Summary
- Avios is Europe’s 2nd largest loyalty program, offering five co-branded credit cards in the US.
- Three different IAG co-branded cards offer a welcome bonus of 75,000 Avios, good Avios accrual rates, and other flying benefits.
- There are also two co-branded Qatar Airways cards, with lower Avios bonuses but including contributions towards elite status.
Avios is among the largest and most prominent on the European continent. It offers members dozens of opportunities to redeem their points for flights and other rewards. According to a recent analysis of European loyalty programs by Simple Flying, Avios ranked as the second-largest on the European continent, sitting only behind Lufthansa Group’s Miles & More program.
Avios is a shared currency – now used by six airlines. Avios earned in one program can be freely transferred to other programs, creating an attractive scheme with plenty of different ways to earn and spend.
All of the Avios-using airlines issue co-branded credit cards across Europe that incentivize passenger loyalty. Some also have co-branded credit cards available in the United States. These include:
- Three cards co-branded with the IAG airlines – British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus.
- Two cards co-branded with Middle Eastern airline Qatar Airways.
Why offer cards in the US?
Before exploring the specifics of the three credit cards offered by the Avios loyalty program, it is crucial to understand why marketing credit cards in the United States is a good idea for a European airline program. The answer is slightly nuanced and underscores the solid economic and cultural ties between the United States and Western Europe.
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
Under most circumstances, the average American consumer would unlikely be interested in opening an account with a foreign airline’s co-branded credit card. For instance, a card like the Delta American Express SkyMiles Gold card offers far more applicable benefits to the average consumer and allows them to earn miles that can be redeemed on more US flights.
However, as Europe is among the most popular destinations for tourists from the United States, the prospect of free tickets to these popular vacation destinations can prove an incredibly appealing factor. Furthermore, the diaspora of English, Irish, and Spanish immigrants in the United States further drives demand for these credit cards.
Photo: Wirestock Creators | Shutterstock
IAG sees far stronger potential in this market than its competitors on the continent at Air France-KLM and Lufthansa Group. While Air France-KLM offers an impressive co-branded credit card through its Flying Blue program and Lufthansa offers a middle-of-the-road card, Avios goes beyond with three cards, each affiliated with British Airways, Aer Lingus, and Iberia, respectively.
Related
Bilt Rewards Now Offers Status Matching For Air France-KLM Flying Blue
Eligible customers can now match their status with the loyalty program of the Dutch and French flag carriers.
The three IAG cards
The IAG Avios co-branded credit cards are all roughly the same, with only a few key distinctions to set them apart. The cards, which are each targeted at loyal flyers of a given airline, are the following:
- British Airways Visa Signature Card
- Aer Lingus Visa Signature Card
- Iberia Visa Signature Card
-
British Airways Visa Signature Credit Card
-
Aer Lingus Visa Signature Credit Card
-
Iberia Visa Signature Credit Card
All three cards have the same annual fee of $95. All three also currently have the exact welcome bonus offers and a roughly similar Avios accrual schedule. The bonus is set at 75,000 bonus Avios after spending $5,000 on the card within the first three months of account opening.
Compared to most other legacy airline credit cards, the welcome offer is relatively generous, likely due to a cardholder choosing a foreign airline over one that may be more convenient for them, like United or Delta.
Photo: Iberia
The accrual rates of all three cards is as follows:
|
Spending category: |
Accrual rate: |
|---|---|
|
Purchases with British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia, or partner airlines |
3 Avios per $1 spent |
|
Hotel bookings made directly with the hotel |
2 Avios per $1 spent |
|
All other purchases |
1 Avios per $1 spent |
There are several other benefits on top of Avio’s earnings. These include:
- No foreign transaction fees with any of the cards.
- A 10% discount on its flights originating in the US when booked through the airline’s website and using the British Airways or Iberia credit card.
- The Aer Lingus card only offers priority boarding on Aer Lingus flights between its base in Ireland and the US.
