Key facts
The British Airways credit card is a niche card that will primarily to frequent travelers that primarily fly British Airways and/or Aer Lingus, LEVEL, and Iberia flight purchases.
Keep in mind that you can freely transfer Avios between these airline’s Avios programs, like the British Airways Executive Club as well as Qatar’s Avios program.
Annual Fee:
$95Min. Credit Score for Approval:
670-739 * GoodOngoing APR:
21.49%-28.49% VariableBalance transfer fees
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.Foreign Transaction Fee:
0%This card also tends to have a large sign up bonus.
Reward multipliers
- Earn 3x Avios on British Airways, Iberia, LEVEL, and Aer Lingus flights.
- Earn 2x Avios on hotel accommodations booked directly with the hotel.
- Earn 1X on all other eligible purchases.
Earns bonus points for spend in the following bonus categories:
Key features
Unique Card Benefits
10% Off British Airways Flights
You’ll receive a unique booking link with your British Airways credit card to score 10% off all British Airways flights, in any class of service.
Travel Together Ticket
When you spend $30,000 in a calendar year, you’ll get a two-for-one Travel Together Ticket (companion ticket).
Traveling the world solo? Use it for a 50% discount on the points cost of an Avios award ticket when booking a solo reward flight.
Reward Flight Statement Credit
Receive up to a $600 statement credit on Reward Flight bookings.
This one is not as straightforward as it could be, so let’s break it down:
You’ll get a statement credit of up to $200 US per booking for taxes, fees and charges paid in full using your British Airways Visa Signature® Card when redeeming Avios for a British Airways Avios reward flight on British Airways metal (meaning you can’t book a oneworld flight and get this credit). This maximum of $200 is per booking, not per passenger, so you’ll need to book two tickets separately if exceeding that limit. The statement credit will post within 45 days.
The “Up to $200” is because it varies by class of service.
- $100 statement credit per reward flight booking in economy (World Traveller) or premium economy (World Traveller Plus)
- $200 statement credit for all other reward flight bookings in business (Club World) and First.
You can get up to a max of 3 statement credits for 3 individual bookings in any single calendar year, up to $600 in statement credits per calendar year.
Fine print: Your booking must be for a transatlantic international travel itinerary redeemed from your own Executive Club account with the transatlantic portion departing from the United States solely on aircraft operated by British Airways. (However, your booking can include a connecting flight on a code-share partner for the non-transatlantic portion of the itinerary as long as the transatlantic portion is on British Airways flights originating in the US.)
Got it? Good.
DoorDash
Get one-year of complimentary DoorDash DashPass if you activate by 12/31/24. This gives you $0 delivery fees on most orders over $12.
Spend Instantly
You’ll be able to immediately add this card to a digital wallet and begin spending once approved
Trip Protections
This card does not come with any trip delay or cancelation insurance but it does have a few trip protections when you pay for your trip with this card:
Baggage Delay Insurance
When your baggage is delayed by 6 hours or more, this reimburses you for essential purchases like toiletries and clothing.
Limit of up to $100 a day for a maximum of 3 days.
Lost Luggage Insurance
You’re covered for up to $3,000 per passenger if you or an immediate family member check or carry on luggage that is damaged or lost by the airline.
Purchase Protection
If your new purchase is damaged or stolen within 120 days of purchase, you are covered up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account. Used products are not covered.
Extended Warranty
This benefit extends a U.S. manufacturer’s warranty by an additional year on eligible warranties of 3 years or less.
No Foreign Transaction Fees
You’ll never pay a foreign transaction fee when you use your British Airways Visa Signature® Card when you are traveling abroad (or simply paying for a good or service in a foreign currency).
No Fees for Authorized Users
Add someone to your account as an authorized user with no additional fees.
Earn more rewards by combining credit cards
Pros & cons
- Get 10% off all British Airways tickets and up to a $600 statement credit on Reward Flight bookings
- Earn 3x Avios on British Airways, Iberia, LEVEL, and Aer Lingus flights
- Earn a Travel Together ticket with $30,000 in spend (or half off an Avios redemption for one)
- No included benefits for trip delays or cancellations
- It may be better to earn a transferable bank point than Avios
- Limited bonus categories; then 1X Avios on other purchases
Our review
On top of a generous sign up bonus, the British Airways credit card by Chase earns 3x Avios on British Airways, Iberia, LEVEL, and Aer Lingus and 2x Avios on hotel accommodations booked directly with the hotel. Avios can be shared between any Avios program, which also includes Qatar Airways (home of the QSuite) and you can redeem British Airways Avios for award tickets on oneworld airlines like American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Cathay Pacific, and more.
