The Complete Guide to the British Airways Companion Voucher

The British Airways Companion Voucher is one of the most valuable perks available to UK credit card holders. When used effectively, it can save you a significant amount on flights, potentially thousands of pounds.

While the Companion Voucher may seem like a simple ‘buy one, get one free’ offer, the program has its complexities. We've broken down all the essential details to help you make the most of it.

At its core, the Voucher offers 2-for-1 travel on British Airways Avios redemption flights. This means you pay half the Avios required for two passengers. However, keep in mind that taxes, fees, and surcharges are still applicable for both passengers, and only the Avios portion of the ticket is discounted. Surcharges on long-haul flights, particularly in premium cabins, can be high.

Recently, the Voucher’s redemption rules have been expanded, allowing it to be used for solo travel. A single traveller can now redeem the Voucher and pay 50% of the required Avios, while still being responsible for the full taxes, fees, and surcharges for one person.

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Who can benefit from this?

The Companion Voucher is ideal for BA Executive Club members who frequently fly British Airways, can spend a minimum of £10,000 on a BA-branded credit card in a year, and have a healthy balance of Avios to redeem.

How to earn the Companion Voucher

You can earn the Companion Voucher by meeting the following minimum spend requirements on your BA Amex card:

• The British Airways American Express Credit Card: £12,000 minimum spend per membership year. This card has no annual fee and earns 1 Avios for every £1 spent on regular purchases.
• The British Airways American Express Premium Plus Credit Card: £10,000 minimum spend each membership year. This card comes with a £250 annual fee and earns 1.5 Avios for every £1 spent on everyday purchases.

The spending requirement is based on a 12-month period from the date of your account opening and renewal. Keep in mind that you can only earn one Companion Voucher per 12-month period from your renewal date (card year). Unused spending does not carry over, meaning even if you spend £50,000 in a year, you will still only earn one Voucher. If a couple spends that amount each year, they may want to each apply for a BA Amex card and split the spending to earn two Companion Vouchers to redeem.

Once you hit the required spending, the Companion Voucher will be added to your BA Executive Club account within a few days. A convenient tracker in your American Express account will show you how close you are to earning it.

How to earn two Vouchers

You can use two Companion Vouchers simultaneously for a family or group of four if you earn two Vouchers across two separate card years and book your outbound flight before the first Voucher expires.

To benefit from the 24-month expiration period, you must hold the Premium Plus Card (more details on expiration below). However, it's also possible to work with a 12-month expiration date if you carefully time your spending around your card renewal date.

One strategy is to delay reaching your required spend until near your renewal date, then quickly earn another Voucher right after.

For example, with a renewal date in October, I focus my summer spending on my Premium Plus Card to meet the required spend by September. I then use it for holiday expenses, earning another Voucher in December as it's a new earning year. This way, I have two Vouchers for my family of four that will expire around the same time.

Since my Premium Plus Card Vouchers are valid for 24 months, I have additional time to find available flights and accumulate the necessary Avios for the redemption.

Alternatively, two individuals can each earn a Companion Voucher on their respective cards and use both for the same trip.

Voucher Expiration

Letting a Companion Voucher expire is a significant loss, potentially wasting hundreds or even thousands of dollars in value. It's essential to monitor its expiration in your BA Executive Club account.

Your outbound flight must be completed before the Voucher expires, though the return flight can be taken after the expiration. Just ensure that you either book both legs of the trip together or reserve the return as a one-way ticket.

Here are the Companion Voucher expiration details:

• The British Airways American Express Credit Card: Expires 12 months after issuance
• The British Airways American Express Premium Plus Credit Card: Expires 24 months after issuance

You can find the expiration dates listed in your Executive Club account, allowing you to easily track them.

Voucher Redemption

Since Avios seats are made available 355 days prior to departure, you can initially book your outbound flight as a one-way ticket online and then contact British Airways later to add the return leg once seats for the return journey are released.

Whenever you search for Avios flights on BA.com, you will see a checkbox asking if you'd like to use your Companion Voucher. If you have multiple Vouchers, they will all be displayed, allowing you to choose one or two.

Make sure to use the Voucher with the nearest expiration date first to maximize its value.

The dreaded UK Air Passenger Duty

For Vouchers earned before 1 September 2021, your departure must be from the UK, which will incur the Air Passenger Duty (APD) tax. However, you can avoid this fee by flying from Jersey or Inverness, both of which are considered within the UK for the purposes of the Amex Companion Voucher but do not trigger the APD, leading to lower overall costs.

