Avios with Amex Points: Using British Airways, Iberia and Qatar Well

The transfer ratio: 5 to 4

The German Membership Rewards program transfers to the British Airways Club and the Iberia Club at 5:4. 100,000 points become 80,000 Avios. This ratio survived the August 2025 devaluation unchanged.

Qatar Airways Privilege Club also uses Avios, but in the German program it sits at 3:2. The same 100,000 points only become 66,667 Avios there. Since Avios can be moved between British Airways and Qatar for free, the direct Qatar transfer is practically never the right choice. The better route: points to British Airways at 5:4, then on to Qatar via Avios.com. That is roughly 20 percent more Avios for the same balance.

An overview of all partners and their ratios is in the guide to Amex transfer partners.

Compared with the Miles & More detour

The German program has no direct transfer to Lufthansa. The route runs through PAYBACK: since March 2024 Membership Rewards move there at 3:1, and according to PAYBACK the points can then be converted into Miles & More miles at 1:1. One Lufthansa mile therefore costs three Amex points.

Side by side, for 100,000 Membership Rewards:

• British Airways or Iberia: 80,000 Avios
• Qatar via British Airways: 80,000 Avios
• Qatar direct: 66,667 Avios
• Miles & More via PAYBACK: 33,333 miles

That gives a simple rule of thumb. A Miles & More award is only the better exit if it costs less than about 42 percent of the Avios you would need for a comparable route. It happens, but rarely. Occasional PAYBACK promotions with bonus miles move the line a little without changing the order of magnitude.

Miles & More still has its place. Lufthansa releases many award seats, especially in First Class, preferentially to its own members, and you depart directly from Frankfurt or Munich without a positioning flight. If you specifically want Lufthansa First, Miles & More is hard to avoid. In that case buying miles during promotions is often cheaper than going through Amex points, the math is in the guide to Miles & More Bundle&Go.

Surcharges: BA versus Iberia

Avios are not all equal. How much cash you pay on top depends on which airline operates the flight and which program you book through.

British Airways adds high carrier-imposed charges on its own long-haul flights. A business class award from London can cost several hundred euros in fees, and departures from the UK also carry Air Passenger Duty. For short-haul there is Reward Flight Saver, a capped co-pay fare, but its exact terms change and you should check them in the booking flow.

Iberia charges much lower surcharges on its own flights. Avios prices in the Iberia Club are tiered by season and distance and get adjusted regularly. Iberia also runs frequent discount promotions on award flights, but they are short and tied to specific travel windows.

The practical takeaway: the same route can cost a different number of Avios and different fees through BA and through Iberia. Compare both programs before every booking. If Iberia is cheaper, move the Avios from BA into your Iberia account.

Account rules for moving Avios

Avios are moved between the IAG programs and Qatar via Avios.com. Some rules can get in the way of spontaneous bookings:

• According to reisetopia, since March 2026 an account must be at least 30 days old before Avios can be transferred out of it.
• For Avios newly arriving in an Iberia account, some sources also report a holding period before they can be used. The reports contradict each other. Open the Iberia account well before you need it.
• Qatar Avios can only be passed on via British Airways, not directly to Iberia.

The Membership Rewards transfer itself cannot be reversed. Only transfer once you have found availability.

Sweet spots from Germany

Short-haul business class. British Airways and Iberia price Avios on their own flights by distance. Short routes such as Germany to London or Madrid are therefore relatively cheap in Avios. How that works out and where the fees eat the advantage is covered in the guide to business class with points.

Iberia to South America via Madrid. This is the best-known Avios sweet spot for Europeans: long-haul business class with low surcharges. Avios prices are tiered by season, rise significantly in peak season, and Iberia has adjusted its pricing bands several times in recent years. Do not rely on fixed figures from older guides, check the current price in the Iberia search instead. The positioning flight from Germany to Madrid comes on top.

Qatar from Germany. Qatar flies directly from several German airports. Via Doha you reach the Middle East, Asia and Australia without going through London or Madrid. Because Qatar also uses Avios, you fund these flights at the 5:4 rate via British Airways instead of the worse direct Qatar rate. Before booking, compare the price at Qatar Privilege Club and at British Airways: Avios required and surcharges can differ by program. If you fly Qatar often, the article on Qatar Gold status covers the status side.

When Avios are not worth it

• Long-haul economy. Surcharges in economy are barely lower than in business class. The value per Avios drops sharply, and a paid ticket is often the better choice.
• BA long-haul from London. High carrier charges, UK tax and a positioning flight from Germany. In many cases the math is worse than a partner airline booked with Avios.
• Speculative transfers. Moving points to Avios "just in case" exposes you to every future pricing change at BA and Iberia. Membership Rewards stay flexible, Avios do not. Whether your points expire is covered in do Membership Rewards points expire.
• No flexibility on dates or departure airport. Avios sweet spots depend on availability, often via Madrid, London or Doha. If you can only fly from Frankfurt on a fixed date, you will find less.

The benchmark remains the cash-out. Points against card charges yield 0.4 cents per point. Every Avios redemption has to land well above that, otherwise the effort is not worth it. How to earn more points is in maximizing Membership Rewards.