Let’s talk about British Airways Executive Club, one of the seldomly used, but very opportunistic travel loyalty programs in Canada.

In Canada, we have access to several frequent flyer programs that give you the ability to book flights with a wide variety of airlines. 

Air Canada/Aeroplan

WestJet Rewards

Air France/KLM Flying Blue

But these airlines aren’t the only airlines providing travel options for Canadians. While British Airways Executive Club isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when Canadians think of air travel, it is an international airliner that can provide Canadians with immense value when traveling internationally. 

One of the travel currencies Canadians should be focusing on when collecting points is Avios

What are Avios?

Avios is a travel rewards currency used by several airlines and travel partners. It was originally introduced by British Airways but is also used by other airlines within the International Airlines Group (IAG), such as Iberia and Aer Lingus.

Avios points can be earned through various methods, including flying with partner airlines, using co-branded credit cards, staying at partner hotels, renting cars, and shopping with Avios partners. Once accumulated, Avios can be redeemed for flights, upgrades, hotel stays, car rentals, and other travel-related benefits.

Avios are the points used by these airlines:

• British Airways Executive Club.
• Iberia Plus.
• Aer Lingus AerClub.
• Qatar Airways Privilege Club.

Avios can be transferred between any of these programs at a ratio of 1:1, but you can earn Avios in a number of different ways. In Canada, the easiest way to do this is through the British Airways Executive Club.

In this post, we’ll walk through the ins and outs of British Airways Executive Club, and how Canadians can maximize the program and Avios (their currency) to earn free international flights.

 

British Airways Executive Club Overview

How to Earn Avios	British Airways & Vacation Packages Transfer from American Express Membership Rewards British Airways branded credit cards Transfer from RBC Avion points Flights with airline partners
How to Redeem Avios Points	British Airways flights Select flights with airline partners
Value of Avios Points	1 Avios = 1.7 cent/pp

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Here Are 9 Things Canadians Need to Know About the British Airways Executive Club Program

1. You Can Use Avios to Travel on the Following Airlines:

British Airways is part of the Oneworld Alliance. Their partners include American Airlines, Finnair, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, LATAM, and Japan Airlines, amongst others.

You can view more information about OneWorld here

In addition to the airlines above, you can also use Avios from British Airways Executive Club to redeem for flights on Air Lingus

HOW TO EARN AVIOS

2. You Can Transfer American Express Membership Rewards to Avios

Canadians can earn a high amount of Avios by transferring American Express Membership Rewards to Avios. 

Membership Rewards (MR) is the travel currency earned directly through American Express credit cards. 

One of, if not the best reason for you to start collecting American Express Membership Rewards is that you can transfer your MR to a bevy of transfer partners including: 

You can view the transfer ratios below 

If you intend on taking a flight through British Airways, or one of their travel partners, American Express Membership Rewards can help you get there. The 1:1 transfer ratio is a fantastic value. Occasionally, American Express will offer “bonus transfers” on certain airlines or hotel partners. 

You can earn Membership Rewards through several credit cards offered by American Express 

The American Express Platinum Card is a great way to earn Membership Rewards. 

Sign up Here

The $799 annual fee (which comes with a $150 rebate through GreatCanadianRebates) is offset by the following perks & benefits:

• Sign-up Bonus:
  • 70,000 MR points upon spending $10,000 in the first three months
  • 30,000 MR points upon making a purchase between months 14-17 of cardmembership
• Earn Rate: 
  • 2 MR points per dollar spent on travel, groceries & dining
  • 1 MR point everywhere else
• Insurance:
  • Emergency Medical Travel Insurance – up to $5,000,000
  • Car rental damage insurance 
  • Trip Canacellation Insurance- up to $3,000
  • Hotel Burglary insurance – up to $1,000
  • Baggage delay insurance – up to $1,000
  • Lost or stolen baggage insurance – up to $1,000
• Perks
  • $200 annual travel credit
  • $200 annual dining credit
  • Special discounts for cardholders, which are sent via email
  • $100 Nexus credit
  • Instant Gold status at Marriott Bonvoy
  • Instant Gold status at Hilton Honours
  • Access to Pearson Priority Security Lane during peak operating times
  • Complimentary valet service at the Express Park and Daily Park at Pearson Airport
• Lounge Access
  • Priority Pass (+1 guest)
  • Plaza Premium Lounges (+1 guest)
  • Delta Sky Club
  • Airspace Lounges (+2 guests)
  • Centurion Lounges
  • SwissPort Lounges (+1 guest)

While the $699 annual fee seems daunting initially, the 100,000 Membership Rewards ($1,700 in value) will earn you potentially multiple free flights. 

Canadians will have to make a personal decision as to whether or not the $799 (minus the $200 travel credit & $299 food & beverage) annual fee is worth spending after year one.

