There are two British Airways American Express credit cards available in the UK: the free British Airways American Express Credit Card and the British Airways American Express Premium Plus Card, which carries an annual fee of £300. Both earn Avios (British Airways' loyalty currency) on everyday spending, with points credited to a linked British Airways Club account.

ClearScore is a credit broker, not a lender.

What happened to the British Airways Executive Club?

British Airways' loyalty programme was renamed from "British Airways Executive Club" to "The British Airways Club" on 1 April 2025, alongside a broader overhaul of how status (Tier Points) is earned — moving from a flight/cabin-based system to one based mainly on spending. This was a rebrand and restructuring, not a closure: Avios earned on both BA Amex cards continue to work as before, and existing Avios balances were unaffected. The main practical change for cardholders is in how status tiers are earned, covered below.

How Avios are earned

The free card earns 1 Avios per £1 spent on purchases. The Premium Plus card earns 1.5 Avios per £1 on general spending, and 3 Avios per £1 on British Airways flights and holidays booked directly.

Upcoming change to Premium Plus earn rates: From 7 October 2026, the Premium Plus card's general earn rate reduces from 1.5 to 1.25 Avios per £1, and the 3 Avios per £1 bonus rate on British Airways flights and holidays is being removed entirely. This change affects the Premium Plus card only — the free card's earn rate is unaffected.

Welcome bonuses

The free card currently offers 5,000 bonus Avios for spending £2,000 in the first three months. The Premium Plus card offers 30,000 bonus Avios (boosted to 60,000 until 06 October 2026) for spending £6,000 in the first three months. Welcome bonuses are only available to new cardholders who have not held a British Airways American Express card in the previous 24 months.

Companion Voucher

Both cards offer a Companion Voucher when £15,000 is spent in a card year, which can be used to take a companion on the same Avios reward flight for no additional Avios, or to get a 50% discount on Avios for a solo reward flight (taxes and charges still apply to both tickets in either case).

Companion Vouchers can be used on British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus. Vouchers earned on the free card are valid for economy cabins only and expire after 12 months; those earned on the Premium Plus card can be used across all cabins and expire after 24 months.

Tier points (status)

Premium Plus cardholders can currently earn up to 2,500 British Airways Club tier points per membership year through card spending — separate from Avios, and contributing toward status tiers (Bronze requires 3,500 tier points, Silver 7,500, Gold 20,000). This benefit is not available on the free BA Amex card.

• Earn 750 tier points when you spend £15,000

• A further 750 tier points (1,500 total) when you spend £20,000

• A further 1,000 tier points (2,500 total) when you spend £25,000

Cardmembers must opt in and enrol by 25 January 2027, with qualifying spend completed by 1 February 2027. Tier points earned this way don't count toward your Avios balance, and typically transfer to your British Airways Club account within eight weeks of reaching each threshold.

Upcoming change to tier points: From 1 April 2027, this system changes — tier points will be earned automatically (no opt-in or spending thresholds required) at a rate of 1 tier point per £10 spent, with the annual cap rising from 2,500 to 3,000.

Other features

Both cards carry a 2.99% foreign exchange fee on non-sterling transactions, which makes them less cost-effective for overseas spending. A separate fee-free travel card may be worth considering alongside these cards for use abroad.

Representative examples

Free card: Representative 29.1% APR variable. Based on an assumed borrowing of £1,200 at a purchase rate of 29.1% p.a. (variable), with no annual fee.

Premium Plus card: Representative 135.7% APR variable, including the £300 annual fee. Purchase rate 29.1% p.a. (variable).

These representative examples reflect the rate offered to at least 51% of successful applicants. Your rate may differ depending on individual circumstances. Both cards are issued by American Express. Terms and conditions apply — always check current details at americanexpress.com before applying. This article is for general information only and does not constitute financial advice.