Guide: Transferring Avios Between British Airways, Finnair, and Qatar Airways
While many airlines have their own brand of miles exclusive for themselves, Avios is a relatively unique form of currency. It is shared by multiple airlines including British Airways, Finnair, and Qatar Airways, and as such can be transferred between the airlines.
This article explores the reasons why one might want to do so, and how to do it. Stay subscribed for upcoming guides on how to use Avios miles for great redemptions with these airlines coming soon.
Why transfer Avios?
There are a few scenarios why transferring your Avios around the different airlines is useful.
Flight bookings
A particular flight may have better availability, lower taxes, and/or lower miles required on a different airline’s frequent flyer programme.
For instance, it costs fewer miles to book a Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong to Beijing via Finnair Plus than through Qatar Airways Privilege Club. Some flights on Finnair may cost the same number of miles, but incur less taxes when booked through British Airways.
Points conversions
Currently, none of the points and miles we have in Singapore are able to be converted to Finnair Plus directly. However, a few banks do offer British Airways Club and Qatar Airways Privilege Club as transfer partners, so you can transfer your points to those airlines before transferring them to Finnair Plus.
HSBC cardholders will also find the ability to transfer Avios between the different airlines useful. HSBC Rewards Points can go to either Qatar Airways Privilege Club or British Airways Club. However, the conversion ratio for Privilege Club is significantly lousier than that of British Airways Club. 25,000 HSBC points get you the full 10,000 Avios when you transfer to British Airways Club, while you will need 35,000 points to get the same 10,000 Avios when you transfer to Privilege Club!
Even if you want your miles with Qatar Airways, you are much better off converting your points to British Airways Club, then transferring the Avios to Privilege Club instead.
Transfer bonuses
Someone with Citibank points may choose to transfer to either British Airways or Qatar Airways at the same ratio, but transfer bonuses can change the ratio significantly. For instance, when Qatar Airways is offering 30% bonus for transfers to Privilege Club, it is far better to transfer your Citi points to Privilege Club first, even if you want to book something through British Airways Club.
Refer to my miles transfer calculator which shows you where points can go to as well as any ongoing transfer bonuses:
Transferring Avios between the airlines
You can transfer any number of Avios between the three programmes and such transfers are free and instant.
British Airways Club ⇌ Privilege Club
- Tap on this link
- Link your British Airways Club and Privilege Club accounts
British Airways Club ⇌ Finnair Plus
- Tap on this link
- Link your British Airways Club and Finnair Plus accounts
Finnair Plus ⇌ Privilege Club
- Link your British Airways Club to both Finnair Plus and Privilege Club
- Transfer your Avios to British Airways Club first, then to Finnair Plus/Privilege Club
Transferring Avios to someone else
All three frequent flyer programmes allow you to transfer miles to someone else at a fee:
| Programme | Cost | Limit | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| British Airways Club | £50 per transfer (Free for Gold members) | 200,000 a year 60,000 per transaction | Tap Here |
| Finnair Plus | €10 per transfer (Free for Finnair Visa credit cardholders) | No limit | Tap Here |
| Qatar Airways Privilege Club | US$13 to US$15 per 1,000 Avios | 250,000 a year | Tap Here |
Being able to transfer Avios between different airlines also mean that you can pick the programme with the most sensible cost structure for your needs. If you need to transfer 100,000 miles, Qatar Airways charges a princely US$1,300 fee. It would make more sense to transfer it to Finnair Plus or even British Airways Club and pay a flat fee instead.
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Seth Wee was a licensed financial adviser representative from 2009 to 2025, with over 16 years of experience in Singapore’s financial advisory industry.
He started Sethisfy.com in 2019 to share practical insights on credit cards, banking products, and miles strategies, helping readers identify financial products that deliver the best value. Seth has been featured in CNA, Channel 8, Today, and a host of other publications. In 2025, he was also part of a panel at CPF’s Ready For Life festival.
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