Several other cards allow you to earn Membership Rewards including:

American Express Business Platinum – 90,000 Membership Rewards

American Express Business Gold – 70,000 Membership Rewards

American Express Business Edge – 45,000 Membership Rewards

American Express Personal Gold – 60,000 Membership Rewards

American Express Cobalt Card – 15,000 Membership Rewards

3. You Can Transfer RBC Avion Points to Avios 

While collecting American Express Membership Rewards is a great way to earn thousands of Avios, it’s certainly not the only way. For those who are collecting RBC Avion Points, those points can be converted to Avios at a 1:1 ratio with the occasional 30% transfer bonus.  

RBC currently offers several credit cards that allow you to earn RBC Rewards or Avion Points.

Currently, the RBC Visa Infinite Avion is the easiest way to earn a large amount of Avion points

Sign up here

The $120 annual fee is offset by the following perks & benefits:

The RBC Visa Infinite is a great way to earn transferrable Avion points.

Canadians will have to make a personal decision as to whether or not the $120 annual fee is worth spending after year 1. It also should be noted that RBC allows you to rotate through different credit cards without a new credit check, continuously earning a modified signup bonus each time. 

In Addition to the RBC Visa Infinite, several cards allow you to earn Avion points including: 

• RBC Avion Platinum
• RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege 
• RBC Avion Business
• RBC Avion Visa Infinite Business

How to Transfer Your RBC Avion Points

A. Click “Avion Rewards” on your banking homepage

B. Click on the “Transfer Points” tab at the top of the screen

C. Scroll down to the “Convert Points” section and click on “Convert Now”

D. Determine the amount you want to convert and confirm the transfer

4. Canadians Can Earn Avios Through the RBC British Airways Infinite Visa

If you’ve ever used Aeroplan in the past, you’re probably familiar with the process of earning Aeroplan miles through their branded credit cards. Naturally, British Airways has a similar offering.

If you regularly fly with British Airways or intend on taking a trip with British Airways, or their partners over the next year, the RBC British Airways Visa Infinite card is a great tool you can leverage to reduce the cost of your flight. 

The $165 annual fee is offset by the following benefits: 

• Sign-up Bonus:
  • 15,000 Avios points upon first purchase
  • 35,000 Avios upon spending $6,000 in the first 3 months
  • 10,000 Avios when you renew your card for a second year
• Earn Rate: 
  • 2 Avios points per dollar spent on British Airways
  • 1 Avios point everywhere else
• Insurance:
  • Emergency Medical Travel Insurance
  • Flight delay insurance – up to $500
  • Hotel burglary insurance – up to $500
  • Car rental damage insurance
• Perks
  • Special discounts throughout the year
  • Companion voucher if you spend $35,000 annually on the card

If you currently own another RBC credit card and would like to transfer to the British Airways Visa Infinite, you can perform a credit card switch on the RBC banking page, or by calling their credit card hotline. Switching from one RBC credit card to another DOES NOT impact your credit score. 

If you are interested in maximizing your Avios, you can flip between the RBC Visa Infinite Avion and the RBC British Airways Visa Infinite every 9 months, continuously receiving a modified signup bonus each time.

Read our review here

5. You Can Earn Avios Through US Credit Cards 

If you are in a position to secure US credit cards, you can earn Avios by applying for several US credit cards including:

• British Airways Visa Signature Card

You’ll also have the ability to transfer your US miles to Avios. These transfer partners include:

• Capital One Miles (1:1 ratio)
• American Express Membership Rewards (1:1 ratio)
• Chase Ultimate Rewards (1:1 ratio)
• Marriott Bonvoy (3:1 ratio)
• Bilt Rewards (1:1 ratio)

Here is a video outlining a strategy for US Avios collection by YouTuber Max Miles Points

Redeeming Avios

6. Avios Redemptions Are Distanced Based 

For those familiar with Aeroplan, you’re used to using a set number of points within different geographical regions. 

British Airways uses a completely different redemption system. The amount of Avios needed for your trip will be dependent on the distance flown.

