Which airline credit card is best for long term spending?
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Many of the credit card articles on Head for Points are focused on sign-up bonuses. Get a card, spend the minimum required to trigger the bonus and potentially move on.
However, if you are a medium to high spender, the few thousand pounds of card spend required each year to hit your sign-up bonus targets is not a stretch. You need to consider where to put the rest of your annual spend.
This article can help you.
We hadn’t updated this article for three years because, frankly, it got too complicated. When the Barclaycard Avios Mastercards launched, and the BA Amex cards added 50% off solo redemptions, the number of permutations got too messy.
This is what we decided to do.
This article ONLY looks at the value you get when redeeming credit card vouchers in Business Class.
This allows us to cut all of the discussion about the free British Airways American Express card, because the Companion Voucher on that card is only valid for Economy flights.
If you are not interested in redeeming your Avios or Virgin Points for Business Class, this article won’t help you – although you can use our methodology to run similar calculations for Premium Economy or Economy.
We have also ignored the fact that you can also use your Virgin Atlantic credit card to get a 2-4-1 deal on a cash ticket, or to upgrade a cash ticket. It is impossible to work out the ‘value’ here because it is totally dependent on the price of Premium and Upper Class tickets when you book.
All of the calculations are based on flying Business Class / Upper Class to San Francisco. The conclusions may vary on other routes.
Part 1 – Travelling as a couple
We do not consider the Barclaycard Avios Mastercard cards in this section. The annual voucher can upgrade one return ticket or two one-way tickets, which means that you should use the numbers in the ‘Travelling solo’ section in Part 2 even if two are travelling.
Our ‘Excellent’ choices for long-term spending:
Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard – if you have elite status
Spend £10,000 on the Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard card and you can choose from:
- A 2-4-1 voucher, valid for two years, for a Virgin Flying Club redemption in any class, or
- A return upgrade – on either a cash or points ticket – from Premium to Upper Class, or from Economy Delight / Classic to Premium (requires reward availability in the higher class)
The most valuable option is using the card on a 2-4-1 points booking.
However, there is a catch.
If you are a Red (no status) member of Virgin Flying Club, you need to pay 50% of the points for your 2nd ticket if you redeem your 2-4-1 voucher in Upper Class. This means that, for Upper Class redemptions for Red members, it is effectively a ‘2 for 1.5’ voucher.
The best value is if you have Silver or Gold status. The maths goes like this, based on two people flying to San Francisco in Upper Class for 155,000 Virgin Points each:
Based on a valuation of 1p per Virgin Point:
- the 2-4-1 voucher is ‘worth’ £1,550 (155,000 Virgin Points saving x 1p) and
- you also earn 15,000 base Virgin Points for spending £10,000 to trigger the voucher (worth £150 @ 1p) but
- the card fee is £160
The net benefit for a Silver or Gold member spending £10,000 on the Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard = £1,540 (£1,550 + £150 – £160) or 15.4% of spend.
Our full review of the card is here.
British Airways American Express Premium Plus card
Spend £15,000 (from 1st November 2024) on this card in a membership year and you get a voucher which gives you two Avios redemption tickets on BA, Iberia or Aer Lingus for the points of one.
The voucher also allows a solo traveller to book a return ticket for a 50% Avios discount – we look at this option later.
On a typical redemption (two Club World tickets to San Francisco on a peak day), this saves you 200,000 Avios points when you use the ‘most Avios, least cash’ booking option.
If you value an Avios at 1p:
- the 2-4-1 voucher is ‘worth’ £2,000 (200,000 Avios saving x 1p) and
- you also earn 22,500 base Avios for spending £15,000 to trigger the voucher (worth £225 @ 1p) but
- you pay an annual fee of £300
The net benefit for spending £15,000 on the British Airways American Express Premium Plus card = £1,925 (£2,000 + £225 – £300) or 12.8% of your card spend.
Our full review of the card is here.
Our ‘Very Good’ choices for long-term spending:
Virgin Atlantic Reward Mastercard (free) – if you have elite status
The vouchers on both Virgin Atlantic credit cards are identical – both are valid for two years and both are valid in all travel classes. The only difference is that the free card requires £20,000 of spending to trigger it.
This is how the maths goes, based on two people flying to San Francisco in Upper Class (155,000 points) and holding Silver or Gold status in Virgin Flying Club.
