SRQ: Whether Or Not to Use The British Airways Travel Together Companion Ticket
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TPG reader Rhoda has earned a British Airways Travel Together Companion Ticket thanks to spending on her British Airways Visa Signature Card, but now she wants to know whether it's worth using it because of BA's huge fees and taxes. Here's her question:
"I'm wondering if you can provide me with some insight about how I should use (or not use) the BA companion certificate. I pretty much know that I have to fly BA metal and will not be able to get away from the hefty fuel surcharge; therefore, my dilemma is on what itinerary to use it.
Do you know of certain destinations in Europe (after the UK gateway) that have less expensive fuel surcharges? My husband and I are also open to go to Asia (via UK). I'd appreciate any information you can provide. Thanks in advance!"
Companion tickets can be extremely valuable ways to travel by spending a lot fewer dollars or miles to get to your destination. The question is Rhoda has about the British Airways companion ticket in particular is whether you can use it without spending a huge amount of money on taxes and fees since it must be used on British Airways flights only (no codeshares or partners!), and the sort answer (unfortunately) is no.
However, you can minimize the fees on it by redeeming just to go to Europe because when you redeem it to fly beyond London - say to Asia, as you mentioned, or South Africa - you're essentially doubling the taxes and fees you will have to pay on it due to flying into and out of London.
However, there are still good values to be had. Because Avios are distance-based awards, British Airways only require 80,000 Avios to fly roundtrip from New York to London in business class - which is 20,000 miles less than most other airlines charge. So even though you're paying $1,100+ in fees per ticket, by using the companion ticket, you're essentially getting two business class tickets for 80,000 miles and $2,300 - as you can see from the sample award itinerary I pulled up in April below. Not too bad a deal if you have the cash.
However, if either the miles or the cash (or both) are an issue, you can even further reduce your outlay by just redeeming the companion ticket for a one-way award. Ostensibly, it's only supposed to be used on roundtrip awards, but a lot of people have reported being able to use them on one-ways, so your chances are good, and this cuts your taxes and fees a lot and you can redeem the return using miles that charge much lower fees, like United. You can also use the companion ticket on open jaws (you must book over the phone) or mixed-class itineraries, so you can fly business on the outbound and economy home if you need to because of your miles situation
As always, do the math and redeem for what makes sense for you, both in terms of miles and money, and in this case, think big picture because even though you might be spending more miles on those taxes and surcharges, you can get some incredible values on what basically amount to half-price miles redemptions.
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
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$325Recommended Credit
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.