Turning rides into flights
Whilst not the most generous of schemes, every Avios counts, so you might as well earn a small number of points from your Uber rides. Here’s how you earn, and how to connect your BA and your Uber accounts. There’s also a trick that lets you earn double the points for each ride.
Getting started: How to link your Uber and BA accounts
Linking your BA Club account and your Uber account is easy. Once this happens, any qualifying journey via Uber will result in Avios points being rewarded direct to your BA account.
You don’t need to do anything else once the accounts are linked. Each journey will automatically result in points.
Here’s how you link your accounts:
- Head to the Uber app on your device and go to Account (usually the icon in the bottom right on
mobile), scroll down to the Settings option. - Scroll down again and click on the British Airways Club link.
- Click the “Link to start collecting Avios” button.
- Log in to your British Airways account. If you have 2FA setup you may need to
- You’ll be returned to the Uber app, and a confirmation page You’ll see at the base of the settings page that the British Airways link has “You’re collecting Avios” text underneath it.
How many Avios do you earn from Uber?
You typically earn 1 point per £1 or €1 you spend. Uber for Business rides earn double, at 2 points per £.
You will only earn points for rides in the UK or Ireland. Any trips you take abroad won’t result in Avios being awarded. That’s a little annoying for us, as we tend to use Uber a lot more when we’re on holiday rather than in the UK.
Here are the full earning rates:
- 1 Avios per £1/€1 on Uber trips.
- 1 Avios per £ you spend on booking trains or buses via Uber Coach and Rail.
- 1 Avios per £ you spend on Uber Boat
- 1 Avios per £ you spend with Lime.
- 2 Avios per £ you spend on Uber for Business rides.
Note that you do not earn points for Uber Eats transactions, even if they take place within the primary Uber app. You can earn 300 points when you first sign-up for Uber Eats, but there is no ongoing reward.
That’s likely to be the most useful tie-up for the future. You can, however, earn Avios on food deliveries from Deliveroo (2/£ spent) and Just Eat (2/£).
For some reason, I have the option of linking my Uber account to an Aeroplan (Air Canada) account. I’m assuming this will only work for Uber’s in Canada, however, the programme is far more generous than the UK. You can earn up to 3 points per $ you spend, 250 points per month just for having a trip in that month, $20 in Air Canada credits for every 10 trips you take and 1,000 points when you first link your accounts.
There are also tie-ins with Delta, Air France, KLM, Emirates and (soon) Riyadh Air.
Is it worth setting up an Uber for Business account?
It’s free to set up an Uber for Business account. You can continue to pay for rides using a credit or debit card as normal. Having that Business account does not mean you pay via invoice.
If you’re a consistent user of Uber, it might be worth setting up a Business account. If you’re spending £200 a month, that means you’d earn 2,400 Avios each year rather than 1,200. That’s not a huge difference.
How quickly will points appear?
There’s no waiting around, as Avios points will appear within twenty-four hours of the ride completing. I’ve found that the system is completely reliable, with every trip appearing in my BA account.
Uber points will appear under the category of “Collection”. If you expand this in the BA App then it will clearly state that the points are from Uber.
Is it worth linking your Uber and BA account?
Yes. It takes five minutes, and once you’ve created the connection, you’ll start earning. Whilst the earn rate isn’t significant, you’ll have a steady flow of points coming in. These may be useful if you need to keep your BA account active to avoid your Avios expiring.
There are many other ways to earn significantly more points, but if you’re really focused on earning Avios, then it’s as much about the small wins as the big ones.
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