Based on valuation of 1p per Virgin Point, to match our Avios valuation:
- the 2-4-1 voucher is ‘worth’ £1,550 (155,000 Virgin Points saving x 1p) and
- you also earn 15,000 base Virgin Points for spending £20,000 to trigger the voucher (worth £150 @ 1p) and
- the card fee is £0
The net benefit for a Silver or Gold member spending £20,000 on the Virgin Atlantic Reward Mastercard = £1,700 (£1,550 + £150) or 8.5% of spend.
Our full review of the card is here.
Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard – if you do NOT have elite status
A ‘no status’ Red member of Virgin Flying Club has to pay half of the points required for the second flight if you redeem your 2-4-1 voucher in Upper Class.
Using our San Francisco Upper Class example, the 2nd ticket isn’t free (saving 155,000 Virgin Points) – you need to pay 50% (77,500 Virgin Points) for it.
This means:
- the 2-4-1 voucher is ‘worth’ £775 (77,500 Virgin Points saving x 1p) and
- you also earn 15,000 base Virgin Points for spending £10,000 to trigger the voucher (worth £150 @ 1p) but
- the card fee is £160
The net benefit for spending £10,000 on the Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard = £765 (£775 + £150 – £160) or 7.6% of spend.
Our full review of the card is here.
Our ‘Good’ choices for long-term spending:
Virgin Atlantic Reward Mastercard (free) – if you do NOT have elite status
A ‘no status’ Red member of Virgin Flying Club has to pay half of the points required for the second flight if you redeem your 2-4-1 voucher in Upper Class.
Using our San Francisco Upper Class example, the 2nd ticket isn’t free (saving 155,000 Virgin Points) – you need to pay 50% (77,500 Virgin Points).
This means:
- the 2-4-1 voucher is ‘worth’ £775 (77,500 Virgin Points saving x 1p) and
- you also earn 15,000 base Virgin Points for spending £20,000 to trigger the voucher (worth £150 @ 1p)
- the card fee is £0
The net benefit for spending £20,000 on the free Virgin Atlantic Reward Mastercard = £925 (£775 + £150) or 4.6% of spend.
Our full review of the card is here.
Part 2 – Travelling solo
Our ‘Very Good’ choices for long-term spending:
Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard
A return Upper Class flight to San Francisco is 155,000 Virgin Points on a peak date. A return Premium ticket is 75,000 Virgin Points. The voucher saves you 80,000 Virgin Points because you can book Upper Class for the points of Premium.
Based on a valuation of 1p per Virgin Point:
- the upgrade voucher is ‘worth’ £800 (80,000 Virgin Points saving x 1p) and
- you also earn 15,000 base Virgin Points for spending £10,000 to trigger the voucher (worth £150 @ 1p) but
- the card fee is £160
The net benefit for spending £10,000 on the Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard = £790 (£800 + £150 – £160) or 7.9% of spend.
Our full review of the card is here.
Our ‘Good’ choices for long-term spending:
British Airways American Express Premium Plus card
Spend £15,000 (from 1st November) on this card in a membership year and you can book an Avios redemption for one person at a 50% discount. You can fly on British Airways, Aer Lingus or Iberia.
On a typical redemption (a Club World ticket to San Francisco on a peak day), this saves you 100,000 Avios points when you use the ‘most Avios, least cash’ booking option.
If you value an Avios at 1p:
- the 2-4-1 voucher is ‘worth’ £1,000 (100,000 Avios saving x 1p) and
- you also earn 22,500 base Avios for spending £15,000 to trigger the voucher (worth £225 @ 1p) but
- you pay an annual fee of £300
The net benefit for spending £15,000 on the British Airways American Express Premium Plus card = £925 (£1,000 + £225 – £300) or 6.2% of your card spend.
Our full review of the card is here.
Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard
Spend £10,000 on the Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard in a membership year and you receive an Avios upgrade voucher.
This allows you to either:
- book a return Avios flight for one person, paying the Avios required for the next cheapest cabin (so World Traveller Plus if booking Club World, or World Traveller if booking World Traveller Plus)
- book two x one-way flights for two people, on the same terms as above
A return Club World business class flight to San Francisco on a peak day requires 200,000 Avios. A return World Traveller Plus ticket is 135,000 Avios. The upgrade voucher saves you 65,000 Avios when you book into Club World.
