Avios (Qatar, Iberia, British, Finnair, Aer Lingus) are owned by the International Airlines Group (IAG), but there is no unified webpage to transfer them between the individual programs.
Why should you care about Avios?
Most credit card points can be transferred to Avios, which can be used to travel the world in business class. Several Avios Partner Airlines release award space 360 days ahead of time and these seats can be grabbed as soon as they become available.
Avios Transfer Partners & Best Redemptions
| Avios Type | Direct Transfer Partners | Award Space Release | Award Cancellation & Redeposit Fees | Best Redemptions | Notes |
| Iberia | Amex, Chase | 360 days | €25 | Iberia business class 34-42K each way from the US to Madrid. | Book 360 days ahead of time. |
| Qatar | Capital One, Citi | 360 days | $25 | Book Qatar business class from the US to Asia & Africa. | Book 360 days ahead of time. |
| Finnair | Capital One | 361 days | €50 | Book Finnair business class from the US to Helsinki for 62.5K Avios and low taxes. | Book 361 days ahead of time with an award space guarantee. |
| British | Amex, Chase, Capital One | 355 days | £35 or forfeit the taxes for lesser amount. | Book one-way short-haul flights within the US and Europe. | Can be used to book Iberia flights with identical Avios/taxes but only 355 days ahead of time. |
| Aer Lingus | Amex, Chase | 355 days | £35 | Book One-way business class from the US to Dublin for 50K avios and low taxes. | Book 355 days ahead of time. |
How do you transfer Avios between the programs?
For the Avios sign-up process, transfers and booking examples, please refer to my earlier in-depth article (review).
What to do if your Avios are stuck in an Iberia account?
One of my friends transferred Amex MR points to Iberia Avios to book flights to Spain in October 2025. He changed his mind when I showed him Qatar Airways business class availability to go to Africa during the same time. He asked me about the process of transferring Iberia Avios to Qatar Avios.
How do I transfer Iberia Avios to Qatar Avios?
The only way to do this is by first moving Iberia Avios to British Avios and subsequently transferring them to Qatar. If you are a new Iberia account owner with a first time activity of transferring credit card points to Avios, then you have to wait 90 days before you are able to move them to British Avios account.
Avios General Rules
- The name and other personal details (e.g., DOB, phone number, email, etc.) must match across all accounts.
- Date of birth must be in date/month/year format.
- Activate 2-factor authentication on Finnair and British Avios.
Iberia Avios Special Rules
- Wait 90 days after joining the Iberia Plus account before initiating a transfer.
- Iberia account must show some activity in the last 3 years.
Conclusion
Iberia Avios are extremely useful for booking premium cabin space from the US to Spain 360 days ahead of time. I highly recommend Avios Beginners to transfer at least 1000 credit card points (either MR or UR) to Iberia Avios to show some activity in that account that will help facilitate subsequent transfers to British Avios.