LAST DAY: Transfer bonus from RBC Avion to British Airways Avios: Promotion for 30% more points (November 2024)

There’s a transfer bonus promotion from RBC Avion to British Airways Avios currently. If you transfer your RBC Avion points, you get 30% more Avios points. Airline points like Avios are worth so much more, so it’s an excellent deal — as long as you understand how they work.

It’s a deal that’s not to be missed for those who want to maximize the value of their rewards (or those who like to travel in business class almost free).

It’s only for those with RBC Avion cards though (RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card, RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege Card, RBC Avion Visa Platinum Card). Avion points from RBC ION cards or accounts without credit cards are not transferable (but if you have Avion points from several sources, you can pool and transfer them all as long as you have an RBC Avion card; it’s a great time to get one, their welcome bonuses are at a record-high).

Here are the details of the transfer bonus from RBC Avion to British Airways Avios.

Overview of the RBC to Avios transfer bonus promotion

You can read some basic posts (or all 4) to understand everything if you’re just starting with the best rewards currencies:

• Basics of transferable points and transfer bonuses
• Basics of the more lucrative types of points
• Basics of airline points (business or economy class)
• Basics of reward values

Here are the basics of the RBC Avion to British Airways Avios transfer bonus promotion:

• 30% transfer bonus
  • Special rate is 1 to 1.3
  • Normal rate is 1 to 1
• Gives a value of ≈ 1.95¢ per RBC Avion point
  • According to our Flytrippers Valuation of Avios points
  • Our Flytrippers Valuation of Avios points is ≈ 1.5¢/pt
• Until November 12, 2024
  • At 11:59 PM Pacific time (2:59 AM Eastern time on the 13^th)

Our recommendation to use RBC Avion points well is always to transfer them to partners like Avios. That’s how we use them ourselves.

It’s a great deal to get a 30% bonus too. But since Avios points offer outsized value and are more lucrative, they’re more restrictive and less simple, of course.

Normally, we never recommend transferring points speculatively (i.e., without needing them for specific use). The only exception is during transfer bonus promotions. But even during bonuses, you still need to check if it’s going to be good for you, it’s far from guaranteed!

Here’s how to concretely take advantage of the promotion, step by step:

• Log into your RBC Avion account
• Transfer your RBC Avion points

It’s an RBC Avion promotion, so logically, everything is done on the RBC Avion website. We have a teaser post on how to transfer RBC Avion points to partners.

Here are the general rules for all transfers of RBC Avion points to Avios:

• Usually within a few days
  • Even if they say up to 4 weeks
  • What matters is initiating the transfer before the deadline
• Always one-way
  • Absolutely irreversible
• 10,000 RBC Avion points minimum
  • No maximum
• No specific increments after the minimum

As is often the case with transfer bonus promotions, the transfer rate displayed on the transfer page is the normal rate, but if you make the transfer during the promotion period, you’ll receive the transfer bonus points.

Analysis of the RBC Avion to Avios transfer bonus promotion

I’ll explain in more detail just below, but in a nutshell, it looks like this.

If you identify with any of these phrases (it doesn’t have to be all of them), transfer your points:

• You want to maximize the value of your points AND you’re willing to be more flexible
• You want to travel in business class AND you’re willing to be more flexible
• You want to travel for less AND you’re willing to be flexible about where you go
• You want to travel to the exact places listed AND you’re willing to book 1 year in advance

If you identify with any of these phrases, don’t transfer your points:

• You want to book any flight
• You want to book any airline
• You want to book without calculating the value

Everything in life is either more simple or more lucrative. The choice between the 2 main ways to use RBC Avion points is another excellent example.

Either you transfer your RBC Avion points to Avios (more lucrative, less simple) or you don’t (more simple, less lucrative). If you really want to travel for less, choose accordingly and be more flexible.

Here are more details and what to do if you’re not sure after reading this.

Advantages of Avios points

It’s simple: it gives you the opportunity for your points to be worth MUCH MORE.

RBC Avion points, like almost all reward currencies, give you a variety of redemption options.

For each available redemption option, here’s the value per RBC Avion point:

• ≈ 2.1¢/pt to UNLIMITED Specific flights in premium cabins with airlines’ price tables (Avion cards only)
• ≈ 1.5¢/pt to ≈ 2.1¢/pt Specific flights in economy class with airlines’ price tables (Avion cards only)
• ≈ 1.5¢/pt to 2.3¢/pt Any flight with RBC Avion pricing chart (Avion cards only)
• 2¢/pt Any flights in premium cabins on any site (Visa Infinite Privilege only)
• 1.5¢/pt Any trips on the RBC Avion site (HSBC points converted to RBC only)
• 1¢/pt Any trips on the RBC Avion site
• 0.58¢/pt Cash back as statement credit

Your value is now 30% higher for the first 2 options thanks to this transfer bonus:

• ≈ 2.73¢/pt to UNLIMITED Specific flights in premium cabins with airlines’ price tables (Avion cards only)
• ≈ 1.95¢/pt to ≈ 2.73¢/pt Specific flights in economy class with airlines’ price tables (Avion cards only)

It’s almost 2 times the value of how most people unfortunately use their points (often because they think that’s all that’s possible). That is with the options of the more simple type, where RBC Avion points give you 1¢/pt off any travel expense (or 1.5¢ if you had HSBC points).

