British Airways Executive Club : Ultimate Guide

To the point Discover British Airways Executive Club, a loyalty program easily accessible in Canada. Save big on your travels by collecting and using Avios with our comprehensive guide.

Collect Avios miles Open an account Travels with oneworld With car rentals With hotel stays With Airbnb With credit cards welcome bonuses With purchases made on credit cards With hotel points conversion

Using Avios miles Plane tickets For car rentals For hotels

Manage your Avios miles The value of miles Miles expiration Claiming missing miles The family and friends account Transfer Avios miles Status

Credit cards Bottom Line Frequently asked questions

British Airways Executive Club - Collect Avios miles

Open an account

Opening a British Airways Executive Club account couldn’t be simpler: in all cases, go to the British Airways website and follow the instructions.

Membership of the British Airways Executive Club earns you Avios.

Travels with oneworld

British Airways Executive Club is the British Airways frequent flyer programme.

Avioscan be earned on board :

From British Airways;
From one of the 13 member airlines of the oneworld alliance.

With British Airways

Since October 18, 2023, Avios miles are accumulated according to the amount of money spent on the ticket and extras. Eligible expenses include :

Ticket price
Fees added by the company
Cabin upgrades
Pre-booked and paid seats
Additional baggage allowance.

The total amount of eligible expenses is determined in British pound (GBP or £). The total is then multiplied according to your Executive Club status.

Please note: Government taxes and airport fees are not eligible expenses.

For tickets purchased before October 19, 2023, the accumulation of Avios miles follows the old method and depends on :

The booking class of your ticket
Flight distance covered
Your Executive Club status

You’ll earn between 25% and 300% of the distance traveled in Avios, with a minimum number of miles for each fare category.

In addition, members with Executive Club status receive a bonus based on distance travelled:

Blue: 25%
Silver: 50% discount
Gold : 100%

To find out how many Avios miles you will earn with your flight, go to this page provided by British Airways Executive Club.

Avios-BritishAirwaysExecutiveClub-2400×1260-

With partner companies

Avios can also be earned for flights on any of the 13 Oneworld airlines.

Mileage calculation varies with partner airlines, either according to flight distance or the total amount spent. Details can be found on this page. Here is an example of the accumulation on Qatar Airways :

With car rentals

British Airways Executive Club partners with car rental agencies including :

Avis (5 Avios per £1 spent)
Budget (2 Avios per £1 spent)

This makes it easy to accumulate Avios on each rental.

With hotel stays

British Airways Executive Club partners with a number of hotel groups and online booking sites, including :

This makes it easy to earn Avios on every hotel stay .

With Airbnb

British Airways Executive Club is partnered with Airbnb, earning Avios on every rental:

3 Avios per US dollar (USD) for stay bookings
3 Avios per US dollar (USD) for Airbnb Experiences bookings

Best Tips for Finding Your Airbnb Rental

With credit cards welcome bonuses

British Airways Executive Club is partnered with two institutions in Canada that offer credit cards enabling Avios to be earned directly or indirectly:

Each of these cards will:

offer a welcome bonus
offer Avios for every purchase

It’s a great way to rack up lots of Avios fast!

American Express

American Express offersseven Membership Rewards cards. These reward points can be transferred 1:1 to the British Airways Executive Club program.

Our choice is the American Express Cobalt^MD Card.

The American Express Cobalt® Card is the best credit card from American Express, whether you want points for travel or cash back.

The welcome bonus is distributed monthly for the first 12 months. You’ll earn 1,250 Membership Rewards points for every $750 in purchases charged to your card during the month (whether in the 1X, 2X, 3X or 5X category). That’s up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points.

You can easily use these points as statement credits for everyday or travel purchases. The value is the same for both: 1,000 points = $10.

Or you can transfer them into Aeroplan points, Avios (British Airways/Qatar Airways), Flying Blue, Marriott Bonvoy or Hilton Honors.

With the American Express Cobalt® Card, you can earn between 1 and 5 points per dollar:

Category	Points per dollar
Grocery stores (Metro, IGA, Sobeys, Super C, etc.)	5
Food delivery	5
Restaurants and bars	5
Convenience stores	5
Streaming subscriptions	3
Gas station	2
Transportation	2
Travel	2
Other	1

This is a 1 to 5% return on all these purchases.

For example, if you spend $1,000 per month on groceries and/or restaurants and/or food delivery, you’ll earn $50 cash back per month, or $600 cash back per year with this card for this category of purchases!

And if you decide to transfer your points to other programs like Aeroplan, you could get even more value!

In addition, this card provides excellent insurance coverage: rental car theft and damage, baggage delay, lost or stolen baggage, flight delay, $250,000 travel accident, hotel or motel burglary, Mobile Device Insurance, Purchase Security, Purchase Protection Insurance.

