Do Iberia Plus Avios points expire?

Iberia Plus Avios expire without earning or spending activity in 36 months.

How much are Iberia Plus Avios worth?

Iberia Plus Avios do not have a fixed value. Depending on your use, you may see between 1 cent and 2 cents of value per Avios point. Check out the latest Upgraded Points valuations to see our calculation.

The 8 Best Ways to Redeem Iberia Plus Avios for Max Value

Alex MillerUpdated: June 30, 2023, 4:41pm CDT

Edited by: Keri Stooksbury

& Kellie Jez

The 8 Best Ways to Redeem Iberia Plus Avios for Max Value

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Along with British Airways and Aer Lingus, Spanish airline Iberia is owned by IAG. Though all 3 of these airlines use Avios as their points currency, the Iberia Plus frequent flyer program is distinct. Recently, Qatar Airways joined the Avios club, which means you have plenty of options when it comes to combing points.

Avios is complicated — the points are all “Avios,” but each airline’s version of Avios has its own award ticket availability, options, prices, and booking method. That means the same flight can get 4 different Avios prices and fees, while some flights may be bookable with 1 airline but not the other.

Now, U.S.-based travelers have reason to celebrate: Iberia Plus and Aer Lingus AerClub are Chase transfer partners, in addition to previously available British Airways Executive Club transfers. These direct transfers are simple and instant. You can also transfer Citi ThankYou points to Qatar Airways at a 1:1 ratio.

We’ve previously showcased the best ways to redeem British Airways Avios as well as Aer Lingus AerClub Avios. Now, let’s find the gems in Iberia Plus Avios!

Iberia Credit Card Partners

Iberia Visa Signature^® Card

Chase has launched the Iberia Visa Signature card.

Using the card on the Chase Iberia portal, you get a 10% discount on Iberia flights. Also, $30,000 in annual spending earns a $1,000 companion discount voucher.

Chase Ultimate Rewards Credit Cards

Collecting Chase points by using Chase credit cards is one of the best ways to earn Iberia Plus Avios because Chase points are:

Very easy to earn
Transferable to Iberia Plus (1:1 ratio)
Transferable to many other airlines and hotels!

Recommended Chase Cards (Personal)

Business owner? See our list of the best Chase business credit cards.

The 8 Best Ways to Redeem Your Iberia Plus Avios

1. Off-Peak Chicago to Madrid in Business Class for 42,500 Avios (Iberia)

Iberia business class. Image Credit: Iberia

Going by the tape measure, Chicago (ORD) to Madrid (MAD) should price as a higher Band 6 award. Instead, it is Band 5 just like the U.S. East Coast. That means you can book this route in business class for only 42,500 Avios one-way.

2. Short Round-Trips/Multi-City Awards That Price Like One-Ways (Iberia and All Oneworld Airlines)

Iberia Plus awards are distance-based for total distance flown, not priced by segment like British Airways Executive Club.

First, this means you won’t be penalized for making connections. And second, you can fit a short round-trip or multi-city destination into an award that would be a one-way in other programs.

3. Short U.S. Trips for 11,000 Avios (American Airlines)

Trips under 600 miles price at 11,000 Avios in economy. You can fly round-trip from New York (JFK) to Boston (BOS) in that distance, and many other major U.S. city pairs work the same way.

If you can find award space, you can string together several flights on 1 award:

Distance in Miles	Economy	Full Fare Economy	Business	First
1 – 600	11,000	19,250	22,000	33,000
601 – 1,000	12,000	21,000	24,000	36,000
1,001 – 2,000	17,000	29,750	34,000	51,000
2,001 – 4,000	23,000	40,250	46,000	69,000
4,001 – 5,000	28,000	53,000	64,000	96,000
5,001 – 8,000	42,000	81,500	100,000	150,000
8,001 – 12,400	65,000	123,750	150,000	225,000
12,401 – 14,000	75,000	143,750	175,000	262,500
14,001 – 18,000	100,000	200,000	250,000	375,000
18,001 – 25,000	120,000	225,000	270,000	405,000
25,001 – 30,000	132,000	244,000	290,000	435,000
30,001 – 35,000	143,000	265,750	315,000	472,500
35,001 – 40,000	166,000	299,500	350,000	525,000
40,001 – 50,000	190,000	332,500	380,000	570,000

4. Off-Peak U.S. East Coast to Madrid in Business Class for 34,000 Avios (Iberia)

Most airlines charge a minimum of 30,000 miles one-way to get from the U.S. to Europe in economy.

