Frequent Flyer Miles: How to Earn & Use Them

Updated: 15 October 2026

This article highlights the best way to go about enrolling into the British Airways frequent flyer programme and shows you the best way to accumulate the most miles and the most effective way to redeem them.

What are frequent flyer miles and how do they work?

What does it entail?

If you fly frequently it can be beneficial to book with one particular airline and their partners so that you can accumulate as many frequent flyer miles as possible. It is simple and free to join many of these programs, simply go to the airline's website which you are interested in joining and go to their frequent flyer section. Simply enter your details and you will be issued your personal number. Thereafter, whenever you book a flight online or through an agent always mention your frequent flyer number so that the reward miles can be credited to your account.

Here we walk you through the process of joining an airlines frequent flyer programme and the best ways to accumulate and redeem your miles. For the sake of this demonstration, we will show you how to join The British Airways Club, formerly known as the British Airways Executive Club.

British Airways calls its reward currency Avios. These are different from tier points, which determine your membership status and cannot be spent on reward flights.

Who can join a frequent flyer programme?

The British Airways Club is free to join, subject to its membership terms. You do not need to have flown with British Airways recently or hold a British Airways credit card to open an account.

Before joining any programme, check its eligibility requirements and whether the airlines and partners you use are included. Not every ticket or purchase earns rewards, and earning rates depend on the applicable terms.

Where can you earn frequent flyer miles?

A List of Neglected Ways to Accumulate BA Avios (Points)

1.) Eligible credit card spending

British Airways American Express cards can collect Avios on eligible purchases. The standard British Airways American Express Credit Card currently earns 1 Avios per £1 on eligible purchases; other cards have different earning rates and fees.

You can view the current cards and their terms here.

A credit card is not required to join the Club. Check eligibility, fees and interest before applying. Interest or extra spending can outweigh the value of your rewards; do not buy things you would not otherwise need just to collect Avios.

2.) Partner hotel stays

Earn Avios on eligible stays at partner hotels. Current examples include Marriott International and IHG Hotels & Resorts. Depending on the partner, you may collect Avios from a qualifying stay or convert hotel loyalty points into Avios.

Check the current hotel partners before booking. Rates, qualifying brands, booking channels and membership requirements vary. Compare the hotel’s total price and the value of keeping its own loyalty points before choosing an Avios option.

3.) Car hire partners

Earn Avios on eligible car hire with British Airways partners, including Avis and Budget.

Check the car hire partner terms for qualifying bookings, collection rates and any required membership details. Compare the total rental price, insurance, mileage allowance and other conditions rather than choosing solely for the points.

4.) Shopping and everyday spending

You can collect Avios through participating retailers using Avios Shop and selected shopping partners. Nectar points can also be converted into Avios under the current partnership rules.

Check British Airways’ current collection options and the Nectar partnership before purchasing or transferring points. Follow the required links and tracking instructions, and compare prices elsewhere before spending.

5.) British Airways and partner airlines

Earn Avios when you fly on eligible British Airways flights and qualifying flights with its oneworld and other airline partners. Examples of oneworld partners include:

Check the current oneworld partner list and the earning rules for the airline, fare and booking class before paying. You do not have to open a separate account with every partner airline to credit an eligible flight to The British Airways Club.

When should you redeem your frequent flyer miles?

Redeeming your Air Miles

Once you have accumulated enough Avios you can exchange them for eligible rewards, including upgrades, reward flights, hotel stays and car hire. The options and availability depend on the programme and booking.

If you find that you do not have enough Avios to reach a particular destination you may be able to buy extra Avios or select an available Avios-and-cash option. This does not guarantee a heavily discounted flight: compare the total cost before proceeding.

There is no single distance table that reliably gives the current Avios price for every booking. The Avios and cash required depend on factors such as your route, airline, cabin, travel date and the payment option selected. Use the live British Airways Reward Flight search to check the price and availability for your journey.

Check the value of your redemption

For example, imagine a comparable cash ticket costs £160 and a reward ticket requires 10,000 Avios plus £40. You would use 10,000 Avios to avoid £120 of cash spending, equivalent to 1.2p per Avios. These are illustrative figures, not live fares, and the comparison assumes the tickets have equivalent inclusions and conditions.

Search more than one date if you can, and use British Airways’ reward availability tools to explore options. A seat being available for cash does not necessarily mean it is available as a reward seat.

Why should you keep your miles active and compare cash fares?

Avoid losing your Avios

You need to make sure your account is active, for if it is dormant for a period of 36 months your accumulated Avios will expire.

British Airways says your Avios will not expire as long as you collect, spend, buy or share at least one Avios every 36 months. Simply logging in is not enough. Check your activity history and the current Avios expiry rules. Other programmes have different expiry policies.

Understand membership levels

The British Airways Club has four main membership levels: Blue, Bronze, Silver and Gold. Tier points determine your status, while Avios are used for rewards. Benefits vary by tier and can include priority boarding, seating benefits and eligible lounge access.

Check the current tier-point rules and membership benefits before planning spending or flights around a particular status. Collecting more Avios does not automatically move you to a higher membership tier.

Do not pay more just to collect miles

Loyalty can be useful, but paying a substantially higher fare just to collect points may cancel out their value. Compare suitable cash fares through FlightsFinder before choosing whether to pay cash, redeem Avios or use a combination.

FlightsFinder compares cash flight prices; check reward-seat availability and Avios bookings directly with British Airways or the relevant loyalty programme.

Advice from our Founder

“Collect miles on spending you would make anyway, then compare the reward’s cash contribution with a suitable cash fare. The best saving comes from the whole booking, not simply the number of points you use.”

Shahab Siddiqui

CEO and Founder, FlightsFinder.com

Conclusion

Joining a frequent flyer program is simple, free and easy for many airline programmes. It can be particularly useful if you are fond of using and sticking to a particular brand of Airline. We recommend checking the programme that best matches your travel. Be sure to keep up to date with special promotions and partnerships and to take full advantage of this form of acquiring potentially discounted flights.

Remember to check reward availability, any cash charges and the price of a comparable cash ticket before redeeming your miles.

Frequently asked questions

Programme information checked against the linked British Airways pages on 15 October 2026. Partner offers, earning rates and reward prices can change; check the current terms before booking or spending.