British Airways American Express credit card holders will need to spend more to qualify for a free companion voucher from the 1st November 2024. The annual fees for the Premium Plus credit card will be going up by £50 too.
The companion voucher perk from American Express allows you to book a second seat for someone travelling on the same flight as you, redeemable when booking a Reward Flight with Avios. Alternatively, you can use the companion voucher to get a 50% discount on the Avios price of a Reward Flight if you're travelling solo or with an infant.
Currently, those holding a British Airways American Express credit card need to spend £12,000 per card membership year in order to receive a companion voucher. However, those with a British Airways American Express Premium Plus card can get the companion voucher if they spend £10,000 within a card membership year.
From 1st November 2024, you'll need to spend £15,000 within each anniversary year regardless of which British Airways credit card you hold in order to qualify for the companion voucher perk. This represents a spending increase of £3,000 - £5,000, depending on which card you hold.
In addition, those with a British Airways American Express Premium Plus credit card will see their annual fee rise £50 from £250 to £300 per year. The change applies to all new applicants and is effective immediately.
How will the annual fee increase impact current Premium Plus customers?
The £50 annual fee increase won't impact current Premium Plus customers right away. The new fee will kick in from August 1, 2024 for existing customers. This means that if your renewal date is before August 1, you'll only pay £250 and will effectively get another year of perks at the "old rate". But, if your Premium Plus card renews on or after August 1, then you'll pay the new £300 fee.
How do the changes impact current American Express customers?
If you have a British Airways credit card, you could still qualify for a companion voucher under the old rules in certain circumstances. An example posted on the British Airways website suggests that if, for example, your next renewal date is 1st February 2025, you would qualify for a companion voucher under the old rules if you spend £10,000 or £12,000 (depending on your British Airways credit card) by October 31st, 2024.
But, if you don't manage to spend that much before the rules kick in on 1st November 2024, you'll need to spend a total of £15,000 before your next anniversary date (i.e. by 31st January 2025) in order to qualify for a companion voucher.
How does the companion voucher work?
You're eligible for one companion voucher per card membership year, as long as you spend the qualifying amount before your renewal date. If you spend more than the qualifying amount, this won't count towards next year. Instead, you'll need to wait until your anniversary date to start spending towards your next companion voucher.
When you book a Reward Flight with Avios, you can choose to access the solo traveller benefit and receive a 50% discount on the Avios price if you're travelling alone. Or, if you want to travel with a companion, you can use the companion voucher to save yourself the Avios points you would have spent on the second ticket.
It is worth keeping in mind that a companion voucher only covers your Avios fare. You will still be responsible for paying all the taxes, fees, and charges as part of your ticket. These can sometimes be higher than the airfare itself.
There are also other restrictions that you need to be aware of depending on which type of credit card you have. We've outlined these in the next section.
Companion voucher: British Airways American Express vs British Airways American Express Premium Plus
The table below sums up how the companion voucher differs depending on whether you have a British Airways American Express credit card or a British Airways American Express Premium Plus credit card.
| Feature | BA AMEX | BA AMEX Premium Plus |
| Voucher validity | 12 months | 24 months |
| Travel class | Economy (Euro Traveller and World Traveller) | All cabins including Business (Club World) and First |
| Spending minimum to qualify (from 1st November 2024) | £15,000 (up by £3,000) | £15,000 (up by £5,000) |
| Fly with British Airways |  |
|
| Fly with Aer Lingus and Iberia | |
|
| Annual credit card fee | FREE | £300 (up by £50) |
As you can see, the new £15,000 threshold will remove one of the perks of having a British Airways American Express Premium Plus card. Previously, customers needed to spend £10,000 to qualify for a companion voucher (versus £12,000 for those with the free British Airways Amex credit card).
However, when it comes to the companion vouchers, those with a Premium Plus card get other perks such as an additional 12 months to use their voucher and the opportunity to book travel in Business and First class, rather than just Economy.
There are other differences between the two credit cards, including enhanced travel benefits, opportunities to earn more Avios per pound spent, and bigger welcome bonuses if you opt for the paid Premium Plus credit card.
Which is the best American Express credit card for you?
If a companion voucher is your main reason for taking out an Amex credit card, then it still might be a viable option for you, just keep in mind the higher fees for the BA Amex Premium Plus credit card and the higher spending requirements from 1st November 2024. You may also want to consider other options available to you as American Express offers a range of credit cards to appeal to frequent flyers, those seeking cashback as well as those looking for a credit card that offers decent rewards. Check out the best American Express credit cards on offer right now.
And, if you're not sure American Express is right for you, but you want to earn air miles, then you should check out the best air miles credit cards to explore what some of Amex's competitors have to offer. We also have an article looking at the best Avios credit cards if you're interested in this particular frequent-flyer loyalty scheme.