- Passengers can unlock the Travel Together Ticket after spending $30,000 or more in a calendar year. The ticket allows you to bring a companion at no cost, but after paying taxes and fees on British Airways, Iberia, or Aer Lingus flights.
Related
Competition: Win 1 Million British Airways Avios With Uber
The promotion requires just one Uber booking before midnight on Sunday, with double entries on train journeys, including the Eurostar.
Two Qatar Airways Avios-earning cards
In addition to the cards from the IAG airlines, there are now also two cards from Qatar Airways. The airline switched to Avios as a reward currency in March 2022 (instead of its previous Qmiles currency) and earned Avios can now be shared among all Avios-using airlines.
Related
How To Earn Avios With Qatar Airways Privilege Club
Earning Avios from flights is still distance-based, plus there are other ways to earn.
Qatar Airways has since launched two co-branded Avios earning credit cards – the Qatar Airways Privilege Club Signature Credit Card and the Qatar Airways Privilege Club Infinite Credit Card.
Photo: Qatar Airways
These cards have lower Avios welcome bonuses than the IAG cards and higher annual fees. But they have good benefits and elite earning contributions for Qatar Airways.
Card details for the Qatar Airways Privilege Club Signature Credit Card are as follows:
|
Qatar Airways Privilege Club Signature Credit Card |
|
|---|---|
|
Annual fee |
$99 |
|
Avios after the first transaction |
20,000 |
|
Avios after spending $3,000 in the first 90 days |
20,000 |
|
Avios on Qatar Airways |
4x |
|
Avios on dining |
2x |
|
Avios everywhere else |
1x |
|
For every 1,500 Avios earned using the card |
Earn 2 Qpoints |
|
Privilege Club Status |
Silver for the first year – equivalent to oneworld Ruby |
Qatar Airways Privilege Club Signature Credit Card
And the details for the premium Qatar Airways Privilege Club Infinite Credit Card are as follows:
|
Qatar Airways Privilege Club Infinite Credit Card |
|
|---|---|
|
Annual fee |
$499 |
|
Avios after the first transaction |
25,000 |
|
Avios after spending $3,000 in the first 90 days |
25,000 + 150 Qpoints |
|
Avios on Qatar Airways |
5x |
|
Avios on dining |
3x |
|
Avios everywhere else |
1x |
|
For every 1,500 Avios earned using the card |
Earn 2 Qpoints |
|
Privilege Club Status |
Gold for the first year – equivalent to oneworld Sapphire |
Qatar Airways Privilege Club Infinite Credit Card
Other benefits of both cards include:
- no foreign transaction fee
- travel insurance coverage and roadside dispatch assistance.
Related
What Is A Visa Infinite Card? 5 Exclusive Perks Of The New Qatar Airways Card
This $499 credit card has a lot to offer.
A comparison with the Air France-KLM World Elite Mastercard
Among the most popular co-branded credit cards European airlines offer in the United States is Air France-KLM’s World Elite Mastercard. When determining which is best for you, make a few critical comparisons between this card and the five Avios credit cards.
For starters, the Air France-KLM card offers a lower annual fee of just $89 compared to the $95 that comes with an Avios card. Regarding welcome bonuses, Avios cards are better, with a 75,000 Avios bonus compared to just 50,000 Flying Blue miles, according to Bank of America.
Related
What Benefits Come With The Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard In The US?
New cardholders can unlock excellent signup bonuses.
However, suppose one is looking to build up status on an airline rapidly. In that case, the Flying Blue card is the way to go, as it offers up to 100 experience points (XP) upon approval and qualifying purchases. Lastly, the Flying Blue card offers an impressively higher 1.5 miles per $1 spent on all purchases except for Air France-KLM, which earns 3 miles per $1 spent.
Related
Which Airline Credit Card Offers The Highest Avios Signup Bonus In The US?
These credit cards offer the most lucrative sign-up bonus offers.