Like all American Express Canada Cards, there is no minimum income requirement.

About once a year, American Express Membership Rewards offers a bonus for converting Membership Rewards points into Avios. It’s a great time to convert points! (Please note: this promotion has not taken place since 2019).

RBC

RBC offers a credit card directly affiliated with the program: the RBC British Airways Visa Infinite card.

In its RBC Avion Rewards program, RBC Bank offers several credit cards offering travel points transferable into Avios at a rate of 1:1 :

The RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card regularly offers promotions to earn between 35,000 and 55,000 RBC Avion points.

Two or three times a year, RBC Rewards offers a bonus conversion of RBC Avion points into Avios. It’s a great time to convert points!

With purchases made on credit cards

To accumulate Avios more quickly, it’s best to use one of the credit cards (see choices above) as often as possible!

The rate of accumulation will often depend on the issuer and type of card:

1 Avios per dollar for most cards, such as the RBC British Airways Visa Infinite Card or the American Express^MD Gold Rewards Card.
2 Avios per dollar with the American Express^MD Gold Rewards Card for purchases at grocery stores, gas stations, pharmacies or travel.
2 Avios per dollar with the RBC British Airways Visa Infinite card for restaurant, grocery and food delivery purchases
3 Avios per dollar for British Airways tickets or vacation packages purchased with the British Airways RBC Visa Infinite Card.
5 Avios per dollar for purchases in grocery stores, restaurants, bars, convenience stores or home food delivery with the American Express Cobalt^MD Card.

With hotel points conversion

Most hotel loyalty programs allow you to convert your points into Avios miles.

It’s a sneaky way to get Avios! Especially since conversion bonuses are offered at certain times of the year.

For example, you can convert Marriott Bonvoy points into Avios.

By maximizing both programs, and converting during a promotional period (such as the one offering 30% extra miles), it is possible to do the following, for example:

60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points = 25,000 Avios miles
+ 30% bonus = 32,500 Avios miles

If you have the :

But if you’d like to earn Avios instead of using your points for free nights, this is the solution for you!

British Airways Executive Club - Using Avios miles

Let’s discover all the ways in which miles can be used to :

Airline tickets
Car rentals
Hotel nights

Plane tickets

Avios are best used for booking airline tickets. These are called “Reward” or “Award” flights. But you still need to know the tips and tricks for using Avios correctly.

The fare structure for flights on British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia and Vueling

British Airways Executive Club rates are based on :

the distance to be covered (divided into 9 zones)
season (high/low season)

Here is the price list for flights on :

British Airways
Aer Lingus
Iberia
Vueling

Economy Class

For economy class flights, it will cost:

Zone	Distance in miles	Off peak	High season
1	1-650	4 750	5 250
2	651-1 151	7 250	8 250
3	1 152-2 000	10 000	12 500
4	2 001-3 000	10 000	12 500
5	3 001-4 000	13 000	20 000
6	4 001-5 500	16 250	25 000
7	5 501-6 500	19 500	30 000
8	6 501-7 000	22 750	35 000
9	7 001+	32 500	50 000

Premium Economy Class

For flights in Premium Economy class, it will cost:

Zone	Distance in miles	Off peak	High season
1	1-650	–	–
2	651-1 151	–	–
3	1 152-2 000	–	–
4	2 001-3 000	20 000	25 000
5	3 001-4 000	26 000	40 000
6	4 001-5 500	32 500	50 000
7	5 501-6 500	39 000	60 000
8	6 501-7 000	45 500	70 000
9	7 001+	65 000	100 000

Business Class

For business class flights, it will cost:

Zone	Distance in miles	Off peak	High season
1	1-650	8 500	9 750
2	651-1 151	13 000	15 750
3	1 152-2 000	17 750	20 750
4	2 001-3 000	31 250	37 500
5	3 001-4 000	50 000	60 000
6	4 001-5 500	62 500	75 000
7	5 501-6 500	75 000	90 000
8	6 501-7 000	87 500	105 000
9	7 001+	125 000	150 000

First Class

For flights in First Class, it will cost:

Zone	Distance in miles	Off peak	High season
1	1-650	–	–
2	651-1 151	–	–
3	1 152-2 000	–	–
4	2 001-3 000	42 500	50 000
5	3 001-4 000	68 000	80 000
6	4 001-5 500	85 000	100 000
7	5 501-6 500	102 000	120 000
8	6 501-7 000	119 000	140 000
9	7 001+	170 000	200 000

Fares for flights with Oneworld partners

British Airways Executive Club has a different fare structure based solely on distance (divided into 9 zones).

