How to earn Avios and tier points in British Airways Club

Which flights earn Avios for Club members?

British Airways puts the flight side of the Club in one line: members collect Avios on eligible flights with British Airways or with its oneworld airline partners. [1] Joining the Club is free, and the Avios collected can be spent on flights, hotels, holidays and car rental. [5]

oneworld is the alliance British Airways belongs to, and its member airlines include American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Royal Jordanian and SriLankan Airlines alongside British Airways itself. [2] The alliance's site also names Alaska Airlines, Fiji Airways, Hawaiian Airlines, Oman Air and Royal Air Maroc. [2]

Because British Airways calls these flights eligible rather than crediting every partner booking, alliance membership on its own is not the whole test — the Club's eligibility conditions decide whether a particular flight is credited. [1] Tier points sit alongside Avios as a second, separate currency, and British Airways says members earn them to unlock benefits such as lounge access, priority check-in and free seat selection. [5]

Do partner flights earn tier points as well as Avios?

The two currencies are described differently. Avios collection is described for eligible flights with British Airways or oneworld airline partners [1], while tier points are described as earned with British Airways and "some of our partners" [5]. The second description is the narrower one, so on a partner itinerary the Avios question and the tier point question have to be asked separately. [1] [5]

Status benefits are organised in two layers. British Airways links lounge access, priority check-in and free seat selection to the Club's own tiers [5], while oneworld separately gives a oneworld tier status — Ruby, Sapphire or Emerald — to members who reach a top tier in a member airline's frequent flyer programme, and British Airways is one of the airlines whose members can look that status up on the alliance's site. [2] Emerald and Sapphire status includes access to more than 600 airport lounges worldwide. [2] Access to British Airways' own lounges is subject to eligibility and availability. [4]

How do you claim missing Avios or tier points?

British Airways accepts claims for Avios or tier points up to six months after the flight. [1] New members get more than that window suggests: the Club lets them claim Avios and tier points on any British Airways flights flown in the three months before they joined. [5]

The clock runs from the date of the flight, so a missing credit is worth chasing once the flight has been flown rather than at the end of the year. [1]

What else earns Avios in the Club?

Flights are one route into the balance. British Airways lists pre-booking a seat, paying for extra baggage and upgrading the cabin on a British Airways- or Iberia-marketed flight as ways to collect Avios. [1] Hotel stays and car hire earn as well [1] [5], and so do shopping with more than 2,000 brands online or in store at Avios Shop and selected brands at the Edit, Avios credit cards, airport parking, rail transfers and other travel extras. [1]

Lifestyle and finance partners are on the list too, including Barclays Premier Banking, which British Airways describes as the only UK current account that can collect Avios. [1] Members can also pool Avios with family and friends in their household to reach rewards faster. [5]

Exceptions and limits

• Tier point earning is narrower than Avios earning. British Airways describes tier points as earned with itself and some partners [5], while Avios collection is described for eligible flights with British Airways or its oneworld airline partners. [1]
• Avios do not last indefinitely. A member who does not collect, spend, buy or share at least one Avios for 36 consecutive months loses the balance. [1]
• Lounge access is conditional. Even where a Club tier or a oneworld tier includes lounge access [2] [5], British Airways says entry to its lounges is subject to eligibility and availability. [4]
• Claims have deadlines. Missing credit can be claimed up to six months after the flight [1], and the concession for new members covers British Airways flights in the three months before joining. [5]

Frequently asked questions

Do all oneworld partner flights earn Avios?

British Airways credits Avios on eligible flights with British Airways or its oneworld airline partners, so a partner flight has to meet the Club's eligibility conditions as well as being with a partner airline. [1]

Do I earn tier points on the same flights?

Not automatically: British Airways describes tier point earning with itself and some of its partners. [5]

How long do I have to claim missing Avios or tier points?

Up to six months after the flight. [1]

Can I claim flights taken before I joined the Club?

Yes — new members can claim Avios and tier points on British Airways flights flown in the three months before they joined. [5]

Do Avios expire?

Avios are removed if a member goes 36 consecutive months without collecting, spending, buying or sharing at least one Avios. [1]

Related pages

Programme: earning Avios and tier points in the British Airways Club. Alliance: oneworld guide. Terms: partner earning, marketing carrier, operating carrier, codeshare, ineligible fare classes, and the full Frequent Flyer Encyclopedia glossary.

Sources

Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. It covers earning in The British Airways Club only; the frequent flyer programmes of other oneworld member airlines, such as American Airlines AAdvantage, Cathay and Qantas Frequent Flyer, are not covered here.

1. Collecting Avios — The British Airways Club, checked 18 October 2026
2. oneworld: member airlines, tier status and lounge benefits, checked 18 October 2026
3. British Airways lounges — access and eligibility, checked 18 October 2026
4. The British Airways Club — joining, Avios and tier points, checked 18 October 2026