What Are Avios Subscriptions and Are They Worth It?
- Helena
- 19 minutes ago
- 5 min read
Avios subscriptions are one of the quieter corners of the Avios ecosystem.
Launched in 2022, they sit on the Avios website alongside buying and boosting points, but they rarely get the same attention.
That’s partly because they’re slower, partly because they require steady financial commitment, and partly because for many people there’s simply a better alternative.
That doesn’t mean Avios subscriptions are pointless, there is a time and a place.
Here’s what an Avios subscription actually is, how it works, and who, if anyone, should consider signing up.
What is an Avios subscription?
An Avios subscription is a way to buy Avios gradually, rather than in one lump sum.
Instead of purchasing points when you need them, you commit to receiving a fixed number of Avios every month, paying either monthly or annually. The cost per Avios is lower than buying points outright, but higher than boosting if you have eligible transactions.
Subscriptions are about slow, predictable balance growth, not solving an immediate points shortfall.
How do Avios subscriptions work?
There are four levels of Avios subscriptions that you could choose from, each offering a set number of Avios per month:
Voyager – 1,667 Avios/month
Traveller – 4,167 Avios/month
Explorer – 8,334 Avios/month
Adventurer – 16,667 Avios/month
You then decide how to pay whether that is monthly, or annually.
The monthly subscriptions means you pay month by month, with a three month minimum commitment. After that you can cancel any time.
The annual subscription means you pay upfront for all 12 months. The Avios are still credited monthly, and this works out as the cheapest price per Avios. You do not get a refund if you change your mind.
To get the best value of cost per Avios, you would need to choose the largest plan and commit for a full year, which immediately limits who this makes sense for.
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How much does an Avios subscription cost?
Here’s how the pricing currently stacks up.
Monthly
Plan | Avios per month | Costs | Cost per Avios |
Voyager | 1,667 | £26 | 1.56p |
Traveller | 4,167 | £55 | 1.32p |
Explorer | 8,334 | £105 | 1.25p |
Adventurer | 16,667 | £199 | 1.19p |
Annual
Plan | Avios per month | Effective monthly cost | Cost per Avios |
Voyager | 1,667 | £21.58 | 1.29p |
Traveller | 4,167 | £45.75 | 1.10p |
Explorer | 8,334 | £87.42 | 1.05p |
Adventurer | 16,667 | £165.75 | 0.99p |
The annual plans effectively give you around two months free compared to paying monthly.
How does an Avios subscription compare to buying or boosting?
This is where subscriptions start to look a little less compelling.
Avios Amount | Buy Avios | Boost Avios | Subscription |
4,000 Avios | £89 | £36.80 | £55 |
8,000 Avios | £159 | £73.60 | £105 |
16,000 Avios | £279 | £147.20 | £199 |
Importantly, Avios is sold (when buying) in set bundles, so you can’t always buy the exact amount you need.
Boosting Avios is almost always cheaper, provided you have eligible transactions from the last 30 days (you see our guide to boosting here!). Subscriptions beat buying Avios, but they lose badly to boosting.
How do you set up an Avios subscription?
The process itself is really simple:
Log in to avios.com using your BA Club details
Hover over Collect Avios and select Avios subscriptions
Choose monthly or annual payment
Select your plan
Enter payment details and confirm
Avios will then be credited to your account every month.
Important Ts&Cs to know
Because nothing is ever simple, there are a few restrictions which are easy to miss. So we’ve broken them down for you:
You can only have one subscription at a time. Which makes perfect sense.
Subscriptions are capped at 200,000 Avios per calendar year. This is an important one to note. However, the eagle-eyed amongst you might have spotted that if you opt for “Adventurer” you get 16,667 per month that would mean you should get 200,004 Avios. But you won’t, you will miss out on those 4 extra points! Hardly a deal breaker, just a bit cheeky!
You cannot upgrade your plan mid-term. So choose wisely, if at all.
Annual plans lock you in for 12 months, so once you commit, that is it.
Monthly plans lock you in for at least three months, but then you can cancel whenever you like after those three months are up.
Subscriptions auto-renew unless cancelled. So make sure you cancel when you need to!
If you want more flexibility, the only workaround is a household account, where another member can hold a second subscription. But think long and hard on whether more than one person would want or need to do this. Boosting is so often the better option when it comes to injecting amounts of Avios into your account.
Is an Avios subscription worth it?
Honestly? For most people … no.
Boosting Avios is cheaper, faster, and more flexible. Buying Avios can make sense in very specific situations and really I would only ever recommend buying when there is an offer on whereby you buy X amount of Avios and you get a percentage on top of that for free. Never buy them outside of this time. The cost per Avios is rubbish!
Subscriptions sit awkwardly in the middle of boosting and buying.
That said, subscriptions can work for a small group of travellers:
You have long-term travel goals which aren’t urgent. Say you know you want to do a points redemption to Sydney at the end 2027 but you want to inject in a few more points over the next few months prior to the Avios seats showing 355 days before you fly.
You’re comfortable committing cash upfront. I will always say there are better ways to earn Avios but if you are happy doing a subscription like this then crack on.
You plan to redeem Avios well above 1p per point. I can thoroughly recommend our Avios Calculator to work this out. It’s completely free but will tell you all the info you need to know regarding how much each route is from a pence to Avios ratio.
You don’t have regular transactions to boost.
The Risks You Can’t Ignore
Buying Avios in advance always carries risk:
Avios can (and do) devalue. We had one happen in late 2025 with British Airways, it wasn’t a massive change but enough to upset the apple cart. But don’t forget you can use your Avios on a number of other airlines. Iberia have a good redemption rate, but in my opinion if you want something ultra long haul maybe aim for a Qatar Airways redemption … just make sure to book on their website and not BA’s as it’s cheaper for points!
You’re locked into payments even if plans change. This is more relevant for the annual subscription, but life throws things at you sometimes which means the payments may be a real kick int he teeth.
A recent devaluation arguably reduces the short-term risk of another one happening soon, but it doesn’t remove it completely.
So… should you get an Avios subscription?
An Avios subscription is better than buying Avios outright, but worse than boosting.
It’s not a hack or a shortcut, and it’s definitely not for everyone. For most collectors, it’s a solution to a problem they don’t really have.
If you value flexibility, speed, and efficiency, boosting wins.
If you value structure and long-term planning, a subscription might fit. Ultimately the decision sits with you and your finances, and what you feel you can commit to.
As with most things Avios, it only works if you already know exactly what you’re saving for. So, our usual advice always stands. Have a strategy in place, and plan accordingly.
Helena
Points Well Made is a passion project of Sam and Helena with a loyal following. If you like what we do, and wish to help us continue to create the content you love, please consider buying us a Kofi, or subscribing monthly. Your help is greatly appreciated. Thank you.
