Maximise your Avios, air miles and hotel points

Four credit card bonuses which end today

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This is a very quick reminder that there are four good credit card sign-up bonuses which end TODAY.

The British Airways American Express cards are offering a higher 9,000 and 25,000 Avios sign-up bonuses (usually 3,000 and 18,000).  Article.

The Emirates Skywards credit cards with the substantially improved bonuses of 10,000 miles (free) and 25,000 miles (Elite, £150).  The usual bonuses are 5,000 miles and 10,000 miles respectively.  Article.

The free United MileagePlus credit card is offering 12,000 bonus miles (usually nothing).  Details.  That said, the sign-up page seems to have disappeared early – please post below if you can find a direct link.

American Airlines is offering 15,000 miles on their FREE credit cards, a substantial improvement on the usual 5,000 miles.  Article.

It is also the last day to register for the Avios Autumn bonus.  You will receive 500 – 1,000 bonus Avios points per short-haul flight you take after September 1st – but you must register and book your flight by tonight.  Full details.


Want to earn more points from credit cards? – April 2024 update

If you are looking to apply for a new credit card, here are our top recommendations based on the current sign-up bonuses.

In February 2022, Barclaycard launched two exciting new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard cards with a bonus of up to 25,000 Avios. You can apply here.

You qualify for the bonus on these cards even if you have a British Airways American Express card:

Barclaycard Avios Plus card

Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard

Get 25,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £10,000 Read our full review

Barclaycard Avios card

Barclaycard Avios Mastercard

5,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £20,000 Read our full review

You can see our full directory of all UK cards which earn airline or hotel points here. Here are the best of the other deals currently available.

British Airways American Express Premium Plus

25,000 Avios and the famous annual 2-4-1 voucher Read our full review

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review

The Platinum Card from American Express

40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review

Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard

15,000 bonus points and 1.5 points for every £1 you spend Read our full review

Earning miles and points from small business cards

If you are a sole trader or run a small company, you may also want to check out these offers:

British Airways Accelerating Business American Express

30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review

American Express Business Platinum

40,000 points sign-up bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

American Express Business Gold

20,000 points sign-up bonus and FREE for a year Read our full review

Capital on Tap Business Rewards Visa

Huge 30,000 points bonus until 12th May 2024 Read our full review

For a non-American Express option, we also recommend the Barclaycard Select Cashback card for sole traders and small businesses. It is FREE and you receive 1% cashback on your spending.

Barclaycard Select Cashback Business Credit Card

1% cashback uncapped* on all your business spending (T&C apply) Read our full review

Comments (24)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • Liz says:

    I registered for the last Avios bonus which ended on 14th July but BA confirmed yesterday that we didn’t qualify for the bonus as we had booked outwith the dates – bummer! So if you plan and book you flights early to avoid disappointment then you will never get these bonuses even if your flight falls within the promotion time frame. You win some you lose I suppose!

  • Liz says:

    OT: Does anyone have a link to the calendar for peak and off-peak BA dates for 2016 – I seem to only have the chart that goes up to Dec and I can’t find it on the BA site.

  • Jason says:

    No idea where to find the chart, but every tue/we’d is off peak.
    School holidays seem to be the peak periods just to squeeze families even more:(

    • John says:

      School holidays ARE a peak travel period, the peak passenger numbers through Heathrow are during certain school holiday dates. Also why sales typically exclude most holiday dates.

  • Ant says:

    OT: have the Premium BA card and got the companion voucher. it is sitting in my BA executive account but I haven’t used it. Don’t plan on using it for a while. Can I cancel my credit card before I use the voucher?

  • simon says:

    OT: Having gotten my companion voucher, when i switch to the free card will it initiate a credit check?

    • Rob says:

      Probably, as Amex treats it as a new application.

      • simon says:

        Thanks Rob!

        • Diane says:

          Just used my companion voucher this morning – 4 First Class returns to Atlanta for next July. We will have a couple of nights in Atlanta then drive up to Orlando.
          Thank you Raffles for this site – without it I would only ever have dreamed about travelling 1st Class let alone business. Husband and I did our First First to Chicago in May, and loved every minute, again using a companion voucher. Got it in my diary when to apply for my BA card to start all over again. Thanks again:)

          • Tom says:

            Hi – quick question – I have just earmed my 2:4:1 voucher

            And have about 80000 miles built up. So for example if I find a flight to New York for example and book through my 80000 avios I can then redeem my 2:4:1 for someone else on that flight if there is availability?

            Is this how it works ? Is the 2:4:1 for a just one way or a return ? Thanks

          • Alan says:

            Yep that’s it – the voucher is valid for a return flight, you just need to find two redemption seats available. You need to pay the taxes and fees for both passengers though. Remember it is only usable on BA operated flights.

          • Rob says:

            One way or return, up to you, although a one way must start in UK. You need 2 reward seats showing, BA.com reduces cost automatically.

      • James says:

        No it doesn’t – checked this when I did this this month

  • Fenny says:

    Just applied online for the AA card, but they were “unable to give an immediate decision”. Their phone lines are closed now, so I can’t call until Monday. Am I still likely to get the 15K points?

  • elGuiri says:

    I have the Amex Gold Rewards Card, and if I recommend a friend (eg my wife) to the BA premium card I will get 9k avios and she will get 19k = 28k total. which is more than from applying with the current offer of 25k.
    Do you know if that’s the usual referral bonus?
    If so, not much point in doing this now for me, rather refer later on this year and still guarantee a better signup bonus.

    • mark2 says:

      Remember that with BAPP you can get a 241 if you spend £10,000 in a year which can easily be worth 100,000 Avios.

      • elGuiri says:

        yes, I am talking about referring her to the BAPP (Amex Gold lets me refer some other cards). The question is whether this referral amount is standard or is also on special bonus at the moment.
        If it’s usually 28k then I don’t need to be pressured to apply directly for the BAPP now, rather can wait until just before I want to cancel the Gold.

        • Rob says:

          An Amex Gold CANNOT refer a BA card – it can only refer a Gold, Green or Platinum charge card.

          Don’t feel pressured to do anything though – I am 90% certain this offer will be back before the end of October!

          • elGuiri says:

            You are indeed right. Must have clicked on something wrong on the referral page as now it does show me just Gold to refer. Thanks for the correction.

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

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