The chart below illustrates the number of Avios needed for redemptions with British Airways, Air Lingus, Iberia & Vueling:

Zone No.(distance in miles)	Economy	Economy	Premium Economy	Premium Economy	Business	Business	First	First
	Off Peak	Peak	Off Peak	Peak	Off Peak	Peak	Off Peak	Peak
Zone 1 (1-650)	4,750	5,250	–	–	8,500	9,750	–	–
Zone 2 (651-1,151)	7,250	8,250	–	–	13,000	15,750	–	–
Zone 3 (1,152-2,000)	10,000	12,500	–	–	17,750	20,750	–	–
Zone 4 (2,001-3,000)	10,000	12,500	20,000	25,000	31,250	37,500	42,500	50,000
Zone 5 (3,001-4,000)	13,000	20,000	26,000	40,000	50,000	60,000	68,000	80,000
Zone 6 (4,001-5,500)	16,250	25,000	32,500	50,000	62,500	75,000	85,000	100,000
Zone 7 (5,501-6,500)	19,500	30,000	39,000	60,000	75,000	90,000	102,000	120,000
Zone 8 (6,501-7,000)	22,750	35,000	45,500	70,000	87,500	105,000	119,000	140,000
Zone 9 (7,001 and up)	32,500	50,000	65,000	100,000	125,000	150,000	170,000	200,000

Partner Airlines

For partner airlines, there is a different award chart, which can be found below

Zone (distance in miles)	Economy	Premium economy	Business	First
Zone 1 (1-650)	6,000	9,000	12,500	24,000
Zone 2 (651-1,151)	9,000	12,500	16,500	33,000
Zone 3 (1,152-2,000)	11,000	16,500	22,000	44,000
Zone 4 (2,001-3,000)	13,000	25,250	38,750	51,500
Zone 5(3,001-4,000)	20,750	41,250	62,000	82,500
Zone 6 (4,001-5,500)	25,750	51,500	77,250	103,000
Zone 7 (5,501-6,500)	31,000	62,000	92,750	123,750
Zone 8 (6,501-7,000)	36,250	72,250	108,250	144,250
Zone 9 (7,001 and up)	51,500	103,000	154,500	206,000

7. There is a Different Redemption Chart for Multi-Carrier Flights

If you’re redeeming your Avios for a trip that includes multiple airlines, you will be subject to the redemption chart below:

Miles	Economy	Premium Economy	Business	First
0–1,500	30,000	45,000	60,000	90,000
1,501–4,000	35,000	52,500	70,000	105,000
4,001–9,000	60,000	90,000	120,000	180,000
9,001–10,000	70,000	105,000	140,000	210,000
10,001–14,000	90,000	135,000	180,000	270,000
14,001–20,000	100,000	150,000	200,000	300,000
20,001–25,000	120,000	180,000	240,000	360,000
25,001–35,000	140,000	210,000	280,000	420,000
35,001–50,000	160,000	240,000	320,000	480,000

8. You Can Purchase Flights with a Combination of Points and cash 

As someone who has been earning and churning for the past few years, I’ve seen my Avios points rise and fall at a consistent rate. As a result, there have been instances where I’ve found myself a few thousand points short of a free flight.

To increase flexibility, Avios allows travelers to book with a combination of points + cash

Maximizing Your Avios

9. You Can Pool Your Avios

If you collect Avios as a household, you can benefit from the fact that British Airways allows you to pool your points into a “Household Account.”

This allows you to quickly earn points through American Express Membership Rewards or RBC branded credit cards. 

British Airways Executive Club/Avios Valuation 

Given the distance-based rewards chart, you can find sweet spots when booking with Avios (especially to Western European cities like Dublin). 

You can also find great value hopping in between European countries due to the short distance between most European cities.

Avios Valuation: 1.7 cents/Avios 

Competitor Analysis

British Airways Executive Club vs Aeroplan 

Avios & Aeroplan both have similar characteristics within their programs. Both programs are accessible through American Express Membership Rewards, and both offer branded credit cards to further increase the ways you can earn points. 

The big difference between the two programs is that domestic travel isn’t available through Avios, while Air Canada flights can be booked through Aeroplan. 

With that in mind, you should only collect Avios for international travel.  

If you intend on taking an international flight, you will be able to research the number of points needed through both Aeroplan & Avios and collect your points accordingly. 

flightconnections.com is a great resource for determining which airlines service which cities. From there, you can backtrack your research to determine if Avios or Aeroplan is the appropriate program for your vacation.

Program	Valuation
Aeroplan	2.1 cents/point
Avios	1.7 cents/Avios

Conclusion

While Aeroplan gets a lot of buzz amongst Canadian travelers, the British Airways Executive Club program should not be overlooked. 

By leveraging the lucrative signup bonuses through Membership Rewards, and by leveraging the branded credit cards offered through RBC, you can easily save up to $1,000 on your dream vacation. 

4 Tips to Help You on Your Travels

1. If you think you’ll be taking a trip with British Airways, or one of their travel partners, leverage the lucrative signup bonuses through American Express, and transfer your points to British Airways. 
2. Supplement your Avios earnings by signing up for either the British Airways Visa Infinite card or the RBC Visa Infinite card. These Visas can be used at establishments that don’t accept American Express.
3. Remember to leverage your companion voucher if it will provide further savings. 
4. Sign up for British Airways’ promotional emails. You can create a “deals” section within your inbox if you’d prefer to compartmentalize your incoming emails.