There are two British Airways credit cards issued by American Express that allow you to earn Avios points from your day-to-day spending.

• British Airways American Express Credit card
• British Airways American Express Premium Plus card

This is my review of the British Airways American Express Premium Plus card.

An updated review of the free BA credit card will follow. You can find my previous review here.

---

Sign-up bonus

You’ll receive 25,000 Avios after spending £3,000 within your first three months of card membership.

As sign-up bonuses go, only the Amex Platinum card (reviewed here), offers a bigger bonus if your aim is earning a large amount of Avios quickly.

---

What are 25,000 Avios worth?

After completing the minimum spend and triggering the sign-up bonus you will be sitting on at least 29,500 Avios.

The Avios from this sign-up bonus are enough for return flights to New York, Dubai or Bermuda. They can also secure you return Club Europe tickets to the likes of Malaga, Rome or Prague using the excellent Reward Flight Saver scheme.

If using them to fly British Airways doesn’t appeal, you can redeem your Avios via BA’s oneworld partners, such as Cathay Pacific, American Airlines or Qatar Airways. Alternatively, you could move them instantly to Iberia Plus and book some great value business class redemptions on Iberia.

Here’s an example of business class flights from Madrid to Los Angeles on Iberia:

Compare that to the 125,000-150,000 Avios + £650 that British Airways charge to fly from London and it’s quite the bargain.

---

2-4-1 companion voucher 

The BA 2-4-1 companion voucher is the key to keeping this card long-term. Use it right and it can save you hundreds of thousands of Avios, fully justifying the annual fee.

The companion voucher allows you to book two Avios reward flights for the price of one. On the Premium Plus card, the 2-4-1 companion voucher is awarded upon spending £10,000 in a card membership year. The voucher earned on the Premium Plus card is valid for two years. By contrast, the voucher available with the free BA credit card must be used within a year.

In terms of travel rewards, the 2-4-1 companion voucher remains the most lucrative perk for ongoing card spending in the UK credit card market. 

You can read our complete guide to the British Airways 2-4-1 companion voucher here.

---

Day-to-day earnings rate

The Premium Plus card earns:

• 1.5 Avios per £1.
• 3 Avios per £1 for purchases made directly with British Airways.

If your focus is collecting Avios, this card offers the best day-to-day earnings rate for accruing Avios via credit card spend.

---

Annual fee

This card carries a £195 fee.

Like all Amex-issued American Express cards, the card fee is refundable on a pro-rata basis should you choose to cancel your card at any point during the year.

This is a feature unique to American Express.

Representative 76.0% APR variable. Based on annual fee of £195 and assumed credit limit of £1,200. Interest rate for purchases: 22.9% p.a. variable.

---

Am I eligible for the sign-up bonus?

You are eligible for the sign-up bonus UNLESS you currently hold or have held one of the two British Airways American Express cards in the last six months.

You WILL still receive the sign-up bonus on this card if you hold/have held any of the Gold, Green or Platinum, SPG, Platinum Cashback or Nectar cards.

There are NO minimum income requirements to be eligible for any cards issued by American Express. That restriction was removed a number of years ago.

---

Verdict

This card performs strongly on all fronts and makes a compelling case for a place in your wallet. Especially worth highlighting is:

• The 2-4-1 companion voucher has huge value and is the best perk currently available in the UK travel credit card market for ongoing spend.
• The day-to-day earnings rate on this card is the best of any UK rewards credit card if your preference is collecting Avios.

The 25,000 Avios sign-up bonus is also an excellent way of earning a large chunk of Avios points to boost your balance.

The application form for this card is here

Are you a fan of the BA Premium Plus card?

---

Disclaimer: The information provided by Tricks of the Trade is intended solely as a helpful guide to relevant travel rewards card products and their various features and offers. You should always conduct your own research as recommendations provided within may not be suitable for your personal financial circumstances.