Best Credit Cards for Avios Points (U.S.)

Avios aren’t just for British Airways anymore. Today, British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Qatar Airways, Finnair, and Vueling all use Avios—plus you can redeem across oneworld partners like American, JAL, and Qantas. That makes Avios one of the most flexible airline currencies for everything from short hops to long-haul business class.

In this guide, we’ll show you the best credit cards for Avios available in the U.S. We’ll cover which are the best credit cards for Avios if you want airline perks and companion deals, and the best credit cards for Avios points if you prefer flexible bank programs you can later transfer 1:1.

Which Airlines Use Avios?

Avios is currently used by companies such as British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Qatar Airways, Finnair, and Vueling. You can also redeem Avios with oneworld partners such as American, JAL, and Qantas. This makes Avios one of the most flexible airline currencies.

This means, for example, you could earn Avios via British Airways and later move them to your Iberia or Qatar account (and vice versa) to take advantage of a particular redemption or partner airline award. Avios are part of the oneworld alliance ecosystem as well, so you can use them not only on the issuing airline’s flights but also on partners like American Airlines, Japan Airlines, Qantas, and others.

As of late 2025, Avios are valued around 1.4 cents each by The Points Guy’s estimates, reflecting their strong utility in award travel. Given their versatility and the number of airlines using them, Avios have become a favorite points currency for many travelers worldwide .

Why Use Credit Cards to Earn Avios?

Earning Avios solely from flying can be slow. Credit cards provide a fast track to build up a large Avios balance without having to take dozens of flights. By using the right credit cards, you can earn Avios on everyday spending and through big welcome bonuses. In fact, several co-branded credit cards are available in the U.S. that earn Avios directly (tied to airlines like British Airways, Iberia, etc.), and every major credit card points program has at least one Avios partner to which you can transfer points at a 1:1 ratio. This means even general travel credit cards can help you collect Avios.

In the U.S., there are two main ways to earn Avios via credit cards:

• Airline Co-Branded Avios Cards: These are credit cards issued in partnership with specific airlines that use Avios (e.g., British Airways) and award Avios directly for your spending. They often come with large Avios sign-up bonuses and airline-specific perks like flight discounts or companion tickets. We’ll detail these in the next section.
• Flexible Rewards Cards (Transferable Points): These are cards that earn bank rewards (like Chase Ultimate Rewards or Amex Membership Rewards), which can be converted into Avios. They typically earn points on a variety of spending categories (dining, travel, etc.) and give you the flexibility to transfer to multiple airlines’ programs, including Avios programs. We’ll cover these in a later section.

Using credit cards strategically can be especially rewarding for Avios enthusiasts. For example, you might get a co-branded card for its Avios bonus and perks, and also use a flexible points card for everyday spending to later top up your Avios via point transfers. In the sections below, we’ll explore the best options in each category for U.S. travelers looking to maximize Avios.

Co-Branded Avios Airline Credit Cards (U.S.)

The quickest way to earn Avios via credit cards is often through co-branded airline cards. In the U.S. market, Chase offers three primary Avios-earning airline cards (for British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus), each with a similar structure, plus there are newer options from Qatar Airways. These cards earn Avios on your purchases and come with Avios welcome bonuses and unique perks tied to their respective airline.

Below, we break down the features of each:

Extra Qatar cardholder perk (time-limited): If you book from the U.S. with promo code QRPCFLIGHT and pay with a Qatar Privilege Club Credit Card by September 30, 2025, you can get up to 12% off select Qatar Airways fares (terms apply).

All the Chase Avios cards (BA, Iberia, Aer Lingus) have similar earning structures and the same $95 fee, so choosing one may come down to which airline’s perks you value most. Keep in mind you can only hold one of these Chase-issued Avios cards at a time per Chase’s rules (and you generally can’t get a new card’s bonus if you’ve had that specific card or its bonus recently). But since Avios are transferable between programs, it’s feasible to, say, earn Avios with a British Airways card but move them into an Iberia account for a specific redemption, or vice versa.

Pick the card that aligns with your travel patterns (e.g., if you fly BA often, the companion ticket from the BA Visa might be most useful; if you fly Iberia to Spain, the 10% discount and $1k voucher on the Iberia Visa could save you more money).

Flexible Rewards Cards That Transfer to Avios

Beyond co-branded airline cards, many travelers (especially points enthusiasts) prefer using flexible rewards credit cards to earn points that can later be converted into Avios. The major U.S. credit card rewards programs all have Avios transfer partners, which means you can earn points in those programs and then transfer (convert) them 1:1 into Avios when you’re ready to redeem for a flight.

This approach gives you a lot of versatility: you’re not locked into one airline’s points and can accumulate rewards from everyday spending in very lucrative categories.

