Cheapest Ways to Buy Avios Points

Avios points are a crucial component of the British Airways loyalty program, allowing members to redeem flights and other rewards. However, purchasing Avios points can be a costly endeavor, especially when done through the official British Airways website.

## Do You Really Need to Buy Avios at All?

Before exploring the cheapest ways to buy Avios points, it's essential to consider whether you really need to purchase them. British Airways often offers multiple redemption options for flights, including cash and Avios combinations. By using the "1p formula" to determine the best value option, you may find that you don't need to buy as many Avios as you thought.

Additionally, signing up for airline credit cards can provide a significant number of free Avios points, making it a more cost-effective option than buying them.

## What Are the Options for Buying Avios?

If you do need to purchase Avios points, there are several options to consider:

### 1. Avios Balance Boost

Avios Balance Boost is the cheapest way to buy Avios points for most people. You can purchase a lump sum of Avios equivalent to 100%, 200%, or 300% of the Avios you've earned in the last 30 days. The price list for Avios Balance Boost is as follows:

| Avios Amount | Price per Avios | | --- | --- | | 100% of last 30 days' earnings | 0.92p | | 200% of last 30 days' earnings | 0.94p | | 300% of last 30 days' earnings | 0.96p |

### 2. Avios Subscription

Avios Subscription is another option for purchasing Avios points. You can pay as little as 0.99p per Avios by selecting the Adventurer plan with a 1-year commitment. There are four different plans to choose from, each with varying monthly and annual payment options.

| Plan | Monthly Avios | Annual Avios | | --- | --- | --- | | Voyager | 1,667 | 20,000 | | Traveller | 4,167 | 50,000 | | Explorer | 8,334 | 100,000 | | Adventurer | 16,667 | 200,000 |

### 3. Buying Avios via ba.com

The official link for buying Avios directly from British Airways is here. The standard price is a shocking £49 for 2,000 through to £3,539 for the maximum 200,000.

### 4. Buying Avios via Iberia Club or Aer Lingus AerClub

You can also buy Avios from Iberia Club or Aer Lingus AerClub and transfer them to your British Airways Club account.

### 5. Buying Avios via Finnair Plus or Qatar Airways Privilege Club

Both Finnair and Qatar Airways use Avios for their frequent flyer schemes. You can buy Avios from their websites and link them to your British Airways Club account.

### 6. Buying Hotel Points in a Promotion and Transferring Them

Many hotel schemes let you buy points and convert them to Avios. However, at full price, neither World of Hyatt, Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy, nor IHG One Rewards points are cheap enough to be worth considering. There are often regular bonuses for buying hotel points, which can improve the maths. To save you the trouble of doing the sums, only Marriott Bonvoy points are likely to prove attractive.

Marriott Bonvoy points convert to Avios at 3:1 with a 5,000 Avios bonus for converting 60,000 Bonvoy points. At present, with a 50% bonus running, you can buy 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points for $500 (£370). These convert to 25,000 Avios so you're paying 1.48p.

## Conclusion

We generally do not recommend buying Avios speculatively unless an exceptionally good promotion is running. Before buying, you should also take a look at our "Top Airline Credit Card Offers" page to see what sign-up offers are currently available. If you're not in a rush, getting 25,000 Avios for free via a credit card sign-up bonus makes more sense than buying them £300+. If you do need to buy, Avios Balance Boost is likely to be your cheapest option unless a special "buy Avios" offer is running via Finnair Plus or Qatar Airways Privilege Club.