Airline bank cards sometimes supply commonplace advantages, like bonus miles on airfare purchases, free checked baggage and precedence boarding. However one of the crucial worthwhile perks any airline bank card can supply is a companion ticket that may reduce your price of journey in half.
Because of its excessive welcome bonuses, incomes construction and airfare reductions, the British Airways Visa Signature® Card (see charges and charges) has lengthy been thought-about among the best bank cards from a international airline supplied within the U.S., particularly contemplating British Airways’ expansive U.S. route community. It additionally comes with one of the crucial fascinating companion journey advantages: the Journey Collectively Ticket.
The principles round redeeming this perk have not too long ago improved, and it’s now simpler to make use of and extra worthwhile than ever.
Listed below are the small print on this companion deal and the right way to maximize it.
The way to earn the British Airways Journey Collectively Ticket
U.S.-based British Airways Visa Signature® Card cardholders who spend $30,000 on their card in a calendar 12 months can earn a Journey Collectively Ticket (posted inside 4 to 6 weeks). The voucher is legitimate for outbound journey as much as 24 months from the problem date (although the return flight might be after that).
For a restricted time, the British Airways Visa Signature Card affords 85,000 Avios after spending $5,000 on purchases throughout the first three months of account opening. Primarily based on TPG’s April 2025 valuations, that is value $1,190.
Card advantages embrace a ten% low cost when flying on British Airways flights originating within the U.S. and as much as $600 in assertion credit for award flight taxes and charges yearly. You may additionally earn 3 Avios per $1 spent with British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia and Degree, 2 Avios per greenback on resorts booked direct and 1 Avios per $1 spent on all different purchases. The cardboard holds a $95 annual price.
Solely the primary cardholder with a registered tackle within the U.S. is eligible to earn the Journey Collectively Ticket; extra cardholders usually are not. The cardholder can solely earn one voucher every calendar 12 months, even when the cardholder spends greater than $30,000 on the cardboard.
Guidelines for redeeming The Journey Collectively Ticket
When it is time to redeem, the Journey Collectively Ticket comes with a number of circumstances value contemplating — a few of that are optimistic and a few damaging.
Day by day Publication
Reward your inbox with the TPG Day by day e-newsletter
Be a part of over 700,000 readers for breaking information, in-depth guides and unique offers from TPG’s specialists
Beforehand, you would solely apply these vouchers to award bookings utilizing British Airways Avios and on British Airways-operated flights. Nevertheless, this rule has not too long ago been relaxed. Now, you may redeem vouchers on flights operated by Aer Lingus and Iberia, together with subsidiaries and franchise companions. Observe that you should nonetheless ebook your flight(s) via British Airways Membership.
The Journey Collectively Ticket differs from different companion tickets, that are extra like a two-for-one paid deal. On this case, you are getting a two-for-one award redemption however are nonetheless accountable for the taxes and different carrier-imposed prices in your ticket (which might be substantial). This additionally means you need to discover two awards open on the identical itinerary in the identical cabin. In the event you want to journey in top quality, two award seats on the identical flight might be powerful to come back by.
For solo journey, you may redeem it for 50% of the Avios required for one passenger, which is a useful perk if you happen to would slightly journey alone and save Avios.
Beforehand, you would solely use the voucher on round-trip itineraries originating within the U.S. Nevertheless, this rule has additionally not too long ago been relaxed, so voucher holders can now start their itinerary wherever on this planet that British Airways, Iberia or Aer Lingus operates or their chosen subsidiaries fly from (supplied there may be Avios availability).
Your companion should be in the identical cabin in your itinerary (except you redeem it for solo journey). So, if you happen to ebook a business-class award for your self, you should discover a second one on your companion on the identical itinerary. Stopovers are allowed.
Although the phrases usually are not express, you need to plan to have your card open and in good standing once you wish to use your Journey Collectively Ticket.
Associated: The way to keep away from paying gasoline surcharges when redeeming factors and miles
When it is sensible to redeem the Journey Collectively Ticket
Now we come to the actual query: Is it value utilizing the Journey Collectively Ticket? The reply is determined by how you propose to redeem it.
British Airways awards are infamous for top taxes and surcharges on flights via London. Whereas this typically makes financial system awards a foul worth, it might nonetheless be value paying lower than $2,000 per individual to fly in enterprise or top quality as a part of an award ticket; that is very true when in comparison with shelling out the money fare, which could possibly be many hundreds of {dollars}, with premium fares throughout the Atlantic as excessive as they at present are.
BA launched an choice referred to as Reward Flight Saver to make use of extra Avios to cut back the price of the taxes and surcharges on Avios redemptions.
British Airways award availability between the U.S. and Europe tends to be a lot better than what the U.S. and different European carriers make accessible. So if you wish to ebook an award, your possibilities of discovering it are good.
The opposite key profit is that British Airways has retained an award chart, so that you might be assured of what number of Avios you have to on any day — no 400,000 factors per flight pricing with this program.
Associated: Dynamic pricing vs. gasoline surcharges — which is the lesser of two evils on your subsequent redemption?
Now, let us take a look at 4 situations and examine the price of utilizing the Journey Collectively Ticket in comparison with buying airfare to find out whether or not it is a whole lot.