Here are the key flexible point programs and cards for Avios:

Marriott Bonvoy points can convert to Avios too (Marriott partners with over 40 airlines, including BA, Iberia, and Aer Lingus), generally at a 3:1 ratio (with a 5,000 Avios bonus for every 60,000 Marriott points transferred). So if you hold a Marriott credit card and accrue hotel points, you could top off your Avios that way.

However, the value proposition is usually lower, so we recommend relying on the above methods first. Similarly, programs like Wells Fargo Rewards and Diners Club have Avios transfer options, but these are less common. The big four (Chase, Amex, Capital One, Citi) plus Bilt cover the vast majority of use cases for U.S. consumers.

Co-Branded vs. Flexible Points: Which Strategy is Best?

Now that we’ve outlined the options, you might wonder whether to get a co-branded Avios card or a flexible points card (or both). The answer depends on your travel goals, spending habits, and how deep you want to dive into the points strategy.

Here’s a comparison to help you decide:

1. Advantages of Co-Branded Avios Cards

If you are a loyal flyer of a particular Avios airline (say, you mostly fly British Airways or Iberia), the co-branded card for that airline can be very rewarding. You’ll get perks that a general card won’t offer — for example, the BA Visa’s companion ticket or the Iberia Visa’s $1,000 discount can easily save you hundreds or even thousands on a trip if used properly.

These cards also earn bonuses specifically on those airlines’ flights (3x Avios on airfare with BA/IB/AE), so if you frequently purchase tickets on these carriers, you’re earning maximized Avios on those purchases.

The welcome bonuses on co-branded cards are often large and immediately boost your Avios balance enough for one or more reward flights.

Co-branded cards may also confer small conveniences when flying that airline, like priority boarding (Aer Lingus card)  or a discount on onboard food (some airline cards offer this).

2. Advantages of Flexible Points Cards

The saying “flexibility is king” often holds true in points collecting. Flexible rewards cards (like Chase Sapphire, Amex Gold, etc.) give you the freedom to use your points for any number of airlines or hotels, not just Avios. Today, you might be into Avios, but next year you might need Flying Blue miles or Virgin Atlantic miles – with bank points, you have the option to choose. Even within Avios, a flexible card allows you to target whichever program has the best award availability or rates for your trip: e.g., you could transfer to Iberia Avios for a particular Iberia award that is cheaper, or to British Airways Avios for an American Airlines domestic flight, etc.

Flexible cards also tend to have broader bonus categories (like dining, groceries, travel spend, etc.), helping you earn points faster on everyday life – whereas the airline cards mostly give bonus Avios on airline purchases only.

Another big plus: as mentioned, banks often run transfer bonus promotions. If you hold points in a flexible program, you can wait for those promos and then convert to Avios with a bonus (netting more Avios than you otherwise would).

Flexible cards often come with other travel benefits (travel insurance, lounge access in some cases, etc.), which co-branded airline cards might not include (except the premium Qatar card).

3. Why Not Both?

Many seasoned points collectors actually carry both types: for example, they’ll get a co-branded Avios card for the big sign-up bonus and any unique perks (perhaps keep it long-term if the value exceeds the fee), and also use a card like the Sapphire Preferred or Amex Gold for most daily spending to earn flexible points. This way, they get the best of both worlds – a trove of Avios from the bonus/perks and a reserve of flexible points that can be turned into Avios (or something else) as needed.

For beginners, an easy entry might be a flexible points card that you can later transfer to Avios, since it’s more forgiving and versatile (you can’t really go wrong earning Chase or Amex points). For more experienced Avios users or loyalists, a co-branded card can unlock exclusive value (like companion tickets or elite status benefits) that you wouldn’t get otherwise. And if maximizing Avios is the goal, consider leveraging both: grab that 85k Avios bonus on a Chase Avios card and use a strong everyday card to keep a steady flow of points coming that can supplement your Avios whenever you’re ready to book the next adventure.

Final Thoughts

The right credit cards play a pivotal role in building your Avios balance quickly. U.S. travelers have access to a variety of Avios-earning cards, from the straightforward Chase Avios trio (British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus) to flexible cards from Chase, Amex, Capital One, Citi, and others that all funnel into Avios. When choosing the best card for Avios, consider your personal travel patterns: do you favor a specific Avios airline, or do you want flexibility across many airlines? Also, consider how you’ll use the perks – a companion ticket or flight discount can be incredibly valuable if you’ll use it, but useless if you won’t.

For most enthusiasts, earning Avios is best achieved via a combination of strategies. Take advantage of a big sign-up bonus (or two) to jump-start your Avios bank, then leverage everyday spending on a high-earning rewards card to keep the Avios rolling in. And don’t forget to watch for transfer bonuses or special offers that can amplify your earnings even more.

With a bit of planning, you’ll be racking up Avios on your credit card purchases and redeeming them for memorable trips.

Happy earning, and see you in the skies on your Avios-funded adventures!