Credit Card Insider is an independent, advertising supported website. Credit Card Insider receives compensation from some credit card issuers as advertisers. Advertiser relationships do not affect card ratings or our Editor’s Best Card Picks. Credit Card Insider has not reviewed all available credit card offers in the marketplace. Content is not provided or commissioned by any credit card issuers. Reasonable efforts are made to maintain accurate information, though all credit card information is presented without warranty. When you click on any ‘Apply Now’ button, the most up-to-date terms and conditions, rates, and fee information will be presented by the issuer. Credit Card Insider has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Credit Card Insider and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. A list of these issuers can be found on our Editorial Guidelines.
The British Airways Visa Signature® Card is a popular card among travelers who prefer to fly BA and its partner airlines. Issued by Chase Bank, it offers points for purchases – known as “Avios” – that can be redeemed for free flights.
This card is most valuable when it’s used for British Airways purchases, where you’ll earn 3 Avios per dollar. There are no foreign transaction fees and an annual fee of $$95.
Chase and Avios Group Limited recently announced the multi-year continuation of their relationship, meaning that this card or another co-branded card should be available for years to come.
We give the British Airways Visa Signature Credit Card 4 out of 5 stars, because it’s a strong — but not perfect — option for frequent travelers who spend a lot of money with British Airways, Aer Lingus, and/or Iberia.
The BA card’s reward structure is about as straightforward as can be.
Avios are generally worth 1–1.5 cents per point, which would give you a cash back equivalent of 1–4.5% depending on the purchase and how your Avios are redeemed.
Redemption options are quite flexible thanks to British Airways’ oneworld alliance membership, which allows you to redeem Avios with several airlines in addition to those included in the 3X bonus categories.
Spending Rewards |
---|
|
|
Introductory Bonus Offer |
---|
|
The only way you’ll get a lot of value from this card is if you spend frequently with British Airways, Iberia, or Aer Lingus. If that does sound like you, you’re in luck, because the 3X bonus rate should help you earn Avios fairly quickly. It’s worth noting that the 3X rate applies to both flights and flight-related services.
It should be especially easy to earn rewards during your first year as a cardholder thanks to the card’s valuable signup bonuses, which offer a total of 100,000 available bonus Avios.
The first of these bonuses delivers a solid payoff for a relatively low spending requirement, and it should be enough to cover an international round-trip flight.
Your Avios will expire if you don’t collect, spend, purchase, or share at least one Avios within a 36-month period, so you’ll want to use the card at least once in a while if you’re aiming to keep all of your unused rewards.
For more information on the BA card’s reward system, check out our in-depth guide to the ways you can earn and redeem Avios. You’ll also find more information about the BA Executive Club and its member tiers, plus full price charts for both British Airways award flights and award flights with its partners.
There are lots of ways to redeem Avios.
You can book reward flights with British Airways and its oneworld partners, or you can spend Avios to upgrade eligible cash bookings with British Airways, Iberia, and American Airlines.
You can also:
Redeeming your Avios for flights will generally provide the best value, so that’s what we’ll focus on here.
Flight prices vary based primarily on distance and class, but the diversity of partner airlines with which you can redeem your Avios means you’ll have plenty of opportunities to find something that suits your interests and provides good value.
Flights with British Airways start at 4,000 Avios for off-peak economy flights up to 650 miles, and they range in price to 200,000 Avios for peak first class flights over 7,001 miles.
Partner flights cost a touch more, starting at 6,000 Avios (economy flights up to 650 miles) and topping out at 206,000 Avios (first class flights over 7,000 miles).
Since these award charts are based on distance, you may find that short-haul flights with partner airlines provide particularly good value when booked with Avios, compared to how much they’d have cost if they were actually booked through those airlines. Take American Airlines for example — certain flights might cost you several thousand more points with the AAdvantage program than they would through the Executive Club.
But this will vary depending on when and how you’re booking, of course, so make sure to check pricing with the partner first.
Another tip to keep in mind is that when redeeming your Avios with British Airways, the airline won’t charge last-minute travel fees. With certain partners, these fees add up quickly (American Airlines charges $75 extra for last-minute bookings), so you may be able to save a great deal by sticking with BA.
British Airways flyers frequently cite the carrier’s high surcharges among their premier frustrations. In fact, British Airways was sued by U.S. flyers in 2013 over its fuel surcharges, which led to a 2.2-billion Avios settlement. Its charges remain high in many cases, and you might find a better deal with a partner airline, so don’t be afraid to shop around.
One of the more notable drawbacks of the British Airways credit card is that, despite requiring a $95 annual fee, its selection of benefits is somewhat unimpressive.
Unlike many of its competitors, the card offers no free checked bags or in-flight discounts. Other cards at this price tier go even further — the United℠ Explorer Card (Review), for example, offers a TSA PreCheck/Global Entry statement credit, while the JetBlue Plus Card provides an annual 5,000-point bonus for cardholders in good standing.
Next to these, the BA card looks a bit limp.