This price list applies only to trips made with other Oneworld members.

Zone	Distance in miles	Economy	Pr. Eco	Business	First
1*	1-650	6 000	9 000	12 500	24 000
2	651-1 151	9 000	12 500	16 500	33 000
3	1 152-2 000	11 000	16 500	22 000	44 000
4	2 001-3 000	13 000	25 750	38 750	51 500
5	3 001-4 000	20 750	41 250	62 000	82 500
6	4 001-5 500	25 750	51 500	77 250	103 000
7	5 501-6 500	31 000	62 000	92 750	123 750
8	6 501-7 000	36 250	72 250	108 250	144 250
9	7 001+	51 500	103 000	154 500	206 000

* For Zone 1 flights in North America, fares start at 7,500 Avios miles one-way (economy) and 15,000 Avios miles one-way (business/first class).

One rate per segment

British Airways Executive Club allows you to book one-way tickets. However, if your itinerary includes several segments, it will cost you more in Avios.

It is therefore more interesting to find a direct flight (like Montreal – Miami) than a connecting flight (like Montreal – Philadelphia – Miami).

Travelling with children

The British Airways Executive Club program is particularly interesting for families!

There are”baby reward flights” (children aged under 2 AND traveling on an adult’s lap).

The required fee will be 10% of the cost in miles of the adult rate (+ taxes). A one-way ticket costs 7,500 Avios for an adult, but only 750 Avios for a child under 2!

Modifying and canceling a reward flight

British Airways Executive Club allows you to change or cancel a reward flight up to 24 hours before departure.

The fee will be CA$58 (no fee if you are a Gold member). Miles and taxes will be refunded in full.

If the cancellation is made within 24 hours of booking, there will be no charge! Handy if you find an itinerary that suits you better. However, you must call British Airways Executive Club at 1 (800) 247-9297

The reward flights availability

Awards will be displayed on British Airways Executive Club from 355 days before flight departure.

However, for some airlines, tickets will not be posted until 300 days before flight departure.

The sooner you do it, the more likely you are to get the reward flight you want. However, carriers regularly “release” seats based on their inventory. It is therefore not uncommon for a flight to be unavailable 300 days before departure, and to appear available 100 days before.

Carrier surcharges

On British Airways Executive Club, when you book an reward flight, a fee is added to the amount in miles.

This fee includes :

airport taxes
a possible “surcharge” from the carrier

The carrier surcharge was introduced by some airlines such as British Airways or Qatar Airways when the price of oil reached record highs.

Since then, this surcharge has not been removed, and is a way for airlines to make money.

Also, there is an unavoidable departure tax in the UK, so we’ll be looking to avoid leaving the UK.

However, if you look carefully for your awards, you can avoid carrier surcharges: some airlines don’t charge any surcharges at all!

Airlines without surcharge

To avoid carrier surcharges, you need to know which airlines do not charge them on award tickets.

The following airlines DO NOT charge surcharges:

Aer Lingus
American Airlines (excluding transcontinental flights)
Alaska Airlines
Cathay Pacific
Iberia (to Spain only)
Qantas (excluding transcontinental flights)
Japan Airlines (excluding transcontinental flights)

This means that you can travel anywhere in the world without having to pay surcharges, and in particular anywhere in the USA on the American Airlines network. To find out more about these airlines, read this article.

Short-haul flights: the best deal

An excellent use for Avios: to book short-haul airfares. These are “local” destinations.

In North America, certain flights operated by American Airlines will cost 7,500 miles one way, or 15,000 miles round trip. Like Montreal – New York for example.

However, this is particularly useful in countries such as Japan. Here is an example of an award ticket between Tokyo and Osaka:

There are no taxes or fees for air awards in Japan with Japan Airlines.

Award ticket search tools

There are several free and paid tools to find reward tickets on British Airways Executive Club.

While Expertflyer is aimed at advanced users, Seats.aero is easier to use and offers a free version.

For car rentals

Avios can be used to rent a car.

Here’s an example of a one-week car rental in Miami.

In some cases, this can be an excellent solution for using Avios! Always compare with specialized sites like Holiday Autos.

But beware of your credit card’s collision damage insurance. You’ll need a credit card affiliated with the Avios program (like the RBC British Airways Visa Infinite Card) or a card that covers you even if you’ve only paid taxes, like the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard^®*.

For hotels

Avios can also be used to book hotel nights. However, point valuation is far from optimal.

British Airways Executive Club - Manage your Avios miles

The value of miles

The value of an Avios depends on how you use it. However, it is generally agreed that1 Avios = 1.7¢.

You could get much more value from short-haul air awards in Asia, or flights in premium cabins (Business/First class).