Based on a valuation of 1p per Avios:
- the upgrade voucher is ‘worth’ £650 (65,000 Avios saving x 1p) and
- you also earn 15,000 base Avios for spending £10,000 to trigger the voucher (worth £150 @ 1p) but
- the card fee is £20 per month, so £240 for a year
The net benefit for spending £10,000 on the Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard = £560 (£650 + £150 – £240) or 5.6% of spend.
Our full review of the card is here.
Virgin Atlantic Reward Mastercard (free)
A return Upper Class flight to San Francisco is 155,000 Virgin Points on a peak date. A return Premium ticket is 75,000 Virgin Points. The voucher saves you 80,000 Virgin Points when you book into Upper Class.
Based on a valuation of 1p per Virgin Point:
- the upgrade voucher is ‘worth’ £800 (80,000 Virgin Points saving x 1p) and
- you also earn 15,000 base Virgin Points for spending £20,000 to trigger the voucher (worth £150 @ 1p) and
- the card fee is £0
The net benefit for spending £20,000 on the free Virgin Atlantic Reward Mastercard = £950 (£800 + £150) or 4.75% of spend.
Our full review of the card is here.
Note: you can also use your Virgin Atlantic credit card to get a 2-4-1 deal on a cash ticket, or to upgrade a cash ticket. It is impossible to work out the ‘value’ here because it is totally dependent on the price of Premium and Upper Class tickets when you book.
Barclaycard Avios Mastercard (free)
Spend £20,000 on this card in a membership year and you receive an Avios upgrade voucher.
Note that the vouchers on both Barclaycard Avios credit cards are identical – both are valid for two years and both are valid in the same travel classes, with First Class excluded.
Using the same example as above, a return Club World business class flight to San Francisco on a peak day requires 200,000 Avios. A return World Traveller Plus ticket is 135,000 Avios. The upgrade voucher saves you 65,000 Avios when upgrading to Club World.
Based on a valuation of 1p per Avios:
- the upgrade voucher is ‘worth’ £650 (65,000 Avios saving x 1p) and
- you also earn 20,000 base Avios for spending £20,000 to trigger the voucher (worth £200 @ 1p) and
- the card is free
The net benefit for spending £20,000 on the free Barclaycard Avios Mastercard = £850 (£650 + £200) or 4.25% of spend.
Our full review of the card is here.
Conclusion
You might be slightly surprised by the numbers above.
There are two reasons why the Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard now scores better than the British Airways American Express Premium Plus card in some cases:
- the British Airways Premium Plus card is now £140 per year more expensive than the Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard, which impacts your return
- you now need to spend £15,000 to trigger the voucher on British Airways Premium Plus, compared to just £10,000 on Virgin Atlantic Reward+, which reduces your overall ‘return per £1 spent on your card’
Travelling as a couple in long haul business class?
The most rewarding credit card on the market is NOT the British Airways Premium Plus American Express card. It is the Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard.
Why? Primarily because the annual fee is low (£160) and you only need to spend £10,000 to trigger the voucher – at which point you can move on to another card and another reward.
BUT …. and it is a big ‘but’ …. you need to have Silver or Gold status in Virgin Flying Club to get this return.
If Virgin Atlantic scrapped this rule then I think we would see a lot more people adopt the card.
As it stands, if you don’t have Virgin Flying Club elite status, the British Airways American Express Premium Plus credit card remains – by far – the most valuable credit card for long term spending.
What is possibly more surprising is how badly the two Barclaycard Avios Mastercard products perform. However, for most people, these cards are a fall-back for times when American Express is not accepted – and if you can manage to trigger the annual voucher as well, it’s just an added bonus.
Travelling solo in long haul business class?
It’s a different story here. The Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard is, by far, the best option.
Remember that there are NO status restrictions on using your Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard to upgrade to Upper Class. You only need elite status when using it as a 2-4-1 voucher.
The British Airways American Express Premium Plus card, the free Virgin Atlantic Reward card and the two Barclaycard Avios Mastercards all offer roughly the same return to a solo traveller who wants to fly in business class – but the Virgin Atlantic Reward+ card clearly beats all of them.
Sign-up bonus and earn rate:
- Get 5,000 Avios when you spend £1,000 within 90 days
- Earn 1 Avios per £1 spent
Other information:
- Receive an Avios upgrade voucher when you spend £20,000 in a card year
- Upgrade a return BA flight for one person or two one-way flights for a couple
- Annual fee: Free
Representative 29.9% APR variable
You will receive 5,000 Avios as a sign-up bonus on the free Barclaycard Avios Mastercard credit card if you spend £1,000 within 90 days of signing up.
