British Airways Avios Now a Transfer Partner for Amex Membership Rewards Australia

American Express has just added British Airways Avios as a new transfer partner to its Membership Rewards program in Australia. This marks the first new partner since 2023, when both Qatar Airways Avios and HawaiianMiles were added.

While it’s always nice to see a new partner added to the program, the move is somewhat redundant. Since Qatar Airways Avios and British Airways Avios can be pooled, we’ve technically had the ability to transfer Membership Rewards points to British Airways Avios since 2023—via Qatar Airways.

The program everyone’s still waiting to see on Membership Rewards Australia is Air Canada Aeroplan. Unfortunately, that remains wishful thinking for now.

What’s the Benefit of Avios?

British Airways Avios is part of the Oneworld alliance, which means you can use your points to book flights on any Oneworld partner, including Qantas. In many cases, BA Avios are significantly more valuable than Qantas Frequent Flyer points, as fewer points are required for the same itineraries.

Here are some examples where British Airways Avios come out ahead:

• Sydney to Brisbane/Melbourne: 6,000 Avios in Economy or 12,500 in Business (compared to 8,000 and 18,400 Qantas Points)
• Melbourne to Brisbane: 9,000 Avios in Economy or 16,500 in Business (compared to 12,000 and 27,600 Qantas Points)
• Melbourne to Perth: 11,000 Avios in Economy or 22,000 in Business (compared to 18,000 and 41,500 Qantas Points)
• Sydney to Perth: 13,000 Avios in Economy or 38,750 in Business (compared to 18,000 and 41,500 Qantas Points)

British Airways also allows household account pooling. If your family regularly flies on Oneworld cash fares, setting up a pool can help consolidate your points. Another key benefit is the ability to transfer Avios between participating programs—namely Finnair, Qatar Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus.

You can use British Airways Avios to book Qantas flights.

Best Credit Cards to Earn Avios

To make the most of these promotions, consider using the best credit cards for earning Avios. Here are some top options:

• American Express Platinum Card: Earns 1.125 Avios per $1 spent. Ideal for frequent travellers looking for premium benefits and high points accumulation.
• American Express Platinum Business Card: Also earns 1.125 Avios per $1 spent, perfect for business expenses.
• American Express Explorer Card: Earns 1 Avios per $1 spent. A great option for those seeking a balance between benefits and annual fees.
• American Express Platinum Edge Card: Earns 1.5 Avios per $1 at supermarkets & fuel, 1 Avios per $1 on overseas spending, and 0.5 Avios per $1 on everyday expenses.

How to Transfer Membership Rewards to British Airways Avios

To get started, you’ll need a British Airways Executive Club account. It’s free to join, and you can sign up here.

Once you have your membership number:

1. Head to the American Express Membership Rewards transfer page while logged in.
2. Enter your British Airways membership number and date of birth.
3. Click Continue and enter your card’s 3-digit CSC.
4. Choose how many points to transfer and hit Transfer.

Amex states that transfers can take up to 24 hours, but in our experience, they’re usually instant. A minimum of 2,000 Membership Rewards points is required to initiate a transfer, with a maximum of 99,999,998 points per transaction. Transfers must be made in increments of 2 points, and the conversion rate is 2:1—meaning 2 Membership Rewards points equals 1 Avios.

Summing Up

While it’s always great to see new partners added to Membership Rewards Australia, this one won’t move the needle. Members have effectively been able to access British Airways Avios since 2023 through Qatar Airways.

The real game-changer would be the addition of Air Canada Aeroplan—already available to US-based Amex members. Aeroplan would bring excellent redemption opportunities and much-needed balance to the Membership Rewards line-up, especially after recent devaluations to KrisFlyer and Skywards transfer rates.