How do British Airways Amex companion vouchers operate and what are they?

Customers of American Express who have credit cards issued by British Airways can use a companion voucher to practically double the value of their Avios points

We examine their nature and potential applications.

Saving money on flights with British Airways (BA) when you use your credit card is one of the most well-liked benefits of banking with American Express (Amex).

Amex users can accomplish this by using their eligible Amex cards to earn BA tier points, which entitles them to free seat assignments, first-class lounge access, additional baggage allowance, and many other benefits.

Earning Avios points to significantly reduce the cost of flights with British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus is the most well-known British Airways Amex benefit.

These "reward flights" use Avios to reduce the cost of your ticket; depending on your point balance, you may be able to get your flight for as little as one.

Frequent travelers often try to maximize their Avios earnings from daily purchases and maximize the value of their points.

Using a companion voucher is one of the best ways to get more value out of your Avios points. We describe them and their functions.

What is an American Express companion voucher for British Airways?

With BA Amex companion vouchers, customers can buy reward flights and essentially double the value of their Avios points.

There are two methods for doing this.

Traveling with a companion: You can take a companion on the same flight and in the same cabin as you without using any additional points by using a companion voucher. If you're traveling alone, you can use a companion voucher to get 50% off the Avios cost of your reward flight. You will not have to use any more Avios points if you decide to use a voucher to bring a companion, but you will have to pay any applicable taxes and other flight fees.

When booking a reward flight with a companion, customers who have multiple vouchers can use up to two of the same type. This equates to a maximum of four passengers, not including young children under two.

Only one coupon may be used per reservation by lone travelers.

How can a BA Amex companion voucher be obtained?

When BA Amex cardholders spend £15,000 on their participating Amex card in a single year, they can earn BA Amex companion vouchers.

The British Airways American Express Premium Plus Card and the British Airways American Express Credit Card are currently the only cards that qualify for companion vouchers.

Each year, you can only earn one companion voucher.

After being earned, companion vouchers obtained with the British Airways American Express Credit Card are valid for a full year.

Companion vouchers obtained through the British Airways American Express Premium Plus Card, on the other hand, will remain valid for 24 months following their acquisition.

Be aware that using a different American Express card to spend the required amount will prevent you from earning a companion voucher.

Read Which is the best American Express credit card for a comprehensive list of all the cards that are offered by Amex.

What kinds of companion vouchers are there?

Your companion voucher type is determined by how and when you earned it.

After September 1, 2021, companion vouchers obtained using the British Airways American Express Credit Card appear as "BA American Express Credit Card Companion Voucher" on your British Airways Club account.

Companion vouchers obtained after September 1, 2021, using the British Airways American Express Premium Plus Card will be shown as "BA American Express Premium Plus Companion Voucher."

Lastly, your companion vouchers will appear in your account as "BA American Express Companion Voucher" if you earned them prior to September 1, 2021. The terms, validity, and advantages of these differ from those of the others. BA claims that more details about these are available at ba . com/amex-companion.

Companion vouchers of two different kinds cannot be combined in a single reservation.