Alright, are you ready to unlock some incredible travel potential? If you're an American Express British Airways cardholder, you've got a golden ticket in your pocket: the Companion Voucher! But how exactly does this magical perk work to get you flying for less? Let's dive deep into a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to mastering the Amex Companion Voucher.
Demystifying the American Express Companion Voucher: Your Passport to Avios Savings
The American Express Companion Voucher, often fondly referred to as a "2-for-1 voucher," is a highly sought-after benefit for cardholders of specific British Airways American Express credit cards. In essence, it allows you to bring a companion with you on a British Airways (and sometimes Iberia or Aer Lingus) "Reward Flight" booking, using your Avios points, without having to pay the Avios for their seat. Alternatively, for vouchers earned after September 1, 2021, you can also use it to get a 50% discount on the Avios price if you're traveling solo.
It's crucial to understand that while the Avios cost for the second passenger (or 50% of your Avios for solo travel) is waived, you are still responsible for paying the taxes, fees, and carrier charges for both passengers. Even with these charges, the savings on premium cabin long-haul flights can be truly immense, making this voucher one of the most valuable credit card perks available.
Step 1: Are You Eligible? Confirming Your Companion Voucher Status
Before we get to the exciting part of booking, let's make sure you're on the right track!
What type of American Express British Airways card do you have? The Companion Voucher is exclusively tied to the British Airways American Express Credit Card and the British Airways American Express Premium Plus Card.
Have you met the spending threshold? This is the most crucial part of earning your voucher.
For the British Airways American Express Credit Card (the free card), you typically need to spend £15,000 within your card membership year.
For the British Airways American Express Premium Plus Card (the paid annual fee card), you also generally need to spend £15,000 within your card membership year. Note: Spend thresholds can change, so always double-check the latest terms on the Amex or British Airways website.
When does your card membership year reset? Your spending target is typically calculated over a 12-month period, starting from your account opening date and renewing annually. Keep an eye on your Amex app or online account to track your progress towards the spend target.
Has your voucher been issued? Once you hit the spending threshold, the Companion Voucher will usually be deposited automatically into your British Airways Executive Club account within a few days. You'll typically receive an email confirmation from British Airways.
Engage the user: Have you checked your Amex app recently to see how close you are to earning your next Companion Voucher? It's always exciting to watch that spend tracker!
Step 2: Understanding Your Voucher – The Key Differences
Not all Companion Vouchers are created equal! The type of card you hold dictates the flexibility and benefits of your voucher.
Sub-heading: The British Airways American Express Credit Card Companion Voucher
Validity: This voucher is typically valid for 12 months from the date of issue. This means you need to book your outbound flight before this expiration date.
Cabin Class: This voucher can only be used for Reward Flights in Euro Traveller (Economy) or World Traveller (Economy) cabins. While it saves Avios, the cash cost of taxes and fees can still be significant for economy flights, potentially limiting the overall value.
Usage:
Companion Travel: Get a second economy class seat for a companion on the same flight for no additional Avios.
Solo Travel (post-Sept 2021 vouchers): Receive a 50% discount on the Avios price if you're traveling alone in economy.
Sub-heading: The British Airways American Express Premium Plus Card Companion Voucher
Validity: This is where the Premium Plus card truly shines! Your voucher is typically valid for 24 months from the date of issue, giving you much more flexibility to plan your dream trip.
Cabin Class: This voucher can be used in any cabin, including Euro Traveller (Economy), World Traveller Plus (Premium Economy), Club World (Business Class), and First Class. This is where the real value lies, as the Avios savings on premium cabins can be enormous.
Enhanced Availability: A significant perk of the Premium Plus voucher is access to enhanced availability in Club World (Business Class) when booking with your Companion Voucher. This means more reward seats might open up to you than to a standard Avios booker.
Usage:
Companion Travel: Get a second seat in any cabin for a companion on the same flight for no additional Avios.