Purchase APR | Balance Transfer APR | Cash Advance APR |
---|---|---|
15.99% - 22.99% Variable | 15.99% - 22.99% Variable | 24.99% Variable |
Annual Fee | Foreign Transaction Fee | Balance Transfer Fee | Cash Advance Fee |
---|---|---|---|
$95 | $0 | Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater. | Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each transaction, whichever is greater. |
Penalty APR | Late Fee | Returned Payment Fee |
---|---|---|
See Terms | None | Up to $38 |
The British Airways Visa Card’s fees don’t warrant much discussion.
There are no foreign transaction fees, which is a nice benefit that adds to the card’s travel-oriented appeal.
Otherwise, you’re looking at relatively standard fees for balance transfers, cash advances, returned payments, and late payments.
Like several other airline credit cards, the BA Visa charges a $95 annual fee. Assuming Avios are worth 1–1.5 cents each, you’ll have to spend between $2,112 and $3,167 at the 3X reward rate to get at least $95 back.
Of course, you’ll want to spend more than that in order to actually get some sort of value out of the card beyond simply mitigating the fee. But that’s why we recommend this card only for British Airways enthusiasts.
Check the official British Airways Visa Signature terms and conditions for more information.
The British Airways Visa Signature Card can provide a lot of value for anyone who’s already spending a lot of money with British Airways, Aer Lingus, or Iberia, especially when you take its dual introductory offers into consideration.
BA’s oneworld alliance membership offers a welcome dose of flexibility, especially considering the high surcharges many consumers have noted while booking with British Airways itself.
The card’s benefits aren’t too remarkable, though big spenders may also find the Travel Together Ticket helpful.
All told, if you’re not spending a lot with British Airways, Aer Lingus, or Iberia, you might want to look for another airline credit card. But if you are, the BA card could provide a lot of value. Just be sure to use it alongside other credit cards with more diverse bonus categories.
Applying for the British Airways Visa Signature Card is simple — just click the “How to Apply” button below.
After supplying the necessary information, Chase may provide an instant decision, but it could take longer. Chase might also request that you provide additional information.
If you’re not a dyed-in-the-wool British Airways enthusiast, then the British Airways Visa Signature probably isn’t the card for you. The good news? You should have no trouble finding other options, whether you’re after a general travel card or a co-branded airline card. Here are a few of our go-to options.
The alternatives we picked here are all general travel cards, but if you’re not committed to flying with British Airways, you’ll also find airline cards from Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue, Southwest, United, and other airlines.
The Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Credit Card (Review) offers a 2X reward rate on dining and travel purchases. The card also includes several helpful benefits that elevate it above most other travel cards at this price, including a statement credit to cover the application fee for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. You’ll have to pay a $95 annual fee, but that’s pretty easy to offset thanks to the card’s $100 annual airline incidental statement credit.
Spending Rewards |
---|
|
|
Introductory Bonus Offer |
---|
|
Read more in our Review of the Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card.
securely on the issuer's website
Citi is a Credit Card Insider advertiser.
If you’d like a travel credit card that’s both solid and straightforward, it’s hard to go wrong with the Citi Premier® Card (Review). You earn rewards on gas, dining, and entertainment, which is a great selection of categories if you’re always abroad. Its benefits are quite basic, but it does provide a handful of helpful travel protections.
Spending Rewards |
---|
|
|
Introductory Bonus Offer |
---|
|
Read more in our 2020 Review: Citi Premier® Card – A Good Pick for Travel Spending?.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Review) has earned a reputation as one of the premier mid-tier travel credit cards. Cardholders accumulate points on travel and dining purchases, and Chase provides two ways to increase the value of your points: travel redemptions through Chase Ultimate Rewards, and point transfers to partner airlines and hotels.
Spending Rewards |
---|
|
|
|
Introductory Bonus Offer |
---|
|
Read more in our Review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.
Because it’s a premium travel card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Review) carries a much higher fee than the British Airways Visa or any of the cards mentioned above. But with this additional cost comes a strong rewards program and some of the best benefits on the market, including complimentary Priority Pass Select airport lounge access.
Spending Rewards |
---|
|
|
|
Introductory Bonus Offer |
---|
|
Read more in our 2021 Review: Chase Sapphire Reserve – the Best Premium Travel Card?.
If you found this review helpful, don’t hesitate to share it with a friend! And if we missed anything, let us know in a comment below. Already a British Airways Visa Signature cardholder? Leave a review of your own and tell us about your experience.
Don’t think you’ll benefit from an airline credit card? See our picks for the best credit cards in every category.
Credit Card Insider receives compensation from advertisers whose products may be mentioned on this page. Advertiser relationships do not affect card evaluations. Advertising partners do not edit or endorse our editorial content. Content is accurate to the best of our knowledge when it's published. Learn more in our Editorial Guidelines.
Do you have a correction, tip, or suggestion for a new post? Contact us here.
The responses below are not provided or commissioned by bank advertisers. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by bank advertisers. It is not the bank advertisers' responsibility to ensure all posts are accurate and/or questions are answered.