Roughly a week ago, British Airways and Uber announced a UK partnership that allows Executive Club members to earn Avios for rides & receive 250 bonus miles for linking their accounts by December 31, 2022.
The partnership is now live, and customers are able to link their accounts through the UBER App, however there are many reports that reveal problems with the process and it appears that you need a UK phone number for the BAEC option to be displayed.
UBER has just released the latest update for their app and you’ll first need to run the update before being able to link the account:
There are different partnerships available for Uber depending on the global location, and if you have a U.S. phone number on record, it shows the Marriott Bonvoy link option.
Others see the option to add Air Canada Aeroplan, and there doesn’t appear to be any rhyme or reason why some customers are being offered certain programs, irrespective of their location.
The partnership allows you to earn 1 Avios for every GBP used for rides, buses, or trains in the UK.
In order to link accounts, just open the app and click ‘account’ in the lower right corner, then proceed to ‘settings’ and the program option should show up.
For me, it didn’t show any BA link but only the Marriott partnership. You might be able to play around with the settings in your account such as adding account details that would make you a UK customer but that doesn’t necessarily work right away.
You can access British Airways here.
Previous Announcement from IAG:
IAG Loyalty has today announced it is launching a new partnership with Uber in the UK, enhancing the value of its global currency, Avios, and helping British Airways Executive Club Members get that bit closer to their next rewarding experience.
Members of the British Airways Executive Club will be able to start collecting 1 Avios for every £1 spent on rides, coaches or trains through Uber in the UK. Later this month, Members will be able to simply connect their Executive Club membership through the Uber app and start collecting Avios.
To celebrate the new partnership, Members who link their Executive Club and Uber accounts via the Uber app by 31st December 2022 will receive a bonus of 250 Avios.
Andrew Brem, General Manager at Uber UK said:
“We saw a lot of clear benefits that Avios can bring to Uber users. With over 5 million Uber riders in the UK and millions of trips completed every week, that’s a lot of Avios, helping our users get away to their dream destinations thanks to our partnership with IAG Loyalty.”
Adam Daniels, CEO of IAG Loyalty said:
“When we look to bring on new partners into our loyalty programmes, we are looking for popular brands that fit seamlessly within our Members’ lifestyles. We are delighted to sign this agreement with Uber – and with the power of Avios – further ensure everyday travel can lead to truly rewarding experiences.”
Uber has entered partnerships with travel partners in the past, and I believe the first one was SPG like 8-10 years go. Then there was nothing for a while before It came back for Marriott and Air Canada.
Unfortunately, with this British Airways offer, you do not earn any points for Uber Eats orders, contrary to the Marriott option (in the U.S.).
Conclusion
The new UBER / British Airways Executive Club partnership is now live and members can link their accounts following an update to the newest version of the UBER app.
Many users report that there are difficulties and that the BAEC link isn’t available to them even if they actually do live in the UK. It’s hard to say what exactly the parameters are by which UBER determines who is eligible for what partner.
If you can get it to work, 250 miles just to sign up will be nice and easy, plus it’s an activity on the BAEC account if you need one.
