Article: Transferring & Redeeming Avios: An Overview of Airline Partnerships

[AFF Editor]

Transferring & Redeeming Avios: An Overview of Airline Partnerships is an article written by the AFF editorial team:

Transferring & Redeeming Avios: An Overview of Airline Partnerships

Avios is the common points currency of five airlines: British Airways, Iberia, Qatar Airways, Aer Lingus and Vueling. These diagrams show which frequent flyer programs you can transfer Avios between, and which airlines partner with each program.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

You can leave a comment or discuss this topic below.

 

[Revenge]

Great article! I have been thinking more about my Avios since QR moved to Avios, there's a lot of flexibility there.

For the bit in the article about how to earn Avios in Australia, another useful option is Commonwealth Bank Awards which let you transfer to Qatar Airways Avios (albeit at a rather poor rate of 3.5:1).

 

[RooFlyer]

Worked seamlessly for me a few months ago. Went to book a QSuites seat to Europe through Privilege Club; the QR booking process went to BA, took the necessary additional Avios from there, and ticketed no problem.

 

[Jean Prouvaire]

I'll be hitting Qantas Lifetime Gold soon, so considering moving to a new loyalty program once I do, as Lifetime Platinum is ridiculously unachievable and I baulk at continuing to pay the Qantas premium of maintaining Platinum every year.

Qatar's program is appealing because it allows redemption on both OneWorld and a range of non-OneWorld airlines, including - importantly for domestic travel - Virgin Australia.

But given that Avios is the currency for five airlines, it might also be an option to join British Airways (I usually travel to the UK at least once a year and typically choose BA for intra-Europe travel), and transfer Avios between BA and QR.

There's also the (very slim, but still infinitely greater than if sticking with Qantas) possibility I might do enough flying in the next decade that I could hit the BA equivalent of Qantas Lifetime Platinum, ie Lifetime OneWorld Emerald.

On the other hand, achieving the required 2 or 4 eligible flights (ie BA or Iberia operated flights) would be tricky, especially should there be years when I don't visit the UK.

Anyway, my question is: I get a lot of my points via credit card spend, so is there an Australian credit or charge card that earns Avios directly, rather than via doing the Amex-Marriot-BA two-step outlined in the article, or the 3.5:1 Commbank transfer that Revenge noted above?

The ideal scenario of course would be if Qantas adopted Avios, but naturally the chances of that are Buckley's.

 

[RooFlyer]

But given that Avios is the currency for five airlines, it might also be an option to join British Airways (I usually travel to the UK at least once a year and typically choose BA for intra-Europe travel), and transfer Avios between BA and QR.

Join both (for free). You only need chase status on one, but sometimes there are unique earning Avios opportunities on one but not the other. AND joining now will help if there is some pre-qualification period with such an offer.

As Matt will no doubt tell us, your Avios sit in the account of the FF program you've earned in, but are accessible from the others when needed. No need to transfer (at least between BA and QR), because, as I noted above, the QR booking system (and I imagine the BA one too) will automatically go over to the other account for you to approve that it grabs enough Avios to fulfil the fare.

 

[kpc]

I got 15K Avios for subscribing to Economist (via Canada as cheaper). Im also TFering my Amex Rewards to Marriot Bonvoy and then to Avios. 60K Amex = 60K Mariott with 50% current bounus to end of May. 60K Mariott can be Tfed for 25K Avios. So currently 60K Amex gets you 25K Avios which is as good as it gets i think for Aussie credit cards.

 

[Gold Member]

The convoluted structure and ties between the Avios airlines and partners makes this a complicated proposition for most people. But it’s arguably one of the most lucrative FFPs right now and we’ll worth taking them time to understand and pursue.

Another way to earn Avios which wasn’t touched on in the article is by simply flying with Qantas, their Oneworld partners and affiliates airlines. The key here is that it must be a QF marketed flight. So that means you could earn Avios points while flying Emirates, KLM, Jetstar, Air Calin and many other partner airlines, as long as it’s marketed by QF (QF flight number).

 

[jumpjam]

Can you get QF status credits when using BA or QR Avios for a reward flight at all?

 

[Gold Member]

Can you get QF status credits when using BA or QR Avios for a reward flight at all?

No, but if a QF points Club member you may be able to earn points.

 

[jumpjam]

No, but if a QF points Club member you may be able to earn points.

Thanks, that makes sense

 

[SYD]

No, but if a QF points Club member you may be able to earn points.

Don’t you mean SCs? Redeem Avios for a QF flight and add your QFF details should earn the applicable SCs if PC/PC+.

 

[Gold Member]

Don’t you mean SCs? Redeem Avios for a QF flight and add your QFF details should earn the applicable SCs if PC/PC+.

Yes indeed, my bad.

 

[RooFlyer]

No, but if a QF points Club member you may be able to earn points.

