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British Airways American Express bonuses increased to 5,000 & 25,000 Avios

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UPDATE – APRIL 2025:  This article is now out of date, but don’t worry.  We produce a monthly directory of the top UK travel credit card offers – please click HERE or use the ‘Credit Cards’ menu above.  Thank you.

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.

Keep up to date with the latest UK credit card bonuses by signing up for our free daily or weekly newsletters.

American Express has – yet again – increased the sign-up bonuses on the two British Airways American Express cards.

The Premium Plus version, with the £195 annual fee, now offers 25,000 Avios instead of 18,000 Avios. You must spend £3,000 within three months to receive the bonus.

The basic, free, card now offers 5,000 Avios instead of 3,000 Avios. You must spend £1,000 within three months to receive the bonus.

British Airways Premium Plus American Express

The representative APR on the Premium Plus card is 76.0% variable including the fee based on a £1200 credit limit. The representative APR on the free card is 22.9% variable.

Our full review of the benefits of the Premium Plus card is here.  Amex’s own home page is here.

Our full review of the free card is here.  Amex’s home page is here.  Both reviews reflect these new bonuses.

Last time the sign-up bonus on the free card was 9,000 Avios during the promotion period.  This time the deal is not as good, but still an improvement of 2,000 Avios compared to the usual 3,000.  American Express may be hoping to persuade more people to pay the fee for the Premium Plus card by widening the gap to 20,000 Avios.

The offer will be running for a couple of months until further notice – we don’t have an end date at the moment.

Amex increasing the sign-up bonus is probably a response to Virgin Atlantic boosting the sign-up bonus on its credit cards  earlier this year. You can read more about the Virgin Atlantic offer here.

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earns points from credit cards

Want to earn more points from credit cards? – April 2025 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 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

Get 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.

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

British Airways American Express Premium Plus

30,000 Avios and the famous annual 2-4-1 voucher 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

Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard

18,000 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:

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

Capital on Tap Pro Visa

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

Capital on Tap Visa

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

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

Category

British Airways American Express

Comments (126)

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

  • Tinseltown says:
    24 Mar24 March 14:34

    I think the 25k has been around for a while. I received the Plus card last year in December and got the 25k avios a few months ago…

  • Liz says:
    24 Mar24 March 15:11

    OT: Is anyone else still having issues with Avios not transferring from the Lloyds credit card. We took out the card in Dec and after 4 months statements have not received any pts. In Dec we were told it was a known linking problem. Jan we were told they had resolved the issue and were dealing with a 12 week backlog. Didn’t call in Feb as assumed they were dealing with said backlog. Phoned Mar and got the case escalated to a complaint with a promise of a phone call back this week – no phone call – called back today and told my complaints case manager only works Tue-Thurs and no one else in Lloyds can help me but him. After 30 mins of arguing I was told the issue is not resolved and that the info back in Jan was basically BS. No timescales can be given – no more info available about other people with the same problems as everyone’s case is individual. I asked about compensation to date as I want the pts for my Oz redemption in May but no compensation will be offered until after the issue is resolved. It’s not been mentioned here for a while so wondered if anyone else was still having the same problem!

    • Tracy says:
      24 Mar24 March 15:32

      Took mine out in November, everything has posted great including double Avios for first six months, 4500 referral avios and the Avios counted towards my super boost target. Seems a bit arbitrary which accounts are ok. Sorry you are having issues though 🙁

      • Liz says:
        24 Mar24 March 15:45

        We got the referral bonus ok and we are getting the double pts on the statements – just not getting the points!

      • AndyR says:
        24 Mar24 March 16:37

        Tracy how did track your Superboost target? Also have you been paid your Superboost bonus Avios? Thanks.

        • Tracy says:
          24 Mar24 March 17:01

          When I log into the Avios app there’s an icon in the top right corner the shape of a guitar plectrum. Click on it and it tells you your progress toward the super boost target.

          • AndyR says:
            24 Mar24 March 21:19

            Thanks. I don’t seem to have it on my app. I’ve sent them a message to find out why.

        • Tracy says:
          24 Mar24 March 17:03

          Not received the Avios yet, think the end date for the boost is 30th April.

    • Rob says:
      24 Mar24 March 16:55

      A small minority – but definitely more than a handful of people – are having these issues. I can’t get to the bottom of it and Lloyds does not seem too bothered. A formal complaint claiming 1.6p for each Avios you are due may do the job.

      • Liz says:
        24 Mar24 March 17:14

        That rate seems low – I am just short of 13k miles owed so far and that would cost me £223 to buy – plus time and money on phone calls

        • TGLoyalty says:
          24 Mar24 March 17:31

          Have you complained? I called twice over a 6 week timespan so was offered £120 for 2k missing Avios,my troubles and their lack of customer service then got the points 5 days later.

          • Liz says:
            24 Mar24 March 18:15

            Yes I’ve complained – see my note – been told no compensation till it’s all resolved but they have no clue how long that will take. Need to wait and speak to “Stuart” the only person who seems to be able to help me!

          • TGLoyalty says:
            24 Mar24 March 18:28

            Sounds like my initial complaint, which didn’t resolve the points issue. It was then escalated and I can’t remember the chaps name but that was the point compensation was offered and the problem actually solved.

    • Alex W says:
      24 Mar24 March 21:49

      I’ve been waiting a few months for my Lloyds Avios to arrive. What a shambles!

  • Adrian says:
    24 Mar24 March 16:42

    My partner has the free BA AMEX, if they refer me for the BAPP will I still get the 25000 Avios?

    • Rob says:
      24 Mar24 March 16:52

      Yes (well, actually you get 26,000) and they get 9,000.

      • Adrian says:
        24 Mar24 March 17:12

        Excellent, that sounds like that’s worth doing as it’s been well over 6 months since I had the BAPP card.

  • david2910 says:
    24 Mar24 March 17:26

    hi could someone advise on this pls? I have existing 2-4-1 booking in Europe, booked last September (before the food & drink changes). I need to change this booking: a) flying from London to Europe zone 2, open jaw return to London from Europe zone 1. I was informed I cannot do this with avios. I had understood that open jaws were no longer zonal but relative distance based? updated view on that? 2) I said OK but then just cancel my booking, return my voucher, and i’ll book again later – requesting that because I booked prior to F&B changes that I shouldn’t pay cancellation fee. this was rejected due to that previously being complementary. Both of these responses sound wrong to me?

    • the real harry1 says:
      24 Mar24 March 18:07

      I don’t think very many people actually got a free cancellation due to the cancellation of free F&B – a few might have slipped through but not the usual offer from BA

      you could escalate it if the first answer is no

  • Mozo says:
    24 Mar24 March 20:31

    Rob

    Will you get advanced notice of when this offer closes?

    How safe am I to delay applying for a bit in assumption your daily email will give a few days notice that offer us ending?

  • Jonathan says:
    24 Mar24 March 22:36

    I’ve got the BAPP card and about to downgrade to free, but I’ve got an offer of 3000 avios if I apply for a supplementary card. It’s says terms apply, but I can’t find them. Does anyone know what the Ts&Cs are for this?

  • DocS says:
    25 Mar25 March 02:26

    If I have the ‘standard’ BA Amex will I be eligible for the 25,000 bonus if I upgrade?

  • asy949 says:
    25 Mar25 March 14:59

    OT but Amex related. Thinking about applying for the Amex plat charge card. Have some travel lined up shortly tickets purchased on BA Amex some time back. Does anyone know how strict they are if I end up having to make a baggage delay claim but ticket not purchased with plat? That’s per t&c in the platinum travel insurance document anyway… thanks in advance!

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