Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
Part of The British Airways Club hub
GUIDE
How to check British Airways Club fees on Avios bookings
The British Airways Club, the loyalty programme previously called the British Airways Executive Club, charges a service fee when members change or cancel Reward Flights booked with Avios, and on Avios-only Reward Flights a cancellation made at least 24 hours before departure is refunded minus a £35 service fee. [2] [6]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- Flights booked with Avios are called Reward Flights, and the Avios price is paired with a cash amount that British Airways describes as covering taxes, fees and carrier charges. [1] [6]
- British Airways says most Reward Flights can be changed or cancelled, subject to availability, for a small service fee. [6]
- On Avios-only Reward Flights, a booking cancelled at least 24 hours before departure is refunded minus a £35 service fee. [6]
- Service and change fees sit outside the spend on which Avios and tier points are calculated. [2]
What fees does The British Airways Club charge around Avios?
Reward Flights are sold as a fixed Avios amount plus a cash amount for taxes, fees and carrier charges, and on British Airways flights that cash amount is fixed while on Iberia, American Airlines and oneworld partner flights it is variable. [6] Those cash amounts move with date, destination and cabin, so they are not service charges. [6] The service charges that sit on top of a booking are set out below; amounts published by British Airways on these pages are in pounds sterling. [6]
| Charge | Amount | Applies to | When it is charged |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancellation service fee | £35, taken from the refund | Avios-only Reward Flights [6] | Cancelling at least 24 hours before departure [6] |
| Change service fee | Service fee | Avios-only Reward Flights [6] | When the booking is changed [6] |
| Change or cancellation service fee | A small service fee | Reward Flights in most circumstances [6] | When a change or cancellation is made [6] |
| Stopover charge | No charge, or a charge | Reward itineraries containing a stopover [2] | No charge where the stopover connects a domestic flight to a long-haul destination; a charge applies where it connects a domestic flight to a short-haul destination [2] |
Fees are not a route to earning: Avios and tier points are calculated on eligible spend, and government or airport taxes and fees, credit card surcharges and service or change fees are excluded from it. [2] The taxes and carrier charges inside a cash amount are a separate question, compared by destination on the Avios award taxes and fees comparison page.
How do you change a Reward Flight, and when must you call?
Many changes to simple Reward Flights can be made online in Manage My Booking. [6] A change can require more Avios, for example when the date of travel moves from off-peak to peak, and the cost is shown in Manage My Booking or explained over the phone before the change is made. [6] When a booking moves from a peak to an off-peak date, the difference in Avios is refunded. [6]
Avios part payment complicates that refund: on those bookings the money portion of the price is not refunded, and British Airways suggests cancelling the original flights for a full refund and making a new booking instead. [6] Avios part payment is the checkout choice that reduces the Avios needed for a Reward Flight in exchange for paying more cash. [2]
Five situations have to go through the contact centre: changing a British Airways Reward Flight from an off-peak to a peak date; changing from a peak to an off-peak date when an immediate Avios refund is wanted; bookings made with any type of voucher, such as a Companion Voucher or Travel Together Ticket; bookings containing a connecting flight; and Reward Flights upgraded with Avios. [6] Reward bookings may be requested online or through the member's local service centre, and only the account holder or an individual they have nominated may request them. [2] Reward travel must be booked no less than 24 hours before the intended day of departure, and a booking that does not meet that requirement may be subject to a charge. [2]
How do you cancel a Reward Flight and what is refunded?
A cancellation must be made at least 24 hours before the first flight in the itinerary to be eligible for a refund. [6] For Avios-only Reward Flights — flights operated by British Airways and its subsidiary Euro Flyer and sold only as Reward Flights — a booking cancelled up to 24 hours before departure is refunded in full minus the £35 service fee. [6]
For Avios-only bookings cancelled within 24 hours of outbound departure, taxes, fees and charges the member has paid are refunded to the original form of payment, while the cash portion of an Avios & Money price is not refunded and Avios are not refunded. [6] Avios & Money is the checkout option that lowers the Avios needed for a chosen Reward Flight in return for an additional cash payment. [2] A reward that has been issued but not flown is not a route to further credit either: Avios and tier points are not awarded on a cancelled booking. [2]
Do Avios expire, and can Avios move between accounts?
All Avios expire where a member has not collected, spent, purchased or transferred Avios for 36 consecutive months, and Club membership ends automatically when the last Avios expire under that rule. [2] A household account lets up to seven members of a household, including a maximum of six people under 18, earn Avios and redeem all or part of the balance for any one person in the household, and household members can nominate up to five individuals on a family and friends list to redeem on their behalf. [2] Joining the Club is free. [5]
Moving Avios to another member is handled as a transfer: the Club terms describe it as moving Avios from one member to another, subject to the Conditions of Use, and provide a transfer application form on ba.com for the purpose. [2] Avios can also be converted into Nectar points, at 400 Nectar points for every 400 Avios converted. [1]
Exceptions and limits
- A small service fee applies to most Reward Flight changes and cancellations. British Airways says most Reward Flights can be changed or cancelled, subject to availability, for a small service fee. [6]
- Availability comes first. Reward bookings are subject to capacity controls that British Airways sets and adjusts, and reward bookings on an airline partner depend on that partner's availability, so a change or cancellation is only useful where seats can be found. [2]
- Stopovers are treated by route type. There is no charge for a stopover that connects a domestic flight to a long-haul destination, but a charge applies where the stopover connects a domestic flight to a short-haul destination. [2]
- Fees earn nothing. Service and change fees are excluded from eligible spend, so paying one adds no Avios and no tier points. [2]
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to cancel a British Airways Reward Flight?
On Avios-only Reward Flights, a booking cancelled at least 24 hours before departure is refunded minus a £35 service fee. [6] For Reward Flights generally, British Airways says most can be cancelled subject to availability for a small service fee. [6]
Can I move a Reward Flight to a different date?
Yes — many changes to simple Reward Flights can be made in Manage My Booking. [6] Moving from an off-peak to a peak date needs additional Avios and has to be arranged through the contact centre. [6]
Do service fees earn Avios or tier points?
No. Service and change fees are excluded from the eligible spend on which Avios and tier points are calculated. [2]
What happens if I cancel inside 24 hours of departure?
For Avios-only bookings cancelled within 24 hours of outbound departure, taxes, fees and charges already paid are refunded to the original form of payment, while Avios and the cash portion of an Avios & Money price are not refunded. [6]
Do Avios expire if I stop using my account?
Yes. All Avios expire if a member has not collected, spent, purchased or transferred Avios for 36 consecutive months, and membership ends when the last Avios expire. [2]
Sources
Sources checked on 18 October 2026. Only The British Airways Club is covered here; other airline programmes, including Iberia Plus and American Airlines AAdvantage, are not, and neither are the hotel, car hire and retail partners whose points can be exchanged for Avios.
- The British Airways Club: Spending Avios, checked 18 October 2026
- The British Airways Club terms and conditions, checked 18 October 2026
- Welcome to The British Airways Club, checked 18 October 2026
- Reward Flights: booking and service fees, changes and cancellations, checked 18 October 2026