HUGE BA Premium Plus Amex changes: The Avios earn rate is being cut, but Tier Points easier to earn

Amex has confirmed it's cutting the Avios earn rate on the British Airways Premium Plus Amex, and if you hold this card, the notification is either already in your inbox or about to be.

From 7th October 2026, the card drops from 1.5 Avios per £1 to 1.25 Avios per £1. The old perk of triple Avios (3 per £1) on BA and BA Holidays spend is gone too, that spend now earns the same flat 1.25 Avios per £1 as everything else.

BA Premium Plus Amex vs the free BA Amex: what's the real gap now?

That's quite a meaningful cut, and it closes the gap between this £300-a-year card and its free sibling, the standard BA Amex, quite considerably. The free card earns 1 Avios per £1 with no annual fee, whilst the Premium Plus earns 1.25 Avios per £1 for £300 a year. The real difference between the two cards now is the Companion Voucher: two years to use it and valid across all cabins with Premium Plus, versus one year and economy-only on the free card, plus better business class availability if you're the paid cardholder.

Now there are alternatives worth weighing up. The Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard, for one, still earns at 1.5 Avios per £1 for a lower £240 fee and comes with a Cabin Upgrade Voucher. If you were looking for an alternative of course.

IAG Loyalty kindly shared with us American Express' statement on the changes.

“We regularly review the benefits, rewards and costs across our products, to ensure we continue to meet our Cardmembers’ needs. As part of a recent review, we are making changes to the Avios earn rate of the British Airways American Express Premium Plus Card which will take effect from 7 October 2026.  In addition, we are announcing a new embedded benefit that enables these Cardmembers to earn 1 tier point for every £10 spent, up to 3,000 tier points per British Airways Club collection year, helping them achieve and maintain status in The British Airways Club and unlock an enhanced travel experience through everyday spending.”  

The good news: British Airways Club tier points are getting easier to earn

From 1st April 2027, tier point earning in the British Airways Club is changing for the better if you hold the BA Premium Plus Card.

The rate stays at 1 tier point per £10 of qualifying spend, but the annual cap rises from 2,500 to 3,000 tier points, and the tier points will land in your account as you spend rather than only when you cross the old £15,000 / £20,000 / £25,000 thresholds.

Practically, that means someone spending £30,000 a year on the Premium Plus card could get you within touching distance of Bronze status, 3,500 tier points, with just £500 of net BA spend on top. But most likely, you'll be using these tier points in addition to your regular flying.

Word of warning though: unless you are actually planning on spending the £30,000 anyway, this isn't something I would be chasing. Don't get me wrong, if you are planning on spending that much then the 3,000 Tier Points is a fantastic added bonus. If you are planning big spend this year and you care about airline status, then yes, absolutely channel your spend on to this card. But don't spend unnecessarily just to get the tier points. I think we can all agree that going into debt isn't worth any of the British Airways status tiers!

Are there changes to the free card?

Yes, but it's nothing to get worked up about. These changes also come into effect on 7th October.

1. We’ll update the name of the British Airways Executive Club to The British Airways Club. (better late than never!)

2. We’ll clarify that your British Airways American Express Card Account must be linked to your own British Airways Club account and not another person’s account

3. If American Express is unable to transfer Avios or Companion Vouchers to your British Airways Club account due to a mismatch between the information held by American Express and British Airways, we’ll notify you and ask you to take action. If you don't, American Express may cancel your Card Account. If your Card Account is cancelled, you will forfeit any Avios or Companion Vouchers that haven’t been transferred to your British Airways Club account.

So, the only thing you need to do is make sure your information matches so you don't lose out on any Avios or your Companion Voucher. This is in line with all other changes made to the Avios programme regarding fraud prevention.

Is this the final straw for the BA Premium Plus Amex?

Changes have of course been made to this card before. It's fee has risen over time to the current £300 per year. But perks have been added along the way, with the ability to use your Companion Voucher on Iberia or Aer Lingus being up there with the best of them.

But I'm just a bit sad to see yet another devaluation in the Avios world (see here for December's, and here for May's)… and of all the weeks to announce it, it may feel like the final nail in the coffin for some people's relationship with BA, Avios and even American Express. If you have no idea what I am talking about, check out my article from Wednesday, it's a wild ride!

What we'd actually do with the BA Premium Plus Amex

There are three scenarios where this card makes sense in our eyes.

Number One. If you fly BA regularly and are a BA loyalist, then the card still works in your favour. It's not the same deal it was, but you're still earning 1.25 Avios per £1 spent, plus the Companion Voucher which you can use in any class, and the tier points could be very helpful getting you over the line for Silver or Gold.

Number Two. If you're newer to this and sitting on a thin Avios balance, I wouldn't overthink it too much. Get the Premium Plus card, hit the sign-up bonus, then cancel, get the pro-rata refund for the fee, and drop down to the free version. Keep building your balance in the meantime with the free card, the Avios Store, and all our other Avios advice we fling out on the daily. The moment you're actually in a position to use a Companion Voucher, and you're planning to fly premium economy or above, that's when you upgrade to the paid card. Yes, you can absolutely do this, it's not against the rules. If, however, you know you're flying economy, don't bother; stay on the free card and save your £300.

Number Three. If you're already sitting on a decent Avios stash, then the Premium Plus Companion Voucher is still worth having, provided you're using it to fly premium economy or better. Economy passengers are the ones who'll feel this devaluation the hardest, because the value they're extracting from the voucher and the card was always thinner to begin with. This doesn't mean your tactic is wrong, it doesn't mean flying economy is wrong either, sometimes it's the best value. It just means that the value this card presents might not be for you anymore. And that is ok, there are plenty of other options for you.

The bigger picture

If there's one thing worth taking away from this whole saga, it's that the maths behind Avios and tier points rewards attention, not loyalty for loyalty's sake. Keep asking whether the card you're paying for still matches the way you actually fly, and don't be afraid to downgrade, upgrade, or switch entirely when the answer changes.

Loyalty is a two way street, and I'd argue that BA and Amex aren't really giving the gift of love at the moment. Remember, you owe them nothing, and the only person you need to stay loyal to is yourself and your points earning journey. Oh ... and us of course! We'll help you get there!

Helena

Points Well Made is a passion project from Sam and Helena. If you've enjoyed this and want to help us keep the lights on, please consider buying us a Ko-fi or subscribing monthly. You can also find us on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok for more of the same. Thanks for reading.