To qualify for the bonus, you must NOT, currently or in the previous six months, have held any other Barclaycard credit card. You must also have not held either of the Barclaycard Avios credit cards in the previous 24 months.
You are OK if you had a supplementary card on someone else’s Barclaycard account.
You are OK if, currently or in the previous six months, you have had a British Airways American Express credit card.
For clarity, you can still apply for the Barclaycard Avios Mastercard even if you do not qualify for the bonus. You would still benefit from the upgrade voucher and the other card benefits.
When you spend £20,000 on the Barclaycard Avios Mastercard, you receive a voucher entitling you to:
- book a return Avios flight for one person, paying the Avios of the next lowest cabin (ie book Club World but only pay the World Traveller Plus Avios requirement)
- book a one-way Avios flight, or one leg of a return flight, for two people, paying the Avios of the next lowest cabin
The voucher is valid for two years. Full taxes and charges need to be paid on both tickets, based on the cabin you fly.
The voucher can be used for anyone, as long as the booking is made from the Avios account of the cardholder.
The voucher cannot be used to fly in First Class.
You receive your voucher within five days of reaching the spending target.
Sign-up bonus and earn rate:
- Get 25,000 Avios when you spend £3,000 within 90 days
- Earn 1.5 Avios per £1 spent
Other information:
- Receive an Avios upgrade voucher when you spend £10,000 in a card year
- Upgrade a return BA flight for one person or two one-way flights for a couple
- Annual fee: £240, charged at £20 per month
Representative 80.1% APR variable based on an assumed £1,200 credit limit and £20 monthly fee. Interest rate on purchases 29.9% APR variable.
You will receive 25,000 Avios as a sign-up bonus on the Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard credit card if you spend £3,000 within 90 days of signing up.
To qualify for the bonus, you must NOT, currently or in the previous six months, have held any other Barclaycard credit card. You must also have not held either of the Barclaycard Avios credit cards in the previous 24 months.
You are OK if you had a supplementary card on someone else’s Barclaycard account.
You are OK if, currently or in the previous six months, you have had a British Airways American Express credit card.
For clarity, you can still apply for the Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard even if you do not qualify for the bonus. You would still benefit from the upgrade voucher and the other card benefits.
When you spend £10,000 on the Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard, you receive a voucher entitling you to:
- book a return Avios flight for one person, paying the Avios of the next lowest cabin (ie book Club World but only pay the World Traveller Plus Avios requirement)
- book a one-way Avios flight, or one leg of a return flight, for two people, paying the Avios of the next lowest cabin
The voucher is valid for two years. Full taxes and charges need to be paid on both tickets, based on the cabin you fly.
The voucher cannot be used to fly in First Class.
The voucher can be used for anyone, as long as the booking is made from the Avios account of the cardholder.
You receive your voucher within five days of reaching the spending target.
Sign-up bonus and earn rate:
- Get 30,000 Avios when you spend £6,000 within 90 days
- Earn 1.5 Avios per £1 spent
- Earn 3 Avios per £1 spent with British Airways and BA Holidays
Other information:
- Receive a companion voucher, letting you book two flights for the Avios of one, when you spend £15,000 in a card year
- A solo traveller can use it for a 50% discount on the Avios for one ticket
- The voucher is valid in any cabin
- It can be used on British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus
- Annual fee: £300
Representative 139.2% APR variable based on an assumed £1,200 credit limit and £300 annual fee. Interest rate on purchases 30.7% APR variable.
You will receive 30,000 Avios as a sign-up bonus on the British Airways American Express Premium Plus card if you spend £6,000 within 90 days of signing up.
To qualify for the bonus, you must not have held the British Airways Premium Plus or the free British Airways American Express cards in the previous 24 months.
You are OK if you had a supplementary card on someone else’s British Airways American Express account.
You are OK if, currently or in the previous 24 months, you have held any other American Express card.
For clarity, you can still apply for the British Airways Premium Plus card even if you do not qualify for the bonus. You would still benefit from the companion voucher and all of the other card benefits.
When you spend £15,000 on the British Airways American Express Premium Plus card, you receive a companion voucher entitling you to book two Avios redemption flights for the miles of one.
Alternatively, a solo traveller can use the voucher for a 50% reduction on the Avios required for one ticket.
This voucher is valid for two years. Full taxes and charges need to be paid on both tickets.
