NEWS: New upgrade voucher – Barclays & British Airways launch Barclays Avios Rewards Part 1

It’s been a long time coming to fruition but finally, Barclays and British Airways have partnered to launch Barclays Avios Rewards, offering customers new ways to earn Avios from their banking. I first wrote about this in February 2020 – what a different world it was back then!

This new programme will let Barclays Premier Banking and Wealth customers collect 1,500 Avios each month. On top of this, members of the programme can also collect Avios if they have new or existing eligible Barclays products. The programme costs £12 a month. 

As well as the Avios rewards, customers will be able to enhance their travel experience with an annual British Airways return flight cabin upgrade voucher, which once received can be enjoyed within the next two years on Avios reward flight bookings. In effect, this is very similar to the Lloyds credit card which gave the same benefit. (more details on upgrade vouchers in next article here).

Joining bonus

New customers could receive an additional joining bonus of 25,000 Avios if they switch using the Current Account Switcher Service and join Barclays Avios Rewards within three months. Existing Premier customers for 4 months or more will receive 2,500 Avios.

Barclays is the only UK current account through which you can collect Avios. 

Once they are signed up, customers can switch on Barclays Avios rewards in the Barclays app and start building up their Avios. Avios collected from all the different avenues in the programme will be transferred to a member’s Executive Club account each month.

Barclays Avios Rewards will be made available to Barclays Premier and Wealth customers over the coming weeks.

How many Avios points could I collect with Barclays Avios?

For a fee of £12, customers will collect 1,500 Avios every month. By paying £12 a month you are buying Avios which would normally cost £31 in a 50% extra sale. The draw for me would be the upgrade voucher. 

However, they can collect more if they have new or existing eligible Barclays products (terms and conditions apply) including:

• 700 Avios each month for one personal residential mortgage and for each personal buy-to-let mortgage you have with us. You could also receive a joining bonus of 2,000 Avios for one new residential mortgage, and any new buy-to-let mortgages you open after or within 30 days before turning on Barclays Avios Rewards.
• 75 Avios per month when you have home or contents insurance with us – you’ll get 150 Avios per month for having both. We will give you monthly rewards on your policy for up to 12 months.  We will start counting the 12 months from the start date of your policy. This reward isn’t available to our Wealth customers.
• If you have or take out life insurance without critical illness cover, you’ll receive 150 Avios a month for a maximum period of 12 months.  Or, if you have or take out life insurance with critical illness cover, you’ll receive 500 Avios each month for a maximum of 12 months. We’ll start counting the 12 months from the start date of the policy.

How to join Barclays Avios Rewards

To join Barclays Avios Rewards, customers must be a Premier Banking customer or have a personal Wealth current account. They will need to register for the Barclays app, opt into paperless letters and statements for all accounts and services now and in the future, and opt out of Blue Rewards if they are an existing member. They will also need to be a member of the British Airways Executive Club, which is free to join and can be done so here, to receive and spend their Avios. Customers can see how many Avios they have collected in their Barclays app. 

Sadly, it’s not that easy to have a Premier Banking account. You will need to have:

an annual gross income of £75,000 or more paid into a Barclays current account

or

£100,000 or more saved or invested with Barclays.

For the Avios Rewards account you will also need to:

• Go paperless for all accounts and services
• Hold or open a British Airways Executive club account
• Opt out of Barclays Blue Rewards
• Be registered for the Barclays app

They also check this regularly, so you can’t invest £100,000 and then withdraw it as they would then make you downgrade to a different account if you did not meet the £75,000 threshold. 

The account already has some benefits such as being able to withdraw up to £1000 cash daily and send fee-free international payments online or by app. There is also a specific Premier relationship team who are available 24/7 to look after customers. 

Avios have good flexibility – they don’t expire as long as members collect, use or purchase at least one Avios every 36 months, and if members change their mind about a flight, they won’t lose their Avios as changes or cancellations can be made up to 24 hours before a flight for £35pp.

More information, including T&Cs, can be found at www.barclays.co.uk/premier-banking/barclays-avios-rewards.