British Airways raised the cash component of Avios Reward Flights on May 27, 2026. The Avios required to book a flight did not change. The fees, taxes, and carrier surcharges did. For anyone holding Avios from a transfer partner like RBC Avion or Amex Membership Rewards, here is what the program looks like now that the change has taken effect.
What Actually Changed
The number of Avios required for a Reward Flight is the same as it was yesterday. What increased is the cash portion of the booking, specifically the fees, taxes, and carrier-imposed surcharges that BA charges on top of the points. This is the part of a Reward Flight redemption that has always stung on transatlantic routes, and it is now higher across the board.
What Canadians Are Actually Paying Right Now
We confirmed the new pricing live on the BA site today. A one-way Club World booking from Toronto Pearson to London Heathrow is now showing at 88,000 Avios plus $499 CAD in fees. Before the increase, the same route was priced at 88,000 Avios plus approximately $410 CAD. The cash portion has risen by $89 on this route.
For a round trip, the increase doubles. Canadian travellers booking a return Club World flight between Toronto and London are now looking at 176,000 Avios plus approximately $1,000 CAD in fees, up from roughly $820 CAD before the change. You are paying the same number of points and meaningfully more cash for the same seat.
BA has not published a full before-and-after breakdown across all routes, but the YYZ-LHR route is the most relevant corridor for most Canadian travellers and the direction is clear.
The Problem BA Already Had
British Airways Reward Flights have never been a great deal for transatlantic redemptions, specifically because of surcharges. The carrier-imposed fees on a Club World booking from North America to London have long been among the highest in the industry. This increase makes that worse.
The routes where Avios have made sense are shorter European hops and partner airline bookings where BA does not impose its own carrier surcharges. A Club Europe redemption from London to Rome or Amsterdam carries a relatively modest cash component even after this increase, and partner redemptions booked through the Executive Club on airlines like Aer Lingus or Finnair are not subject to BA’s own surcharges.
For Canadians considering Avios for a transatlantic Business Class trip on British Airways, the math was already marginal. After today it is harder to justify, particularly when Aeroplan offers competitive Business Class pricing on partners like Air France, Lufthansa, and Swiss without significant fuel surcharges on most bookings. We broke down how those options compare in our guide to flying to Europe in Business Class on points.
The RBC Avion Angle
RBC Avion points transfer to Avios at a 1:1 ratio. A 30 percent transfer bonus from RBC Avion to British Airways Avios is running from May 11 to June 19, 2026. If you transferred during the bonus window and were planning a transatlantic BA redemption, you are now booking under the higher fee structure.
The bonus still improves the Avios math on many redemptions, particularly for European partner bookings where the surcharges are low. But for a Club World booking from Toronto to London, the 30 percent bonus on points does not offset the increase in the cash portion. If you transferred Avios during the promotion and are flexible on destination, a partner redemption to a European city beyond London is likely where that bonus delivers the most value right now.
The Honest Take
This is not a catastrophic devaluation. The Avios required for flights is unchanged, and the increase on shorter European routes is modest enough that it does not fundamentally alter the value equation there. But for Canadians planning a Business Class trip to the UK on British Airways, the fees were already a significant line item in the total cost of the redemption. Adding another $90 to $100 CAD on top makes the value case thinner, and it was not particularly strong to begin with.
The sweet spots in the Avios program remain partner airline redemptions and short-haul European flying. If you are holding Avios and planning a trip to Europe, Iberia Business Class is worth a close look as an alternative. The surcharges are considerably lower and the product on their newer routes is competitive. We covered that redemption in detail here.
If you have an existing booking it is unaffected. If you are planning a new transatlantic redemption on British Airways, the higher fees are now part of the equation. Price it out against what Aeroplan or other oneworld partners can offer on the same route before you book.
