Barclaycard Avios Plus review

Best for Travel

Earn Avios points on every purchase. 1.5 Avios per £1 spent. Great for frequent flyers with British Airways and partners.

Overview

The Barclaycard Avios Plus is the UK's premier travel rewards credit card, earning British Airways Avios points on every purchase. If you fly BA regularly, this card can fund flights, upgrades, and companion tickets — but the monthly fee means it only makes sense for higher spenders.

Who Is This Card Best For?

• Regular BA or Iberia flyers — Avios are most valuable for these airlines
• Business travellers — cabin upgrade voucher and companion voucher
• Higher spenders (£15,000+/year) — need volume to justify the fee
• Those who value flights over cash — Avios can deliver outsized value on redemptions

Fee vs Value Calculation

The card costs £20/month (£240/year). Here is what you need to spend to break even:

Annual Spend	Avios Earned	Approx. Flight Value
£10,000	15,000	~£75 (short-haul one-way)
£20,000	30,000	~£150-200 (short-haul return)
£30,000	45,000	~£300+ (long-haul economy)

At £20/month, you need to earn enough Avios to cover £240/year. That requires roughly £15,000-20,000 annual spend to justify the fee — depending on how you redeem. Below that, a cashback card is better value.

The Companion Voucher

The most valuable perk: spend £12,000/year and earn a BA companion voucher — a buy-one-get-one-free flight ticket (you pay taxes only on the second seat). On a long-haul flight, this can be worth £500-1,500+.

Cabin Upgrade Voucher

You also get an annual cabin upgrade voucher valid on BA flights. Upgrade from Economy to Premium Economy, or Premium to Business Class, on a qualifying flight. Subject to availability.

The companion voucher and cabin upgrade are where this card truly shines. If you use both annually, the £240 fee is trivial compared to the value delivered — potentially thousands of pounds in flight savings.

What This Card Lacks

• Expensive monthly fee — £240/year only makes sense for frequent flyers
• Avios only valuable for flights — less flexible than cashback
• Avios can devalue — BA regularly changes redemption rates
• Companion voucher needs high spend — £12,000 threshold

The Bottom Line

The Barclaycard Avios Plus is a premium travel card for BA loyalists. If you fly BA regularly and spend £15,000+/year on the card, the Avios, companion voucher, and cabin upgrade make it excellent value. If you rarely fly BA or spend less, the Amex Platinum Cashback will return more.

Pros

• 1.5 Avios per £1 spent
• Cabin upgrade voucher annually
• BA companion voucher (on spend)
• Worldwide Visa acceptance
• Travel insurance included

Cons

• £20 monthly fee
• Only valuable if you fly BA
• Avios can devalue
• Companion voucher needs high spend