ba.com helper

Hi all,

Glad to see you’ve received our communication about the new enhancements on the British Airways Visa Signature card. We are pleased to let you know that BA and Chase will reward loyal card members with a redemption voucher for a companion ticket on 2009 spend even though the new benefits take effect on November 12, 2009.

Keep this in mind when doing your holiday shopping especially if you’re close to $30,000 for this calendar year.

Enjoy and please see all of the details here:
www.ba.com/Redeemfor1Travelfor2

Kind regards,

Dilly

MorganB

Thats great news! I see the webpage you linked states that the program starts January 1st which is odd considering you and the letter state Nov 12th.

I hope Chase will be adding annual total spend info to our statement. It does not appear to be there currently.

ba.com helper

Good point. I'll pass that back and get clarification.

Kind regards,

Dilly

MorganB

From the terms and conditions:

The Redemption Voucher allows the main BA/Chase account holder, when making a return flight booking using BA Miles, to book another seat on the exact same journey for a companion without having to pay the BA Miles flight price for that Companion. Taxes, airline, government, or other separately charged fees and charges must be paid by Member redeeming the Redemption Voucher and is payable at time of booking.

mhbaker

In BA speak, is "return flight booking" synonymous with round-trip booking?

MorganB

Yes its the same. It's actually British English speak

ba.com helper

Yes. And I can confirm this applies to a round-trip booking (same class and same flight as the main passenger).

Also, taxes/fees/fuel surcharge will apply to companion ticket.

Kind regards,

Dilly

ba.com helper

The vouchers will be issued from Jan 1, 2010 for those that have qualified this year.

Kind regards,

Dilly

MorganB

Thanks very much for the clarification!

Beckles

I was going to say that if you can spend $30k between 11/12-12/31 maybe you'd get a voucher, but actually I wonder if they're being even more generous than that:

Sounds like they will count spend for the whole calendar year, though it sure would have been nice to know about this sooner.

cornishsimon

looks like quite a good sign up bonus if you ask me!!

especially considering the sign up bonus UK members get for the amex card!

Beckles

So, after looking this over, am I missing something or isn't this now far-and-away the most rewarding US credit card if you can swing the $30k/year spend, unless you're not interested in free travel with a companion on BA ...

zoosh

This is really great news for me; as I tallied up my actual spend on my British Airways Visa Card, from January 1, 2009 thru and including my September 25th, 2009 billing statement and .....

K'ching ..... K'ching ..... K'ching

US $45,578.13 ^^

I just wonder how soon after January 1, 2010 the e-voucher (Redemption Voucher) will be 'automatically added to my Executive Club Account?

Here is an excerpt from the Full Terms & Conditions:

When the Member has reached the Spend Target an e-voucher (“Redemption Voucher”) will automatically be added to their BA Executive Club account. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. The Redemption Voucher will be valid from the date on which it appears on the Member’s Executive Club account and will be valid for 24 months.

I'd love to book some TATL travel for January 2011.

Now if only the humongous BA Fuel Surcharge(s), LHR Airport Taxes and APD could ratchet down to a more reasonable level, I'd be a very, very happy man.

Currently, on a NYC - LHR - TLV itinerary, with no stay (24 hour +) in the UK, the total whack on the taxes, fees, fuel surcharge(s) and APD comes to a stunning US $755.00+ per traveler!

Oh well, the 2 4 1 makes the British Airways Visa Card one of the best ones here across the "Big Pond" in the 'New World'.

"zoosh"

mia

The 241 certificate effectively doubles the value of miles earned from any source, including miles you already hold ^. (Capped at the mileage value of the most expensive reward you would redeem.)

Comparisons to other cards are complicated because you cannot earn sufficient miles for a meaningful award merely by spending $30,000. 30,000 x 1.25 = only 37,500; you would need $80,000 general spending to earn 100,000 miles. However, if you also earn miles by flying, shopping, or through other cards the amount you need to spend on this card is reduced.

I would not spend more than $30,000 per year on this card. You could pair it with the Amazon VISA (also issued by Chase) which earns points redeemable 1:1 (in blocks of 5,000) for BA Miles. This card is free and earns 3 per dollar at Amazon.com, and 2 per dollar at dining, drugstores, and gasoline stations. I would not use the BA VISA for those categories, unless the $30,000 annual spend were a problem.

Beckles

You seem to be overlooking that there are people who actually redeem awards in coach (not you or I of course, but other people), which is 50,000 miles.

My wife and I have over 200,000 miles already, so in that case what matters is that it does effectively double the value of those miles we already have. We were considering doing an award next year, CW to Europe, F on the return, now I will just get my $30k as quickly as possible and luxuriate in F both ways for 100k miles less than I was planning on spending already for lesser service!