Yes, you can (SCs) - from the webinar.

 

[_TheTraveller_]

The convoluted structure and ties between the Avios airlines and partners makes this a complicated proposition for most people. But it’s arguably one of the most lucrative FFPs right now and we’ll worth taking them time to understand and pursue.

Another way to earn Avios which wasn’t touched on in the article is by simply flying with Qantas, their Oneworld partners and affiliates airlines. The key here is that it must be a QF marketed flight. So that means you could earn Avios points while flying Emirates, KLM, Jetstar, Air Calin and many other partner airlines, as long as it’s marketed by QF (QF flight number).

I'm assuming you're only earning Avios and no TPs when flying affiliates/partners on a QF marketed flights?

 

[Gold Member]

I'm assuming you're only earning Avios and no TPs when flying affiliates/partners on a QF marketed flights?

You should earn whatever credits the paid fare is eligible for under each Frequent Flyer program’s respective earn tables. Using BA as an example, it will be treated as a Oneworld partner flight with TP earn. For other airline partners, you should still earn but it may differ so it’s best review the QF earn tables on their websites.

 

[_TheTraveller_]

You should earn whatever credits the paid fare is eligible for under each Frequent Flyer program’s respective earn tables. Using BA as an example, it will be treated as a Oneworld partner flight with TP earn. For other airline partners, you should still earn but it may differ so it’s best review the QF earn tables on their websites.

I think I'm probably a little confused by the following statement:

The key here is that it must be a QF marketed flight. So that means you could earn Avios points while flying Emirates, KLM, Jetstar, Air Calin and many other partner airlines, as long as it’s marketed by QF (QF flight number).

But it seems like BA has actually worded it as if it's possible as well:

https://www.britishairways.com/en-us/executive-club/collecting-avios/flights

• Included: Qantas, QantasLink and Jetconnect (QF).
• Minimum Avios: no minimum.
• Avios tier bonus? No.
• Collect Tier Points? Yes (discount economy flights may earn fewer Tier Points depending on the fare purchased).

Executive Club Members can collect Avios on:

• Flights marketed and operated by Qantas or Qantas Airlines affiliates under the QF designated code.
• Flights marketed by Qantas but operated by Jetstar booked as oneworld fare in L class only.
• Flights marketed by Qantas or Qantas Airlines affiliates and operated by Qantas, a Qantas affiliate, BA, another oneworld carrier, or another third party under a codeshare agreement.

What does this mean for TPs under QF # but operated by a non-OW partner? Do they earn as if they were a QF flight? Very interesting because if you could earn TPs as if you were on a QF flight then there might be some good earning opportunities. E.g. EK QF # SYD-CHC would earn as if you were on QF.

My (incorrect) assumption has always been that in order to earn TPs/SCs, the flights must be marketed and operated by a OW carrier unless it's carries a flight # of the FFP you're crediting to.

 

[Gold Member]

I think I'm probably a little confused by the following statement:



But it seems like BA has actually worded it as if it's possible as well:

https://www.britishairways.com/en-us/executive-club/collecting-avios/flights

What does this mean for TPs under QF # but operated by a non-OW partner? Do they earn as if they were a QF flight? Very interesting because if you could earn TPs as if you were on a QF flight then there might be some good earning opportunities. E.g. EK QF # SYD-CHC would earn as if you were on QF.

My (incorrect) assumption has always been that in order to earn TPs/SCs, the flights must be marketed and operated by a OW carrier unless it's carries a flight # of the FFP you're crediting to.

My original comments referred to earning Avios and Tier Points with a Qantas marketed and operated flight.

From what I understand (and using the commentary you have quoted from BA), the language suggests you’ll only earn Avios points on QF marketed partner/affiliate flights, and not TPs.

Anyone else able to chime in?

 

[StevePER]

Would transferring Avios count as activity to avoid them expiring?

 

[Gold Member]

Would transferring Avios count as activity to avoid them expiring?

If by transferring you mean between your QR, IB and BA accounts, then no. I don’t think that will reset the expiry timer. But if by transfer you mean “Share”, whereby you send miles to family or friend for a fee, I’m pretty sure that does count and will reset the timer.

There are many other cheap ways to trigger account activity though. Lots of stuff on the interwebs via the google machine.

 

[MG1]

Has anyone else had any trouble linking their BA and QR accounts? I was able to link them on the QR website with no issues. When I try via the BA website though, I receive this message:

Access Denied​

You don't have permission to access "http://exchange.shopping.ba.com/partner/qatar" on this server.

I've tried using different browsers, changing the cookie settings, and also changed site settings, but no luck.
I can access the general https://www.shopping.ba.com/, but as soon as I click on "Convert Avios", a similar error the above is returned.


Also, would it be worth joining the other members of the Avios family: Iberia Plus, Aer Club, and Vueling Club?