What: El Corte Inglés and Iberia have signed an agreement allowing Iberia Club members to redeem Avios for vouchers across the group's physical stores and online channels.

Why it is important: By accepting Avios across department stores, supermarkets and Sfera, El Corte Inglés gains a new reason for frequent flyers to shop with the group in both high-frequency and occasional categories.

El Corte Inglés and Iberia have reached an agreement that allows Iberia Club members to use their Avios for purchases across the group's brands: El Corte Inglés, Hipercor, Supercor, Supermercados El Corte Inglés and Sfera, both in physical stores and through online channels.

Since Wednesday, October 21, members can redeem Avios through the Avios website for vouchers worth between €5 and €250, according to separate statements issued by the two companies. Both parties said the agreement strengthens their value proposition for customers by making Avios usable across a wide network of physical stores, as well as on the group's website and app.

Iberia's Customer Director, Beatriz Guillén, described the alliance as a milestone for Iberia Club. She said the addition of El Corte Inglés shows members they can also use Avios to choose from a wide variety of products and experiences at one of Spain's most recognised brands.

IAG Loyalty's Commercial Director, Rob McDonald, called the partnership a great example of how Avios can keep becoming more relevant and accessible for members in Spain.

IADS Notes: The agreement ties El Corte Inglés to a loyalty currency whose economics increasingly depend on partners outside aviation. Avios, as used by British Airways, now draws more than 80% of its revenue from external partners such as Amex and JPMorgan Chase rather than from flying, as airlines adopt retail-style loyalty mechanics to stay connected with customers between trips (The MBS Group, September 2026). Retailers have been building similar bridges with travel. M&S's overhauled Sparks scheme pays bonuses for partner activity such as booking holidays with Virgin Atlantic, alongside spendable cash rewards and AI-personalised offers (Fashion Network, April 2026). Frasers Group has taken the coalition model further by consolidating rewards across its portfolio and 16 partner retailers into the single Frasers Plus platform (The Retail Bulletin, January 2026). The Iberia partnership also adds to El Corte Inglés's own travel ecosystem. The group is acquiring Tool Factory's 25% stake to take full ownership of Viajes El Corte Inglés, a business that combines online capabilities with a physical network of travel agencies (Fashion Network, October 2026).

El Corte Inglés signs an agreement with Iberia to redeem Avios in the group's physical and online stores