American Express have increased the sign up bonus for both of the British Airways American Express cards.
The British Airways Premium Plus (with £125 fee) now offers 25,000 Avios after £3,000 spend within the first three months. The previous sign up bonus was 18,000 Avios.
The British Airways credit card (no fee) now offers 9,000 Avios after £1,000 spend within the first three months. The previous sign up bonus was 3,000 Avios.
These new and improved sign up offers are due to expire on 31 July 2013.
You will not recieve the sign up bonus if you currently hold a British Airways American Express card or have held one within the past 6 months. If you hold any other American Express card, including Platinum, Gold, and Starwood, then you can apply for a British Airways card and will recieve the sign up bonus.
I have included my review of the British Airways Premium Plus (with fee) and
British Airways Premium Plus (with fee)
Card Type: American Express Credit Card
Issuer: American Express
Sign-Up Bonus: 25,000 Avios
Annual Fee: £150
Points-Earning Ability:
3 Avios per £1 on British Airways flights and holidays
1.5 Avios per £1 spend
Cash-Back: TopCashBack offers £47.25
Additional Benefits:
- A companion voucher at £10,000 spend
- Travel Accident
- Travel Inconvenience
- 24/7 Global Assists
- Sign up bonus not available for those who already have a British Airways American Express Card (either one)
- Household income requirement of £30,000
Review:
I think the current cashback offer on the Premium Plus combined with the much higher sign up bonus makes this the better option between the two British Airways American Express cards. 9,000 Avios will book a return economy flight from London to Rome, Vienna or Paris plus £30 taxes . So, this sign up bonus (plus spend requirement) will buy you three fully refundable return economy flights on British Airways for £90. If you were waiting for a high sign bonus before taking the plunge with this card then I think the time is now athough as always it is anyone’s guess whether the next sign up bonus will be higher or lower.
The 2-4-1 companion voucher may be the best feature available on the UK credit card market. If you want to go for the 2-4-1 voucher then it only makes sense to chose the Premium Plus version because the lower spending requirement, higher Avios earning rate and longer expiry date for the voucher. Also, if you think you can spend more than £10,000 Avios in one year then the increased Avios earn rate on the Premium Plus pays for the annual fee itself.
The alternatives to this card are the £75 fee Starwood American Express, which offers 25,000 Avios but no 2-4-1 voucher, and the free American Express Gold, which offers a lower 20,000 membership rewards points but have the flexibility of being transferable to a variety of different airline and hotel programs.
British Airways Credit Card (no fee)
Card Type: American Express Credit Card
Issuer: American Express
Sign-Up Bonus: 9,000 Avios
Annual Fee: £0
Points-Earning Ability:
1 Avios per £1 spend
Cash-Back: TopCashBack offers £10.50
Additional Benefits:
- A companion voucher at £20,000 spend
- Travel Accident
- 24/7 Global Assists
- Sign up bonus not available for those who already have a British Airways American Express Card (either one)
- Household income requirement of £30,000
Review:
If you are trying to chose between the British Airways no fee card and the British Airways Premium Plus then you just have to answer one question, can I spend £10,000 in one year? If the answer is yes, then get the Premium Plus. The higher sign up bonus, higher Avios earning rate, lower spend requirement and longer expiry for the 2-4-1 companion voucher, make the choice easy. However, if the answer is no, then the British Airways no fee card make a good case for offering quality bang for zero buck. However, if that is the case then there may be better cards to choose. The American Express Gold has zero fee for the first year and has a 20,000 membership reward sign up bonus (which can be exchanged for 20,000 Avios, amongst other things) and the Hilton Barclaycard also has no fee and offers one-night free stay certificate, which could be worth in excess of £250 depending on use.
If you haven´t already then you can join TopCashBack. I will receive a small referral credit. There is no fee for using TopCashBack.
New and Higher Avios Bonus for British Airways American Express Credit Cards
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