British Airways Visa Signature® Card Review

You don’t need to fly to Europe frequently to get value from the British Airways Visa Signature^® Card (Rates & Fees). This is a solid card that can make a lot of sense if you do happen to fly British Airways, but you can also use the Avios you’ll earn with it to book flights with a wide range of Oneworld and non-alliance partners. But that’s not all this card is good for.

In this post, we’ll break down the key perks and benefits of the British Airways Visa Card to help you decide whether it deserves a spot in your wallet.

British Airways Visa Card Pros

• 3X Avios per $1 spent on purchases with British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia, and LEVEL, 2X Avios per $1 spent on hotel accommodations, plus 1 Avios per $1 spent on all other purchases
• Get 10% off eligible British Airways flights when booking through a dedicated website with a promo code
• Up to $600 in reward flight statement credits per year
• Ability to earn a Travel Together ticket after qualifying spend

British Airways Visa Card Cons

• Earning the Travel Together ticket requires $30,000 in annual spending
• Does not come with any free checked bag benefits
• Subject to Chase 5/24 restrictions
• $95 annual fee

Credit: Andrew Dawes/Unsplash

British Airways Visa Card Welcome Bonus

As a new applicant for the British Airways Visa Card, you can earn 75,000 bonus Avios after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.

To put this bonus into context, consider that AwardWallet users redeem Avios for an average of 2.55¢ apiece. So, this welcome bonus can be used to fund a huge amount of award travel.

Related: The Best Credit Card Welcome Bonuses Available Right Now

British Airways Visa Card Benefits

The British Airways Visa Card has plenty of benefits. And some of these benefits are impressive, especially considering the card carries a moderate $95 annual fee.

Save 10% on select British Airways flights

Cardholders can use a promo code to receive 10% off eligible paid British Airways flights departing from the U.S. The discount applies only to paid tickets and must be booked by the primary cardholder through this special link.

You can use the discount for one-way or round-trip BA-operated flights from the U.S. to London and beyond, in any cabin. The primary cardholder must travel, pay with the British Airways Visa Card, and book through the dedicated BA/Chase link using promo code BACHASE10. The discount can apply to the cardholder plus up to seven additional passengers on the same booking.

Credit: Marvin Meyer/Unsplash

Earn up to $600 in statement credits after eligible award bookings

Cardholders can earn up to $600 in statement credits each year to help offset the taxes, fees, and carrier-imposed charges on eligible British Airways Reward Flight bookings. You’ll receive a $100 credit for an eligible economy or premium economy booking, or a $200 credit for an eligible business or First booking, up to three bookings per calendar year.

Eligible itineraries must include a transatlantic segment originating in the U.S. and operated by British Airways. The itinerary may include a connecting flight on a codeshare partner for a non-transatlantic segment. To get the credit, simply pay the taxes and fees with your British Airways Visa Card.

Spend your way toward a Travel Together Ticket

If you spend $30,000 or more on your British Airways Visa Card in a calendar year, you’ll earn a Travel Together Ticket. You can redeem the Travel Together Ticket to bring a companion on an eligible British Airways, Iberia, or Aer Lingus Reward Flight booked through ba.com for no additional Avios — though taxes, fees, and carrier-imposed charges still apply — or use it for a 50% discount on the Avios required for a solo award ticket.

The voucher typically posts within four to six weeks after the billing cycle in which you meet the spending threshold.

Related: Best Credit Cards for Large Purchases: Maximize Rewards, Perks, and Protections

Screenshot of British Airways

Additional perks and benefits

Beyond the core benefits, the British Airways Visa Card also comes with a handful of additional perks:

• Baggage delay insurance: Get reimbursed up to $100 per day for up to three days for essential purchases if your bag is delayed by over six hours.
• Lost luggage reimbursement: Receive up to $3,000 per covered traveler if your checked or carry-on baggage is lost, damaged, or stolen during a covered trip.
• Purchase protection: Covers new purchases for up to 120 days against damage or theft, up to $500 per item.
• Extended warranty protection: Adds an extra year to eligible U.S. manufacturer warranties of three years or less.
• No foreign transaction fees: Use your card abroad without incurring additional charges.
• Complimentary DoorDash DashPass: Get 12 months of free DashPass when you activate by December 31, 2027. You’ll also get a $10 quarterly discount on one qualifying non-restaurant DoorDash or Caviar order when you use your enrolled card.
• Paying with Avios: Use Avios to cover British Airways flight taxes — and fees when booking by phone.
• Instant digital card access: Add your card to Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay to start using it right after approval.