For Vouchers earned after 1 September 2021, you can start your journey from anywhere, giving you the flexibility to avoid APD by beginning your trip from locations like Paris (CDG) instead of the UK. With up to four sectors allowed per redemption, you could route Paris (CDG) to London (LHR) to Miami (MIA) after September 1st, potentially saving you several hundred pounds on taxes.

This change is especially useful if you're only planning to redeem your Companion Voucher for a one-way trip. You can start from any British Airways destination and use it for a return flight to the UK.

Modifications

You can book your Companion Voucher redemption in any class that's available, and later upgrade to a higher class if seats open up, for an additional £35 per person each way. This must be done through BA by phone, as online upgrades aren’t permitted. As with all Avios bookings, Companion Voucher redemptions have more flexible cancellation policies compared to cash tickets, which can be incredibly useful for travelers with changing plans.

Terms and Conditions

When it comes to redeeming, there are certain guidelines to follow, but keep in mind that these rules primarily cater to the typical U.K. traveler, whether flying with a partner, friend, or solo, who wishes to travel with British Airways and save Avios on their redemption.

Key Requirements:

• The flight must be operated by British Airways (no partners or mixed carriers allowed);
• For vouchers earned before September 1, 2021, the flight must start and end in the U.K. For those earned after that date, departures can be from any city British Airways serves;
• The person whose name is on the voucher must be the one making the booking;
• The individual listed on the voucher must also be the one traveling;
• If redeeming for a couple, the same companion must join for both outbound and return flights;
• The redemption must be fully paid with Avios (no mixed payment with cash);
• The companion must be on the same flight and travel in the same class;
• Avios award seats must be available for each traveler in every flight segment;
• Mixed class itineraries are allowed, useful when finding full availability is tricky;
• You will still need to cover taxes, fees, and carrier charges for both tickets, which can be quite high;
• Taxes and fees should be paid using a British Airways Amex card (note: some travelers suggest any Amex card may suffice, not necessarily a BA Amex);
• Once the booking is made, the companion's name cannot be changed — any modifications would require a ticket cancellation;
• Your companion must either be in your "Friends and Family" list with British Airways or belong to your Household Account.

There are many conditions that can make using the Companion Voucher for complex redemptions tricky, but here are some benefits you should keep in mind:

• It can be used for one-way travel, but in that case, the voucher is considered fully redeemed;
• The outbound flight must take place before the voucher expires, but the return can be on any date;
• Companion Vouchers can be redeemed in any cabin, though from 1 September 2021, the value of vouchers earned with the basic card has significantly decreased, as they can only be used for economy class flights going forward;
• You can use a Companion Voucher for any route British Airways operates, as long as Avios award seats are available;
• It's possible to return from a different city (e.g., Manchester to Bangkok, or Kuala Lumpur to London), but you’ll need to call British Airways to arrange it;
• If you cancel your tickets, the Companion Voucher will be refunded;
• You can also use a "Gold Upgrade for Two" Voucher;
• Children can be the companion traveler;
• A lap infant is allowed when redeeming a Companion Voucher, and you’ll pay just 10% of the Avios required for the baby;
• You need enough Avios for the outbound flight, but can add the return leg at a later time, provided it's done before departure.

Maximizing the Value of a Companion Voucher Redemption

Companion Vouchers can be incredibly valuable, particularly when used for premium cabins. While you're saving on Avios (which we estimate to be worth 1.1p each), it's essential to factor in the often hefty taxes that come with British Airways redemptions from the U.K. For a ticket priced at 200,000 Avios, the Companion Voucher could offer a value equivalent to £2,400.

Below is a breakdown of some popular redemptions, comparing the Avios and tax costs for two tickets during off-peak times, alongside the typical price of a cash ticket booked six months in advance.

The table assumes off-peak travel dates and the use of a Companion Voucher for both tickets.

Redemption Option 1: Long-Haul Flights

Premium Class Cabins

Since taxes remain nearly identical across different classes, using a Companion Voucher for either economy or premium cabins results in a similar cash outlay. If you have a significant balance of Avios, opting for long-haul premium cabins (Club World or First Class) offers the best value for your Companion Voucher.

Finding two seats in premium cabins used to be a challenge, but with recent changes — including a doubling of the minimum guaranteed number of Avios seats for Executive Club members — British Airways will also release additional Club World seats for Companion Vouchers earned with the Premium Plus Card starting 1 September.

