British Airways American Express bonus back to 9,000 and 25,000 Avios – via an exclusive link

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• polly says:

  16 Jul16 July 06:35

  BA and AMEX trying to regain customers after all the cancellations in April following avios devaluation. My friend wants the bapp but I will wait for the refer a friend link to return. Shame really. They want me to have my bonus too for helping them get into avios.

  • Dom says:

    16 Jul16 July 09:21

    Customers cancelling in April wouldn’t be eligible for sign-up bonus. Have to wait 6 months after cancellation.

    • Polly says:

      16 Jul16 July 14:23

      I meant getting new ones in to replace those leaving. Yes we must wait at least 6 maths to re apply. Will be waiting for the next autumn one for myOH to apply and be referred, so we get both the bonuses.

      • Callum says:

        16 Jul16 July 17:30

        No it’s not. I have no idea why absolutely anything and everything BA ever does now is interpreted as them trying to make up for losing x numbers of customers. They do this bonus several times a year!

• Nick M says:

  16 Jul16 July 06:46

  I got the email yday and was debating which to go for… not sure if we’d be able to max value on the 241 – but still assume the additional 21k avios (assuming 10k spend) justifies the £150 fee?

  • Rob says:

    16 Jul16 July 08:54

    Easily, plus the extra 0.5 per £1 spent and the 2 year validity on the voucher.

• James67 says:

  16 Jul16 July 07:51

  Any thoughts on when increased bonuses will return in usual fashion. I am planning to apply by end od October so happy to wait for a referal.

  • Dom says:

    16 Jul16 July 09:32

    I have looked recently at the paterns of this deal and it is fairly regular over last couple of years, normally a new offer starting up 2-3 months after last one closed. Last regular deal ended a month ago but not sure whether this new one will disrupt the pattern or not.

    • James67 says:

      16 Jul16 July 12:35

      Thanks, so hopefully next one by September at latest.

      • RIccati says:

        16 Jul16 July 12:52

        Don’t rely on past. Things have changed.

        • James67 says:

          16 Jul16 July 15:59

          Its not a proble, could do SPG card for 10k if need be but was holding off on that in hope a 20k bonus will reappear.

  • CV3V says:

    16 Jul16 July 13:02

    James, OT but just so you know, BA will start operating a 787-9 on the KUL route from early next year, I think I read January. ‘My Flights’ app updated my booking earlier on for a booking I have in March, overall not a big deal although will be good to be on a new plane as opposed to the old 777s currently being used. Avios redemptions for First will get even harder as it will have only 8 seats, although it will be a new improved New First.

    • Polly says:

      16 Jul16 July 14:21

      I am keeping an eye on the KUL routing also, as that’s where we might use our F 241 next year. Looks like it will be more difficult to get seats then. Chose HKG F for Jan 241 before the devaluation date. Luckily it seems. Are you in F in March or J? BTW how did your recent trip to KUL go? I did the GF to AB for my OH we get,to,reserve seats. Have saved a lot on that too. Even on his Y flt he can reserve the window seat so he can sleep . I hope to do the same for mine when it ends in September too. But with our ex CPH QR J flights in oct we will be almost at silver so will aim to do a couple of short EU flights to obtain that. Tricky to keep on top of all these options!

      • CV3V says:

        16 Jul16 July 14:50

        Flying in CW in March, but will keep a watch for F availability for at least one sector. KUL flight was F out, and J back. Both flights were very good, the food was ok, the cabin crew were great and i found the seats to be very comfortable – on both flights i got a lot of sleep, which doesn’t happen when i have to connect via the middle east. So am happy to use BA again next year. Not the bling bling of other carriers, but for a redemption flight it did the job and was a much better experience than MAS 777 out of AMS which i did in Jan.

        The main niggle was the old cabin and IFE, which will be addressed by using a brand new 787-9.

        • James67 says:

          16 Jul16 July 15:50

          Thanks folks. Is the 787-9 going to have first? Are they not operating a 773ER on route at the moment? Switching to a smaller aircraft seems surprising when AF traffic is up for grabs and MH downgrading CDG to a 772.

          I was planning a comment for you and Polly. I was notified yesterday of a schedule change on my LHR-KUL flight. The plane will now be on the ground for 8hrs 45mins I believe. I’m wondering if they are now going to tag on Bali or Jakarta.

        • CV3V says:

          16 Jul16 July 16:49

          787-9 is to have a revised, new and improved First class on it, but only 8 seats. Four class 777-200 on the KUL route at the moment, First class is ok on it as it has ‘only’ 12 seats on it to accommodate the crew rest area access.

          Yeah i have been notified of a change to time slot via various apps (but not by BA!). However BA seemed to have screwed up my KUL – LHR, instead of moving my flight back 20 mins from 0005 to 2345, they have moved it forward to 2345 i.e. instead of moving it back 20 mins (day minus 1), they have moved it forward 23 hours, but haven’t moved forward my connecting LHR to GLA flight. I will leave it a couple of days to see if it sorts itself out, then a long phonecall to BA will have to take place.

        • James67 says:

          16 Jul16 July 17:12

          had to teply to myself. Problems for me too the, they didn’t notify me that change. I will need to check if mine has gone backwards, or forwards like yours. Wish they would give us some new metal into BKK. To say the planes have been worn and dirty recently is an understatement.

        • Ronster says:

          17 Jul17 July 03:30

          Hi James, Polly,CV3V & Rob

          Hope you are all well.

          There’s a total of 22 787-9’s and 12 of the even bigger 787-10’s that British Airways has on order.