British Airways Visa Card Earning Rates

The British Airways Visa Card may not be the best choice for everyday spending, but it does earn bonus Avios on airfare booked with select airlines and on hotel purchases.

• 3X Avios per $1 spent on purchases with British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia, and LEVEL
• 2X Avios per $1 spent on hotel accommodations
• 1X Avios for every $1 spent on all other purchases

These earning rates are similar to those of other Avios-earning cards issued by Chase.

Related: Do British Airways Avios Expire?

Redeeming Avios With the British Airways Visa Card

If you meet the minimum spending requirement on the British Airways Visa Card to earn the welcome bonus, you’ll quickly find yourself with a solid stash of Avios. And there are plenty of ways to redeem them.

One of the best options is booking award flights. You can redeem Avios directly through British Airways for flights operated by the airline or use them to book awards operated by partner carriers. Just be mindful of fuel surcharges, as British Airways is known for tacking on high fees when you fly its own metal.

If you’re keen on redeeming via British Airways, short-haul flights within Europe often carry tolerable surcharges. You can also find great value in short-haul awards operated by Oneworld partners like American Airlines and Alaska Airlines.

Another option is transferring your Avios to other programs that use the currency, including Qatar Airways Privilege Club, Finnair Plus, and Iberia Club. Transfers are free, and this opens the door to some fantastic sweet spots. For example:

• You can transfer to Iberia and book select off-peak East Coast routes to Spain in business class from 40,500 Avios, plus taxes and fees.
• You can transfer to Finnair and book one-way business class between the U.S. and Finland for 62,500 Avios. Or, you can fly between Finland and Asia for the same price.
• You can transfer to Qatar Airways and book a one-way Qsuite business class flight from the U.S. to Doha (DOH) for 70,000 Avios, plus taxes and fees. Connections throughout Asia will start at 85,000-100,000 Avios. Note that Qatar Privilege Club has tightened restrictions on who you can book awards for.

Iberia business class on the A321XLR. Credit: Tyler Glatt

You can also use Avios for things like hotel stays or rental cars. However, those redemptions typically offer poor value, so we recommend sticking to award flights.

Application Restrictions

To qualify for this card, you must be at least 18 and not currently hold the card or have received its welcome bonus within the past 24 months. Since this is a Chase-issued card, the 5/24 rule applies, meaning you likely won’t be approved if you’ve opened five or more credit cards (from any issuer) in the past 24 months.

Chase also generally won’t approve more than two personal credit card applications within a 30-day period.

Credit: Nithin Shetty/Unsplash

Related: Understanding Rewards Credit Card Application Rules and Restrictions

Cards That Compete With the British Airways Visa Card

If you’re not sold on the British Airways Visa Card, here are a few other cards that might work for you instead:

• If you want flexible points that transfer to British Airways and a bunch of other partners, the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card is one of our favorites. You can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to British Airways at a 1:1 ratio — and for just a $95 annual fee, you’ll get solid travel protections, a $100 hotel credit, and more. Catch all the details in our Sapphire Preferred review.
• If you’re over 5/24 and want a card from a Oneworld airline, the Citi^® / AAdvantage^® Platinum Select^® World Elite Mastercard^® could be a good fit. You can use American Airlines AAdvantage^® miles to book British Airways and other Oneworld partner flights, and the card also gets you a free checked bag on domestic itineraries, priority boarding, and a $125 flight discount after $20,000 in eligible spending. Find the full details in our AA Platinum Select review.
• If you’re interested in earning a companion fare but want a lower spend requirement, the Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature^® card is worth a look. Spend $6,000 or more in purchases within your prior account anniversary year, and you’ll get Alaska’s annual Companion Fare after your account anniversary. You’ll also get perks like a free checked bag, priority boarding, and the ability to earn elite miles through spending, plus the flexibility to redeem them across Oneworld partners. Learn more in our Atmos Ascent Visa Card review.

Related: The Best Airline Credit Cards

Bottom Line

The British Airways Visa Card is a solid airline rewards card with a valuable welcome offer and some worthwhile perks. While Avios might seem intimidating at first, there are plenty of sweet spots for U.S. travelers to take advantage of. If you’re able to use even half the benefits this card offers, it can easily justify its annual fee year after year — but if not, there may be better fits for your wallet.