The British Airways Visa Signature credit card is a travel rewards credit card from Chase. If you regularly fly on British Airways or one of its partners, such as American Airlines, the British Airways credit card can be a great way to earn points towards free and discounted air travel. Cardholders can earn Avios points, the British Airways reward currency. This look at the pros and cons of the British Airways Visa Signature credit card can help you determine if it makes sense for your miles and points goals.
British Airways Visa Signature® Card
Credit score needed
credit_score_needed
Bonus rewards full
bonus_miles_full
Save 10% on British Airways flights when paying with your credit card and using the exclusive cardholder promo code. Get up to $600 in statement credits when booking award flights to London. Earn a Travel Together companion ticket based on your annual spending. Even if you don’t plan on flying British Airways, you can redeem its points for award flights on American Airlines and other partners within the U.S. and abroad.
TIME’s Take
With the card_name, you’ll earn valuable Avios rewards that you can redeem for statement credits, an annual Travel Together Ticket, and discounted flights booked through British Airways. There is also a lucrative signup bonus. However, the annual fee, low standard purchase award rate, and high award redemption fees make it a mixed bag.
Pros & cons
Pros:
- Earn British Airways Avios points for every purchase
- Get 3x Avios per dollar for eligible airline purchases
- Earn a statement credit to offset fees
Cons:
- Fees for some Avios redemptions can be high
- Lackluster rewards outside of bonus categories
- High annual spending is required to unlock the Travel Together pass
Who is the card for?
The card_name is best for frequent travelers, notably those who prefer British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus, as well as any other British Airways travel partners. For those living in the U.S., the ability to use Avios for American Airlines bookings, for example, can stretch the value of your rewards.
Anyone who regularly travels to London, the main hub of British Airways, may find the airline convenient and the card particularly useful. Big spenders who unlock the Travel Together Ticket also earn outsized rewards from the card, as it allows you to bring a companion for free or get half off when booking an award flight.
While the card includes a statement credit you can use to reimburse fees when booking awards tickets, its value is tempered by high award travel fees and the card’s annual fee.
Card features
The card’s features are geared towards frequent flyers on British Airways, and Avios partners Aer Lingus and Iberia, which serve Ireland, Spain, and much of Europe.
Generous Avios signup bonus
As of this writing, new cardholders can bonus_miles_full. Depending on your booking, that could be enough for a trip to London or another overseas destination.
10% off British Airways bookings
When you use this card to buy a flight directly from British Airways that originates in the United States, you’ll get 10% off. Depending on the flights you book and how often you fly, the savings could be worth hundreds or thousands of dollars annually.
Up to 3x Avios per dollar
When you use the card for purchases, you can earn up to 3x Avios points per dollar. The rate for British Airways and partner airline purchases is attractive, but the “everywhere else” rate isn’t great.
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British Airways, Aer Lingus, and Iberia flight purchases |
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Reward flight statement credits
Fees and surcharges for award flights on British Airways, particularly overseas flights, can be quite expensive. Those fees are offset for card_name cardholders thanks to a statement credit worth up to $600 per year.
The credit includes $100 off economy award fees or $200 off for premium cabin fees up to three times per year.
Travel Together Ticket
When you spend at least $30,000 on the card in a calendar year, you’ll unlock a Travel Together Ticket good for two years. The Travel Together Ticket is good for a free companion traveling with you on the same flight or a 50% Avios discount on solo award flights.
The fine print
While the card packs a lot of value for some users, the potential costs make it questionable for those who don’t regularly fly with British Airways or its partners. Costs include a quite high interest rate if you carry a balance from month to month and a annual_fees annual fee.
There’s foreign_transaction_fee foreign transaction fee, and most other fees can be easily avoided with responsible card use and by avoiding balance transfers and cash advances.
While we’ve already alluded to it—and it’s not technically part of the credit card—it’s also good to be aware of the additional costs of flying British Airways, including a costly fuel surcharge. You could easily pay hundreds or even over a thousand dollars for fuel surcharges on award travel with British Airways, so closely evaluate the overall value of British Airways Avios compared to other travel rewards programs.
Additional hidden perks
As a premium airline credit card from Chase, there are additional travel and purchase benefits. For example, the card includes lost luggage and delayed baggage insurance, as well as purchase protection and an extended warranty benefit on eligible card purchases.
You also get a premium DoorDash DashPass for one year, for discounts on DoorDash orders. When the year is up, the subscription automatically renews at the regular rate.
What could be improved
The biggest area of improvement would be a reduction of fees and surcharges when using Avios to book award travel. Lower fees would make Avios awards much more attractive.
It would also be nice to see a higher award rate outside of British Airways purchases. If you use a card_name, for example, you could earn more points than Avios for many purchases and transfer the points to Avios if you want to book with British Airways.
Card alternatives
Bottom line
Overall, the card_name provides a lot of value for the right user. If you’re a big spender and prefer flying British Airways, this card offers significant savings and valuable travel rewards.
However, due to high redemption costs and mediocre earning rates, a competing card like the card_name, could offer more benefits and rewards for the same annual fee. Closely review your travel history to decide if the British Airways card or a generic miles and points card is better for your needs.
British Airways Visa Signature® Card
Credit score needed
credit_score_needed
Bonus rewards full
bonus_miles_full
Save 10% on British Airways flights when paying with your credit card and using the exclusive cardholder promo code. Get up to $600 in statement credits when booking award flights to London. Earn a Travel Together companion ticket based on your annual spending. Even if you don’t plan on flying British Airways, you can redeem its points for award flights on American Airlines and other partners within the U.S. and abroad.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Who qualifies for Visa Signature?
Visa Signature is a premium rewards credit card program from Visa that’s available through a long list of eligible cards. If you open any associated credit card account, Visa Signature is included.
RELATED: Best Visa Credit Cards
What is the difference between Visa and Visa Signature?
Visa Signature offers a package of purchase, travel, and partner benefits that can save you money or protect your investment in eligible purchases. Standard Visa cards without the Visa Signature logo may not include these benefits.
LEARN MORE: Visa Signature vs. Visa Infinite
Is Visa Signature hard to get?
Visa Signature cards are generally premium rewards credit cards that require a good to excellent credit score for approval. Every card issuer uses different requirements to review new applications.
Is Visa Signature accepted everywhere?
Visa Signature is accepted anywhere you can use a Visa credit card. Visa works at more than 130 million locations in over 200 countries.
