Best Avios & Airline Credit Cards UK 2026

If you fly British Airways or value Avios, the right credit card can fund a flight a year from everyday spending. The two cards everyone weighs up are the Barclaycard Avios Plus and the British Airways American Express (in its free and Premium Plus versions). The verdict depends on how much you spend and whether you'll actually use a companion voucher.

The 30-second verdict

Spend a lot and want a fast companion voucher with no Amex-acceptance worries? Barclaycard Avios Plus earns strongly and runs on Visa. Spend moderately and want a free starter? The free BA Amex. Big spender chasing the most valuable 2-4-1 voucher? BA Amex Premium Plus, if you'll redeem the voucher on a pricey route.

Top Avios cards at a glance

Exact rates, voucher thresholds and fees change — check the live terms before applying.

Barclaycard Avios Plus vs BA Amex Premium Plus

This is the real fight. Avios Plus earns at a strong rate, comes on Visa (so it's accepted where Amex isn't), and adds no foreign transaction fees — handy abroad. BA Amex Premium Plus's headline is the 2-4-1 companion voucher: bring a companion on the same cabin for the Avios cost of one (you still pay taxes/fees). If you redeem that voucher on a long-haul business seat, the value can be huge; on a short economy hop, far less. The voucher is only worth the fee if you'll use it well.

How the BA companion voucher works

Hit the annual spend target and you earn a voucher that lets a companion fly on the same Avios reward booking. The economics swing entirely on the cabin and route you redeem it for — long-haul premium cabins are where it shines. If your travel is mostly short economy trips, the voucher rarely justifies the Premium Plus fee, and the free or Avios Plus card makes more sense.

Best non-Amex Avios card

Amex acceptance in the UK is good but not universal, and it's patchier in parts of Europe and Asia. If that bothers you, the Visa-based Barclaycard Avios Plus is the standout — you earn Avios everywhere Visa is taken, with no FX fee on overseas spend. Pair it with our no-FX card guide for trips.

Earning vs redeeming: where the value really is

Avios are worth roughly 1p each as a rough rule, but the figure swings with how you redeem — short-haul reward flights and premium-cabin long-haul tend to give the best value, while topping up cash bookings gives the worst. Earning Avios fast is pointless if you redeem them poorly, so learn the sweet spots before you commit to a fee-paying card.

Who should skip Avios cards

If you rarely fly BA or oneworld, or you'd struggle to use a companion voucher within its validity, a flat-rate cashback card beats an airline card — cash is flexible, Avios are not. Airline cards reward a specific loyalty, not everyone. See our methodology for how we score these.