BA Amex card blocks family's full voucher
A British Airways American Express Premium Plus card rule prevents a family of three from using two 2-4-1 Companion Vouchers in the same name for a single
A specific rule for the British Airways American Express Premium Plus card is reportedly preventing families of three from fully utilizing their 2-4-1 Companion Vouchers. British Airways's booking system does not allow two vouchers held in the same name to be combined for a group of three, where two people use one voucher and the third gets a 50% solo discount on a second.
This creates a gap in the benefits structure. Solo travellers, pairs, and groups of four can all use the vouchers effectively. A party of three, however, faces a restriction. If they have two vouchers in one name, they cannot apply both to a single booking for three people. The third traveller would be charged the full Avios rate, and business class availability would be more limited.
Three potential workarounds for families
The Head for Points report suggests three strategies to circumvent this limitation.
Option 1
Alternating cardholders
For average spenders, one solution is for two adults to alternate holding the British Airways American Express Premium Plus Card. One person would apply, spend the required £15,000 to earn a voucher, and then potentially cancel the card. The other adult would then apply for a new card and begin spending towards their own voucher.
This eventually yields vouchers in two different names, enabling a booking for three.
Option 2
Maintaining two cards
Households that spend over £30,000 annually on American Express cards might consider both adults holding active Premium Plus cards simultaneously. This approach incurs two annual fees of £300 each, totalling £600, but triggers two 2-4-1 Companion Vouchers in separate names each year. This allows for an annual family-of-three trip using the combined voucher method.
Option 3: Adding a Barclaycard
A third option involves supplementing the BA Amex with a Barclaycard Avios Mastercard. This card provides an annual Avios upgrade voucher upon spending either £10,000 on the paid Plus version or £20,000 on the free version. This voucher is transferable and can be used in all cabin classes except First.
| Card | Voucher Type | Key Spending Threshold | Transferable? | Key Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Airways Amex Premium Plus | 2-4-1 Companion Voucher | £15,000 | No | Cannot use two in same name for a party of three |
| Barclaycard Avios Mastercard | Avios Upgrade Voucher | £10,000 (Plus) / £20,000 (free) | Yes | No access to extra Club World reward seats opened by Amex voucher |
With this method, one adult and a child could travel using the BA Amex 2-4-1 voucher. The second adult could book a separate ticket using the Barclaycard upgrade voucher, regardless of whose name it is in. The Barclaycard voucher works by allowing a booking at the Avios price of the cabin one tier below the chosen class, plus the standard taxes for the chosen class.
The report notes a significant snag: Barclaycard voucher users do not get access to the additional Club World reward seat inventory reserved for Premium Plus 2-4-1 voucher holders.
Source: Head for Points