With Iberia Plus, though, you can get from the U.S. East Coast to Madrid (MAD) nonstop in business class for just 34,000 Avios one-way.

Routes include year-round service to New York (JFK) and seasonal Boston (BOS) service. Miami (MIA) service is a bit farther, so it prices at 42,500.

Note that onward connections will increase the distance traveled and likely increase the Avios required, but can still be a great deal.

5. Off-Peak Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Miami to Madrid in Business Class (Iberia)

Iberia’s seasonal Madrid-U.S. West Coast flights from San Francisco (SFO) and Los Angeles (LAX) give travelers more options.

Because these flights are a longer distance, the off-peak price is 51,000 Avios one-way and 102,000 Avios round-trip. It’s not quite the screaming deal of the U.S. East Coast… and make sure you watch out for fuel surcharges on the return.

6. Transcontinental Flagship First Class between San Francisco/Los Angeles and New York (American Airlines)

Flying on American Airlines’ A321 transcontinental first class, known as one of the Flagship First Class products, is the best way to fly from coast to coast in the U.S.

For 96,000 Iberia Avios plus around $20 in taxes and fees, you can book round-trip first class on this product!

7. Off-Peak Madrid to Shanghai in Business for 51,000 Avios (Iberia)

Madrid (MAD) to Shanghai (PVG) is a Band 7 award, pricing in at 51,000 Avios one-way in business. Quite a solid deal for a long flight!

8. Off-Peak Madrid to Tokyo in Business for 59,500 Avios (Iberia)

Madrid (MAD) to Tokyo (NRT) jumps into Band 8 distance, but we still think 59,500 Avios is a good option for a nonstop Europe to Japan flight.

Hot Tip: For more ways to fly to Tokyo, read our post on flying to Japan using points and miles. We’ve also got a great Ultimate Travel Guide for Tokyo!

Guide to Spending Iberia Plus Avios

Traditional airline award charts are priced by geographic region (U.S., Europe, etc.)

In contrast, Iberia Plus prices awards on 3 criteria:

Distance (total distance traveled, rather than adding up segments like British Airways Executive Club)
Peak or off-peak date
Fare class

Peak or Off-Peak Dates:

Iberia Plus has peak and off-peak dates published every year. Check out its peak calendar.

2021 peak dates:

January 1-13
April 2-3
April 8-13
April 30
May 1
May 3
May 14-15
May 17
June 10-11
June 14
June 19-September 13
October 8-9
October 12
October 22-23
October 30-November 1
December 4-5
December 8
December 16-20
December 23-31

How Much Do Iberia Plus Avios Award Flights Cost?

Iberia Plus has separate award charts for every partner airline — you can view them airline by airline here.

For Iberia, British Airways, and Vueling flights, you can save time by using the Iberia Plus Avios Calculator here.

To give you a sense of the complexity, here are just the tables for Iberia flights:

**Iberia Peak Season**
Band	Blue Class	Full Fare Economy	Premium Economy	Business
1 (0 – 650)	5,000	7,500	–	10,000
2 (651 – 1,151)	8,250	12,500	–	16,500
3 (1,151 – 2,000)	11,000	16,500	–	22,000
4 (2,001 – 3,000)	12,500	18,750	–	31,250
5 (3,001 – 4,000)	20,000	28,000	35,000	50,000
6 (4,001 – 5,500)	25,000	35,000	43,750	62,500
7 (5,501 – 6,500)	30,000	42,000	52,500	75,000
8 (6,501 – 7,000)	35,000	49,000	61,250	87,500
9 (over 7,000)	50,000	70,000	87,500	125,000
Exceptions	–	–	–	–
Madrid-Barecelona Shuttle	–	4.500	–	9,000
Madrid-London	7,500	11.250	–	15,000

