Is it better earning Avios or hotel points from hotel stays?

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Is it better earning Avios or hotel points from hotel stays?

In this article we’ll look at whether you’re better off collecting Avios on hotel stays or sticking with the hotel’s own loyalty program.

Is it better earning Avios or hotel points in hotels?

Most hotel groups already offer their own loyalty schemes, with a variety of rewards to tempt you to keep booking. Whether it is worth joining these or simply collecting Avios will depend on your personal spending and travel habits.

This is a list of British Airways hotel partners. When you stay at a branded hotel you usually have two options:

earn hotel loyalty points and status credit in IHG Rewards Club, Marriott Rewards, Le Club AccorHotels etc or

hand over your British Airways Executive Club number at check-in and earn some Avios instead

In general, taking hotel loyalty points is a better deal. You should get far greater value than you’d get from, say, 500 Avios per hotel stay.

However, you will need to do a number of stays at the same hotel chain before you will have enough points for a free night. If you think this is unlikely – and remember that the chain may have tough expiry rules on its own points if you don’t stay regularly – it makes more sense to take Avios. You can add those to your existing account and you know they will get you some value in the future.

There is a third option, however. Hotels.com Rewards is the loyalty scheme for the hotels.com website. This site has hundred of thousands of hotels on it. If you book via hotels.com you won’t earn Avios and you won’t earn hotel loyalty points. You will earn Hotels.com Rewards free nights credits, which get you a free night for every 10 nights you stay. If your hotel stays cover many different chains, this could be the best way to maximise value. This article explains more about Hotels.com Rewards.

(This article is part of our ‘BA Q&A’ series which explains how British Airways Executive Club works. You can see all of our ‘BA Q&A’ articles here. )

(Head for Points is the UK’s biggest frequent flyer website with 1.8 million monthly page views. Want to learn more about earning and spending Avios? Click here to read our latest news stories, click here to join our email list and click here to read our ‘Avios Redemption University’ series.)

How to get 20,000 Avios from Amex Gold or 30,000 Avios from Amex Platinum (December 2021 offer)

The sign-up bonus on American Express Preferred Rewards Gold converts to 20,000 Avios and the card is free for the first year. You can apply here.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & two airport lounge passes Read our full review

You don’t qualify for the Amex Gold bonus if you have a British Airways American Express card. You DO qualify for the bonus on The Platinum Card, which converts into 30,000 Avios. You can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

30,000 points and an unbeatable set of travel benefits – for a fee Read our full review

If you have your own small business, the best way of earning Avios is via the Capital On Tap Business Rewards Visa. It has a sign-up bonus which converts to 10,000 Avios:

Capital On Tap Business Rewards Visa

The most generous Avios Visa or Mastercard for a limited company Read our full review

You should also look at the British Airways Accelerating Business card, because it currently has a limited time offer of 60,000 Avios when you sign up by 14th November. You can apply here.