For example, if you're aiming to book a Club World flight to Dubai (DXB) on Christmas Eve, a peak travel time when finding Avios availability is typically tough, the new changes could make this redemption more achievable.

When I search without a Companion Voucher, business class availability with Avios for December 24th is nonexistent:

However, starting from 1 September 2021, Companion Vouchers issued through the British Airways American Express Premium Plus Card will grant access to "I class" award availability.

By checking the Christmas Eve flights on ExpertFlyer, a platform owned by TPG's parent company Red Ventures, I can see there are numerous seats available in the "I class" fare bucket, which can be booked with a Companion Voucher.

On these flights, using a Companion Voucher significantly improves availability compared to when you don’t have one.

Be cautious of long-haul taxes

For long-haul economy redemptions, redeeming a Companion Voucher doesn't offer much value. You'll still face substantial fees, taxes, and surcharges for the second 'free' passenger, even though no Avios is required for them.

For instance, booking a round-trip economy flight to New York with a Companion Voucher could cost you just 26,000 Avios for both passengers on an off-peak date, plus around £300 each in fees, taxes, and surcharges. However, this isn’t a great deal considering we often find economy fares to New York on sale for £300 or less, allowing you to earn Avios and Tier Points instead while saving your Companion Voucher for a more rewarding use.

Redemption Option 2: Peak Dates Within Europe

Many points enthusiasts recommend reserving your Companion Voucher for last-minute Club Europe flights within Europe.

During the holidays or summer, intra-European flight prices can skyrocket. A smart and valuable use of your Companion Voucher is for a European flight during these peak times, where taxes are capped at £50 per return business-class ticket.

While our chart illustrates pricing for December redemptions, booking a high-season flight to places like Nice, Greece, or Croatia can offer excellent value.

Redemption Option 3: For Any Cash Flight You Were Considering

I previously redeemed a Companion Voucher from my Premium Plus Card for two premium economy seats to the Maldives in November 2019. The cost was 82,500 Avios and £950 in taxes, in addition to using the Companion Voucher.

Why did we choose premium economy over business class? The main reason was that no business-class seats were available, and the dates aligned perfectly with our Marriott points stay at the St. Regis Maldives. Plus, British Airways offers the only direct flight, and the flight times worked well for minimizing time away from work.

In the end, we had planned to pay cash for the premium economy tickets, which would have cost £3,950. My husband, an economist, viewed this as a real cash saving of £3,000 — more valuable than flying Club World to another destination where business class was available. The flexibility of the tickets meant that if a business-class sale came up, we could still book those flights. Or, if reward availability opened up, we could cancel the tickets for £140 and have the Avios and Companion Voucher refunded to my account.

We didn't factor in the Avios we would have earned had we paid cash, but that's always something to keep in mind when evaluating a redemption.

Redemption Option 4: Two Adults and a Child Under 2 in Club World

With the 10% Avios cost for a lap infant, you can travel as a family of three — including a child under 2 — in Club World with a Companion Voucher. This significantly reduces the overall cost while giving you more space, especially with the two middle seats and a bassinet for the little one.

The two seats create a cozy play area for your young child, with the hope they'll drift off to sleep in the bassinet as you relax with a glass of Champagne and enjoy your first movie in a while.

Avios-Specific Redemptions

If you have a specific Avios balance you’re aiming to use alongside a Companion Voucher, consider the following guides:

• Maximizing a British Airways Companion Voucher with 50,000 Avios
• Maximizing a British Airways Companion Voucher with 100,000 Avios
• Maximizing a British Airways Companion Voucher with 150,000 Avios
• Maximizing a British Airways Companion Voucher with 200,000 Avios

Bottom Line

A Companion Voucher earned from the British Airways American Express Premium Plus Card can deliver thousands of pounds in value with just £10,000 in spending, making it one of the best travel perks available on a U.K. credit card today.

For Vouchers earned from the free British Airways American Express Credit Card, new restrictions apply: the Voucher can only be redeemed for economy class, making long-haul economy redemptions less appealing due to the steep fees, taxes, and surcharges that apply to both passengers.

You can still find good value in last-minute, peak short-haul redemptions. To earn a Companion Voucher, you'll need to spend £12,000 annually, and you can begin your journey from outside the U.K. However, note that the Voucher is only valid for 12 months.

Companion Vouchers from the British Airways American Express Premium Plus Card are now better than ever. With significantly more redemption seats available, especially in Club World/Club Suite, this Voucher can easily provide over £1,000 in value.

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