Should I Buy Avios?

Buying Avios is one of the easiest ways to increase your balance, and, in most cases, one of the worst ways to do it.

That may sound blunt, and I apologise for that, but it reflects the reality of how Avios pricing works. When you buy points outright, you are almost always paying more per Avios than you would through nearly any other method of earning them. Both subscriptions, and even boosting transactions almost always deliver better value.

Buying Avios isn’t useless. There are situations where it makes sense, but as a general strategy for building a balance, it’s difficult to recommend. So let's take a good look at whether buying Avios is ever a good idea.

What does it mean to buy Avios?

Buying Avios simply means purchasing points directly and having them deposited into your account. The process is quick and straightforward, and the Avios typically arrive within minutes.

Speed of delivery really is the main, and potentially only, selling point. There’s no waiting for statements to post, no qualifying activity required, and no long lead times. If you need Avios immediately, buying them will solve that problem.

The trade-off, of course, is cost, and that’s where buying Avios starts to look far less appealing.

How much does it cost to buy Avios?

At standard pricing, buying Avios is expensive. The effective cost per point often sits well above what most experienced collectors would consider fair value. Even when purchasing larger quantities, the price rarely drops to a level that makes speculative buying sensible.

Promotions do appear throughout the year, usually offering bonus Avios rather than outright discounts. These can improve the value somewhat, but even then, buying Avios is often still more expensive than alternatives such as boosting, subscriptions or earning through regular activity.

We've written separate guides on both boosting your Avios, and an Avios subscriptions which you should definitely check out.

In simple terms, buying Avios is rarely the cheapest option available, and often one of the most expensive.

How does buying Avios compare to other methods?

When compared to other ways of acquiring Avios, buying them outright tends to rank poorly on value.

Boosting Avios, when available, is usually significantly cheaper per point. Credit cards and everyday earning methods, while slower, often provide Avios at a fraction of the price.

Avios Amount	Buy Avios	Boost Avios	Saving
2,000 Avios	2.45p per Avios	0.92p	62% cheaper when boosting
10,000 Avios	1.95p per Avios	0.92p	52% cheaper when boosting
100,000 Avios	1.78p per Avios	0.92p	48% cheaper when boosting

What buying Avios offers instead is immediacy. It is fast, simple, and predictable. But speed alone rarely compensates for the premium you pay.

If time isn’t critical, there are almost always better options.

How do you buy Avios?

The process itself is deliberately simple.

• After logging into your account on the Avios website, head to Collect.

• Under "Other Ways To Collect" you will see "Purchase Avios"

• Avios top ups appear from low to high, and simply select the number you wish to buy. Make note of the cost and seriously consider if this is the right move for you. The higher the amount of Avios being purchased the better value it becomes, but remember it still isn't perfect.

• Hit checkout and complete the transaction.

As a process it is simple and easy to do, particularly for travellers who are close to booking a reward flight and don’t want to lose availability.

But just becuase the process is easy, doesn't mean it is good value.

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Are there other ways to buy Avios?

It’s also worth remembering that British Airways is not the only airline that sells Avios. Iberia, Qatar Airways and Finnair all sell the currency as well, and their promotions can sometimes offer better value. There are sometimes hoops to jump through in order to be able to utilised these purchasing bonuses, often you need to already hold an account with Qatar Airways or Finnair, and have at least 50 Avios in their account (Finnair) or 1 Avios (Qatar Airways). Have a read on the most recent offers with Qatar Airways and Finnair to see how they have previously worked.

Because Avios can often be transferred between programmes, checking multiple schemes before buying can occasionally reduce the cost. That said, even the better promotions rarely make buying Avios a genuinely attractive long-term strategy.

At best, it becomes less bad value, not necessarily good value.

When buying Avios can make sense

There are still situations where buying Avios is reasonable, even if it isn’t ideal.

The most obvious example is when you are just short of the Avios needed for a redemption.

Topping up a small gap to unlock a booking can make perfect sense, particularly if the flight represents strong value compared to the cash fare. Buying Avios can also be justified when reward availability appears unexpectedly and you need points immediately. In those moments, speed matters more than theoretical value.

But these are specific scenarios, not everyday use cases.

Why buying Avios is usually a bad idea

Buying Avios becomes difficult to justify when it’s done in large quantities without a clear plan.

Speculative purchases carry real risk. Loyalty programmes change, redemption rates move, and availability fluctuates. Paying a premium to hold a large balance of points that may lose value is rarely a comfortable position to be in. Whilst yes, we saw a devaluation with BA before Christmas which means it is unlikely we will see another imminently, there is still a risk in speculatively buy large quantities of any airline miles or points.

It’s also worth remembering that reward flights still involve taxes and fees. When you combine those with the cost of buying a large number of Avios, the total price can sometimes approach, or even exceed, the cost of simply paying cash for the ticket.

At that point, the value proposition disappears entirely, and you are honestly better off just paying the cash fair and earning the Avios and Tier Points on it.

What is an Avios really worth?

Many collectors aim to achieve around one penny per Avios in redemption value, sometimes more in premium cabins. When you are buying Avios at or above that level, the margin for extracting meaningful value becomes very thin.

That doesn’t mean it’s impossible to come out ahead, but it does mean the odds are no longer strongly in your favour.

And when you’re paying cash upfront, those odds matter.

So… should you buy Avios?

In most cases, no.

Buying Avios is rarely the best way to acquire them, and it’s not something we would generally recommend as a regular strategy. There are usually cheaper, more sustainable ways to build a balance, even if they require a little more patience.

That doesn’t mean buying Avios is never useful. As a short-term solution to top up an account or secure a specific redemption, it can be perfectly sensible. Plus if that coincides with a bonus offer of anything over 50%, then there is value in that.

But as a primary way of collecting Avios, it’s hard to make a convincing case and I am not sure I'd ever really recommend it. Boosting, or even subscribing, will always win over purchasing them.

If you have other options available, they are almost always worth exploring first.

Helena

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