British Airways Premium Plus American Express Credit Card
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Best Features of the British Airways Premium Plus American Express Credit Card
- 1.5 Avios points for every £1 spent
- 18,000 bonus Avios points if you spend £3,000 in first 3 months
- Complimentary travel accident, purchase protection and refund coverage
- Free companion ticket if you spend more than £10,000 every year
- Read the terms and conditions
Our Review
The British Airways Premium Plus American Express credit card is the ultimate card for frequent flyers and travellers. You will get 1.5 Avios points for almost every £1 you spend and can even get double points on certain purchases. While there is a steep annual fee of £150, this pays for itself with all the great bonuses you get as a cardholder such as a free companion ticket every year and complimentary travel insurance.
Who it’s for
BA’s Premium Plus card is designed for the frequent traveller. You don’t just have to travel by air to enjoy the perks of this card though. Cardholders get some nice benefits even when travelling by land, like the complimentary travel insurance. Since the card has a decent purchase rate, it is a good all-around credit card for anyone with a good credit history.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the British Airways Premium Plus credit card, you must be at least 18 years old, have a UK bank or building society account, have a household income of at least £30,000, have good credit rating, and, if self employed, must have been working for longer than a year.
Balance Transfers
The BA Premium Plus credit card does not currently have a balance transfer offer for new customers.
Purchases
Considering the numerous benefits of the Premium Plus card, the purchase rate of 19.9% p.a. is more than decent. When you factor in the annual fee of £150, then the representative rate for comparison increases to 50.1% p.a. variable – but do keep in mind that this new figure is based on assumed debt of £1,200 plus the standard purchase rate. You can avoid interest completely by paying your bills off in full on time. You have up to 56 interest-free days to help you avoid debt.
The minimum repayment amount is 2.5% or £5, whichever is more. This is on par with the industry standard. Fees are also on par with the industry. You will pay £12 for late payments, going over limit, or returns.
Rewards
When it comes to rewards, the American Express BA Premium Plus really delivers. Firstly, they have a great points system for cardholders. You will earn 1.5 Avios points for almost every £1 you spend. When you use your card for flights with British Airways or British Airways holidays, you will get double points. As an extra incentive to become a BA Premium Plus cardholder, you will get 18,000 bonus points so long as you spend at least £3,000 on your card during the first 3 months. You are entitled to 1 complimentary card for a family member. All purchases made on that card will also earn you points. Cardholders are automatically enrolled in the British Airways frequent flyer club.
One of the biggest perks about the BA Premium Plus card is that you get a free companion ticket on BA flights every year so long as you spend £10,000 that year. You don’t even have to use the free ticket in that same year – you will have 24 months to redeem it. If you book two flights, then you can redeem two companion tickets at the same time.
?It is worth noting that, compared to other frequent flyer rewards, British Airways is really flexible about which flights you can take. There aren’t as many restrictions about blackout dates or seat choices. You even get some special perks as a cardholder like having your favourite seats stored in the computer and getting them automatically assigned if they are available.?
The travel benefits of BA Premium Plus don’t just stop at free flights. As a cardholder, you get travel security options like reimbursement for delays or missed connections. If your luggage gets lost, you can buy new clothes for free. When travelling by land, you are also covered. So long as you buy your public transport ticket with your British Airways Premium Plus card, you get up to £250,000 in travel accident coverage.
BA Premium Plus will also protect your purchases. Eligible items are covered by the Refund Protection Insurance: if a retailer won’t give you a refund on an item you bought within 90 days, AmEx will refund the amount for you. To sweeten this deal, you also get 90 days of purchase protection in case you lose or damage an item.
Cash Advances
Compared to other credit cards, this card offers a good deal on cash advances. You will pay 25.9% p.a. interest on cash advances plus 3% or £3, whichever is higher. There is no interest-free period for cash advances.
Security & Fraud Protection
As a British Airways Premium Plus cardholder, you are covered by the most advanced security and fraud monitoring. Their support team is available 24/7 should you ever need it.
Conclusion
Overall, the British Airways Premium Plus credit card from American Express is a sweet deal for frequent travellers. The £150 yearly fee pays for itself thanks to the free companion ticket you can get every year. For the amount of rewards that you get with this card, the purchase rate is very decent and you can avoid interest completely by paying off your balance in full on time. Do keep in mind though that American Express isn’t as readily accepted as Visa or MasterCard and retailers may charge more to process transactions made with the card. So long as this isn’t a problem for you, the benefits of being a British Airways Premium Plus cardholder are more than worth it.