Miles expiration

Avios do not have an expiration date based on their accumulation date.

This means that all Avios will remain in your account as long as you generate activity every 36 months.

Claiming missing miles

Have you travelled on British Airways or a Oneworld airline without giving your membership number?

Or have you forgotten to use your British Airways Executive Club membership number with a partner?

It is possible to make a claim for missing miles up to 6 months after the transaction. To do this, you will need to fill in the claim form on the Missing miles request page.

The family and friends account

This is a major advantage of the British Airways Executive Club program.

There are three components to know about your British Airways Executive Club Account:

My family account (7 people)
My family and friends (5 people)
My travel companions

Family accounts can be opened for :

people with an individual British Airways Executive Club account
residing at the same address

And it’s a way for kids under 18 to earn Avios on their travels!

Once the accounts have been combined, Avios can be accumulated and used together!

To learn more about the Family and Friends account, read this article.

Transfer Avios miles

It is possible – but very expensive – to transfer miles from one British Airways Executive Club member to another. We do not recommend this option (prefer the Family and Friends account option).

Status

British Airways Executive Club has four levels of status:

Blue
Bronze
Silver
Gold

Status points

To obtain one of these statuses, you need to accumulate status points (which are different from Avios).

The only way to earn status points is by flying with British Airways or itsoneworld alliance partners.

The amount of status points earned will depend on the type and fare class of the ticket.

On this page, British Airways Executive Club lets you calculate how many Avios miles and Status points you’ll earn on your flights.

Here’s an example of a one-way ticket between Montreal and London as a Blue member.

At the lowest economy fare (Q, O, G), you’ll earn 813 Avios and 20 Status points.

Status qualification year

Unlike other frequent flyer programs that are based on the calendar year, British Airways Executive Club takes into account the date of joining the program. The amount of status points earned in the 12 months from that date determines your status for the remaining period and the following year.

Status advantages with British Airways

Blue

At this level, there are no particular advantages other than the ability to accumulate and use Avios and Status points.

Bronze

Here are the advantages of Bronze status:

25% Avios bonus on British Airways, Iberia and American Airlines flights
Free choice of seat 7 days before departure
Priority check-in and boarding

Silver

Here are the additional benefits of Silver status:

50% Avios bonus on British Airways, Iberia and American Airlines flights
Free choice of seat upon booking
Access to Business Class lounges
Additional baggage allowance

Gold

Here are the additional benefits of Gold status:

100% Avios bonus on British Airways, Iberia and American Airlines flights
Access to First Class check-in desks
Access to First Class lounges
Free seat selection including emergency exit seats
More choice for reward tickets

Status advantages with Oneworld

Obtaining British Airways Executive Club status means having an equivalent on the Oneworld side.

Bronze = Oneworld Ruby

Here are the advantages of Oneworld Ruby status:

Access to Business Class check-in desks
Access to more comfortable seats (depending on the airline)
Priority in waiting lists

Silver = Oneworld Sapphire

Here are the additional benefits of Oneworld Sapphire status:

Access to Business Class lounges
Priority Online Check-In
Priority luggage delivery
Additional baggage allowance

Gold = Oneworld Emerald

Here are the additional benefits of Oneworld Emerald status:

Access to First Class lounges
Access to First Class check-in desks
Access to priority security lines
More seating options (including emergency exit seating)

British Airways Executive Club - Credit cards

Many credit cards in Canada allow you to earn Avios directly or indirectly. See our best cards on this page.

Bottom Line

The British Airways Executive Club is a major frequent flyer program in the world. In Canada, as you saw above, it’s very easy to earn Avios thanks to credit card partners American Express and RBC.

This program will appeal to :

those who want in travel to North America with American Airlines
those who want to travel to Asia (with Cathay Pacific or Japan Airlines) and within Australia (with Qantas)
those wishing to travel within Europe (with British Airways or Iberia)

There are many great uses (sweetspots) in this program. To further your knowledge of the program, here are several articles we recommend:

British Airways Executive Club - Frequently asked questions

How do I log in to the British Airways Executive Club?

The login page can be found here.

How much does it cost to join the British Airways Executive Club?

Membership of the British Airways Executive Club frequent flyer program is free of charge.

How much are Avios miles worth?

The value of Avios miles is subjective and varies according to several factors. In 2023, Milesopedia estimates an average of 1 Avios mile = 1.7¢. So 50,000 Avios miles are worth around $850.

Do Avios miles expire?

Avios miles expire when there is no activity in the account for 36 consecutive months.

This article was not sponsored. The views and opinions expressed in this review are purely my own.

Come to discuss that topic in our Facebook Group!

Series : Avios