British Airways still offering £250 or 50,000 Avios for ‘old First’ – as I found out

Back in December 2013 I highlighted the new British Airways policy for people who find themselves in ‘old First’.

British Airways had launched a generous (in my view) compensation scheme. On most routes, you were being offered a £250 British Airways voucher or 50,000 Avios points as compensation.

For reference, this is the new BA First Class seat:

However, there still a chance that you may end up with this:

Yesterday, that is what I got on my way back from Las Vegas.  I took the 50,000 Avios points, in case you were wondering.

I was also given this:

…. as additional compensation!  The Grand Siecle alone (far left) is £100 per bottle at your local Majestic Wine.

What was a little disappointing was how the other passengers in the (full) First Class cabin were treated.  I told the guy next to me in 1K what I was doing and he did the same (but he didn’t get the champagne).  The guy by the window in Row 2 had a mild fit when he saw the size of the TV screen, called for the Customer Services Director and made his feelings known – he also got compensation (but, again, no champagne).

However, no-one else got anything.  Whilst we were all waiting for the transit from T5B to T5, I did a quick survey of the other First Class passengers and they had not been pro-actively offered compensation.  To put it mildly, they were a little surprised to realise it was available.

The lesson appears to be that, if you find yourself sitting in the old First Class seat, speak up as quickly as you can.  I recommend doing it whilst you are being shown to your seat so that you can get the paperwork filled in early.

Whether you decide to educate the rest of the cabin on what is on offer is up to you …..

This problem will naturally go away by itself in a few weeks.  From late October, the old First Class seats will be sold as part of the Club World cabin.  No First Class seats will be sold and Club World passengers will be able to book directly into the old First Class seats – which is not a bad deal.  Selected flights to Cape Town, Vancouver, Phoenix and Las Vegas will be impacted.

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How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (April 2025)

As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Avios points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous 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 Mastercard

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

Barclaycard Avios Mastercard

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

There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:

British Airways American Express Premium Plus

30,000 Avios and the famous annual 2-4-1 voucher Read our full review

British Airways American Express

5,000 Avios for signing up and an Economy 2-4-1 voucher for spending £15,000 Read our full review

You can also get generous sign-up bonuses by applying for American Express cards which earn Membership Rewards points. These points convert at 1:1 into Avios.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 30,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review

The Platinum Card from American Express

80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review

Run your own business?

We recommend Capital on Tap for limited companies. You earn 1 Avios per £1 which is impressive for a Visa card, and the standard card is FREE. Capital on Tap cards also have no FX fees.

Capital on Tap Visa

NO annual fee, NO FX fees and points worth 1 Avios per £1 Read our full review

Capital on Tap Pro Visa

10,500 points (=10,500 Avios) plus good benefits Read our full review

There is also a British Airways American Express card for small businesses:

British Airways American Express Accelerating Business

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

There are also generous bonuses on the two American Express Business cards, with the points converting at 1:1 into Avios. These cards are open to sole traders as well as limited companies.

American Express Business Platinum

50,000 points when you sign-up 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

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Avios. This includes both personal and small business cards.