# Earn Companion Vouchers quicker, and redeem them more easily, with improved British Airways American Express® Cards
Author:  Pal Sinha, Barnali 
Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali
Published: 2021-09-08
Category: BANKING
Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/banking
Meta Title: Earn More Avios with New Amex British Airways Cards!
Meta Description: Earn more Avios with biggest ever Welcome Bonuses, Companion Vouchers, and referral rewards on the improved British Airways American Express Cards!
URL: https://financedigest.com/earn-companion-vouchers-quicker-and-redeem-them-more-easily-with-improved-british-airways-american-express-cardshtml

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- _Cards also come with biggest ever Avios Welcome Bonuses_ _and Cardmembers can earn more Avios when referring a friend_

American Express (NYSE: AXP) has today revealed its improved British Airways American Express® Cards, with changes making it quicker to earn Companion Vouchers and easier to redeem, alongside generous welcome bonuses and a new look.

British Airways American Express Companion Vouchers enable Cardmembers to receive a second seat for a friend or family member for no extra Avios, on the same flight and in the same cabin, when booking the initial reward seat using Avios.

To mark the improvements to the British Airways American Express® Credit Card and the British Airways American Express® Premium Plus Card, both cards have a brand new look for the first [time in over 20 years](https://www.financedigest.com/30-years-of-excel-lence-time-to-move-on.html "30 YEARS OF EXCEL-LENCE: TIME TO MOVE ON?").

**British Airways American Express** [Credit Card](https://www.financedigest.com/uk-credit-card-borrowing-rises-by-most-since-2005-boe.html "UK credit card borrowing rises by most since 2005 – BoE")

From today, the amount of [spending on the Card](https://www.financedigest.com/should-we-be-more-cautious-about-contactless-1-in-4-young-adults-with-contactless-cards-say-theyve-increased-their-spending.html "Should we be more cautious about contactless? 1 in 4 young adults with contactless cards say they’ve increased their spending") required to earn a Companion Voucher is being reduced from £20,000 to £12,000, per Card anniversary year. This will make it quicker and easier for new and existing [British Airways](https://www.financedigest.com/british-airways-not-currently-using-afghanistan-airspace.html "British Airways not currently using Afghanistan airspace") American Express Cardmembers to earn Companion Vouchers.

For Vouchers earned from 1 September 2021, Cardmembers will be able to use their Companion Voucher to book an Avios reward [flight in Euro Traveller](https://www.financedigest.com/asias-airlines-ramp-up-flights-offers-as-tough-covid-travel-curbs-ease.html "Asia’s airlines ramp up flights, offers as tough COVID travel curbs ease") and World Traveller (short haul and long haul economy) cabins only.

Beyond the Companion Voucher changes, for a limited time only, new Cardmembers can earn a Welcome Bonus of 10,000 Avios when they spend £1,000 in the first three months. This is the most generous Welcome Bonus ever [offered on the Card](https://www.financedigest.com/community-fintech-11onze-to-launch-el-canut-a-super-app-offering-universal-banking-accounts-and-digital-debit-cards.html "Community fintech 11Onze to launch – EL CANUT – a super APP offering universal banking accounts and digital debit cards"). Cardmembers can also earn 6,000 Avios when referring a friend through the Member Get Member referral program, with their referral receiving 12,000 Avios on approval and spending £1,000 in the first three months.

Executive Club Members who are not Cardmembers will also be contacted with a bespoke Welcome [Bonus offer](https://www.financedigest.com/factbox-european-companies-offer-one-off-bonuses-hike-pay-amid-cost-of-living-crisis.html "Factbox-European companies offer one-off bonuses, hike pay amid cost-of-living crisis") over the coming days.

Cardmembers will continue to earn 1 Avios for every £1 spent and the Card will remain fee free.

**British Airways** [American Express](https://www.financedigest.com/american-express-and-rambus-join-forces-on-secure-global-e-commerce-tokenization.html "American Express and Rambus Join Forces on Secure Global E-commerce Tokenization") **Premium Plus Card**

Booking a Companion Voucher earned from 1 September, 2021, will be even easier with improved redemption seat availability in Club World (long haul business class cabin), exclusively for British Airways American Express [Premium Plus](https://www.financedigest.com/smbs-win-big-with-all-new-act-premium-plus.html "SMBs Win Big with All-New Act! Premium Plus") Cardmembers. This Card will offer the only UK Companion Voucher that will be redeemable in British Airways’ premium cabins – [offering Cardmembers the opportunity](https://www.financedigest.com/convenience-offered-by-home-automation-solutions-to-offer-opportunities-for-market-players-iot-has-encouraged-the-demand.html "Convenience Offered by Home Automation Solutions to Offer Opportunities for Market Players; IoT has Encouraged the Demand") to travel in luxury for less Avios.

