How do I earn Avios miles?

The practical route for most people is transferring in from a bank currency. 5 partners transfer in, the strongest being Chase UR at 1:1. Chase points to Avios for Aer Lingus via Dublin, best on off-peak dates where surcharges stay low.

Which credit cards earn Avios?

2 in our set, led by British Airways Visa at 3× on airfare (a rate we have flagged for re-verification). We track airfare multipliers only, because that is the spend this site is about.

Airline program

Avios (British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus): what it is worth to Europe

We value Avios (British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus) at 1.2 cents per point for transatlantic awards. Carrier surcharges are the problem, and BA raised them again through 2026 alongside a 15-20% chart increase. Off-peak short hops still work; transatlantic rarely does.

By Jon Miksis · valuation reviewed August 2026 · quarterly, or immediately on a devaluation

1.2¢: Our valuation per point, transatlantic awards
#12 of 16: Rank among the programs we value
5: Ways to transfer in
2: Cards in our set that earn it

How to get Avios miles

Transferring in from a bank currency is how most people top this up.

Chase UR → Avios · 1:1 · strength 58
Chase points to Avios for Aer Lingus via Dublin, best on off-peak dates where surcharges stay low.
Amex MR → Avios · 1:1 · strength 56
Amex points to Avios for Aer Lingus or Iberia, best off-peak where surcharges are lowest.
Cap One → Avios · 1:1 · strength 56
Capital One miles to Avios for Aer Lingus or Iberia on off-peak dates.
Citi TYP → Avios · 1:1 · strength 56
Citi points to Avios for Aer Lingus, best on off-peak dates.
Bilt → Avios · 1:1 · strength 56
Bilt points to Avios for Aer Lingus on off-peak dates.

Cards that earn Avios

Airfare multipliers only. A card earning 4× on flights is a different tool from one earning 4× on groceries, and only one of them matters here.

British Airways Visapersonal3× *
Aer Lingus Visapersonal3× *

* Flagged for re-verification against the issuer’s own page. We show the flag rather than publish a number two sources disagree on.

Common questions

What is a Avios point worth?: We value it at 1.2 cents for transatlantic redemptions, which ranks it 12 of 16 programs we track. Carrier surcharges are the problem, and BA raised them again through 2026 alongside a 15-20% chart increase. Off-peak short hops still work; transatlantic rarely does. That figure is deliberately conservative: it is what you can expect to get on dates you actually want, not the best redemption anyone found all year.
How do I earn Avios miles?: The practical route for most people is transferring in from a bank currency. 5 partners transfer in, the strongest being Chase UR at 1:1. Chase points to Avios for Aer Lingus via Dublin, best on off-peak dates where surcharges stay low.
Which credit cards earn Avios?: 2 in our set, led by British Airways Visa at 3× on airfare (a rate we have flagged for re-verification). We track airfare multipliers only, because that is the spend this site is about.

To decide whether to burn Avios on a specific flight, run it through the Points vs. Cash Calculator, which compares your redemption against the 1.2¢ figure above.

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