American Express is running a 30% bonus on Membership Rewards points transferred to Avios, and it holds until September 27, 2026. British Airways is advertising it on its own Club member-offers page, which is where I would confirm it before moving anything.
The base ratio is one to one, so the bonus takes 1,000 Membership Rewards points to 1,300 Avios. Transfer 60,000 and you land 78,000.
What the Bonus Is Worth
The arithmetic only matters against a booking you have already priced. Avios pricing is distance-banded on British Airways' own metal and varies by partner, so the same 78,000 Avios is a very different proposition depending on what you are booking.
Where this bonus earns its keep is closing a gap. If you have priced a seat at 75,000 Avios and hold 60,000 Membership Rewards points, the bonus is the difference between booking it and not. That is worth more than any percentage on its own.
Two things to weigh before transferring:
- Surcharges. British Airways levies carrier-imposed charges on many of its own long-haul redemptions, and they can be substantial enough to change whether an award makes sense at all. Check the cash component before you decide the Avios price is good.
- Where else the Avios can go. Avios is a shared currency across British Airways, Aer Lingus and Iberia, and the same balance moves between those programs. Reporting suggests this bonus covers the Aer Lingus and Iberia routes into Avios as well, though I confirmed the 30% and the deadline on British Airways' own page rather than for each partner separately.
Do Not Transfer Speculatively
The transfer is one way and permanent. Once Membership Rewards points become Avios they are Avios, and no bonus percentage makes up for a currency you cannot spend.
Confirm three things before moving anything: that the award seat exists on your dates, what it costs in Avios and in cash surcharges, and that Amex to Avios will land in time. Amex transfers to Avios are usually quick, but "usually" is not a plan when an award seat is involved.
If none of that is in place, skip it. Avios bonuses run regularly, and a 30% bonus on points you cannot use is worth nothing.
The Deadline
September 27, 2026. That is real runway rather than a weekend panic, which is the main reason this one is worth writing about at all. Confirm the current bonus and the award price in your own account before you transfer, because both move.