For a limited time only, new Cardmembers can earn a Welcome [Bonus of 40,000 Avios when they spend £3,000 in the first three months – again it is the most generous Welcome Bonus ever offered](https://www.financedigest.com/assetz-capital-launches-new-90-day-access-account-bonus-cashback-offer.html "Assetz Capital launches new 90-Day Access Account with bonus cashback offer") on the Card. Cardmembers can also earn 12,000 Avios when referring a friend through the Member Get Member referral program, with their referral receiving 42,000 Avios on approval and spending £3,000 in the first three months. As with the British Airways American Express Credit Card, Executive Club [Members who are not Cardmembers will also be contacted with a bespoke Welcome Bonus offer over the coming days](https://www.financedigest.com/bloom-uk-celebrates-500-new-members-as-it-looks-ahead-to-international-womens-day-and-launches-its-2022-mentoring-scheme.html "Bloom UK celebrates 500 new members as it looks ahead to International Women’s Day and launches its 2022 mentoring scheme").

Cardmembers will continue to collect 1.5 Avios per £1 [spend and 3 Avios for £1 on purchases made through ba.com on British](https://www.financedigest.com/valentines-day-spending-boosts-british-retail-sales-in-february-brc.html "Valentine’s Day spending boosts British retail sales in February – BRC") Airways flights and holidays.

The annual fee to British [Airways Premium Plus will increase](https://www.financedigest.com/ita-airways-averts-strike-after-wage-increase-accord-with-unions.html "ITA Airways averts strike after wage increase accord with unions") from £195 to £250. The increase will take [effect from the Cardmember’s next](https://www.financedigest.com/effective-integration-will-improve-mobility-in-the-tl-sector-over-the-next-five-years.html "Effective Integration Will Improve Mobility in the T&L Sector Over the Next Five Years") anniversary date after 1 September.

**Stacey Sterbenz, Vice President Consumer at American Express, stated:** “After a challenging 18 months, people are excited about the prospect of going abroad with their friends and family again, which is why we’ve made changes to British Airways American Express [Cards to better support our Cardmembers’ travel](https://www.financedigest.com/virtual-cards-in-the-travel-industry.html "Virtual cards in the travel industry") aspirations. From making Companion Vouchers easier to earn and use, to offering [substantial Avios promotions and limited time offers to grow](https://www.financedigest.com/the-diabetic-gastroparesis-market-to-grow-at-an-exponential-substantiation.html "The Diabetic Gastroparesis Market to grow at an exponential substantiation") their balances faster, we’re rewarding new and existing Cardmembers in ways that will help them get away sooner.”

**Tom Stevens, British Airways’ Director of Brand and** [Customer Experience adds: “These changes](https://www.financedigest.com/talk-to-me-the-changing-face-of-customer-communications.html "TALK TO ME :THE CHANGING FACE OF CUSTOMER COMMUNICATIONS") to the British Airways American Express® Credit Cards are great rewards for credit card users. This is the type of benefit our [customers deserve after the loyalty](https://www.financedigest.com/how-to-maintain-customer-loyalty-and-trust-in-the-face-of-a-pandemic-and-digital-competition.html "How to maintain customer loyalty and trust in the face of a pandemic and digital competition") they’ve shown British Airways and American Express. We look forward to welcoming [people on our flights over the coming](https://www.financedigest.com/power-to-the-people-how-consumers-are-calling-the-shots-when-it-comes-to-data-privacy.html "Power to the people: how consumers are calling the shots when it comes to data privacy") months.”

**Further changes**

Cardmembers of either Card will no longer be required to use their Companion Voucher for a journey starting in the [United Kingdom](https://www.financedigest.com/the-future-of-fintech-and-open-source-cloud-solutions-in-the-united-kingdom.html "The future of fintech and open source cloud solutions in the United Kingdom"), giving them more freedom when booking their voucher for international travel.

As part of the sleek new design, both [Card](https://www.financedigest.com/number-of-emv-card-present-transactions-exceeds-42-globally.html "Number of EMV Card – Present Transactions exceeds 42% globally") s now feature the 15-digit Card number on the back of the Card.

The British Airways American Express [Credit Card](https://www.financedigest.com/more-bang-for-your-buck-with-debenhams-credit-card.html "More Bang For Your Buck with Debenhams Credit Card") representative APR for existing Cardmembers is 22.2%, and for existing British Airways American Express Premium Plus Cardmembers it is 74.7%. For new Cardmembers joining from 1 September onwards, the representative APR will be 24.5% and 101.1% [across each Card](https://www.financedigest.com/bnp-paribas-offers-nexo-standards-across-14-countries-to-enable-fast-interoperable-and-borderless-card-payment-acceptance-for-european-merchants.html "BNP Paribas Offers nexo standards Across 14 Countries to Enable Fast, Interoperable and Borderless Card Payment Acceptance for European Merchants"), respectively.


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