| Card | British Airways American Express Card | British Airways American Express Premium Plus Card |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Fee | £0 | £300 |
| Rewards | 1 Avios per £1, Companion Voucher at £15,000 annual spend (economy only) | 1.5 Avios/£1 (3 Avios/£1 on BA), Companion Voucher at £15,000 spend |
| FlightLogic Score | 5.9/10 | 7.3/10 |
| Best For | Best Free Avios Card | Best Companion Voucher Card |
| Apply | Check British Airways American Express Card provider terms * | Check British Airways American Express Premium Plus Card provider terms * |
What the Companion Voucher actually does
A Companion Voucher is not a free flight — it is a two-for-one Avios redemption. You book a reward flight using Avios for one passenger, attach the voucher, and the second passenger travels on the same booking for zero additional Avios. Both passengers still pay cash taxes, government fees, and British Airways carrier-imposed charges, which on long-haul routes can run to several hundred pounds each even under Reward Flight Saver pricing.
A Companion Voucher is not a free flight — it is a two-for-one Avios redemption. You book a reward flight using Avios for one passenger, attach the voucher, and the second passenger travels on the same booking for zero additional Avios. Both passengers still pay cash taxes, government fees, and British Airways carrier-imposed charges, which on long-haul routes can run to several hundred pounds each even under Reward Flight Saver pricing.
The value depends entirely on how many Avios you save. A short-haul European economy redemption might save 9,000–13,000 Avios — worthwhile but modest. A Club World redemption to New York saving 100,000+ Avios for the second passenger is where the voucher transforms from nice perk to headline value, potentially worth £500–£1,500 in Avios at typical redemption rates.
Free BA Amex vs Premium Plus: the critical differences
Both the free British Airways American Express Card and the £300/year Premium Plus Card offer a Companion Voucher after £15,000 of annual card spend. The differences are what make or break the value proposition. On the free card, the voucher is restricted to economy cabin only — try to use it for Club World or First and BA will prompt you to upgrade to Premium Plus. It expires 12 months after issue.
Both the free British Airways American Express Card and the £300/year Premium Plus Card offer a Companion Voucher after £15,000 of annual card spend. The differences are what make or break the value proposition. On the free card, the voucher is restricted to economy cabin only — try to use it for Club World or First and BA will prompt you to upgrade to Premium Plus. It expires 12 months after issue.
On the Premium Plus, the voucher works in any cabin: economy, premium economy, Club World, and First. It lasts two years from issue rather than one. For a household booking long-haul business class for two, the Premium Plus voucher is categorically more valuable — but only if you actually clear £15,000 of spend and find reward seat availability in the cabin you want.
Barclaycard Avios Plus offers an upgrade voucher (not a companion voucher) at £10,000 spend — a different mechanic entirely. Virgin Atlantic Reward+ offers a companion or upgrade voucher at £10,000 with tier-scaled value. If a companion ticket for two is your goal, the BA Amex products are the only game in town.
How to earn the voucher efficiently
The £15,000 spend threshold runs on a cardmembership year — from the date you opened the account, not the calendar year. All purchases count, including supplementary cardholder spend if you add a partner to the account. A common strategy is routing all household spending through one card from the anniversary date, hitting £15,000 before the next renewal, then booking the reward flight with the voucher attached.
The £15,000 spend threshold runs on a cardmembership year — from the date you opened the account, not the calendar year. All purchases count, including supplementary cardholder spend if you add a partner to the account. A common strategy is routing all household spending through one card from the anniversary date, hitting £15,000 before the next renewal, then booking the reward flight with the voucher attached.
Do not confuse the Companion Voucher with the annual spend bonus Avios tiers or welcome bonus — these are separate. The voucher arrives automatically once you cross £15,000; you do not need to request it. Check your BA Executive Club account or the Amex app to confirm it has been issued before you start searching for reward seats.
If you are planning a mortgage or major credit application, time the card opening carefully — the hard search and new account affect your credit file for several months.
Redemption rules and common mistakes
The golden rule: earn the voucher before spending your Avios on a solo redemption. If you burn 50,000 Avios on a solo Club World flight and then receive a companion voucher, you cannot retroactively apply it to that booking. Plan your card year around earning the voucher first, then booking.
The golden rule: earn the voucher before spending your Avios on a solo redemption. If you burn 50,000 Avios on a solo Club World flight and then receive a companion voucher, you cannot retroactively apply it to that booking. Plan your card year around earning the voucher first, then booking.
Reward seat availability is limited and separate from paid fares — a route can show plenty of cash seats but zero reward availability. Start searching 9–12 months ahead for peak dates like school holidays. Use the BA Reward Flight Finder on ba.com (requires Executive Club login) to check live availability before committing Avios.
The voucher covers the Avios cost of the second passenger only. Cash surcharges apply to both passengers and can be substantial on long-haul: budget £400–£500+ per person for transatlantic Club World even with Reward Flight Saver caps. First class redemptions are not covered by Reward Flight Saver's cash cap at all.
You can combine a Companion Voucher with a household account — pool Avios from family members at the same address, then redeem using the voucher on the primary cardholder's booking. This is how many families make long-haul redemptions for four people across two voucher years.
Is the Companion Voucher worth the annual fee?
On the free BA Amex, the question is moot — there is no fee, so any voucher you earn is pure upside if you were spending the money anyway. On the Premium Plus at £300/year, the maths requires you to actually use the voucher on a redemption that saves enough Avios to justify the fee plus the spend effort. A Club World companion redemption typically clears that bar decisively; an economy short-haul redemption often does not.
On the free BA Amex, the question is moot — there is no fee, so any voucher you earn is pure upside if you were spending the money anyway. On the Premium Plus at £300/year, the maths requires you to actually use the voucher on a redemption that saves enough Avios to justify the fee plus the spend effort. A Club World companion redemption typically clears that bar decisively; an economy short-haul redemption often does not.
For couples who fly BA long-haul at least once every two years and can clear £15,000 of annual card spend, the Premium Plus Companion Voucher is the strongest single perk in the UK travel card market. For solo travellers, occasional flyers, or Virgin Atlantic loyalists, the fee is harder to justify — consider the Amex Preferred Rewards Gold for flexible points instead.