[Anonymous]

[Cwyfan]

Whilst browsing on an american site, I found that a BA credit card in the US returns the following Avios, assuming a $1.60 to £1 conversion approximately:

Sign-up Bonus: Potentially 100,000 Avios, made up of 50,000 Avios after £630 spent in 3 months, 25,000 Avios after £6,300 spent in 12 months, and 25,000 more Avios after £12,500 total spend within 12 months

Spending Bonuses: 2 Avios per £1 on all purchases, 4 Avios per £1 on all British Airways purchases

Card Perks: “Travel Together” companion ticket with £18,000 spend per calendar year; 10% discount on British Airways purchases; Chip & Signature technology; no foreign transaction fees.

Annual Fee: £60

Why is the Amex card giving such an inferior return here in the UK…or why do Visa not offer an equivalent?

Is BA really so anti-British?

[SwissExPat]

Assume the 10% discount is not on fuel surcharges and apd etc?

[LuganoPirate]

Discounts usually given on the base fare, never the surcharges SwissExPat.

To answer Kmc, this is clearly a marketing move to attract more customers to BA. Since BA have the lions share of the business in their home market, they do not need to offer more points and other attractive bonuses in the UK or Europe, mores the pity!

[tiggerbrown]

I need to borrow a family member’s US address I feel.

[MartynSinclair]

I have a home in USA and applied previoulsy for a BA credit card.

What a performance………………

Applied, passed credit scoring or whatever they call it in the States, then a letter in advance of card issue, but by the time everything was ready to go, I had returned to the UK, therefore all post was left until my next visit.

What I hadnt been able to see or pay, was the account opening chrge which as a result of non payment, placed me on a bad payment record AND I had not even got the card.

End result was that i CBA to get the thing issued……………

[First-Pax]

Hello Martyn – I also have a home in the USA and would love to get my hands on the BA Visa card. How did you manage to complete the credit scoring without a social security number? That’s always been the problem when I have applied – and rejected as i don’t have one.

[kidtraveller]

It’s not worth applying for a BA Credit Card in the US, if your Executive Club Account is registered in Europe..

I had a BA Credit Card in the US for many years as I use to live there and travel back a lot. After a few years and one rainy Sunday I looked at my account statement and saw that I wasn’t being credited miles to my executive club. I called BA/American Express and after an hour on the phone and speaking to 5 different people they said I was intitled to get miles on a US credit card if my Executive account was registered in Europe. Little did I know that all I spent on that card I never got a single mile for! totally sucked when I found out!

What I then did and works perfectly is I opened up at an account with Starwood Preffered Guest and applied for their US Credit Card. You can then transfer miles from starwood to BA free of charge and if you transfer 20,000 points they automatically give you a 5,000 point bonus. I’ve been doing that for that year and works perfectly!

[VintageKrug]

While the US cards always seem to offer better bonuses, remember that the 25,000 avios you get for signing up in the UK are effectively doubled if you use a 2 for 1 voucher when redeeming, so it’s more like getting a 50k sign up.

If you are considering applying, always ask a friend for a referral:

http://www.britishairways.com/travel/credit-cards/public/en_gb

[Cwyfan]

Only ask a friend for a referral, if you do not want casback from Quidco, which is £60 for a premium plus card.

[Papillion53]

Yes but aren’t the bonus miles you get for referral worth more than £60?

[Cwyfan]

Your choice is £60 to you or referral miles to your friend, so only a debate, if the friend is on your household account.

[Author]

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