Solo Travel (post-Sept 2021 vouchers): Receive a 50% discount on the Avios price if you're traveling alone in any cabin.
Step 3: Accumulating Avios – Fueling Your Flight
The Companion Voucher saves you Avios on one seat (or 50% on a solo booking), but you still need enough Avios for the primary ticket (or 50% of the Avios for a solo booking).
Organic Spending: Continue using your British Airways American Express card for everyday purchases. The Premium Plus card earns 1.5 Avios per £1 spent (and sometimes more on BA purchases), while the free card earns 1 Avios per £1.
Welcome Bonuses: New cardholders often receive generous Avios welcome bonuses after meeting initial spending targets.
Other Avios Earning Methods:
Flying British Airways: Earn Avios on paid flights.
Shopping Portals: Use the British Airways eStore for online purchases.
Transfers from other loyalty programs: If you have American Express Membership Rewards points, you can transfer them to Avios at a 1:1 ratio. Other programs like Nectar (UK) also allow transfers.
Avios Subscriptions and Purchases: While generally not recommended for value, you can also directly purchase Avios if you're short for a specific redemption.
Step 4: Finding Reward Flight Availability – The Hunter's Game
This is often the most challenging, yet rewarding, part of using your Companion Voucher. Reward flight availability is limited and can be highly competitive, especially for popular routes and premium cabins.
Sub-heading: Using the British Airways Website
Log in: Go to ba.com and log in to your British Airways Executive Club account.
Search for Reward Flights: Navigate to the "Book with Avios" section.
Crucial Step – Tick the Box! When searching for flights, ensure you tick the box that says "Use a Companion Voucher" (or similar phrasing). This is vital, as it can unlock additional reward seats, particularly in Club World with the Premium Plus voucher.
Input Your Details:
Select your departure and arrival airports.
Choose your desired dates. Be as flexible as possible! This is key.
Select the number of passengers (2 for companion travel, 1 for solo travel using the 50% Avios discount).
Select your preferred cabin class (Economy, Premium Economy, Business, First). Remember the restrictions based on your voucher type.
Browse and Select: The results will show available Reward Flights. Look for dates and times that work for you. Be prepared to be flexible with your dates and even destinations to maximize your chances.
Sub-heading: Tips for Finding Elusive Availability
Book Early, Really Early: British Airways generally releases reward seats 355 days in advance (at midnight GMT). For highly sought-after routes and premium cabins, logging on precisely at this time can be your best bet. Consider calling the US or Japan BA call centers if you're in a different timezone, as they operate on different hours.
Be Flexible with Dates: If your travel dates aren't set in stone, search for a range of dates. The BA website often has a calendar view that shows availability over several weeks.
Consider Off-Peak Travel: Avios redemption rates are lower during off-peak periods, and availability is often better.
Try Different Departure Airports: If you're struggling to find availability from London Heathrow (LHR), consider looking from other UK airports like Manchester (MAN) or Glasgow (GLA). You might then book a separate positioning flight to get there. Crucially, if you do this, you MUST fly the first leg of your Companion Voucher booking from the originating airport, or the rest of your ticket may be cancelled.
One-Way Bookings and Adding Returns Later: If only the outbound leg is available 355 days out, you can book it and then call British Airways later (when the return leg becomes available) to add it to your booking. You typically won't be charged a change fee for this.
Use Tools: Websites like Reward Flight Finder can help you set alerts for specific routes and dates, notifying you when reward seats become available.
Call British Airways: Sometimes, agents can see availability that doesn't show online, especially for complex itineraries or open-jaw bookings (flying into one city and out of another).
Step 5: Booking Your Reward Flight with the Voucher
Once you've found your ideal flights, the booking process is relatively straightforward.
Proceed to Booking: Select your chosen flights on the British Airways website.
Apply Your Voucher: On the payment page, you'll see an option to apply your available Companion Voucher(s). Select the one you wish to use. If you have multiple vouchers of the same type, you can sometimes combine them for larger groups (e.g., two vouchers for four people).
