Amex to BA Avios: 30% Transfer Bonus Ends Tomorrow

American Express is running a 30% bonus when you transfer Membership Rewards points to British Airways Executive Club, Aer Lingus AerClub, or Iberia Plus - and it closes tomorrow, Sunday 27 September. That means every 10,000 Amex points you send across lands as 13,000 Avios, making this one of the better transfer bonuses to hit the Avios ecosystem in some time. If you have been sitting on an Amex Membership Rewards balance and have award travel in mind, this is a rare and time-sensitive opportunity to stretch it further.

The bonus applies to any American Express card that earns Membership Rewards points - so cards like the Amex Gold, Amex Platinum, and their business equivalents all qualify. Co-branded Delta SkyMiles cards from Amex do not earn Membership Rewards, so they are not eligible. If you log in to your Amex account and navigate to the transfer partners section, you should see British Airways, Aer Lingus, and Iberia all showing the 30% bonus rate.

Avios are typically valued at around 1p-1.5p each for short-haul redemptions and meaningfully more for long-haul business class. You can check current redemption values using the Smart With Points Avios Value Calculator. With a 30% bonus, the effective cost of each Avios drops to roughly 0.77p per Avios transferred (assuming a 1p Avios value) - meaning you are getting more value for every pound of spend your card has already earned. Here are some worked examples based on the bonus rate:

For UK-based redemptions, a BA Avios balance boosted by this transfer can help unlock reward flights through the BA Executive Club. Use the BA Avios Flight Calculator to see exactly how many Avios a specific route requires and whether a boosted balance gets you there.

If you hold an Amex Gold or Amex Platinum - personal or business - and have a Membership Rewards balance, the process is straightforward. Log in to your American Express account, go to the Membership Rewards section, and select the transfer partner (British Airways, Aer Lingus, or Iberia). You should see the 30% bonus rate displayed. Transfer the points and they will land in your chosen frequent flyer account within a few minutes to a few hours, depending on the programme.

A few important reminders before you hit transfer:

Transfer bonuses are genuinely exciting, but a few cautions apply. First, transfers are permanent - once your Membership Rewards points move to an airline programme, they cannot be returned to your Amex account. This is the golden rule of Avios transfers: only move points when you have a seat to book.

Second, award availability needs to exist before you transfer. Seats in Qatar Qsuites, Iberia business class, and Finnair business class can be scarce, particularly at short notice or for two passengers travelling together. Checking availability first is essential - do not assume a seat will be there once your points arrive.

Third, the bonus ends tomorrow - Sunday 27 September 2026. There is no grace period. Points must be initiated before midnight on the 27th to count. If you are unsure whether you have a redemption lined up, it may be better to wait for the next bonus rather than transfer speculatively.

Finally, some redemptions - particularly Qsuites - now carry higher taxes and fees than they once did. A one-way Qsuites flight to Doha reportedly carries around $235 (roughly £180) in taxes and fees. This is still exceptional value for a business class seat, but factor it into your overall trip cost.

Any American Express card that earns Membership Rewards points qualifies - including the Amex Gold, Amex Platinum, and their business card equivalents. Co-branded airline cards like Delta SkyMiles Amex cards do not earn Membership Rewards and are not eligible.

The 30% transfer bonus to British Airways, Aer Lingus, and Iberia ends tomorrow, Sunday 27 September 2026. You need to initiate the transfer before the deadline - points should arrive in your frequent flyer account within a short time after transfer.

Yes - BA Avios and Qatar Airways Avios can be combined into a single balance. This is useful because it allows you to pool points earned or transferred to BA with any Qatar Privilege Club balance, which can unlock more complex Qsuites itineraries booked through Qatar at lower rates than BA charges.

No - as a general rule, you should only transfer points when you have a confirmed award booking in mind. Transfers to airlines are one-way and cannot be reversed. If you do not have a specific seat to book, it is better to wait for a future bonus rather than risk your points sitting in a programme with no clear use.

A 30% Amex transfer bonus to British Airways, Aer Lingus, and Iberia is genuinely one of the better bonuses to appear in the Avios world - and it closes tomorrow, Sunday 27 September. If you have Membership Rewards points, a BA or Iberia frequent flyer account, and a redemption in mind - whether that is a Qatar Qsuites booking, an Iberia business class flight to Madrid, or a top-up for an upcoming BA reward seat - now is the time to act. Just remember: check availability first, then transfer. Once those points are gone from your Amex account, there is no getting them back.

These are the top credit card welcome bonuses we're tracking. Offers change frequently - see all cards.

1. HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard: Receive 70,000 reward points when you spend £2,000 on your card in the first 90 ... (£290/yr)

2. Platinum Card: 50,000 points after spending £6,000 in 3 months (£650/yr)

3. Gold Card: 20,000 points after spending £3,000 in 3 months (£195/yr, waived first year)

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