To make issues less complicated, we’ll seek for a single route from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Worldwide Airport (ATL) to Heathrow Airport (LHR) over a single set of dates in November; award availability was open throughout all 4 cabins supplied by BA on these flights (and these are off-peak dates). The taxes and charges are typical examples of what you’d count on to pay — each for 2 individuals touring collectively and solo vacationers — given the ticket may also be redeemed for solo journey.
First up, financial system. A round-trip award on this itinerary for 2 individuals utilizing the bottom surcharge Reward Flight Saver choice would price 120,000 Avios plus 300 British kilos ($393) in taxes and charges.
In the event you have been utilizing this as a Journey Collectively Ticket, you’d you would be paying 60,000 Avios plus $393 for 2 tickets. It’s because you’d solely be charged the Avios for one passenger however the charges, taxes and surcharges for each. Examine that to the common financial system fare on the identical dates of round $1,000 per individual for nonstop flights, and this may be an effective way to make use of Avios to save lots of a whole lot of {dollars}.
In case you are a solo traveler, you may redeem the Journey Collectively Ticket for 30,000 Avios plus $196 in charges, taxes and surcharges — saving over $800 on the money fares for a similar flight.
Associated: A assessment of British Airways World Traveller financial system on the Airbus A380 from London to Miami
Now for premium financial system. This is a pattern award from the identical week that will price 190,000 Avios plus 660 British kilos ($864) for 2 passengers.
A paid fare on the identical dates could be $1,813 per individual, so $3,626 for 2 passengers. With a Journey Collectively Ticket for 2 passengers, you’d pay 95,000 Avios plus $864, saving you hundreds off the money ticket.
Solo vacationers may redeem 45,000 Avios and pay $432 in taxes and surcharges — one other glorious option to save large on the $1,813 money fare.
Associated: Is British Airways premium financial system value it on the Boeing 777-300ER?
In enterprise class, British Airways will cost 360,000 Avios plus 900 British kilos ($1,179) in taxes and surcharges for 2 passengers on the Reward Flight Saver price.
With the 50% discount in Avios with the Journey Collectively Ticker, you’d nonetheless be charged an enormous 180,000 Avios plus the complete $1,179 co-payment. Nevertheless, with money fares on these dates near $4,000 every round-trip in enterprise class, you’d nonetheless save hundreds of {dollars} utilizing the voucher.
For solo vacationers, simply 90,000 Avios plus underneath $600 in taxes and charges saves versus $4,000 for a money ticket is a superb deal.
Reward Flight Savers usually are not supplied in top quality, so whilst you’ll want marginally extra Avios than the enterprise class charges above, you should pay the complete charges, taxes and surcharges. For 2 passengers utilizing a Journey Collectively Ticket, this may be 170,000 Avios round-trip plus an eye-watering 3,263 British kilos ($4,279).
This could signify an honest saving on the money fares of just about $6,000 per individual. Nevertheless, given the hundreds of {dollars} of surcharges you should pay for a first-class redemption, utilizing the voucher for enterprise class as a substitute could be a a lot better deal.
Associated: British Airways Membership Suites do not disappoint: Onboard a retrofitted 777 from London to New York
The way to earn Avios
Suppose you wish to use a Journey Collectively Ticket however haven’t got sufficient British Airways Avios in your Government Membership account. In that case, British Airways is a switch associate of Capital One, Chase Final Rewards, American Categorical Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy, making Avios one of many best currencies to earn.
Factors switch from Chase, Bilt and Amex at a 1:1 ratio (along with occasional switch bonuses of as much as 40%), whereas Marriott factors switch to Avios at a 3:1 ratio. Plus, you may earn a 5,000-Avios bonus for each 60,000 Marriott factors transferred.
The next playing cards all at present supply robust welcome bonuses that you would simply convert to Avios:
- American Categorical® Gold Card: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards factors after you spend $6,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. Plus, examine to see if you happen to’re focused for an as much as 100,000-point welcome supply via CardMatch (supply topic to alter at any time). Phrases apply. Phrases apply.
- The Platinum Card® from American Categorical: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards factors after you spend $8,000 on purchases throughout the first six months of card membership. Plus, examine to see if you happen to’re focused for an as much as 175,000-point welcome supply via CardMatch (supply topic to alter at any time). Phrases apply.
- Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases throughout the first three months from account opening, plus a $250 Capital One Journey credit score to make use of within the first 12 months.
- Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases throughout the first three months from account opening.
- Chase Sapphire Most well-liked® Card (see charges and charges): Earn 100,000 bonus factors after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
- Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see charges and charges): Earn 60,000 bonus factors after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
- Ink Enterprise Most well-liked® Credit score Card (see charges and charges): Earn 90,000 bonus factors after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
Backside line
The British Airways Signature Card Collectively Ticket can prevent hundreds of {dollars} on British Airways, Iberia or Aer Lingus flights from wherever on this planet; it permits two passengers to journey collectively in any cabin with award availability and solely pay the Avios required for one passenger. The spending requirement to earn the perk is excessive, although.
Reward Flight Saver permits passengers to cut back the infamous BA carrier-imposed surcharges by paying extra Avios; this voucher is a worthwhile bank card perk for financial system, premium financial system and business-class flights.
Associated: Finest journey playing cards