Review the Avios Cost: You'll see that the Avios cost for your companion (or 50% for solo travel) has been reduced to zero (or halved).
Pay Taxes, Fees, and Carrier Charges: This is the cash component of your booking. These can vary significantly by route and cabin class. You must pay these charges using an American Express card. While it doesn't strictly have to be your British Airways Amex card, it must be an Amex card in your name.
Confirm Your Booking: Double-check all details, then confirm your booking. You'll receive a confirmation email with your flight details.
Sub-heading: Important Considerations During Booking
Cardholder Must Travel: The primary American Express cardholder (the one who earned the voucher) must be one of the travelers on the booking. You cannot use the voucher to book flights for two other people.
Companion Name Cannot Be Changed: Once booked, you generally cannot change the name of the companion. If you need to, you'll likely have to cancel the entire booking (and hope the reward seats are still available when you rebook), which may incur a cancellation fee.
Infants: You can add an infant (under 2) to your Companion Voucher booking for 10% of the Avios and 10% of the taxes/fees of an adult ticket.
No Avios or Tier Points Earned: Flights booked with a Companion Voucher (or any Avios Reward Flight) do not earn you additional Avios or Tier Points.
Mixed Cabins: You can book a mixed-cabin itinerary (e.g., Club World on the outbound, Premium Economy on the return) if availability dictates, but both passengers must be in the same cabin for each leg.
Cancelling a Booking: If you need to cancel a Companion Voucher booking, the voucher will generally be returned to your account. However, its original expiry date will remain the same.
Step 6: Enjoy Your Journey!
Congratulations! You've successfully navigated the world of American Express Companion Vouchers and are ready to enjoy your discounted or "free" companion flight. Remember to check in as normal and prepare for your trip.
10 Related FAQ Questions
Here are 10 frequently asked questions about the American Express Companion Voucher, starting with "How to," along with quick answers:
How to earn an American Express Companion Voucher?
You earn an American Express Companion Voucher by spending a specific amount (currently £15,000 for both UK British Airways Amex cards) within your card membership year.
How to check my Companion Voucher balance or expiry?
Your Companion Voucher will appear in your British Airways Executive Club account under "My eVouchers." You'll see its validity period there.
How to use a Companion Voucher for solo travel?
For vouchers earned after September 1, 2021, simply select one adult when searching for Reward Flights and ensure you tick the "Use a Companion Voucher" box. You'll receive a 50% discount on the Avios portion of your fare.
How to find the best availability for Companion Voucher flights?
Be flexible with your travel dates, search for flights 355 days in advance (at midnight GMT), consider off-peak periods, and use tools like Reward Flight Finder to set alerts.
How to combine two Companion Vouchers for more travelers?
You can combine a maximum of two Companion Vouchers of the same type for a single booking, allowing up to four passengers (excluding infants) to travel.
How to change the companion's name after booking with a voucher?
Generally, you cannot change the companion's name. You would need to cancel the entire booking and rebook, which may incur fees and risks losing reward seat availability.
How to pay the taxes and fees for a Companion Voucher booking?
You must pay the taxes, fees, and carrier charges using an American Express card, though it doesn't have to be the specific British Airways Amex card you earned the voucher with.
How to use the Companion Voucher on airlines other than British Airways?
Vouchers earned after September 1, 2021, can also be used on Reward Flights operated by Iberia and Aer Lingus, significantly expanding your route options.
How to maximize the value of my Premium Plus Companion Voucher?
For the highest value, use your Premium Plus voucher for long-haul flights in premium cabins (Club World or First Class), as the Avios savings on these tickets are substantial.
How to recover my Companion Voucher if I cancel my flight?
If you cancel a flight booked with a Companion Voucher, the voucher will typically be returned to your Executive Club account, but its original expiry date will remain unchanged.
