5 Best Uses of Iberia Avios Points

Based in Madrid, Iberia Airlines is a member of the Oneworld Alliance and also has individual airline partnerships. This means that Iberia Plus loyalty program members can use their points, called Avios, not only to book Iberia flights. They can also book flights on Oneworld Alliance member airlines and partner airlines, too.

Iberia Avios can be earned in several ways, including flying Iberia, using the Iberia Visa Signature® Card, and transferring American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards® or Marriott Bonvoy points to Iberia.

Iberia award flights can be booked one-way, but to redeem Iberia Avios for a flight on many partner airlines, you must book a round-trip flight. Iberia and its partners use distance-based charts to determine how many Avios you need to book a flight. We suggest using Great Circle Mapper to calculate the distance of the flight you want to take, then look up the number of miles required on the respective award chart.

When you book with Iberia Avios, some flights will get you more value per point than others. Here are some routes that qualify as Avios sweet spots with exceptional value.

1. U.S. to Europe on Iberia

If you travel off-peak, you can fly in comfort in Iberia business class from the U.S. to Madrid for 34,000 Avios one-way. This is an especially good deal for travelers from Chicago because even though Chicago is more than 4,000 miles from Madrid, it’s priced like cities less than 4,000 miles from Madrid (including Boston and New York).

One-way Iberia business class flights out of Miami and Los Angeles cost 42,500 miles off-peak.

2. U.S. to Europe on American Airlines

Travelers who would like to fly American Airlines across the pond can use Iberia Avios to book these flights. With 100,000 to 150,000 Iberia Avios, you can book a round-trip American business class flight to Europe.

American flights must be booked as a round-trip with the number of Avios needed determined by the distance of your flight. Booking these flights with American miles, which is one of your next best options, requires 115,000 miles round-trip.

» Learn more: American Airlines AAdvantage program: The complete guide

3. U.S. to South America on American Airlines

Shorter flights to South America from the U.S. can offer great deals when booked with Iberia Avios. That’s because Iberia’s distance-based pricing offers better deals on these short flights than American Airlines’ region-to-region pricing system. For example, with 46,000 Iberia Avios you can book a round-trip business class flight on American Airlines from Miami to Quito, Bogota or Medellín.

In economy class, you’ll pay just 23,000 Iberia Avios round-trip for one of these flights. The same flights would cost 35,000 American AAdvantage miles in economy during off-peak dates and business class would require 60,000 AAdvantage miles.

» Learn more: Five of the best airline award sweet spots

4. U.S. to the Caribbean on American Airlines

With around 11,000 Avios, you can book a short round-trip economy flight from Miami to some spots in the Caribbean on American Airlines — another good deal courtesy of Iberia’s distance-based rewards. Compare the same flight booked with American AAdvantage miles on American’s region-to-region chart and you would be spending at least 25,000 AAdvantage miles for this U.S.-to-Caribbean flight.

The longer the distance of your flight to the Caribbean, the less competitive using Avios becomes. But keep it under, say, 600 miles and the amount you save using Avios is significant.

5. U.S. to Morocco on Royal Air Maroc

Royal Air Maroc is a Oneworld Alliance member based in Morocco that flies to Casablanca from Boston, Miami, New York–JFK and Washington–Dulles. For a little over 46,000 Avios, you can book a one-way business class Royal Air Maroc flight from the U.S. to Morocco. To book, call Iberia Plus at 800-772-4642. For comparison, a flight to Morocco would cost you 57,500 American AAdvantage miles each way in business class.

If you're looking for Iberia Avios sweet spots ...

To find the best Avios sweet spots, take advantage of the program’s distance-based award prices. If you’re traveling relatively short distances between regions like the U.S. and Europe or the Caribbean, you may find great value for your points.