British Airways Visa Signature® Card Review

The information related to the British Airways Visa Signature® Card has been collected by Money Crashers and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card.

Travel rewards credit cards take different forms. Some offer hotel-specific rewards, discounts, freebies, and benefits. Others accumulate points that can be used to fund or offset general travel purchases. And still others offer specific airline rewards that reduce or eliminate airfare costs.

Which is best for you? That depends on your travel patterns and general spending habits. But if you regularly fly with British Airways, I’d like to introduce you to a card that should be on your shortlist.

What Is the British Airways Visa Signature Card?

The British Airways Visa Signature® Card, which has a $95 annual fee, belongs to the third group. It’s a co-branded airline rewards card that accumulates an unlimited 3 Avios points – British Airways Executive Club loyalty program points – for every $1 you spend on airfare purchases with British Airways, Open Skies (a transatlantic carrier wholly owned and operated by British Airways), and members of the oneworld airline alliance, which includes Iberia, American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, and Qantas, among others. All other purchases earn 1 point per $1 spent, also with no spending caps or restrictions. This card also has an insanely generous sign-up bonus, though that’s subject to change.

If you are approved for the British Airways Visa Signature Card, you’re automatically enrolled in British Airways’ Executive Club loyalty program, which confers progressively more generous benefits as you achieve higher tiers. Avios points are redeemable for airfare with British Airways and its partners, including American Airlines and other oneworld members.

What Sets the British Airways Visa Signature Card Apart?

The British Airways Visa Signature Card has some unusual (or at least not standard) features that set it apart from other co-branded airline credit cards:

• Discounts on Eligible British Airways Airfare. Book eligible U.S.-originating British Airways airfare with your card on British Airways’ dedicated discount website and you’ll earn 10% off the fare. That’s $100 off every $1,000 in airfare, not including taxes and fees.
• Statement Credits on Eligible Reward Flights. You can earn up to $200 in statement credits per flight when you book eligible reward airfare with British Airways. There are some important restrictions to this benefit, but it’s pretty impressive overall and worth up to $600 per year.
• Travel Together Ticket for Big Spenders. Can you spend at least $30,000 in a calendar year on this card? If so, you may qualify for 2 years of British Airways’ companion pass feature, known as Travel Together. This entitles a designated traveling companion to a free reward ticket on any eligible British Airways flight during the active period, or you to a 50% discount on eligible reward travel.
• Massive Sign-up Bonus. This deserves another mention. Though subject to change, it’s worth up to 100,000 points during the first year and can be customized based on your initial spend. So if you can’t swing $20,000 in first-year spending, that’s fine — you can still get the bulk of the bonus.

Key Features of the British Airways Visa Signature Card

Still with me? Let’s dive into the details of the British Airways Visa Signature Card’s sign-up bonus, rewards program, and other key benefits.

Sign-Up Bonus

This card has a two-part sign-up bonus.

First, you earn 75,000 bonus Avios after you spend at least $5,000 in purchases within 3 months. Second, you earn 25,000 additional bonus Avios when you spend at least $20,000 in the first year.

All told, the bonus is worth up to 100,000 Avios, good for a dozen short-haul flights within the U.S. and Europe, or at least two transatlantic flights between North America and Europe at current redemption rates.

Earning Avios on Eligible Spending

All British Airways purchases earn unlimited 3 Avios per $1 spent. All hotel accommodations booked directly with the hotel earn unlimited 2 Avios per $1 spent.

And all other purchases earn unlimited 1 Avios per $1 spent.

Points don’t expire as long as you make a purchase on your card at least once every 36 months.

Redeeming Avios

Accumulated Avios can be redeemed for reward travel with British Airways and oneworld partner airlines, subject to a minimum redemption of 7,500 Avios. If you don’t have enough Avios for a full flight, you can combine Avios and cash.

When you redeem for airfare, you’re still responsible for paying certain taxes and fees – starting at $5 to $6 per ticket for short-haul domestic flights – out-of-pocket. That is, unless you use additional Avios to pay for those fees, which is permissible but which might not be possible with your available points (as the cash cost of transatlantic taxes and fees can easily exceed $500 per round trip fare).

The value of Avios varies based on the cost of the flights for which they’re redeemed, but reliably ranges up to $0.015 apiece – and can be much higher on long-haul flights in higher fare classes. Redemption thresholds and point values are subject to change at any time.

10% Off Eligible British Airways Flights

When you book British Airways flights originating in the U.S. on the website provided in your credit card welcome materials, you’ll enjoy 10% off the headline fare (less taxes and fees). There’s no upper dollar limit to how much you can save.

Up to $200 Statement Credit on Reward Flights

When you book a reward flight on British Airways with London as your destination, you’ll earn a $100 statement credit for economy and premium economy fares or a $200 statement credit for business and first class fares.

You can earn this benefit up to three times per year, with a maximum statement credit value of $600 per year. Just pay taxes, fees, and other charges with your British Airways Visa Signature Card.

Executive Club Membership

When you’re approved for the British Airways Visa Signature Card, you automatically earn membership in British Airways’ Executive Club. You start at Blue, the lowest tier, and enjoy relatively modest benefits such as priority standby, saved seat preferences (for instance, aisle seat over window), and priority access to members-only deals (such as hotel and resort discounts).

To move up the Executive Club ranks, you need to accumulate Tier Points, which build separately from Avios points. Tier Point earnings vary based on fare class and flight distance: An economy American Airlines fare from New York to San Francisco earns 20 to 70 Tier Points, depending on the subclass, while first class earns 210 Tier Points. You need 300 Tier Points to move up to the next Executive Club class (Bronze), whose benefits include 25% faster Avios points earnings and priority boarding (pre-general boarding).

