Is there an Avios joining bonus?

I often get emailed by people new to Avios asking if I have sign-up code or know of a joining bonus for the Avios points scheme.

There is, after all, a box marked ‘Promo Code’ when you sign up.

However, in the 11 years I have been running Head for Points, I have only ever seen it used once.  This was when British Airways launched flights from Leeds Bradford Airport and wanted to sign up local flyers.

To to all intents and purposes, the ‘Promo Code’ box is never used and you shouldn’t waste your time looking for any British Airways Executive Club promotional codes.

Let’s look at how you join British Airways Executive Club and earn Avios

As well as earning Avios, joining the Executive Club also allow you to earn elite status with British Airways.

Elite status come with benefits including lounge access, free seat selection, bonus Avios earning rates and many more. You can read a brief explanation of the different British Airways Executive Club tiers here.

Joining the Executive Club to earn Avios is very easy.  It’s free to join on the British Airways website and there are no minimum requirements for eligibility, although you do have to be 18 or older.

Can children join British Airways Executive Club and earn Avios?

Yes.  If you are under 18, there is still a way to join British Airways Executive Club and earn Avios – see this article for details.

After you’ve joined ….

Once you’re signed up, you can start collecting Avios both from British Airways and oneworld flights. Executive Club also has a large network of commercial partners including retailers and restaurants where you can conveniently earn on your daily spending. As a member you’ll also receive exclusive offers and competitions from both British Airways and their partners.

When you first join Executive Club you will have Blue membership. Your first milestone, in addition to collecting Avios, should be to achieve Bronze status – the first of the elite levels – which has several benefits including priority boarding and free earlier seat selection. We’ve written here about what you need to do to become a British Airways Executive Club Bronze member.

(This article is part of our ‘BA Q&A’ series which explains how British Airways Executive Club works.  You can see all of our ‘BA Q&A’ articles here. )

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How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (March 2025)

As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Avios points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses!

In February 2022, Barclaycard launched two exciting new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard cards with a bonus of up to 25,000 Avios. You can apply here.

You qualify for the bonus on these cards even if you have a British Airways American Express card:

There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:

You can also get generous sign-up bonuses by applying for American Express cards which earn Membership Rewards points. These points convert at 1:1 into Avios.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

Run your own business?

We recommend Capital on Tap for limited companies. You earn 1 Avios per £1 which is impressive for a Visa card, and the standard card is FREE. Capital on Tap cards also have no FX fees.

There is also a British Airways American Express card for small businesses:

There are also generous bonuses on the two American Express Business cards, with the points converting at 1:1 into Avios. These cards are open to sole traders as well as limited companies.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 8th April 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Business Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to 120,000 points. You receive 80,000 points when you spend £12,000 within three months and a further 40,000 points if you spend on the card between Month 14 and Month 17. Points convert 1:1 into Avios and many other programmes. Click here to apply.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 8th April 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Business Gold is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 60,000 points. You receive 40,000 points when you spend £6,000 within three months and a further 20,000 points if you spend on the card between Month 14 and Month 17. Points convert 1:1 into Avios and many other programmes. Click here to apply.

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Avios. This includes both personal and small business cards.