How to earn Avios points from Budget car rentals

Following a lot of rationalisation over the last couple of years, Avis emerged as the sole British Airways car hire partner.

The website offers a range of benefits including free additional drivers for BA Executive Club members and bonus Avios if you pay using a British Airways American Express card.  There is even an Avis depot in the Terminal 5 car park.

Avis also owns rental group Budget.  You can also earn Avios points with car rentals from Budget but ONLY if you credit them to an avios.com or Iberia Plus account.

This is a slightly odd arrangement.

If you look at the Budget UK website there is no mention of Avios at all.  It isn’t even listed under their European partners – although it is listed under North America but with the wrong earnings rate.

Instead, all of the Avios information is on budgetinternational.com/avios where you are almost guaranteed not to find it!

You earn 100 Avios points per rental day.  This is valid for rentals of up to 30 days so you could do OK if you needed a car for an extended period.  All Budget locations worldwide are included.

Until 31st March this rate is doubled.  You will earn 200 Avios points per day.  This only kicks in if you book a Group C car or larger and rent for at least two days.

Note that:

“Rentals made using Budget contracted (corporate/government) rates/BCDs, chauffeur drive, van rentals, travel industry staff rates, employee programmes, replacement / insurance rates, selected association programmes, net rate programmes and rentals booked with online travel agents, brokers and price comparison sites do not qualify for Avios.”

The Budget relationship is worth knowing about and it is a shame that it isn’t publicised more widely.  You can book on the Budget website here.