Travel Together Ticket Bonus

If you spend at least $30,000 in any calendar year, you get a Travel Together bonus ticket that remains valid for 2 years.

The Travel Together ticket entitles you to redeem your accumulated Avios points at regular rates on any flight and receive a ticket on the same flight for one companion at no additional charge. Or, you can reduce the number of Avios needed for a solo fare redemption by 50%.

Either way, this effectively doubles the value of your redemption.

Important Fees

The annual fee is $95, but there is no foreign transaction fee.

Credit Required

This card requires good to excellent credit.

Advantages of the British Airways Visa Signature Card

Here’s why you should consider signing up for the British Airways Visa Signature Card.

• Amazing Sign-Up Bonus. This card has a huge sign-up bonus worth up to 100,000 Avios points – good for at least two transatlantic flights between the U.S. and Europe, or a dozen short-haul one-way flights. Most other airlines rewards cards’ sign-up bonuses aren’t as attractive, topping out at 30,000 or maybe 50,000 points (though loyalty currency value can vary widely based on the airline and how it’s redeemed).
• British Airways Purchases Earn Rewards Rapidly. When you purchase British Airways and partner airfare with your British Airways Visa Signature Card, you earn an unlimited 3 Avios points per $1 spent. That’s a higher rate than many other airline rewards credit cards, including the Delta SkyMiles Gold Card from American Express (unlimited 2 points per $1 spent on airfare) and the United Explorer Card (unlimited 2 points per $1 spent on airfare).
• Travel Together Ticket Is Great for Big Spenders Who Like to Travel in Pairs. This card’s Travel Together Ticket bonus is a great deal for big spenders (at least $30,000 in purchases in any calendar year) who like to travel in pairs. It effectively doubles the value of award travel redemptions with a free companion ticket on any award flight. The only catch: you need to redeem it within two years or it’s no longer valid.
• Reasonable Redemption Minimums. You can redeem accumulated Avios points in increments as low as 7,500 points. Coupled with the rapid accumulation rate for airfare purchases, British Airways Visa Signature gets frequent travelers to free flights faster than most other airline rewards cards.
• Points Can Be Valuable at Redemption. Although Avios’ relative point values vary based on the monetary cost of the flights for which they’re redeemed, they can be quite valuable. For instance, flights from New York to Chicago and Los Angeles to Denver both require 7,500 Avios points to redeem. Corresponding flights from most other major airlines require at least 10,000 loyalty points to redeem. Assuming roughly equal airfares for each route and airline, Avios points earned with British Airways Visa Signature are at least 25% more valuable than points earned through competing co-branded cards from Delta, United Airlines, and American Airlines.

Disadvantages of the British Airways Visa Signature Card

Consider these downsides before you apply for this card. It’s not for everyone.

• Has an Annual Fee. Although many comparable airline rewards credit cards also charge annual fees, some don’t. If you want to avoid this card’s $95 annual levy, look at the Expedia+ Card from Citi.
• Can’t Redeem Points for Non-Airfare Purchases. You’re not allowed to redeem accumulated Avios points for airline incidentals, such as baggage fees or in-flight meals. The Delta SkyMiles Gold Card from American Express and the Expedia+ Voyager card both allow you to redeem for hotel stays and other non-airfare purchases.
• No In-Flight Discounts. British Airways Visa Signature doesn’t include any in-flight discounts or other financial perks, aside from the modest, non-monetary benefits of Executive Club Blue membership (such as priority standby). By contrast, the United Explorer Card always gives you a free checked bag on United flights, regardless of how you pay. Delta SkyMiles Gold gives you 20% off all in-flight purchases, for example.
• No Airport Lounge Access or Membership Credits. British Airways Visa Signature doesn’t get you any closer to an airport lounge membership, or even to one-time airport lounge access. If you want to access British Airways or partner lounges during your trips, you need to pay full price. By contrast, Alaska Airlines Visa Signature, which has a lower annual fee than British Airways’ card to begin with, comes with a $50 credit toward Alaska Airlines Board Room lounge membership.
• Transatlantic Airfare (and Taxes and Fees) Can Be Expensive). This isn’t British Airways or Chase’s fault, but it should give anyone considering this card pause. Taxes and fees for an economy fare from the U.S. West Coast to London can cost well over $500, even on a reward flight. So there’s no way to avoid paying a significant amount out of pocket when you book travel with (or because of) this card.

Final Word

Airline rewards credit cards such as the British Airways Visa Signature® Card are great for frequent travelers who prefer to fly with one particular airline, or have easy access to that airline through a local airport hub. If you do travel often but don’t live near a British Airways or partner hub (or don’t enjoy flying with British Airways for whatever reason), you’re not likely to find this card to be very valuable. Furthermore, the British Airways Visa Signature Card isn’t ideal for light spenders or infrequent travelers who can’t justify the annual fee. Travelers looking for credit cards that offer travel discounts and financial perks right off the bat, or redemption bonuses and rebates, are apt to be disappointed too.

That doesn’t mean you need to avoid all airline rewards cards, of course. Even if it’s not served by British Airways or its partners, your local airport could be a hub for other carriers that offer rewards credit cards. Just about every major airline is on the rewards credit card bandwagon these days, so there’s sure to be a useful piece of traveler-friendly plastic with your name on it.