AVIOS Upgrade Voucher vs. Companion Voucher: AMEX Showdown

AVIOS Upgrade Voucher vs. Companion Voucher: AMEX Showdown

Ever wondered which airline credit card is the best if your main goal is to fly business class using AVIOS? Have you tried comparing different options only to end up confused? Should you go for an AVIOS upgrade voucher or an AVIOS companion voucher? If you’re unsure about what a companion voucher is, check out my post about it on Travel the Globe for Less.

No need to wonder anymore—I’ve done the legwork for you. Let’s dive into the comparison of the AMEX cards.

AVIOS Upgrade Voucher vs AVIOS Companion Voucher

Which is the best option for securing two long-haul business class flights? Should you choose British Airways American Express cards or Lloyds Bank AVIOS cards?

Let’s assume you want to book two off-peak business class flights to New York in March 2016. We’ll look at the options and determine which card offers the best deal.

Lloyds AVIOS Rewards Card

This card doesn’t offer a sign-up bonus but gives 1.25 points per £1 spent on AMEX. To compensate, it offers double AVIOS on all spend for the first six months. You earn an AVIOS upgrade voucher for two (one way only) after spending £7,000. For a round trip, you would need two upgrade vouchers, meaning both you and a companion would each need a card and spend the required amount. This totals £14,000 in spending to get enough vouchers.

You can only upgrade one class, so you’d need to book two premium economy tickets and use the vouchers to upgrade to Club World, costing 52,000 AVIOS each, or 104,000 in total, plus taxes. The bookings must be made through the AVIOS site as two separate bookings, each using an upgrade voucher. There’s no option to upgrade to First Class with this voucher.

Lloyds Premier Avios Rewards Card

This card also has no sign-up bonus but gives 1.5 points per £1 spent on AMEX, with double AVIOS for the first six months. It has a higher annual fee of £140. You earn an AVIOS upgrade voucher for two after just £5,000 of spending.

You’d still need two cards for two business class flights, costing 104,000 AVIOS plus taxes, with a combined card fee of £280. The companion voucher earned after a £12,000 spend can only be used for an economy flight, which may not be worth it given the high taxes and fees.

British Airways Premium Plus Card

This card offers 1.5 points per £1 spent, increasing to 3 points per £1 on British Airways flights and holidays. It has an attractive sign-up bonus of 25,000 points after spending £3,000, though this can vary. You get a British Airways Companion Voucher each year you spend £10,000, allowing you to book flights in any class. You only need the AVIOS for one business class flight but pay taxes and fees for two. An off-peak business class fare to New York costs 100,000 AVIOS for one person.

While the card has a £150 annual fee, it’s lower than the total fees for the Lloyds Premier cards. Plus, you use fewer AVIOS for the booking, and you can even use the companion voucher for First Class.

British Airways Credit Card

This card is similar to the Premium Plus card but requires £20,000 of spending to secure the voucher, which is only valid for 12 months. The lower earnings rate of 1 AVIOS per £1 and a lower sign-up bonus make it less appealing.

Summary Table
| Card | Sign-up Bonus | Spend for Voucher | Earnings Rate | Points Earned from Spend | Total Points (with bonuses) | Double AVIOS First 6 Months | AVIOS Required | Taxes & Fees (Per Person) | Annual Fee | ATM |
|——|——————|———————|—————-|—————————|———————-|—————————-|—————|————————-|———-|————|
| British Airways American Express Card | 9,000 | £20,000 | 1 per £1 | 20,000 | 29,000 | No | 100,000 (using companion voucher) | £493.86 | £0 | 22.9% |
| British Airways American Premium Plus Card | 25,000 | £10,000 | 1.5 per £1 | 15,000 | 40,000 | No | 100,000 (using companion voucher) | £493.86 | £150 | 22.9% |
| Lloyds AVIOS Rewards Card | 0 | £14,000 (£7,000 each) | 1.25 per £1 | 17,500 | 35,000 | Yes | 104,000 (plus 2 upgrade vouchers) | £493.86 | £24 | 18.94% |
| Lloyds Premier Avios Rewards Card | 0 | £10,000 (£5,000 each) | 1.5 per £1 | 15,000 | 30,000 | Yes | 104,000 (plus 2 upgrade vouchers) | £493.86 | £140 | 18.94% |

The Winner Is…

The British Airways Premium Credit Card comes out on top. It features a generous sign-up bonus and the companion voucher can be used for any class of travel with the AVIOS needed for just one person.

The Lloyds cards require purchasing two premium economy flights to upgrade them, using more points. Furthermore, the companion voucher for the Premier card doesn’t offer good value due to the high taxes and fees for economy fares.

Though some might find the annual fee off-putting, the cost of two business class flights would usually be much higher, making this card a great deal. In some cases, flying business class using this method can even be cheaper than flying economy.

So now you know, in the battle of the AMEX cards, British Airways is the clear winner!