Solo Traveller? Is The BA Amex 2-4-1 Voucher Or Barclaycard Upgrade Voucher Best For Me?

The big news this week was that American Express has made two changes to the BA Amex 2-4-1 voucher. The most significant change is that the Amex 2-4-1 Voucher can now be redeemed by a solo traveller! This allows a solo traveller to receive 50% off the Avios cost of a redemption (unfortunately full ‘taxes & fees’ are still due!)

With the BA Amex 2-4-1 voucher now comparable to the Avios Barclaycard Upgrade voucher for a solo traveller… what one is best to collect? Let’s compare them…

Barclaycard Avios Plus – Upgrade Voucher

£20 monthly fee (£240 annually) – https://www.barclaycard.co.uk/personal/credit-cards/avios-plus (Representative 72.4% APR based on a £1,200 credit limit. The representative APR on purchases is 23.9% variable.)

You will receive the Upgrade Voucher at £10,000 annual spend & it is valid for 24 months.

You can use the voucher to upgrade Economy > Premium Economy or Premium Economy > Business. There needs to be Avios availability in the class you want to upgrade into.

You can upgrade ONE return trip or TWO one-way flights (on the same booking e.g. for two passengers.) Your booking MUST START IN THE UK & be with British Airways.

BA Premium Plus Amex – 2-4-1 Voucher

£250 annual fee but pro-rata refunded when cancelled. – https://www.americanexpress.com/uk/credit-cards/ba-premium-plus-credit-card/ (Representative 102.5% APR, including the £250 fee. This figure is based on a £1,200 credit limit. The interest rate on purchases is 25.3% variable.)

You will receive the BA Amex 2-4-1 Voucher at £10,000 annual spend & it is valid for 24 months.

The voucher can potentially have better availability than the Barclaycard Avios Upgrade voucher due to booking into I-class (discounted cash Business Class) as well as standard Avios availability.

There are no restrictions on the cabin class you can book into. You can book into Economy, Premium Economy, Business or First Class (depending on Avios availability of course!)

You get 50% off the Avios cost of either a return or a single trip OR a second passenger flies for no added Avios (additional taxes + fees are due.) Your booking can start anywhere but must be with British Airways. (Useful if you are trying to avoid BA’s excessive ‘taxes & fees’ from the UK.)

Which one is best for a Solo Traveller?

Although the card costs £10 more a year, unless you have substantial spending you can’t put on an American Express card, the Amex 2-4-1 Voucher comes out on top (in our opinion.) Not only is there increased availability & no restrictions on the cabin class, but the voucher can also be used as a 2-4-1 voucher if you find a travel companion! If you are focusing on minimising the ‘taxes & fees’ you pay you can also use the BA Amex 2-4-1 Voucher starting outside the UK whereas the Barclaycard Upgrade Voucher is restricted to flights starting in the UK.

There are some small Avios cost differences on some routes but this is very minor (it is often slightly cheaper to use the 50% off option on the Amex 2-4-1 voucher)

If you have high annual spending and would use multiple vouchers you might want to consider getting both cards or if you have a partner an Amex card each or even an Amex & Barclaycard each. It all depends on the maths.

Conclusion

Are you a solo traveller? If so what do you make of the updates to the BA Amex 2-4-1 Voucher? What voucher would preference collecting now? In our opinion… it’s your move Barclaycard! If you are looking for a referral link to get bonus points check out our referral page here – https://pointsuncovered.com/amex-referral-link-uk/ – if you have any other questions please feel free to leave them in the comments below.