British Airways Credit Cards: A Guide to Choosing the Right One

British Airways offers several credit cards that can help you earn Avios points, which can be redeemed for flights, upgrades, and other rewards. These cards are designed for frequent flyers and those who want to earn points on their daily purchases.

There are three main British Airways credit cards: the British Airways American Express Credit Card, the British Airways American Express Premium Plus Credit Card, and the British Airways American Express Premium Plus Credit Card with a £195 fee. The first two cards have a £95 annual fee, while the third card has a higher fee but offers additional benefits.

The British Airways credit cards offer a range of benefits that make them worth considering for frequent flyers.

You can earn Avios points on your purchases, which can be redeemed for flights, upgrades, and more.

The British Airways American Express Premium Plus Card offers a 25,000 Avios bonus for new cardholders, which is a great incentive to sign up.

If you're considering applying for a British Airways credit card, here are the key details to keep in mind.

Earning Avios is a major perk of these cards, with some offering as much as 75,000 points after spending a certain amount within the first three months.

You can earn 3 Avios per $1 spent on purchases with British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia, and LEVEL, making these cards a great choice for frequent flyers.

The British Airways Visa card offers a 10% discount on British Airways flights starting in the US when booked through their website.

You'll need good to excellent credit to qualify for these cards, so make sure to check your credit score before applying.

The Travel Together Ticket is a valuable benefit offered by some of these cards, allowing you to earn a free ticket for two when you spend $30,000 in purchases each calendar year.

Here are the bonus Avios offers for new cardmembers:

Some cards also offer a companion voucher when you spend a certain amount in a year, such as £15,000.

The Premium Plus Card is definitely worth considering if you're a frequent traveler. You can earn 30,000 bonus Avios when you spend £6,000 in the first 3 months of your Cardmembership.

To put this into perspective, earning 30,000 bonus Avios is a significant reward, especially if you're planning a long-haul flight. This bonus can help offset the cost of your ticket and get you closer to your travel goals.

One of the standout features of the Premium Plus Card is the earning rate. You'll collect 1.5 Avios for every £1 spent, and 3 Avios for every £1 spent directly with British Airways.

Here's a breakdown of the earning rates:

The Companion Voucher is another exciting benefit of the Premium Plus Card. You'll be eligible for this voucher when you spend £15,000 in one year, allowing you to bring a companion along on your travels for free.

Avios credit cards are available for both personal and business use, offering rewards for day-to-day spending.

There are a number of credit cards that offer Avios points as a reward, including sign-up bonuses and ongoing rewards.

Some credit cards are specifically designed to offer Avios rewards, while others have broader membership reward points that can be converted to Avios.

This offers greater flexibility in how you can use your reward points, making it easier to get the most out of your credit card rewards.

With a British Airways credit card, you can enjoy a range of benefits and features that make your travel experiences even more rewarding.

You'll get 10% off British Airways operated round-trip flights departing from the United States, which can be a great way to save on your next trip.

Some cards also offer Avios points on purchases made directly with British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus, with 3 Avios per $1 spent.

You can also earn Avios points on hotel accommodations when booked directly with the hotel, with 2 Avios per $1 spent, and on all other purchases with 1 Avios per $1 spent.

New cardmembers can collect a bonus of 5,000 Avios when they spend £2,000 in the first 3 months, or 25,000 Avios if they spend £3,000 in the first three months with certain cards.

Here are some of the benefits and features you can expect from a British Airways credit card:

Earning a large sign-up bonus is a great way to boost your Avios balance, and this card delivers. You can earn 75,000 Avios after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.

To put this into perspective, that's a significant amount of Avios that can be redeemed for flights, hotel stays, or other travel rewards. If you can reach a higher spending threshold, you'll earn even more Avios - 25,000 additional Avios when you spend $20,000 within the first 12 months of account opening.

Plus Benefits are a great way to get more value from your credit card. You can earn Avios points on your purchases, which can be redeemed for flights, hotels, and other travel rewards.

Some credit cards offer a high sign-up bonus to get you started. For example, the British Airways Visa Signature Card offers 75,000 Avios after spending $5,000 in the first three months.

You can also earn Avios points on your daily spending. The Barclaycard Avios Plus Card offers 1.5 Avios for every £1 spent on eligible purchases.

Here's a breakdown of the Avios earning rates on various credit cards:

Travel rewards can be used for flights, seat upgrades, and holidays. The British Airways Credit Card offers a Travel Together Ticket after spending $30,000 in a calendar year, so you can experience travel with someone else or pay 50% of the Avios fare when traveling solo.

The Travel Together Ticket is a feature that can be earned by spending more than $30,000 on your card each calendar year.

You'll need to spend a significant amount on your card to qualify for this perk, but it's a nice bonus if you're already making large purchases.

A Travel Together Ticket can be incredibly valuable, potentially worth thousands of dollars, when redeemed for a costly ticket like a first-class international fare.

However, keep in mind that you'll still have to pay taxes and other fees on the ticket, and you'll need to redeem it within two years.

This feature might not be enough to seal the deal for someone who's already spending heavily on their card, but it's a nice benefit to consider.

