American Express boosts bonus Avios on British Airways credit cards
New bumper offers can get you closer to your dream holiday.
If you’re looking for a new air mile credit card, the American Express British Airways deals just got a whole lot better.
That’s because the bonus Avios available on the British Airways American Express Credit Card and the British Airways American Express Credit Card have been boosted.
Avios can be used for a range of rewards but are particularly good for cutting the price of flights and hotel stays. So these improved deals could help you save money and make your dream holiday a reality much sooner.
The changes
You can now get 9,000 bonus points with the British Airways American Express Credit Card when you spend £1,000 within your first three months. That’s enough for a return flight to around 47 destinations from London, including Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam and Prague.
With this deal you'll also earn one Avios for every £1 spent, plus each year you spend £20,000 or more you’ll get a complimentary companion voucher so you can bring someone along on your trip. The card is fee free and comes with a representative APR of 22.9%.
Meanwhile the British Airways American Express Premium Plus Credit Card, is now offering a whopping 25,000 bonus Avios when you spend £3,000 within the first three months. That’s enough for a return flight to around 115 destinations from London including Marrakech, Istanbul and Sharm El Sheikh.
The card also allows you to earn 1.5 Avios for every £1 spent as well as three Avios for every £1 spent direct with BA. In addition, each year in which you spend £10,000 or more you’ll get a complimentary companion voucher so you can bring someone with you on your travels.
However, you’ll have to pay an annual fee of £150 to benefit from this deal. The card comes with a representative APR of 60.7%.
How they compare
There isn’t a better bonus Avios offer from any other credit card provider right now, but you still might want to consider a different Avios reward credit card.
That’s because other providers offer two cards - one American Express and one MasterCard - to rack up Avios with. This is handy for situations when an American Express isn't accepted. Plus some deals also offer interest-free periods on balance transfers and purchases.
The table below summarises the alternative Avios reward credit card deals, arranged by annual fee.
|
Credit Card |
Bonus Avios |
Avios earning power of Amex |
Avios earning power of MasterCard |
Other features |
Annual fee |
APR |
|
1,500 bonus Avios for every whole £1,000 balance you transfer from a single provider |
1 for every £1 spend |
1 for every £5 spend |
Double Avios on your eligible spend abroad 0% on balance transfers for six months (3% fee) |
None |
17.9% |
|
|
9,000 bonus Avios when you spend £1,000 within three months |
1 for every £1 spend |
n/a |
Companion voucher when you spend £20,000 in a year |
None |
22.9% |
|
|
None |
1.25 for every £1 spend |
1.25 for every £5 spend |
No foreign transaction fees Flight Upgrade Voucher when your spend reaches £7,000 in a year 0% on balance transfers for 28 months (3% fee) 0% on purchases for 12 months Double Avios for 6 months with your Amex |
£24 |
23.7% |
|
|
1,500 bonus Avios for every whole £1,000 balance you transfer from a single provider |
1.25 for every £1 spend |
1.25 for every £5 spend |
Double Avios on your eligible spend abroad 0% on balance transfers for six months (3% fee) Companion ticket when you spend £15,000 in a year |
£50 |
23.7% |
|
|
None |
1.5 for every £1 spend |
1.5 for every £5 spend |
No foreign transaction fees Flight upgrade voucher when your spend reaches £5,000 in a year Worldwide companion ticket when you spend £12,000 in a year 0% on balance transfers for 28 months (3% fee) 0% on purchases for 12 months Double Avios for 6 months with your Amex |
£140 |
52.1% |
|
|
25,000 Bonus Avios when you spend £3,000 within three months |
1.5 for every £1 |
n/a |
Companion voucher when you spend £10,000 in a year |
£150 |
60.7% |
Alternative air mile reward cards
If you don’t fancy collecting Avios there are other air mile reward schemes you can try.
A major one to consider is Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club Miles. And the Virgin Atlantic credit cards can help you boost your balance.
The fee-free Virgin Atlantic White Credit Card offers 3,000 bonus Flying Club Miles with your first card purchase made within 90 days of your account opening. The account comes with two cards to rack up points with. You’ll earn one Flying Club Mile for every £1 spent on the American Express card and for every £2 spent on the Visa credit card. The representative APR on this card is 17.9%.
The Virgin Atlantic Black Credit Card offers 18,500 bonus Flying Club Miles with your very first card purchase within 90 days of opening the account. The account also comes with two cards to build points with. You’ll earn two Flying Club Miles for every £1 spent on the Amex and one for every £1 spent on the Visa. However, there is a £140 annual fee to consider and the representative APR on thise deal is 52%.
For a roundup of the other top reward credit cards for air miles check out The best airmile credit cards.
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