British Airways Avios Upgrades to Premium Economy Explained
A guide detailing the Avios points required, eligibility rules, and process for upgrading British Airways economy tickets to premium economy, including
British Airways passengers can use Avios points to upgrade from economy to premium economy, but only on specific ticket types and when reward seats are available. This upgrade option is restricted to British Airways-operated flights and is not possible on tickets booked with partner airlines.
A key rule dictates that only passengers on flexible or 'low' fare economy tickets are eligible for an Avios upgrade. The website states that non-refundable economy tickets, which represent the vast majority of sales, cannot be upgraded. This typically limits the option to travelers on corporate tickets where a premium has been paid for flexibility.
Reward Seat Availability is Mandatory
Even with an eligible ticket, an upgrade is only possible if there is reward seat availability in the premium economy cabin, known as World Traveller Plus. Passengers must check the British Airways website for Avios redemption seats in the higher class. If no such seats are shown, an upgrade cannot be processed. Availability can change, and tools like SeatSpy can monitor flights for newly released reward seats.
Calculating the Avios Upgrade Cost
The cost in Avios points is calculated as the difference between a standard Avios redemption in economy and premium economy, using an older reward chart. A 10% increase was applied to these figures in December 2025. For example, upgrading a one-way peak flight to Dubai requires the difference between 40,000 Avios for premium economy and 20,000 Avios for economy, resulting in a base cost of 20,000 points. After the devaluation, the final cost is 22,000 Avios.
Passengers can choose to upgrade only one leg of a return journey. The upgrade process also incurs additional surcharges. Crucially, upgrading a flight departing from the UK triggers a higher rate of UK Air Passenger Duty. The APD for a long-haul premium economy seat is at least £244, compared to £102 for economy. No additional APD is due if only the inbound flight to the UK is upgraded.
Processing the Upgrade and Earning Points
Upgrades can be requested online via 'Manage My Booking' or by calling The British Airways Club. Under the loyalty program rules introduced in April 2025, members will earn Avios and tier points based on the total cash cost of their original ticket plus any upgrade surcharges paid.
