part Payment for Flights