**Iberia Off-Peak Season**
Band	Blue Class	Full Fare Economy	Premium Economy	Business
1 (0 – 650)	4,500	6,750	–	9,000
2 (651 – 1,151)	7,500	11,250	–	15,000
3 (1,151 – 2,000)	10,000	15,000	–	20,000
4 (2,001 – 3.000)	11,000	16,000	–	21,250
5 (3,001 – 4,000)	17,000	22,000	25,500	34,000
6 (4,001 – 5,500)	21,250	27,750	31,750	42,500
7 (5,501 – 6,500)	25,500	33,250	38,250	51,000
8 (6,501 – 7,000)	29,750	38,750	44,250	59,500
9 (over 7,000)	42,500	55,250	63,750	85,000
Exceptions	–	–	–	–
Madrid-Barcelona Shuttle	–	4,500	–	9,000
Madrid-London	6,500	9,750	–	12,750

What Airlines Can You Book With Iberia Plus Avios?

The Iberia website shows a number of its airline partners for online award searches, though there are a few you still need to call in order to search and book.

Oneworld partner airlines:

Oneworld Partners
Alaska Airlines	Malaysia Airlines
American Airlines	Oman Air (joining in 2024)
British Airways	Qantas
Cathay Pacific	Qatar Airways
Fiji Airways (Oneworld Connect Partner)	Royal Air Maroc
Finnair	Royal Jordanian
Iberia	S7 Airlines (temporarily suspended)
Japan Airlines	SriLankan Airlines

Non-alliance partners:

Aer Lingus (not an official partner, however you can transfer Avios to British Airways or Aer Lingus)
Avianca (search on a Star Alliance airline website like united.com)
Binter
Interjet
LEVEL
Vueling

Awards on some of these airlines add fuel surcharges — the highest are typically British Airways, Malaysia Airlines, and Qatar.

HOT TIP:Iberia non-Oneworld partner awards are limited by unpublished rules. For instance, you typically must start or end the trip in Spain or have an Iberia flight on the ticket. This means it is not possible to book solely domestic or regional flights on a number of these airlines.

Combining Airlines on Awards

When you mix Iberia and a Oneworld partner airline (or mix 2 Oneworld partner airlines), there is an entirely different award chart that is not subject to peak and off-peak dates (see here).

Iberia Plus Oneworld Multi-Partner Awards
Distance in Miles	Economy	Full Fare Economy	Business	First
1 – 600	11,000	19,250	22,000	33,000
601 – 1,000	12,000	21,000	24,000	36,000
1,001 – 2,000	17,000	29,750	34,000	51,000
2,001 – 4,000	23,000	40,250	46,000	69,000
4,001 – 5,000	28,000	53,000	64,000	96,000
5,001 – 8,000	42,000	81,500	100,000	150,000
8,001 – 12,400	65,000	123,750	150,000	225,000
12,401 – 14,000	75,000	143,750	175,000	262,500
14,001 – 18,000	100,000	200,000	250,000	375,000
18,001 – 25,000	120,000	225,000	270,000	405,000
25,001 – 30,000	132,000	244,000	290,000	435,000
30,001 – 35,000	143,000	265,750	315,000	472,500
35,001 – 40,000	166,000	299,500	350,000	525,000
40,001 – 50,000	190,000	332,500	380,000	570,000

Final Thoughts

Though Iberia Plus is often overshadowed by British Airways Executive Club, smart travelers can move Avios between programs for the best value.

The ability to take advantage of cheaper U.S. to Europe transatlantic awards using Iberia instead of British Airways is reason alone for U.S. travelers to pay attention to Iberia Plus.

And direct point transfers from Chase Ultimate Rewards to Iberia Plus make it easy to earn Avios.

Featured Image Credit: Daniel Ross

Frequently Asked Questions

Iberia is affiliated with British Airways, Aer Lingus, Flybe, and Vueling, which are collectively members of IAG. All share Avios as their points currency, though each airline has its own Avios earning and spending options.

Iberia is also a member of the Oneworld Alliance. Among the 15 other member airlines are American, Cathay Pacific, and Japan Airlines.

Iberia even has a few extra partners of its own, including Avianca and Binter (Canary Islands).