If you want to keep it simple, keeping your points in the RBC Avion program to use them that way is clearly the best option. It’s more simple, so it’s less lucrative, though. Your points will never be worth more than 1¢/pt. If you have 55,000 points, that’s worth $550.

More lucrative options, at least those that involve transferring points to airline programs like Avios, are much less simple. But they can be worth so much more.

For example, with those same 55,000 points, I got a 13-hour flight in the world’s best business class (worth $3856). See the difference? Instead of saving $550 with my points, I saved almost $4000!!!!

Same thing in economy class. This fall in Brazil, I saved 1379$ with 12,857 points!!!! It’s 10.7¢/pt, much better than 1¢/pt isn’t it? Literally 10 times more value!

The price in Avios points is NOT tied to the price in cash. It’s a fixed price set by the price tables. So it can save you a lot of money if the cash price is high!

In short, the value can be so much higher… but of course, it’s less simple.

Disadvantages of Avios points

It’s less simple. You need to have more flexibility.

Airline points have several restrictions:

• Only certain redemptions give a good value
• Only certain airlines available
• Only certain seats available
• Many rules and details to learn

I’ll explain each one, but just to be clear: Avios points are even more restrictive than Aeroplan points, which are the best airline points in Canada and which you may be familiar with. Much more restrictive.

Because compared to Aeroplan, Avios has:

• Even fewer redemptions that give a good value
• Even fewer airlines to choose from
• Even fewer available seats
• Even more rules and details to learn

RBC Avion points are not transferable to Aeroplan, but if you have American Express Rewards points, they are transferable to Avios AND Aeroplan.

If you’re not sure about these restrictions, RBC Avion has another option that’s more flexible: its own price tables. You can’t use those if you’ve transferred your points. I’ve only used that option once in all my life (versus many many Avios redemptions), but it could be better if you tend to buy expensive flights (although not to all destinations; Europe is rarely good, for example). You can read more about the RBC Avion price table.

Only certain redemptions give a good value

It’s the basics for all redemption options of the more lucrative type. For some flights, the value is good… for others not. It’s just the way it is. It’s the only way points can offer outsized value!

The exception is business class, for those who are interested: that is always a good use if you can be flexible in finding available seats.

We have a post with 12 good uses of Avios points, which gives you the best examples. We’ll be adding more soon, but it gives you a good idea. But keep in mind that you need fewer Avios points than it says, because you get a 30% bonus!

Learn more

12 good uses of Avios points

Only certain airlines available

Avios points can be used on ≈ 30 partner airlines. I’ll give you a detailed guide soon, but here’s a teaser taken from our upcoming guide.

You have to stick to those airlines. That’s much more restrictive, of course.

But if your destinations are in our examples, or you have the flexibility to make stopovers or even the flexibility to choose a destination based on the right point redemptions, you can save quite a bit of money.

Only certain seats available

You can’t fly all airlines, but you also can’t get all seats with the included airlines.

As the number of points required is limited, necessarily the number of seats available is limited too. This is what allows for unlimited value (yes, the value is unlimited, because the price in points remains the same regardless of the price in cash).

Finding available seats requires you to be flexible, either on the destination, the dates, the precise routing, or by booking well in advance.

And since Avios has fewer partners than Aeroplan, that means there are fewer available seats overall. I’ve never had problems finding good redemptions of Avios points, but I do travel a lot too (and I’m flexible, because that’s the key to be able to travel more).

Many rules and details to learn

Compared to rewards of the more simple type, rewards of the more lucrative type have many rules and details. For sure. It’s what allows them to be worth more.

With Avios, there are even more exceptions and peculiarities, but we’ll help you with our ultimate guide and a lot of content (video and text).

Questions?

If you have any questions about this transfer bonus, ask in the comments at the bottom of this post and I promise to answer them so you can take advantage of the promotion.

If you’re not sure how to use your Avios points, don’t transfer them: it’s irreversible.

Learning how to travel for less

Join over 100,000 savvy Canadian travelers who already receive Flytrippers’ free newsletter so we can help you travel for less — including thanks to the wonderful world of travel rewards!

Summary

The RBC Avion to British Airways Avios transfer bonus promotion of October 2024 gives you 30% more Avios points. It’s an excellent deal for those who want to maximize the value of their rewards or those who want to travel in business class. Ask your questions below.

What would you like to know about the RBC Avion to Avios transfer bonus? Tell us in the comments below.

See the flight deals we spot: Cheap flights

Discover free travel with rewards: Travel rewards

Explore awesome destinations: Travel inspiration

Learn pro tricks: Travel tips

Featured image: Mirissa, Sri Lanka (photo credit: sasha set)

Share this post to help us help more people travel more for less: