How to Transfer Avios and Combine Them Across Every Program

Yes, you can transfer Avios. British Airways, Qatar Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Vueling, Finnair and Loganair all use Avios as their currency, and you can move them between your accounts at these programs for free. One Avios stays one Avios, and the transfer lands instantly.

Each program still keeps its own balance, though. There is no shared pool, so Avios you earn or buy in one program have to be moved before you can spend them in another. This guide covers how that works, the 30-day rule that catches new accounts, and the two things people most often hope to do but can’t.

Which programs share Avios

Program	Moves Avios directly to	Good to know
British Airways Club	Every other Avios program	The only program linked to Qatar
Qatar Airways Privilege Club	British Airways only	To reach Iberia or Finnair, move to BA first, then on
Iberia Club	British Airways, Aer Lingus, Vueling, Finnair, Loganair	Iberia’s own flights often carry lower surcharges than BA’s
Aer Lingus AerClub, Vueling Club, Finnair Plus, Loganair	Each other, Iberia and British Airways	Finnair joined the direct routes in early 2026

British Airways is the hub. Every program connects to it, and Qatar connects to nothing else. Moving Qatar Avios to Iberia therefore takes two transfers, Qatar to BA and then BA to Iberia, both free.

How to combine Avios step by step

1. Make the accounts match. First name, surname and email address have to be the same on both accounts, and so does the date of birth if either account has one. Fix any mismatch first.
2. Check both accounts are at least 30 days old. A newer account can’t be linked or send Avios yet. More on this below.
3. Link the accounts once. Use the Move Avios page on avios.com, or “Link your account” on British Airways’ or Qatar Airways’ site. Linking BA and Qatar can ask you to upload a passport or other ID.
4. Move the Avios. Pick the direction and the amount. The Avios arrive straight away, and you can move them back the same way.

Linking is online only. The airlines’ call centers can’t do it for you.

Why a new account has to wait 30 days

Since spring 2026, the Avios terms stop a new account from moving Avios in its first 30 days, as Mainly Miles first reported in March. Qatar Airways applies the same wait in its Privilege Club Avios terms before an account can be linked to British Airways. The rule is aimed at fraud, and an account you’ve had for longer than a month never notices it.

Where it bites is a new account. If you open a Qatar Privilege Club account today to book a Qsuite with Avios you hold at British Airways, the move can’t happen until the account is a month old. Changing the email address on an account starts a shorter wait too: Qatar’s terms allow transfers again seven days after the update.

So open the account you’ll need early, before you’ve found the seat.

The limits worth knowing

• Your own name only. These transfers go between accounts that belong to you. Sending Avios to someone else is a separate, paid service, covered below.
• A yearly cap for non-elite members. Members without status can move up to 1,000,000 Avios per program in any rolling 12 months. Elite members have no cap.
• Treat a link as permanent. Linked accounts can’t be unlinked, so if you hold two accounts at the same airline, choose which one to link before you start.
• Qatar borrows from BA. Once your Qatar and BA accounts are linked, Qatar shows the two balances together and pulls Avios from BA when a booking needs more than your Qatar balance.

Why move Avios at all

Two reasons, and they often come together.

To book where the seat is. Qatar’s Qsuite is usually cheapest booked through Qatar’s own program, Iberia charges noticeably lower surcharges than British Airways on comparable flights, and some partner seats only show up in one program. Holding your Avios in the right program at booking time can save hundreds of dollars on the same flight.

To buy where Avios cost least. An Avios is worth the same in every program, but the price to buy one isn’t. Our rate for Qatar Airways Avios is 1.5¢, against 1.7¢ for British Airways Avios, and the Qatar minimum order is 10,000 rather than 50,000. If your Qatar account is more than 30 days old and linked to BA, Avios bought in Qatar can be moved to British Airways the moment they arrive.

Can you transfer Avios to American Airlines?

No. Avios and American AAdvantage miles are separate currencies, and no program converts one into the other, in either direction.

You usually don’t need to, though. If what you want is a seat on an American Airlines flight, your Avios can pay for it as they are. British Airways and American are partners in the oneworld alliance, so you can book American’s flights on British Airways’ site and pay in Avios. The Avios never leave your British Airways account.

If you’d rather book on American’s own site, you need AAdvantage miles instead. We sell AAdvantage miles as a ready account: a new AAdvantage account with the miles already in it, handed over to you.

Can you transfer Avios to another person?

Yes, but not for free. British Airways charges £50 per transfer (Gold members pay nothing), for up to 60,000 Avios to one person a year. A route through Finnair Plus costs €10 per transfer, if your Finnair Plus account is more than 90 days old. Two free ways often do the job better:

• Pool them in a British Airways Household Account. BA lets you pool Avios with up to six other people at your address, and the head of the household spends the shared balance.
• Book the ticket for them. You can redeem your Avios for someone else’s flight without moving anything. Each program has its own rules on who that can be. Qatar, for example, only books awards for people on your saved lists, and the list rules have changed twice in 2026.

How to top up the program you’ll book with

Find the seat first and note which program it prices in. If you’re short, buy the Avios in that program, or buy them where they cost least and move them across if both accounts are old enough. Each program page shows our current rate, minimum order and delivery time, and you get a written quote before paying anything.

To keep the balance once you have it, read do Avios expire. Our guide to how buying airline miles works explains the order from quote to delivery.

The bottom line: Avios move free, one to one and instantly between British Airways, Qatar, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Vueling, Finnair and Loganair, but only between accounts in your own name, and only once both accounts are 30 days old. Qatar connects through British Airways alone. Open the account you’ll need early, and buy where your Avios cost least.