You can transfer Avios between Iberia, British Airways, and Aer Lingus using the Avios.com website. You’ll need to register accounts in both the sending and receiving program.

Depending on your country of registration, you may not be allowed to use Avios.com to combine points, and instead might have to use the BritishAirways.com Combine My Avios tool. This tool is subject to certain qualification requirements, such as both accounts needing to have been open for 90 days and have previous points activity.

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About Alex Miller

Founder and CEO of Upgraded Points, Alex is a leader in the industry and has earned and redeemed millions of points and miles. He frequently discusses the award travel industry with CNBC, Fox Business, The New York Times, and more.

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22 comments

ron

October 07, 2018

hey thanks for this great post. wondering how to search multi city award tickets? do I have to call? Or search point to point on BA (since can’t book one-way awards with IB) , then call IB to book?

Stephen Au

October 08, 2018

Hi Ron,

Point-to-point on BA is a great way to do that. Be sure to jot down the flight numbers, times, and dates!

JEFF

April 22, 2019

So, once I have found award space on American Airlines (in this case Kansas City to Orlando via Chicago)…HOW do I book it using Iberia Avios?

Stephen Au

April 26, 2019

Hey Jeff,

You’ll want to call Iberia’s call center to book your award flight.

https://www.iberia.com/us/iberia-plus-centers/

Aref

June 09, 2019

So I used to book American flights using Avíos and it was outstanding. Last time I did that was March 2019 , however something happen and I can’t do it anymore. I tried to book with Avios last month and even today I searched using Avíos and no matter the date there is no availability for any American flight. I decided to call Iberia and find American flight availability, however he couldn’t make the reservation and told me to call American Airlines. I was wondering if anyone had experience the same lately. Thanks

Jarrod West

June 13, 2019

Hi Aref,

You can definitely still use BA Avios to purchase American Airlines flights. It is true though that, depending on the route you’re looking for and cabin you want to fly, availability can be limited. Are you searching for availability through the American Airlines website or British Airways?

escot

July 27, 2019

Say Jarrod, curious you side-stepped focus of the original post — and changed it from IBERIA’s iteration of Avios points for reservations on AA. (not BA) It’s been widely reported that the Iberia functionality for this purposes has been DEAD since early this year. Is it working again?

(among the reports of this being DEAD)

https://thriftytraveler.com/iberia-american-airlines-award-bookings/

Jarrod West

July 29, 2019

Hi Escot,

Yes, that’s correct. You currently cannot use Iberia Avios to book with American. However, my previous comment reply stated that you can use Iberia Avios with British Airways flights – which is still the case.

Thanks for reading!

Dainec

July 05, 2019

So I have the same issue as Aref. I used Iberia Avios to make a New Orleans-Phoenix round-trip in late January 2019. Since then, I cannot find a single available domestic flight anywhere in the US. I can vary dates and airports as much as I please…no dice.

Should I move my Iberia Avios to BA? Do they have a superior booking system? Iberia’s awards booking system is garbage, and of course, they apparently have no awards flight availability for any flight in the US.

Jarrod West

July 10, 2019

Hi Dainec,

You can use Iberia Avios to book flights with British Airways so there is no need to move them to that program. I find that the British Airways website is better about showing available award space than Iberia so I would recommend making your searches through there.

CARL AUSTIN

August 01, 2019

I am an AA flyer with 34K now and no spend this year – based in Spain. I have some spend this year on Iberia but need 15 flights and 800 elite points to reach Silver.

Anyway, I want to fly Manila on Aug 12th for 6 days a conference. Can I take the flight and credit the miles to either AA or Iberia afterward?

However, should I credit them miles to AA or Iberia? That’s the big question.

Last year in Spain I posted all my IB flights on AA but did not make the Elite Qualifying Dollar spend. If I had put them in IB I would now be Silver on IB Plus – AA refused to send across despite being an ex-platinum with 700K lifetime miles.

There is no simple tool to see what I would earn on Cathy P for either AA or IB for such a flight, especially if I splurge for business class.

Many thanks for any advice!

Andrew Kunesh

August 12, 2019

Hey Carl, you can definitely credit your miles after you’ve taken the flight—just fill out a mileage request on Iberia or American’s website. However, where you should credit the points is up to your personal preference; but if you’re chasing status, Iberia makes sense.

