Last edit by: EsherFlyer
Current sign-up, referral, spend promotions and retention offers
New member sign ups
British Airways American Express Premium Plus Card:
Collect 25,000 bonus Avios when you spend Ł3,000 within the first three months of card membership.
British Airways American Express Credit Card:
Collect 9,000 bonus Avios when you spend Ł1,000 within the first three months of card membership.
Referrals
If you are already a BA American Express card holder (either BA card) and introduce a friend to the BA American Express card, you'll receive a 4,000 Avios bonus once your friend's application is approved.
If you are already a BA American Express card holder (either BA card) and introduce a friend to the Premium Plus card, you'll receive a 9,000 Avios bonus once your friend's application is approved.
If your friend achieves the spend required for the welcome offer on either card they'll receive an additional 1,000 Avios. I.e. 26,000 or 10,000 total bonus Avios for the Premium Plus and Credit Card respectively.
Promotions
Retention offers
Voucher eligible spend
Pretty much everything counts towards the Ł10,000 (or Ł20,000) required to earn a 2-4-1 Companion Voucher, including the following which might be unexpected:
A few things that don't:
The online total to the right of the card summary is pretty up to date, and far more useful for tracking spend than what the statements show.
Insurance
Both standard and Premium Plus cards include insurance benefits for goods and services purchased on the card. Full details here and here respectively. Summary of Premium Plus benefit are shown here, with standard card offering same cover unless alternate figure is shown in parentheses:
New member sign ups
British Airways American Express Premium Plus Card:
Collect 25,000 bonus Avios when you spend Ł3,000 within the first three months of card membership.
British Airways American Express Credit Card:
Collect 9,000 bonus Avios when you spend Ł1,000 within the first three months of card membership.
Referrals
If you are already a BA American Express card holder (either BA card) and introduce a friend to the BA American Express card, you'll receive a 4,000 Avios bonus once your friend's application is approved.
If you are already a BA American Express card holder (either BA card) and introduce a friend to the Premium Plus card, you'll receive a 9,000 Avios bonus once your friend's application is approved.
If your friend achieves the spend required for the welcome offer on either card they'll receive an additional 1,000 Avios. I.e. 26,000 or 10,000 total bonus Avios for the Premium Plus and Credit Card respectively.
Small print:
You must refer your friend via the referral link provided above to be eligible for this offer.
You may recommend as many friends or family members as you wish but you can only receive a maximum of 45,000 Avios per calendar year for those approved for a Card.
You will receive 4,000 bonus Avios if your friend applies and is approved for the British Airways American Express Credit Card. Your friend will receive 4,000 bonus Avios after they have been approved and spent a minimum of Ł1,000 on goods and services purchased and charged to their Account within three months of Account opening.
You will receive 9,000 bonus Avios if your friend applies and is approved for the British Airways American Express Premium Plus Card. Your friend will receive 19,000 bonus Avios after they have been approved and spent a minimum of Ł3,000 on goods and services purchased and charged to their Account within three months of Account opening.
When completing the referral form, you must
(i) select the Card you hold from the list at Step 1 and
(ii) select a card to recommend from those listed at Step 2. If you do not follow this process, you and your friend will not be eligible for the bonus.
If your friend has already applied for any of the British Airways American Express Credit Cards without using this referral, you and your friend will not be eligible for the bonus Avios.
All introductory offers are subject to change, can be withdrawn at any time and are not available if your friend currently holds or has held any other British Airways American Express Credit Cards in the past six months.
You must refer your friend via the referral link provided above to be eligible for this offer.
You may recommend as many friends or family members as you wish but you can only receive a maximum of 45,000 Avios per calendar year for those approved for a Card.
You will receive 4,000 bonus Avios if your friend applies and is approved for the British Airways American Express Credit Card. Your friend will receive 4,000 bonus Avios after they have been approved and spent a minimum of Ł1,000 on goods and services purchased and charged to their Account within three months of Account opening.
You will receive 9,000 bonus Avios if your friend applies and is approved for the British Airways American Express Premium Plus Card. Your friend will receive 19,000 bonus Avios after they have been approved and spent a minimum of Ł3,000 on goods and services purchased and charged to their Account within three months of Account opening.
When completing the referral form, you must
(i) select the Card you hold from the list at Step 1 and
(ii) select a card to recommend from those listed at Step 2. If you do not follow this process, you and your friend will not be eligible for the bonus.
If your friend has already applied for any of the British Airways American Express Credit Cards without using this referral, you and your friend will not be eligible for the bonus Avios.
All introductory offers are subject to change, can be withdrawn at any time and are not available if your friend currently holds or has held any other British Airways American Express Credit Cards in the past six months.
Promotions
Retention offers
Voucher eligible spend
Pretty much everything counts towards the Ł10,000 (or Ł20,000) required to earn a 2-4-1 Companion Voucher, including the following which might be unexpected:
- Foreign transaction fees
A few things that don't:
- Annual membership fee
- Interest payments
- Transactions under Ł1 (although you can earn the single Avios )
The online total to the right of the card summary is pretty up to date, and far more useful for tracking spend than what the statements show.