We use a thorough methodology to review British Airways credit cards, considering both quantitative and qualitative features. Quantitative features include fees, interest rates, rewards, and the cash value of benefits and perks.

Our ratings are based on a combination of these factors, but we also take into account the ease of application, simplicity of the rewards structure, and whether a card is well-suited to everyday use or specific purchases.

We compare each card to others in its class, providing a general gauge of how it stacks up, but ultimately, our ratings are just one consideration when choosing a credit card.

We use a thorough methodology to review credit cards, considering both the quantitative and qualitative features of each card. Quantitative features are those that can be measured in dollars and cents, such as fees, interest rates, and rewards.

Our star ratings serve as a general gauge of how each card compares with others in its class. We take into account the ease of application, simplicity of the rewards structure, and whether a card is well-suited to everyday use or is best reserved for specific purchases.

We review credit cards with an eye toward both the quantitative and qualitative features of a card. This includes the cash value of benefits and perks, as well as the likelihood of using certain features.

NerdWallet's star ratings are intended to be just one consideration when a consumer is choosing a credit card.

Credit cards can be a convenient way to make purchases and accumulate points. You can earn points by using your credit card to make purchases, just like with an air miles card.

There are different schemes that let you accumulate points, including British Airways Executive Club, Aer Lingus AerClub, and others. These schemes allow you to join and shift your points between them.

You can add to your points by converting your Nectar points. This is an option available at stores like Sainsbury's.

You can use Avios to upgrade an existing flight or at time of booking, and with Reward Flight Savers you can even buy flights for a fixed Avios price plus a lower cash amount to cover charges.

Avios points can be collected from your spending to use towards flights, seat upgrades, and holidays, making it a great way to earn travel rewards.

1,130,072 customers have visited Uswitch to explore credit cards in the last 12 months, which is a testament to the popularity of credit cards that offer travel rewards.

To earn Avios points, you can make regular flights with the airlines that are part of the scheme, such as British Airways, or use an airline credit card that earns points for every pound you spend.

You can earn a set number of points depending on what you spend, for example, one Avios point for every £1 you spend on the card.

Some airline credit cards offer bonus miles when you activate the card or make your first purchase, and you can also earn bonus Avios points for hitting certain spending triggers.

Here are the five different Avios schemes you can join and accumulate points in:

You can join all five schemes and shift your points between them, and you can also add to your Avios points by converting your Nectar points.

You've got several card options to choose from, and it's essential to understand the differences between them.

Travel cards aim to give you the best deals on spending abroad, and they offer added protection when using a credit card.

Some airlines, like British Airways, provide credit cards that are sometimes called rewards cards or airline credit cards.

These airline cards give customers points and rewards based on every pound they spend with that airline.

You can earn points for other spending on the card, as well as for booking holidays and arranging car hire through the airline.

Choosing your reward with an air miles card is a great perk. You can use your Avios points to upgrade an existing flight or at time of booking. This can be a fantastic way to get more out of your travel experience.

Avios points can also be used to buy flights for a fixed Avios price plus a lower cash amount to cover charges. This is known as Reward Flight Savers.

To make the most of your air miles card, you'll want to choose a card that aligns with your travel habits. For example, if you frequently fly with British Airways, you may want to consider a card that offers extra benefits with that airline.

Here are some benefits you can expect from a British Airways Visa Signature Credit Card:

The Barclaycard Plus Card is a great option for those looking to earn Avios points. You'll collect a welcome bonus of 25,000 Avios if you spend £3,000 in your first three months.

To be eligible for the Barclaycard Plus Card, you'll need to meet certain criteria. You must be a permanent UK resident, be 21 years or over, and not have had any Individual Voluntary arrangements, County Court Judgements, or be declared bankrupt.

The card comes with a monthly fee of £20. However, the benefits of earning 1.5 Avios for every £1 spent on eligible purchases make it a worthwhile investment. You can use these points to book flights, hotels, car hire, and more.

If you spend £10,000 in a card year, you'll receive a British Airways cabin upgrade voucher. This is a fantastic perk for frequent travelers.

If you're looking to get the most out of your travel rewards, British Airways Avios is a great option.

Over 1.1 million customers have visited Uswitch to explore credit cards in the last 12 months, which means there's a good chance you'll find a card that suits your needs.

Business class to Europe is a great redemption option, with flights available from 34,000 Avios one-way via Iberia.

You can find these flights on Iberia's own flights from New York, Boston, Chicago, or DC to Madrid during off-peak season.

Long-haul business class on Qatar Airways is another great option, now available for 70,000 Avios with minimal surcharges.

If you're a frequent flyer, you're in luck - there are some fantastic British Airways credit cards out there that can help you earn rewards and save money on your travels.

The British Airways American Express Credit Card is a great option for those who are often on the move, with an elevated earning rate for purchases through American Express Travel and onboard flights, earning 3 Avios for every £1 spent.

You can also get a Companion Voucher when you spend £15,000 each membership year on the card, which is a fantastic perk for frequent flyers.

The HSBC Premier World Elite Credit Card isn't specifically mentioned as a good option for frequent flyers, but it's worth noting that it has a lower fee than The Platinum Card from American Express.