One of the best Avios-earning bank cards: Which one is for you?

Avios are shortly changing into one of the standard loyalty currencies in Europe — and worldwide.

Whereas British Airways Membership, Iberia Membership and Aer Lingus AerClub have lengthy used Avios as their loyalty foreign money, Loganair Loyalty and Finnair Plus are the newest additions. Qatar Airways Privilege Membership and Vueling Membership are additionally a part of the Avios program.

What is exclusive and worthwhile about Avios is that you would be able to switch your Avios between these applications in any course at a 1:1 price as usually as you need.

A number of cobranded bank cards can be found from airways that use Avios, and each main bank card program has not less than one Avios program as a switch accomplice at a 1:1 ratio.

So, with Avios really easy to earn, transfer round and redeem, what are one of the best playing cards for Avios redemptions?

Whereas there is not a single finest card that wins in each class, relying in your priorities, listed below are one of the best choices.

You wish to earn a big welcome bonus

There are many nice welcome bonuses out there proper now on lots of our favourite playing cards. This contains the three Chase-issued Avios playing cards:

The data for the Aer Lingus Visa Signature and Iberia Visa Signature playing cards has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or supplied by the cardboard issuer.

With TPG’s September 2025 valuations of Avios at 1.4 cents every, these welcome bonuses are value $1,190 every. That is sufficient for a first-class flight to London (plus charges, taxes and carrier-imposed surcharges).

Simply remember that you will not be capable to earn a welcome bonus on one in all these playing cards when you presently maintain it or have earned a bonus on it prior to now 24 months.

Associated: Greatest Avios candy spots: Find out how to redeem for home and worldwide award flights

You spend loads on flights

In case you earn and redeem Avios, you are more likely to make some purchases immediately with airways, whether or not it is paying for the charges, taxes and surcharges related along with your redemption or boosting your Avios steadiness by buying money fares.

In case you primarily fly on Aer Lingus, British Airways or Iberia, including one in all these cobranded airline playing cards to your pockets is smart. In case you’re not loyal to at least one airline, although, think about the next choices on your airline spending:

Associated: British Airways Visa Signature bank card overview: Earn versatile Avios — vital for frequent BA flyers

You wish to maximize switch bonuses

Sometimes, bank card issuers supply switch bonuses for choose airline and resort accomplice applications. There isn’t a certainty as to when these bonuses will happen, and the variety of factors and miles you may obtain from the bonus can differ from as little as 10% to over 40%.

American Categorical usually comes out on prime so far as the frequency of switch bonuses is worried. With that in thoughts, these are one of the best Amex card affords presently out there:

• The Platinum Card from American Categorical: Discover out your supply and see in case you are eligible for as excessive as 175,000 bonus factors after spending $8,000 on purchases throughout the first six months of card membership. Welcome affords differ and also you might not be eligible for a proposal.
• American Categorical® Gold Card: Discover out your supply and see in case you are eligible for as excessive as 100,000 bonus factors after spending $6,000 on purchases throughout the first six months of card membership. Welcome affords differ and also you might not be eligible for a proposal.
• The Enterprise Platinum Card from American Categorical: Earn 150,000 bonus factors after spending $20,000 on purchases throughout the first three months of card membership.
• American Categorical® Enterprise Gold Card: Earn 100,000 bonus factors after spending $15,000 on purchases within the first three months of card membership.

You wish to get pleasure from elite status-like perks

Incomes elite standing in an airline loyalty program normally requires important spending immediately with the airline and/or on a cobranded bank card. Fortuitously, when you want to benefit from the perks of elite standing, you are able to do so with the best Avios bank card.

The Qatar Airways Privilege Membership Visa Infinite Credit score Card has a welcome supply of as much as 50,000 Avios — 25,000 Avios after the primary transaction and an extra 25,000 Avios and 150 Qpoints after spending $5,000 within the first three months of account opening. The cardboard comes with a $499 annual price.

The data for the Qatar Airways Privilege Membership Visa Infinite Card has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or supplied by the cardboard issuer.

Whereas this welcome bonus is decrease than the Chase Avios-earning playing cards, it additionally affords one 12 months of complimentary Qatar Airways Privilege Membership Gold standing (equal to Oneworld Sapphire), which incorporates advantages like precedence boarding, most popular seating, lounge entry and a 75% bonus on incomes Avios with eligible flights.

You too can obtain worldwide lounge entry by way of the best bank card.

The Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card affords limitless complimentary entry for you and two visitors to 1,300-plus lounges, together with Capital One Lounges and Precedence Cross lounges (enrollment required).

Lounge entry modifications are coming to Enterprise X cardholders beginning Feb. 1, 2026. After this date, Enterprise X cardholders will not be capable to deliver complimentary visitors with them to Precedence Cross and Capital One lounges (except they spend $75,000 in a 12 months for the latter).

Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see charges and costs) cardholders get entry to Chase Sapphire Lounges in addition to entry to Precedence Cross lounges.

Lastly, eligible Amex Platinum cardmembers can entry the American Categorical World Lounge Assortment, together with Centurion, Delta Sky Golf equipment*, Escape, Plaza Premium lounges, Precedence Cross™ and choose Lufthansa lounges. Enrollment could also be required.

*When touring on same-day Delta flights, eligible Platinum Card members will obtain 10 visits per eligible Platinum Card per 12 months to the Delta Sky Membership or to Seize and Go when touring on a same-day Delta-operated flight.

You wish to get monetary savings on airfares and redemptions

Whereas every of the three Chase Avios-earning playing cards affords a companion voucher or low cost for spending $30,000 yearly on the cardboard, the British Airways Visa Signature Card affords additional advantages when reserving money and Avios redemptions.

Every year, along with incomes a companion voucher, you may:

• Get 10% off British Airways-operated income flights departing the U.S. to London and past, together with charges, taxes and carrier-imposed surcharges (excluding extra baggage or seat choice charges) whenever you ebook by way of the web site supplied in your welcome supplies.
• Get a $100 assertion credit score ($200 for business- and first-class seats) as much as thrice a 12 months whenever you ebook a reward flight to London on British Airways and pay your taxes and costs along with your card (as much as $600 yearly).
• Use Avios to pay for taxes, charges and provider expenses whenever you redeem a British Airways ticket, although that is not normally an excellent deal.

You spend in non-travel classes

Whereas Avios fans could also be directing loads of bank card spending to airfare, when you spend some huge cash on different classes like eating, groceries and different journey, you may earn a lot of rewards with elevated incomes charges in these classes with the next playing cards:

• The American Categorical Gold Card earns 4 factors per greenback spent at eating places worldwide (on as much as $50,000 per calendar 12 months, then 1 level per greenback) and 4 factors per greenback spent on groceries at U.S. supermarkets (on as much as $25,000 per calendar 12 months, then 1 level per greenback).
• The Citi Strata Premier® Card (see charges and costs) earns 3 factors per greenback spent at electrical car charging and gasoline stations, eating places and supermarkets.

You fly to Europe usually

The British Airways Visa Signature Card has quite a few reductions and assertion credit when flying with British Airways for each money fares and Avios redemptions.

With BA’s infamous carrier-imposed surcharges, you could possibly save loads of cash on money fares and Avios redemptions whenever you ebook a number of seats or flights every year.

Associated: Fast Factors: Here is why you should not finish your European journey within the UK

You wish to journey in premium cabins with your loved ones

You may wish to earn a lot of Avios shortly to redeem for luxurious merchandise like British Airways’ top notch or Qatar Airways’ award-winning Qsuite enterprise class. In that case, you may need a card with a excessive welcome bonus and beneficiant class bonuses.

New cardholders of the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (see charges and costs) can earn 80,000 bonus factors after spending $4,000 within the first three months from account opening. You’ll be able to earn a better welcome supply of 100,000 bonus factors with the identical spending necessities when you apply at a Citi department in particular person.

The cardboard additionally has spectacular incomes charges, permitting you to earn bonus factors on journey booked through Citi Journey and on eating.

In case you spend closely in these classes, you may increase your steadiness shortly, supplying you with a stable stash of Avios to make use of for these high-end bookings.

Backside line

Even when you do not fly to Europe usually, Avios is value your consideration. Avios are straightforward to earn from many various bank cards and straightforward to redeem by way of the seven totally different applications that use the foreign money. You even have the distinctive flexibility of transferring Avios between every program for gratis at a 1:1 price in any course.

Whereas there isn’t any slam-dunk Avios or transferable points-earning bank card for each traveler, there are glorious choices that can assist you ebook your subsequent journey.

Associated: New user-friendly device allows you to simply switch Avios between all 7 airline applications

For charges and costs of the Amex Platinum Card, click on right here.
For charges and costs of the Amex Enterprise Platinum Card, click on right here.