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Boeing_787_orders_and_deliveries#Orders_and_deliveries_sortable.2C_presorted_by_customer

          Here is the current list of BA 787-9 operations:-

          http://airlineroute.net/2015/07/16/ba-789-w15update1/

          I cannot wait to be trying out the new F on the above aircraft,since that is what I will be focusing on.I feel it offers the best value for money when it comes to investing your hard earned points. Especially when your using the BA Amex 2-4-1 voucher.

          Even though Qatar has had some amazing deals via Copenhagen, I much prefer uninterrupted sleep of a longer single flight.

          Already have LHR-NRT BA F & HKG-LHR BA F , both reserved with the 2-4-1,(before the 28 April deadline, for 180,000 Avios).We also got 2 x J CX, top deck 747, to look forward to from to HND-HKG (20,000 avios for each oneway segment)

          2016 will be an interesting route planing exercise as the 787-9’s &787-10’s come on line and I decide which 9 hour plus journey to go for. (The longer the better).

          I will be using up my second 2-4-1 Amex Ba voucher for First class in one of the above aircraft.

          Now if only BA would bring back F to flights to EZE. That would be amazing.

          Thanks to you all for your informative inputs and as always a very special thankyou to Rob.

          Ronster

• darrenf says:

  16 Jul16 July 08:43

  Raffles says “Note that the refer-a-friend deal cannot be combined with this offer.” right there in the article.

  • Matt says:

    16 Jul16 July 11:49

    Sorry, missed that! Thanks.

• Ed says:

  16 Jul16 July 09:24

  can someone please remind me about my eligibility for the bonus miles. I hold a virgin mbna and an amex gold charge card

  • Dom says:

    16 Jul16 July 09:36

    They should be fine. Only ineligible if you have held a BA card in the last 6 months.

    • Ian says:

      16 Jul16 July 11:19

      Do you know what the rules are if you’ve held a supplementary BA card in the last 6 months?

      • TimS says:

        16 Jul16 July 11:24

        You’re fine as supplimentary cards don’t affect your eligibility.

  • TimS says:

    16 Jul16 July 09:38

    You are fine as you don’t have any other Avios-earning Amex credit cards.

• Marly says:

  16 Jul16 July 10:07

  This is a really tempting deal, I do wonder thought, if it still worth bothering about Avios due to recent changes. Sorry for my ignorance but when we use the 2-4-1 voucher, taxes have to be paid for 2 right? So if I redeem a Club World, that would cost us around £1000 in taxes and fees for two?
  Thanks

  • Nick says:

    16 Jul16 July 10:57

    yes, you pay taxes for both. You can redeem avios with some airlines where the taxes are significantly lower, but you can only use the 241 on BA flights so you are stuck with paying the ridiculous fees. CW is frequently £1k+ for two people. And then you will need to pay £300 to reserve the seats if you want to be sure you are sitting together (unless you are in First).

    The other thing you need to think about is availability. BA promised to release two seats in CW/First on each flight, but not sure if that is actually happening in practice.

    Even though the 241 is potentially great value, I’m cancelling my BAPP as it’s just not worth the hassle/fuel surcharges. I’d personally rather wait for these great deals we’ve seen recently (Qatar via Doha; Turkish Airlines; BA to HK ex-Germany) than try to use Avios for long-haul redemptions with BA. Avios are still brilliant for European economy, but using a 241 for that is probably a bit of a waste.

    • Liz says:

      16 Jul16 July 11:49

      I took out the BAPP at the last offer and am currently working on my £3000 spend for the bonus and then for a 2-4-1 ticket for next year. I didn’t realise you had to pay £300 to reserve your seats? Why so expensive?

      • James says:

        16 Jul16 July 12:01

        You do not need to pay for seat selection if you don’t want to, you can select for free at OLCI.

        • Liz says:

          16 Jul16 July 14:46

          I have never flown CW so next year will be a first. In reality can you still get 2 seats together at online check-in or are seats usually mostly allocated by that time. Would have to fly the first time in CW and not get to sit together!

        • Liz says:

          16 Jul16 July 15:04

          Edit: Would *not want* to fly..

        • Rob says:

          16 Jul16 July 15:13

          Not a massive problem. Even if it was, solo travellers are often happy to move if they see a couple split up – I did this on one of my Qatar flights last year.

      • RIccati says:

        16 Jul16 July 12:55

        Fee x 2 people x 4 flights, assuming one outbound and one inbound.

      • CV3V says:

        16 Jul16 July 13:30

        This is one example of where oneworld status has its advantages. After getting CX Gold status last year via Amex Platinum card, which I have now status matched via Gulf Air to Air Berlin for another year (!), the amount of potential fees which I have avoided paying must be close to a thousand pounds, although I doubt I would have actually paid them and just taken what was left at online check in. However, it does give me the chance to try and obtain the best seats available.

        When evaluating a fare with BA against, say Emirates who don’t charge for seat selection, BA becomes even worse value.

    • James says:

      16 Jul16 July 12:00

      BA does not promise to release 2 seats in First.

  • Rob says:

    16 Jul16 July 14:06

    Correct

• Ralph says:

  16 Jul16 July 10:14

  If referring a family member in a BA household Account, still better to “refer a friend” for 9,000 + 19,000 Avios for 28,000 Avios total

  • Iain2015 says:

    18 Jul18 July 16:51

    Avios via clubcard

• Nick says:

  16 Jul16 July 10:48

  this reminds me, I need to cancel my BAPP.

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