This voucher is the most valuable perk available in the UK airline and hotel credit card sector in my view. It could save you 150,000 or more Avios when used for a long-haul redemption in a premium cabin.
The voucher with the Premium Plus card is far more powerful than the voucher given with the free British Airways American Express card. You need to spend the same £15,000 to receive it. More importantly, the Premium Plus voucher is valid for two years and is valid in ALL cabins. The voucher on the free British Airways American Express card is only valid for one year and can only be used for Economy flights.
You receive your voucher within a few days of reaching the spending target. You need to fly the outbound leg of your 2-4-1 flight before the expiry date of the voucher.
The voucher can be used for flights on British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus.
You need a minimum personal income of £35,000 to apply for the card.
Sign-up bonus and earn rate:
- Get 3,000 Virgin Points after your first transaction
- Earn 0.75 Virgin Points per £1 spent
- Earn 1.5 points per £1 spent with Virgin Atlantic
Other information:
- Get a reward voucher worth 75,000 or 150,000 Virgin Points when you spend £20,000 in a year
- Use it towards a companion ticket when you buy a cash or reward flight
- Solo travellers can use it to upgrade a cash or reward flight by one cabin
- Vouchers are valid for two years
- Annual fee: Free
Representative 26.9% APR variable
You receive a bonus of 3,000 Virgin Points after your first purchase, however small.
You may want to consider applying for the Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard instead for its higher bonus. This comes with a £160 annual fee but has a sign-up bonus of 18,000 Virgin Points. You also receive a higher earning rate of 1.5 miles per £1 spent.
You cannot apply if you have had the free Virgin Atlantic Reward credit card in the previous six months. You are free to apply if you have any other Virgin Money credit card or the paid-for Virgin Atlantic Reward+ credit card.
When you spend £20,000 per year on the Virgin Atlantic Reward Mastercard, you will receive a reward voucher.
The voucher is worth:
75,000 Virgin Points if you have no status in Virgin Flying Club on the date you book
150,000 Virgin Points if you have Silver or Gold status in Virgin Flying Club on the date you book
The voucher is valid for two years and will get you:
A discount on a companion flight when you book a cash or reward flight at full price for yourself (taxes and charges need to be paid on the companion ticket)
A discount on a one category upgrade for yourself when you book a cash or reward flight
Sign-up bonus and earn rate:
- Get 18,000 Virgin Points after your first transaction
- Earn 1.5 Virgin Points per £1 spent
- Earn 3 points per £1 spent with Virgin Atlantic
Other information:
- Get a reward voucher worth 75,000 or 150,000 Virgin Points when you spend £10,000 in a year
- Use it towards a companion ticket when you buy a cash or reward flight
- Solo travellers can use it to upgrade a cash or reward flight by one cabin
- Vouchers are valid for two years
- Annual fee: £160
Representative 69.7% APR variable based on an assumed £1,200 credit limit and £160 annual fee. Interest rate on purchases 26.9% APR variable.
You receive a bonus of 18,000 Virgin Points after your first purchase, however small.
There are no restrictions on earning the bonus if you are accepted.
You cannot apply if you have had a Virgin Atlantic Reward+ credit card in the previous six months. You are free to apply if you have any other Virgin Money credit card or the free Virgin Atlantic Reward credit card.
When you spend £10,000 per year on the Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard, you will receive a reward voucher.
The voucher is worth:
75,000 Virgin Points if you have no status in Virgin Flying Club on the date you book
150,000 Virgin Points if you have Silver or Gold status in Virgin Flying Club on the date you book
The voucher is valid for two years and will get you:
A discount on a companion flight when you book a cash or reward flight at full price for yourself (taxes and charges need to be paid on the companion ticket)
A discount on a one category upgrade for yourself when you book a cash or reward flight
Want to earn more points from credit cards? – December 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 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
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 14th January 2025, the sign-up bonus on ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold is increased to 30,000 Membership Rewards points. This converts into 30,000 Avios. Click here to apply.
SPECIAL OFFER: Until 14th January 2025, the sign-up bonus on The Platinum Card from American Express is increased to 80,000 Membership Rewards points. This converts into 80,000 Avios! The spend requirement is changed to £10,000 in six months for this offer. 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
Huge 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 Business Rewards Visa
10,500 points (=10,500 Avios) and NO FX fees 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
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 when you spend at least £2,000 per month.
Barclaycard Select Cashback Business Credit Card
Get 1% cashback when you spend at least £2,000 per month* Read our full review
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