Dave_C

I just spoke with Amex CS and they said the fee waiver is going for everyone regardless of what card they hold.

I asked them to move me to the Starwood card which apparently they can't do. I have to have an entirely new application and then close the BA one.

Either way, I won't be paying £195 for the BA card as it's not worth it. Will drive me further away from BA and Avios.

Roger

That seems consistent with the rather brusque response I received from the secure online message service:

'I would like to inform you that earlier we used to provide this benefit of Companion Card. As of now, to align all the American Express Cards this benefit is no longer available.'

Nothing in response to my specific questions about qualifying companion cards.In my case, it's potentially £140 + £195 that I won't be paying.

Mike P

Even if this is true, the 241 voucher still has to be good value for most people for £195, doesn't it?

wobbly wings

Got the letter earlier this week. I've held the BAPP for many years ; fee was increased from £0 to £30 some years ago. I hold the SPG AMEX and the Platinum *credit* card. I logged a message online. They replied stating the charge of £195 will apply, that my cards are not "companion cards" (whatever that means) and that the companion programme has been discontinued anyway.

My anniversary is in March so the fee is payable soon.

NFH

No, because BA fails to release enough Avios seats to honour the number of Avios it issues. I've had several Companion Vouchers expire because there was no availability to use them. I certainly wouldn't pay £195 for a Companion Voucher that is so hard to use.

Mike P

Well, I've had the BA AMEX PP for 11 years now and have never failed to use the voucher. We've had some excellent redemptions, GCM, UVF, JFK, CMB etc. all in premium cabins, but you do have to be flexible to use it.

Having said that, I'm very close to GGL this year and one of the reasons for going out of my way to qualify is the GGL jokers which make the 241 hugely more valuable

McCoy

Indeed - we've used the 241 for F seats to SIN, NRT and YYZ in the last few years..

Flexibility in dates was our advantage.

But yes, the change in fee is frustrating.
Will downgrade to the free card to maintain current voucher, and consider future options.

wobbly wings

I think it just depends on one's travel patterns. Also in my case (using vouchers mostly for CE/ET redemptions) the higher fee would not work.

baggageinhall

Like the OP I had an Amex Blue card from around the time it was launched in the late 1990s which later became the Plat credit card. I got my BAPP in 2001 (and am still chasing my 15k bonus avios but that's another story) and have been charged £30pa ever since.

The language in the letter is either sloppy or deliberate obfuscation; regardless I get the feeling it's irked a number of Amex customers in the process. I had a long phone call during which the agent tried to persuade me that my companion card was the Gold card I cancelled in 2016. I had a Gold card from 2013-2014. Then it became a Plat Charge Card (which I've never had) and finally a promise that someone would look into it and call me back. They haven't.

I've had some superb value out of 241s over the years but the recent addition of a Hand-baggageinhall to the family means I won't for a few years so it's down to the free BA Amex and a Gold Charge Card for a year.

ewand

Like others, I too had the Amex Blue / Platinum cashback credit card, and have enjoyed the £30 annual fee for as long as I can recall.

I presume there is some decent percentage of BAPP holders who are prepared to pay the £195pa fee, and if they lose 20% of the current £30 users then so be it. Maybe they even want to churn the £30pa users onto another card, with a lower £/Avios/MR points/whatever ratio, and are prepared to cause dissatisfaction amongst loyal customers to do so.

I haven't complained yet, but since my renewal is only a month away, maybe it's time to write them a letter... now what did I do with that green pen?

NFH

I phoned Amex today about something else and double-checked what I had been told previously by a duty manager (see above). I was told the same story - that some people, who had previously got away with no annual fee after cancelling their "companion card", will now have to pay an annual fee; the letter was sent correctly to these people. But the letter was erroneously sent to other people who continue to hold an applicable "companion card", such as me.

I double-checked that there's no change to the policy of the Platinum Card causing the annual fee on the BA card to be waived (for those who qualify).

LondonElite

That sounds sensible.

allturnleft

Not received a letter
Was wondering whether a 'companion card' could refer to having a partner BAPP card on the same account
Will some people still pay the £150?

ewand

Well, my wife has a second BAPP on my account, and I have a Platinum cash back credit card so either I got the letter by mistake or they have changed policy on which cards qualify as companions. Either way, the letter is poor as it intimates that I no longer have a particular card, rather than a card which I have no longer qualifies...

NFH

I think it's probably the latter. I would guess that they're not going to waive or significantly reduce the BA Amex card's annual fee of £195 if you don't also have another Amex card with a higher annual fee.