Upgrading a British Airways flight with Avios
British Airways lets you upgrade a cash ticket by one cabin with Avios, if a reward seat is free in the cabin above. Its formula is the difference between the two cabins' reward prices: 33,000 Avios one way to upgrade New York premium economy to business at peak. A business earns that on £8,250 of net spend.
Which flights can be upgraded
- An upgrade is one cabin at a time: economy to premium economy, premium economy to business, business to first.
- There must be an Avios reward seat available in the cabin you are upgrading to.
- Any premium economy or business class ticket can be upgraded, however cheap the fare.
- Economy tickets on the cheapest fare types (booking classes O, G and Q) cannot be upgraded.
- Upgrades are made on ba.com with "Book with money, upgrade with Avios" or afterwards in Manage My Booking. They cannot be made at check-in or on board.
- Tickets bought through BA Holidays or a travel agent can usually be upgraded by calling British Airways.
How many Avios an upgrade costs
British Airways' published formula: Avios for the cabin you want, minus Avios for the cabin you booked, equals the Avios needed to upgrade one way.
BA's own example: London to New York on a peak date, premium economy to business: 99,000 − 66,000 = 33,000 Avios one way.
In practice ba.com has been pricing many upgrades below the formula and adding a cash payment for the difference in surcharges between the two cabins. Head for Points found an off-peak New York return from premium economy to business priced at 52,800 Avios, where the formula gives 82,500, with a cash top-up on top. Always check the exact price on ba.com before relying on either figure.
The full one-way reward prices for each cabin are on how many Avios for a flight.
Sources: Head for Points, "How does Upgrade Using Avios work?" (7 Jan 2026); British Airways, "Upgrading with Avios". Checked 29 September 2026.
The business spend that earns the Avios
A VAT-registered UK business earns 4 RewardsPilot points for every £1 of eligible spend it puts through the programme, on the net amount excluding VAT. Each point transfers to 1 airline mile, Avios included, with the airline programmes RewardsPilot works with.
| Upgrade | Avios | Business spend that earns them |
|---|---|---|
| New York, premium economy to business, one way, peak (BA's formula) | 33,000 | £8,250 |
| New York, premium economy to business, return, off-peak (as priced on ba.com) | 52,800 | £13,200 |
| New York, premium economy to business, return, off-peak (BA's formula) | 82,500 | £20,625 |
Questions
How many Avios do I need to upgrade to business class?
British Airways' formula is the business-class reward price minus the reward price of the cabin you booked. London to New York at peak, premium economy to business: 99,000 − 66,000 = 33,000 Avios one way. ba.com has recently priced many upgrades lower in Avios with a cash top-up, so check the price there.
Can I upgrade a cheap economy ticket with Avios?
Not on the cheapest economy fare types, booking classes O, G and Q. Any premium economy or business class ticket can be upgraded, however cheap.
Can I upgrade with Avios at the airport?
No. British Airways does not allow Avios upgrades at check-in or on board. They are made on ba.com when booking or later in Manage My Booking, subject to a reward seat being available in the higher cabin.
Is there a cash charge on top of the Avios?
Usually yes. British Airways asks for a cash payment covering the difference in surcharges between the two cabins as well as the Avios.
How much business spend earns an upgrade?
At 4 RewardsPilot points per £1 of net spend, 33,000 Avios takes £8,250 and 52,800 takes £13,200. The spend is the VAT, PAYE, supplier and payroll bills the business pays anyway.
Programme facts come from the published RewardsPilot rate and the Rewards Programme Rules. Rewards are corporate rewards earned on genuine business expenditure.