Insurance
Both standard and Premium Plus cards include insurance benefits for goods and services purchased on the card. Full details here and here respectively. Summary of Premium Plus benefit are shown here, with standard card offering same cover unless alternate figure is shown in parentheses:
- Purchase protection: Ł2,500
- Refund protection: Ł300 (Ł200) per item
- Flight delay / cancellation / overbooking / missed: Ł200 (Ł0)
- Baggage delay (6+ hours): Ł750 (Ł0)
- Baggage delay (48+ hours): Ł1,000 (Ł0), additional to 6 hours benefit
- Accident: Ł250,000 (Ł75,000)
- Hijack (24+ hours): Ł1,500
- Hijack (72+ hours): Ł3,000, additional to the 24h benefit
BA American Express credit card
#1636
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: London, UK
Programs: BAEC Silver, ITA Club Executive, Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 3,598
The only case in which you may want to keep or hold an Amex card is if you decide to cancel your booking and reuse your voucher in the future, or to make changes to an exiting booking, for which you’ll have to use an Amex card to pay.
#1638
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: LON, ATH
Programs: A3*G, BA Gold, OA Gold (in memoriam), Hertz #1 Gold
Posts: 546
As far as I know, there is no requirement to own an Amex card when you fly. It is, however, a requirement to pay for the taxes with an Amex card.
The only case in which you may want to keep or hold an Amex card is if you decide to cancel your booking and reuse your voucher in the future, or to make changes to an exiting booking, for which you’ll have to use an Amex card to pay.
Does it need to be the free BA amex, or an amex charge card could do?
#1640
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: LON, ATH
Programs: A3*G, BA Gold, OA Gold (in memoriam), Hertz #1 Gold
Posts: 546
Interesting, I called them to cancel my BAPP account last saturday and they directed me to downgrafe instead as they told me that I need a BA amex to pay for the taxes for the voucher, I specifically asked for the gold charge card and the agent said that it won't do
#1642
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: London, UK
Programs: BAEC Silver, ITA Club Executive, Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 3,598
This is what they may tell you, but reports are different. Also it would imply that BA will have to check the bins of the cards and have the capability of discerning the type of Amex card.
#1643
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: England
Programs: BAEC Gold, UA Mileage Plus, Hotels.com Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Platinum, Pizza Express Gold
Posts: 600
I've paid for a 241 booking with a Lloyds Amex before. Amex always say that you need a BA Amex (or even that you'd lose the voucher altogether) but there have been no reports of that happening any time recently.
#1645
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: London, UK
Programs: BAEC Silver, ITA Club Executive, Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 3,598
You can actually refer for ANY card now, even the charge cards. The person who is referred just needs to choose the option to see other cards in the referral landing page.
#1646
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: London, UK
Programs: IHG Platinum; Marriott Silver; Avis president's: Hertz President's
Posts: 225
That said, the referral bonus depends on which card you have. BAPP gives 9k when you refer, but if you refer as a BA Standard holder it seems you only get 4k, even if referring to premium. I need to rethink my churn strategy....
#1647
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 68
Hi all. Grateful for advice on the forum. I currently have a 2-4-1 booking made and am on the lookout for availability on a slightly later return. However I am thinking of cancelling my BA Amex. Would that matter should I be fortunate enough to need to change the return? Apologies if this has been answered elsewhere but I can’t find a specific datapoint on this. The closest I can get to is that voucher will be returned if booking is cancelled. But unsure if a change in booking means the booking is transiently cancelled and voucher goes into the ether.
Thank u all for advice!
Thank u all for advice!
#1648
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: England
Programs: BAEC Gold, UA Mileage Plus, Hotels.com Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Platinum, Pizza Express Gold
Posts: 600
Hi all. Grateful for advice on the forum. I currently have a 2-4-1 booking made and am on the lookout for availability on a slightly later return. However I am thinking of cancelling my BA Amex. Would that matter should I be fortunate enough to need to change the return? Apologies if this has been answered elsewhere but I can’t find a specific datapoint on this. The closest I can get to is that voucher will be returned if booking is cancelled. But unsure if a change in booking means the booking is transiently cancelled and voucher goes into the ether.
Thank u all for advice!
Thank u all for advice!
#1650
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Cambridgeshire
Programs: Varies
Posts: 1,291
Did anyone else get this emailed offer from Amex?
"You can now go even further when you spend on your Card. An exclusive 1,000 bonus Avios for you when you shop via the British Airways Avios eStore between 6 April and 6 May."
The T&C's say you must use your BAPP, and that the bonus will be awarded in July.
I made a purchase from the estore on April 6th and have received confirmation from BA that the normal (66) avios are pending and will be awarded within 40 days. There was no mention of the 1,000 bonus avios. I'll put a note in my diary to check whether they arrive in July.
I don't usually use the estore, so maybe I was targeted for the bonus.
"You can now go even further when you spend on your Card. An exclusive 1,000 bonus Avios for you when you shop via the British Airways Avios eStore between 6 April and 6 May."
The T&C's say you must use your BAPP, and that the bonus will be awarded in July.
I made a purchase from the estore on April 6th and have received confirmation from BA that the normal (66) avios are pending and will be awarded within 40 days. There was no mention of the 1,000 bonus avios. I'll put a note in my diary to check whether they arrive in July.
I don't usually use the estore, so maybe I was targeted for the bonus.