BA Premium Plus Amex now earns 1.25 Avios per £1, and BA spend lost its triple Avios
Since 7 October 2026 the British Airways American Express Premium Plus Card earns 1.25 Avios per £1 instead of 1.5, and British Airways and BA Holidays spend no longer earns 3 Avios per £1. The £300 fee and the £15,000 Companion Voucher spend stay the same. Tier points on spend start in April 2027.
In this article
The cut American Express announced in July is now live. From 7 October 2026, the British Airways American Express Premium Plus Card earns 1.25 Avios per £1 on everyday spending, down from 1.5. The extra earn on British Airways and BA Holidays purchases is gone too: that spend used to earn 3 Avios per £1 and now earns the same 1.25 as everything else.
American Express confirmed the change in a statement shared with Points Well Made. Turning Left For Less reports it has now taken effect.
What changed
| Before 7 Oct 2026 | From 7 Oct 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday spend | 1.5 Avios per £1 | 1.25 Avios per £1 |
| British Airways and BA Holidays spend | 3 Avios per £1 | 1.25 Avios per £1 |
| Annual fee | £300 | £300 |
| Spend for the Companion Voucher | £15,000 a card year | £15,000 a card year |
The one addition
From April 2027, the card earns 1 British Airways tier point for every £10 of eligible spend, up to 3,000 tier points per British Airways Club collection year, per the Amex statement. Turning Left For Less notes that comes close to the 3,500 tier points needed for Bronze status on card spend alone.
What it means in practice
At £1,500 a month, the card now earns 22,500 Avios a year, against 27,000 before. The free British Airways American Express earns 18,000 at the same spend with no fee, so the £300 now buys 4,500 extra Avios a year plus the better Companion Voucher. Points Well Made points out the Premium Plus voucher lasts two years and works in any cabin, while the free card's is economy only.
If you mainly held the card for the earn rate, compare it with the Barclaycard Avios Plus, which still earns 1.5 Avios per £1 for a £240 fee. If you hold it for the Companion Voucher, and you reach £15,000 a year, nothing important changed for you.
| Card | Annual fee | Fee waived at | Forex markup | Stated min income | Network | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Airways American Express Premium Plus American Express | £300 | not confirmed | not confirmed | £35,000 / yr | amex | not yet verified |
| British Airways American Express Credit Card American Express | None | - | not confirmed | £15,000 / yr | amex | not yet verified |
| Barclaycard Avios Plus Barclaycard | £240 | not confirmed | not confirmed | not confirmed | not confirmed | not yet verified |
| Barclaycard Avios Barclaycard | None | - | not confirmed | not confirmed | not confirmed | not yet verified |
Which CardPolo cards are affected
The British Airways American Express Premium Plus in our Europe edition, now listed at 1.25 Avios per £1. Our UK Avios cards guide runs the full comparison at your spend.
Sources
Every claim on this page is backed by a primary or reputable source.
Cards affected
Card figures on CardPolo come from our catalog, each with an issuer source and a verified date where we have checked it. Spot something out of date? Tell us at hello@cardpolo.com.
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