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The Different Ways To Earn Avios With Iberia Plus

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Iberia Plus is the mileage and loyalty program of Iberia Airlines. This program uses Avios as its rewards currency – a shared currency also used by British Airways, Aer Lingus, and Qatar Airways. Since late 2022, Avios are earned based on the ticket price for Iberia flights. While this is the most obvious way to earn miles, there are many other options, including co-branded credit cards, travel, and other spending.

Earn by flying with Iberia

With any loyalty program, the most obvious way to earn miles/points is by flying with that airline. Iberia Plus switched to a revenue-based earning method for its own flights at the end of 2022. It is one of the first major European airlines to do so, but it follows a trend that is now well-established in North America.

Iberia Airbus A350-941 EC-NDR
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

Avios are awarded for all Iberia flights based on the fare paid. This is the base fare but does not include any taxes and fees. There are also bonuses for elite members with Iberia Plus. Earning rates (based on Euros) for all Iberia flights are as follows:

  • No status / Classica (entry-level members): 5 Avios per Euro.
  • Plata / Silver members: 6 Avios per Euro.
  • Oro / Gold members: 7 Avios per Euro.
  • Platino / Platinum members: 8 Avios per Euro.
  • Infinita and Infinita Prime members: 8 Avios per Euro (lifetime status levels).
Iberia Plus
Image: Iberia

There are also bonuses for certain Iberia routes. These are currently:

  • Air Shuttle (Madrid to Barcelona): 1 additional Avios per Euro
  • All Latin American routes: 2 additional Avios per Euro
Iberia Plus
Image: Iberia

Earn when flying with partner airlines

Although Avios earning rates on Iberia flights are now based on ticket price, this does not apply to partner flights. If you have a partner flight ticketed on an Iberia-issued ticket, it will likely credit based on the ticket price. But for separate partner flights ticketed by another airline and credited to Iberia Plus, a distance-based earning system still applies. This is common with most airlines that have switched to revenue-based earning - simply as they cannot access fare details for other airlines.

Iberia is a member of the oneworld alliance, and as such, Avios can be earned on flights with all oneworld alliance member airlines. For completeness, these are:

  • Alaska Airlines
  • American Airlines
  • British Airways
  • Cathay Pacific
  • Finnair
  • Iberia
  • Japan Airlines
  • Malaysia Airlines
  • Qantas
  • Qatar Airways
  • Royal Jordanian
  • Royal Air Maroc
  • SriLankan Airlines
Iberia oneworld
Photo: Iberia

In addition, Iberia Plus has Avios earning partnerships with Vueling, LEVEL, Binter Canarias, Avianca, and LATAM. The partnerships with LATAM and Avianca are particularly useful for anyone traveling to or within Central and South America. Since LATAM left the oneworld alliance, there has been a gap in South American coverage. There are additional terms for qualifying flights with some of these airlines (check the Iberia Plus tables for details).

On all partner flights, Avios are awarded based on the flight distance and the booking code/fare class of the ticket. Iberia Plus publishes tables of rates for each partner airline.

These rates range from 0.25 Avios per mile flown in discounted economy, up to three Avios per mile in full fare first class. The rates and applicable booking codes for each vary significantly between airlines. With British Airways and American Airlines, for example, business class fares will earn 1.5 or 2.5 Avios per mile. With Qatar Airways, this drops to 0.75 or 1.25 Avios per mile.

British Airways and Iberia aircraft side by side.
Photo: Fasttailwind | Shutterstock

The tables below show some earnings rates, first for British Airways and second for Qatar Airways.

Iberia Plus earn Avios
Image: Iberia
Iberia Plus earn Avios
Image: Iberia

And the table below shows the earning rates for non-oneworld partner airline LATAM:

Iberia Plus earn Avios
Image: Iberia

In addition, there are bonuses with some airlines for Iberia Plus elite status members. These can be checked on the Iberia Plus website in the airline tables. Percentage bonuses are based on the amount awarded for discount economy booking classes, and the distance flown for full fare economy and all premium cabins. These include:

  • With American Airlines and British Airways: Silver members 25%, Gold members 50%, Platinum members 100%
  • With Finnair: Silver members 10%, Gold members 15%, Platinum members 25%
Iberia oneworld
Photo:  Kristin Greenwood/Shutterstock

Earning Avios from credit card spending

Points/miles earning from spending on credit cards is now a common feature of most airline loyalty programs. This is a useful way to increase Avios earning. There are a number of possible credit cards to earn Avios in the Spanish market and others.

In Spain, the Santander Iberia card offers earnings of one Avios for every two Euros spent and comes with automatic Iberia Plus Silver status and a 10% discount on Iberia flights. BBVA offers the Iberia Icon card. This offers the same earnings rate and Iberia benefits.

In the US, Iberia partners with Chase to offer the Visa Signature card. This awards three Avios per dollar spent on all Iberia, British Airways, and Aer Lingus flights; two Avios per dollar on hotels; and one Avios per dollar on all other spending.

Many cards offer a sign-up bonus offer for new cardholders. This is up to 100,000 Avios with the Visa Signature card and 9,000 Avios with the BBVA card, for example.

You can also earn Avios from other American Express cards as American Express Membership Rewards points can be converted directly to Avios (with Iberia Plus or British Airways Executive Club).

Iberia Madrid
Photo: Iberia

Earning Avios from hotel stays

There are several different ways to earn Avios with Iberia Plus when traveling and booking hotels.

  • With some hotel companies, you can earn directly by quoting your Iberia Plus details when booking. Avios are usually earned instead of points within the hotel's own loyalty program. Partners include IHG Hotels (with earnings of two Avios per USD at most brands, or one Avios per USD at the lower end brands), Marriott (one or two Avios per USD), NH Hotel Group (200 to 450 Avios per night, depending on the brand), Melia Hotels (three Avios per Euro).
  • With other chains, you can transfer to Avios from the hotel loyalty programs. This includes ALL/Accor (3,000 points can be converted to 3,000 Avios) and Best Western (5000 Best Western Rewards points convert to 1,000 Avios).
  • Booking through booking.com (including chain hotels as well as private hotels) earns one Avios per Euro. You must book through Iberia Plus.

Earning Avios from car rentals

Iberia Plus allows you to earn Avios on car rentals with Avis and Budget. There are no partnerships with other car rental companies. Rentals with Avis earn five Avios per Euro spent, and with Budget, they earn two Avios per Euro spent.

Earning Avios through shopping

Like many other airline loyalty programs, Iberia Plus operates an online shopping portal. It is known as Iberia Plus Store. With this, you simply follow links from the portal to online retailers. These are mostly Spanish retailers (or Spanish sites of international retailers). Purchases then earn Avios at the rate given. There are regular bonuses to watch out for too.

Iberia Plus store
Image: Iberia

Do you collect Avios through Iberia Plus? What sources do you earn Avios from? How have things changed since Iberia Plus switched to a revenue-based earning system? Feel free to discuss this in the comments section.

  • Iberia Airbus A350-941 EC-NDR
    Iberia
    IATA/ICAO Code:
    IB/IBE
    Airline Type:
    Full Service Carrier
    Hub(s):
    Madrid Barajas Airport
    Year Founded:
    1927
    Alliance:
    oneworld
    Airline Group:
    IAG
    CEO:
    Javier Sánchez-Prieto
    Country:
    Spain