In terms of finding out how many miles you’ll earn: we recommend using a tool like wheretocredit.com to find the earning rate for your fare class, and then doing the math.

Avb

August 09, 2019

Does the 90 day account opened rule apply to transfers from credit cards or is it just transfers amongst the Avios family?

Andrew Kunesh

August 12, 2019

Hello! The 90-day rule is only for British Airways to Iberia (and vice-versa) transfers. You can transfer from credit cards at any time.

mark

February 09, 2020

Am I doing something wrong ? I have 50k Iberia points I kind of got stuck with, but that’s a story for another day. I want to use them on domestic AA round trip flight but it seems no matter which route I search on Iberia.com, nothing comes up.
thoughts ?

Stephen Au

February 10, 2020

Hi Mark,

You may have better luck by calling in. First, find partner-level availability using British Airways’ search engine. Then, call Iberia to book the flight. Thanks for reading.

VL

May 11, 2021

Hi Alex, thank you for the very useful summary post.
I actually just booked biz class tickets from LAX to MIA on AA metal using Iberia Avios. Great deal…and the number of Avios I needed matched the table you provided, but I was just checking the similar itinerary again yesterday and today and the prices have changed (and I am checking Off-Peak days too). Now Iberia Avios pricing matches British Airways (which prices each segment individually) requiring 77.5K Avios per round trip (instead of 64K a few days ago). 77.5K matches exactly how much BA would charge for the tix, and not corresponding to any category from the chart you posted.
I suspect that Iberia changed something in the way they price partner awards. Anyway to confirm that suspicion?

Jarrod West

June 06, 2021

Hi VL,

Yes, you’re correct! Unfortunately, Iberia has devalued these redemptions, and we are in the process of updating this post to reflect those. Thankfully you were able to book before this pricing change!

Judith

August 16, 2021

I have American Express points which I can put into Iberia Avios. I want to fly business class from Miami to Madrid. Do I need to put in the miles before I know if there is space? How do I book the trip with miles?

Stephen Au

August 16, 2021

Hi Judith, we generally don’t recommend transferring your points until you find award space. You can search online on the Iberia Plus website or call them at 800-772-4642 to check for award space.

Julie

February 03, 2023

Can I use my Chase Ultimate reward points to upgrade my Iberia economy tickets? I was told “no” by an Iberia representative. If I can, how do I actually go about transfering the Chase ultimate reward points to Avios points?

Jarrod West

February 16, 2023

Hi Julie,

If your Iberia account shows the option to upgrade your flight using Avios, then all you need to do is transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards to Iberia and then purchase the upgrade once the points hit your account. Check out our dedicated guide for details on how to do that.

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The 8 Best Ways to Redeem Iberia Plus Avios for Max Value

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The 8 Best Ways to Redeem Your Iberia Plus Avios

1. Off-Peak Chicago to Madrid in Business Class for 42,500 Avios (Iberia)

2. Short Round-Trips/Multi-City Awards That Price Like One-Ways (Iberia and All Oneworld Airlines)

3. Short U.S. Trips for 11,000 Avios (American Airlines)

4. Off-Peak U.S. East Coast to Madrid in Business Class for 34,000 Avios (Iberia)

5. Off-Peak Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Miami to Madrid in Business Class (Iberia)

6. Transcontinental Flagship First Class between San Francisco/Los Angeles and New York (American Airlines)

7. Off-Peak Madrid to Shanghai in Business for 51,000 Avios (Iberia)

8. Off-Peak Madrid to Tokyo in Business for 59,500 Avios (Iberia)

Guide to Spending Iberia Plus Avios

Peak or Off-Peak Dates:

How Much Do Iberia Plus Avios Award Flights Cost?

What Airlines Can You Book With Iberia Plus Avios?

Combining Airlines on Awards

Final Thoughts

Frequently Asked Questions

About Alex Miller

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22 comments

ron

JEFF

Aref

escot

Dainec

CARL AUSTIN

Andrew Kunesh

Avb

Andrew Kunesh

mark

VL

Judith

Julie

Any thoughts or questions? Comment below!

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