Is it really 1:1? Yes — and here is exactly what that means, the minimums and increments, when a bonus is worth chasing, and what an Avios is actually worth once it lands.
The transfer ratio is the number that decides whether Membership Rewards are worth collecting for Avios at all. The good news: it is one of the simplest and most generous in the UK points world.
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For UK cardholders, American Express Membership Rewards transfer to The British Airways Club at 1:1. One thousand Membership Rewards points become one thousand Avios. There is no shrinkage, no tiered rate and no penalty for transferring more.
That is unusually clean. Many airline transfer partnerships dilute points on the way across; the Amex to Avios link does not, which is a big part of why it is the backbone of UK Avios collecting.
The 1:1 rate also holds when you move Avios onward between British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus and Qatar Airways Privilege Club — so your Membership Rewards effectively reach all four programmes at par.
Two small rules govern how much you can move:
In practice this rarely matters, because you will usually be moving a chunk of points to complete a specific booking. Just remember you may be left with a small stub of points below 1,000 that cannot be transferred on their own.
Every so often a transfer bonus appears, temporarily lifting the rate above 1:1 — for instance 1,000 points becoming 1,200 or 1,300 Avios. These are more common in the US than the UK, but they do run here.
A bonus is only worth acting on if you already have a redemption that needs the extra Avios. Chasing a bonus and then hunting for a use is how points end up stranded. Availability first, bonus second.
Because the transfer is 1:1, a Membership Rewards point is worth at least as much as an Avios. Our sensible baseline for an Avios is around 1 pence, with good premium-cabin redemptions reaching 1.5–2p.
But a Membership Rewards point is arguably worth more than an Avios, because it keeps its options open — it can still become Iberia, Aer Lingus, Qatar or hotel points instead. That optional value evaporates the instant you transfer, which is the real cost of moving early.
For the full picture on valuing your points, see how much Avios are worth.
Prefer to earn Avios directly? These co-branded cards skip the transfer step.
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The AviosArcana Editorial Team
We decode the British Airways loyalty programme in plain English, cross-checking every figure against BA’s published rules and the tools as they actually behave.