American Express British Airways card

[jonnykerm]

Jeez this is an absolute mind field of information! Too many options now I've started looking into it!

[bad company]

jonnykerm said:

Jeez this is an absolute mind field of information! Too many options now I've started looking into it!

If you spend a lot of time out of the country it's got to be the Lloyds Amex.

[jonnykerm]

GCH said:

Also note that thereare two BA amex cards.
The Premium Plus card has a higher earning rate than the free card, but also carries an annual fee. Companion voucher @ £10k vs £20k - but if you are only planning on using for flybe thats maybe not so important to you , as the companion voicher can only be used on BA.
Work out which one is more suitable for you.

If you need a referral, drop me a message (bonus points for you and me)

I sent you a message regarding a referral, did you get it?

[JonV8V]

The partner flight needs to be used within the year and it gets awarded when you pass the threshold. I had to stop using my card until a year before Easter the following year as it was just about the only way to get to San Fran club class at Easter using miles and the voucher (if the description sounds convoluted try making it work). They really don't make it easy.

I'm sitting on don't know how many hundreds of thousands and can't be bothered to even try any more.

[Alex L]

JonV8V said:

The partner flight needs to be used within the year and it gets awarded when you pass the threshold. I had to stop using my card until a year before Easter the following year as it was just about the only way to get to San Fran club class at Easter using miles and the voucher (if the description sounds convoluted try making it work). They really don't make it easy.

I'm sitting on don't know how many hundreds of thousands and can't be bothered to even try any more.

If you go for the black card the companion voucher lasts for 2 years rather than 1. I've never had a problem using the Avios or Companion, this year we flew club to Singapore and then hopped on a connecting flight to Bali for the sum of about £1k in tax.

[GCH]

jonnykerm said:

I sent you a message regarding a referral, did you get it?

I didn't. but my junk folder did
Will reply now

[sidicks]

The Leaper said:

I've had an Amex/BA card since they started and I have accumulated quite a few air miles, now Avios points. I've never had any problem using the points and companion voucher, although I usually use them to upgrade to club class and do so maybe 6 months or more ahead of when I want to travel, whether short or long haul. Over the years I've probably made maybe 15 trips using the points.

Maybe I've been lucky...I've never experienced any problems.

R.

I think that if you decide that you want to go to X place on Y dates, then the chances of finding reward flights are minimal.

We tend to work it the other way around:
We fancy a week away, sometime in November, where / when can we get a reward flight to somewhere appropriate?

If you book far enough ahead there are normally plenty of options - we've done St Lucia in first, Johannesburg in first, New York in first, Barbados in club class , often for not much more than the cost of economy flights.

[sealtt]

After racking up a good 150k Avios points and 2 x companion fly free vouchers from my BA Amex card, I am still waiting a flight I want to take that I can actually use them on!!!!!!!!!

I'm not sure it's worth it. On my NatWest credit card I get 0.5% cash back (well, Amazon vouchers - basically the same thing) which probably works out better.

Plus as you know Amex is a bit restricted in usage so half the time I don't even bother trying before the inevitable "oh, sorry we don't take Amex here".

Edited by sealtt on Thursday 26th November 22:19

[The Leaper]

sidicks,

I've never had any problems, as I said earlier. We are usually flexible within a day or so. We've never been tied to a stated date, and I guess if you are then I can see why getting a booking for exactly what you want can be a problem.

R.

[BobToc]

We've booked two business class flights to New York in 2015 and 2016, its great. Still waiting for that trip to San Francisco or Tokyo though

[JonV8V]

BobToc said:

We've booked two business class flights to New York in 2015 and 2016, its great. Still waiting for that trip to San Francisco or Tokyo though

I had to order my San Fran club class tickets the day they were released to get them (which I think is something odd like 330 days in advance?)

[docter fox]

For those of you struggling to use Avios on redemptions, you can now use them as part payment on commercial tickets (any available ticket, not just redemption space) and for black Friday, they've upped the value of Avios for this weekend.

CPT in Economy - £200 off for 15000 Avios
CPT in Club - £350 off for 15000 Avios

[oyster]

Mr Trophy said:

Just my 2 pence.

I had a American Express as a business card and it was a complete ball ache a lot of the time because places wouldn't accept it (and online also).

I find very few places don't take an Amex. The odd corner shop maybe.


For me the biggest benefit of Amex is their customer service. I have disputed a few charges of late and they don't quibble with me. They don't ask me to fill in a form - they just re-credit my account and take it up with the merchant.

[williaa68]

I think the trick with availability if either being flexible or planning a long way in advance. We managed to get four of us bus one way and first the other to japan in July next year by booking in August this year. Two Amex vouchers about 300k miles and about £1500 in taxes etc. I was happy with that.

[sealtt]

williaa68 said:

I think the trick with availability if either being flexible or planning a long way in advance. We managed to get four of us bus one way and first the other to japan in July next year by booking in August this year. Two Amex vouchers about 300k miles and about £1500 in taxes etc. I was happy with that.

That's well done, great trip. In a year or two I'll be more free to travel 'as and when' so might be able to make better use of the points then.

For now though with short notice & limited flexibility on dates not much chance.

[GT03ROB]

Using Avios all really depends on your travel patterns.

In the last year I've redeemed for:

9x separate LH returns in CW or 1st to the Gulf.
2x WTP to CW upgrades to the Gulf
2x CW to 1st Upgrades to the Caribbean
2x Business class returns Sydney-Cairns

These have generally been booked a few weeks before the flights. Some dates have been adjusted to fit availability, but generally it's been on dates that suit me.

If you want to do the popular routes on school holidays forget it!!

[bad company]

GT03ROB said:

Using Avios all really depends on your travel patterns.

If you want to do the popular routes on school holidays forget it!!

As is the case for any loyalty program I know of. I mainly fly with Virgin and the same applies.

[Puggit]

Anyone else still got an old BMI card? It costs me £60 pa, but gives me 10% off BA flights and 2.5 points per pound spent.

Just booked 4 premium economy tickets to Orlando next year, with 10% off which pays off that 60 quid many times!

[tuffer]

The best use of Avios I have found is exchange them for wine, flights can be a bit hit and miss regards availability. Managed to get Business to Houston earlier this year along with a companion voucher and then grabbed an internal flight to Vegas which was the intended destination. Managed a few 1st class returns to the Caribbean and West Coast USA over the years and the AMEX insurance picked up the tab for a 10 day hospital stay in Moscow so can't complain. Just traded my remaining Avios for some cases of Veuve and a couple of bottles of Hendricks.

[SilverSixer]

oyster said:

Mr Trophy said:

Just my 2 pence.

I had a American Express as a business card and it was a complete ball ache a lot of the time because places wouldn't accept it (and online also).

I find very few places don't take an Amex. The odd corner shop maybe.


For me the biggest benefit of Amex is their customer service. I have disputed a few charges of late and they don't quibble with me. They don't ask me to fill in a form - they just re-credit my account and take it up with the merchant.

I've just started using the Lloyds Avios Amex, my local corner shop takes it but I went to Game the other day to get something for my son and they don't take it. I suppose that's why you get a Lloyds Avios MasterCard supplied automatically as well as the Amex, same account and PIN and all that jazz, but to use just in case you're somewhere non-Amexy. Was surprised Johnny Corner Shop took it.