American Express is cutting the Avios earning rate on the British Airways (BA) American Express Premium Plus Card. From 7th October 2026, the rate drops from 1.5 Avios per £1 to 1.25 Avios per £1, according to Head for Points, the outlet that first reported the memo. Amex is also scrapping the card’s signature bonus of 3 Avios per £1 on spending directly with British Airways and British Airways Holidays.
Cardholders should expect a notification letter from American Express over the coming weeks if they have not received one already. The cut affects the £300-a-year Premium Plus card only, not the free British Airways American Express Credit Card. Amex confirmed the change directly, telling Head for Points it is part of a regular review of benefits, rewards and costs across its card portfolio.
What Is Changing on the British Airways Premium Plus Amex
Two separate cuts take effect on the same date. General spending on the card earns 1.25 Avios per £1 instead of 1.5 Avios per £1, and BA-specific spending loses its bonus multiplier entirely, dropping from 3 Avios per £1 to the same flat 1.25 Avios per £1 as everything else.
- General card spending: cut from 1.5 Avios per £1 to 1.25 Avios per £1
- British Airways and British Airways Holidays spending: cut from 3 Avios per £1 to 1.25 Avios per £1
- Effective date: 7th October 2026
- Annual fee: unchanged at £300
- Companion Voucher terms: unchanged, still valid for two years and usable in any cabin
Amex is not touching the £300 annual fee or the Companion Voucher earned once a cardholder spends £15,000 in a card year. That voucher remains the card’s headline perk, and it still carries a two-year expiry with no cabin restriction, unlike the one-year, economy-only voucher on the free BA Amex.
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Why The Gap with the Free BA Amex Card Is Shrinking
The Premium Plus card has always justified its £300 fee through a stronger earn rate and a better Companion Voucher. That gap narrows once the earn rate drops to 1.25 Avios per £1, since the free card already earns 1 Avios per £1 at zero cost, according to Head for Points.
Head for Points laid out the comparison this way: the free card costs nothing and earns 1 Avios per £1, while the Premium Plus card now costs £300 and earns 1.25 Avios per £1. Neither card offers a bonus for BA-specific spending anymore. The only meaningful difference left is the Companion Voucher itself, since the paid card’s version lasts twice as long and works in every cabin, not just economy.
The One Change That Works in Cardholders’ Favour
Amex is not cutting everything. Starting 1st April 2027, Premium Plus cardholders will earn tier points in The British Airways Club automatically, without needing to opt in or hit a spending threshold first.
The accrual rate stays at 1 tier point per every £10 of qualifying spend. The maximum a cardholder can earn each year rises from 2,500 tier points to 3,000. Tier points will also be credited as spending happens, rather than only when a cardholder crosses set thresholds of £15,000, £20,000, and £25,000.
That last detail matters most for lighter spenders. Under the old system, someone who spent £14,000 in a year earned zero tier points, because they never reached the first £15,000 threshold. Under the new system, that same spending earns 1,400 tier points toward status in The British Airways Club.
American Express framed the change as a net positive for the card. A company spokesperson said the new benefit will help cardholders achieve and maintain status in The British Airways Club through everyday spending, according to Head for Points.
How This Compares with Rival Avios and Miles Cards
British Airways is not the only carrier whose UK-facing credit card ecosystem has been under scrutiny for shifting terms. The Premium Plus cut opens a gap that two competing cards can now exploit. Both currently beat the new 1.25 Avios per £1 rate:
- Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard: £240 annual fee, 1.5 Avios per £1 on all spending, plus an annual upgrade voucher
- Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard: earns 1.5 Virgin Points per £1, plus an annual voucher worth 75,000 Virgin Points
- American Express Gold: no annual fee in year one, then roughly £195, earning 1 Membership Rewards point per £1, transferable to Avios
Head for Points noted that a cardholder who spends £15,000 a year, including £1,000 directly with BA, will lose about 5,250 Avios annually under the new structure. That is a meaningful hit, but the outlet argued it is unlikely alone to push most cardholders toward downgrading, since the Companion Voucher terms remain untouched.
What This Means for Existing Cardholders
Nothing changes before 7th October 2026, so current spending still earns the old rates until then. Cardholders who rely heavily on the 3 Avios per £1 BA bonus, such as those who book flights or holidays directly with the airline, will feel this cut the most.
Anyone weighing a downgrade to the free card should factor in the Companion Voucher trade-off first. The free card’s version is valid for only one year and restricted to economy class, while the Premium Plus voucher lasts two years and works across every cabin, including long-haul business class. For a cardholder using the voucher on a premium cabin redemption, that difference alone can be worth more than the earn-rate cut.