British Airways Avios Devaluation Is Now Live: Here’s What Canadians Should Know

If British Airways Avios plays a role in your points strategy — especially if you earn points through RBC Avion or American Express Membership Rewards — a recent change is worth understanding.

As of December 15, 2025, British Airways has officially increased the cost of reward flights booked through British Airways Club, impacting both the number of Avios required and the cash portion of award tickets.

Read on to learn more!

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What Exactly Changed?

British Airways confirmed that award pricing across its network has increased due to rising UK Air Passenger Duty (APD), third-party charges, inflation, and broader market conditions.

Now that the new pricing has settled in, here’s what travellers are seeing in practice:

• Avios requirements have increased by roughly 10% on average
• All long-haul British Airways flights saw increases across every cabin — economy through first class
• Short-haul and long-haul redemptions were both affected

On top of higher Avios costs, the cash component of award tickets has also gone up:

• Short-haul flights: approximately £0.50–£2.50 more per one-way, depending on cabin
• Long-haul flights: approximately £10–£22.50 more per one-way, depending on cabin

While these cash increases may seem modest on paper, they add up quickly — especially on itineraries that already carried high surcharges.

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Why This Matters More for Canadians

For Canadian travellers, British Airways redemptions have long been a mixed bag.

Even before this change, booking British Airways–operated flights with Avios often meant:

• High carrier surcharges
• UK departure taxes
• Less competitive value compared to partner airlines

With higher Avios requirements now layered on top, the value proposition of redeeming Avios directly on British Airways has weakened further, particularly for long-haul travel.

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The Important Exception: Partner Flights Were Not Devalued

Here’s the good news — and it’s a big one.

👉 This devaluation only applies to flights operated by British Airways itself.

Avios remains a shared currency, and once your points are in British Airways Club, you can still transfer them 1:1 to several partner programs where pricing and fees are often far more attractive.

Popular Avios partner programs include:

• Qatar Airways Privilege Club
• Finnair Plus
• Iberia Plus
• Aer Lingus AerClub

These programs frequently offer:

• Lower surcharges
• Better premium-cabin availability
• More competitive long-haul pricing

In many cases, transferring Avios onward to a partner program continues to deliver significantly better value than redeeming directly through British Airways.

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A Rare Thing in Loyalty Programs: Clear Communication

While no one enjoys a devaluation, British Airways deserves some credit for how this one was handled.

Rather than framing the changes as a “benefit” or blaming customer feedback, the airline clearly stated:

• Award prices were increasing
• The reasons behind the change
• That bookings made before the cutoff date would be honoured

In a loyalty landscape where devaluations are often vague or disguised, this level of transparency is — unfortunately — still the exception.

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What Should Canadian Points Collectors Do Now?

If you earn RBC Avion or Amex Membership Rewards, Avios can still play a role in your strategy but it’s no longer a “set it and forget it” option.

Avios still makes sense if:

• You plan to redeem on partner airlines
• You’re comfortable transferring Avios between programs
• You’re targeting premium cabins on oneworld partners

You may want to rethink Avios if:

• You primarily fly British Airways
• You want low-fee, straightforward redemptions
• You don’t plan to leverage partner programs

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The Bottom Line

The British Airways Avios devaluation is now in the rearview mirror but its impact is here to stay.

Award flights on British Airways now cost more Avios and more cash, making direct BA redemptions less competitive than ever. That said, Avios remains a flexible currency for Canadians who know how to use it, especially when partner airlines are part of the plan.

As always, the strongest points strategies aren’t about loyalty to one program — they’re about flexibility, awareness, and knowing when to pivot.