Award tickets on short-haul American Airlines are actually a major sweet spot of the British Airways Avios program with flights like New York to Miami in coach going for just 9,000 Avios and $5,60 in tax.
More importantly, you’ll receive 10% off all British Airways flights that originate in the United States. (Must book through a special website provided with your new card.)
And then, after your first year, you can earn a Travel Together Ticket (a.k.a. Companion Ticket), good for bringing a companion for just the taxes and fees when you redeem a reward flight for yourself, when you spend $30,000 in a calendar year. Don’t have a companion to bring? You can use it for half off the points of an Avios award flight instead.
Finally, you’ll also receive up to a $600 statement credit on bookings for Reward Flights as described above in Unique Card benefits.
If you fly British Airways frequently, this airline credit card is truly compelling.
Keep in mind, from a pure points earning perspective, that the Chase Sapphire Reserve also earns 3x Chase Ultimate Rewards credit card points on these airlines and on all airlines, hotels and other travel and can even be transferred to Avios if needed – as well as a range of other travel partners, like World of Hyatt which offers excellent and outsized value.
So if you are getting the card for the points alone, you may want to rethink it. If you are getting it for the benefits, your head is in the right place.
Keep in mind that British Airways Avios expire after 36 months of inactivity, though that won’t be a problem if you are spending on this credit card!
If you don’t primarily fly BA, you might want to look at other airline credit cards or bank cards with transferable points.
Note: Per Chase’s 5/24 Rule, you will only be approved for a Chase card like the British Airways Visa card if you have applied for fewer than 5 personal credit cards within the last 24 months from any issuer. (Business cards do not count against the total, except for Capital One Spark Cash Select and Spark Miles plus Discover, but are subject to the policy).
Frequently asked questions
Does the British Airways Visa card have an annual fee?
Yes, the BA credit card has a $95 annual fee.
Does the British Airways Visa card get you into airport lounges?
No, there is no lounge access included with the British Airways credit card, like the Concorde Room, Galleries Lounge, etc.
Is it hard to get the British Airways Visa Signature card?
Not too hard. You’ll want a good credit score of about a 700 FICO to qualify.
Is it worth getting the British Airways Visa Signature card?
That depends! If you are a very loyal British Airways flyer, the answer is almost certainly yes, perhaps just from the 10% discount on BA flights alone! Otherwise you may find a more suitable card in “Our Famous Card Explorer“
How do I earn points with the British Airways Visa card?
You’ll earn 3x Avios on British Airways, Iberia, LEVEL, and Aer Lingus flights and 2x Avios on hotel accommodations booked directly with the hotel. It earns 1 point per dollar on other purchases.
Is there a better credit card than the British Airways credit card?
That depends on what features and benefits you want in a credit card. We tend to prefer credit cards with transferable points to ones that earn points or miles tied to one airline.
Does the British Airways Visa Signature card charge foreign transaction fees?
There are no foreign transaction fees when you travel abroad.
Does the British Airways Signature card have car rental coverage?
Car rental CDW coverage is not a listed benefit of the card.
Does the British Airways Visa Signature card come with any Elite Status?
You won’t earn status in the British Airways Executive Club with this card, nor does it earn any Tier Points towards status.
Does the British Airways Visa offer extended warranty?
Yes, it extends a U.S. manufacturer’s warranty by an additional year on eligible warranties of 3 years or less.
Does the British Airways Visa offer purchase protection?
Yes, if your new purchase is damaged or stolen within 120 days of purchase, you are covered up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account. Used products are not covered.
Does the British Airways Visa offer trip protections?
Partially. It offers only Baggage Delay Insurance and Lost Luggage Insurance. It does not have any trip delay or cancelation benefits.
What credit score do I need to get the British Airways Visa?
About a 700 FICO or better.
Are there any 0% APR offers for purchases or balance transfers on the British Airways Visa card?
Not at this time.
What can I do with the points earned for spending on the British Airways Visa?
You can spend them on through the British Airways Executive club for award flights within the oneworld airline alliance, including Alaska Airlines, British Airways, Iberia, Qatar, Finnair, American Airlines, Japan Airlines, Cathay Pacific, and many more. You can also transfer them to other airlines that use Avios as their award currency, including Aer Lingus, Iberia, and Qatar Airways. These are NOT transferable points, however, like Chase Ultimate Rewards points, for example.
Does the British Airways Visa card have Cell Phone Protection?
No, this card does not offer cell phone insurance.
