BA Amex Companion Voucher 2026: How to Earn and Use the 2-4-1

The British Airways Companion Voucher, often called the "2-4-1", is the main reason people pay for the BA Amex Premium Plus card. It halves the Avios cost of a reward flight for two, which matters most in Club (business) and First, where Avios prices are highest. There's also fresh news: as of 6 November 2026, Head for Points reports that Amex is giving up to 10,000 bonus Avios for adding a first supplementary card, until 12 January 2027. Below is how to earn the voucher, how to book with it, what it really costs, and when it isn't worth chasing.

Key takeaways

• You need £15,000 of spend in one cardmembership year on either BA Amex card to earn a Companion Voucher (American Express, checked 6 November 2026).
• A Premium Plus voucher is valid for 24 months in any cabin; a free-card voucher is valid for 12 months in economy only (British Airways).
• You pay the Avios for one person but taxes, fees and carrier charges for two, so a long-haul 2-4-1 still costs real cash.
• Premium Plus currently offers 30,000 bonus Avios for £6,000 spend in three months, earns 1.25 Avios per £1, and costs £300 a year (Representative 135.7% APR variable).
• Until 12 January 2027, existing cardholders can get 10,000 Avios (Premium Plus) or 5,000 Avios (free card) for adding their first supplementary card, with no spend target.

What is the BA Amex Companion Voucher?

The Companion Voucher lets you book two Avios reward seats for the Avios price of one. You earn it by spending £15,000 in a cardmembership year on a British Airways American Express card, and it lands in your British Airways Club account.

There are two versions, and the difference is big:

Figures from the Amex Premium Plus page and British Airways' Companion Voucher page, checked 6 November 2026. Credit is subject to status.

Take Action: If you only ever fly economy, the free card's voucher may be enough. The Premium Plus voucher is the one that can be worth hundreds of pounds, because it works in business and first.

How do you earn the Companion Voucher?

You earn it by putting £15,000 of qualifying spend on the card within the 12 months that end on your card anniversary. Only one voucher is issued per 12-month period, and the spend must be billed to your account (BA voucher terms).

That works out at £1,250 a month if you start on day one. Leave it late and the monthly figure climbs quickly.

Ways to reach £15,000 without spending more than you would anyway:

1. Move regular bills onto the card where there's no surcharge: energy, broadband, mobile, insurance, subscriptions.
2. Add a supplementary cardholder. Their spend is billed to your account, and right now it comes with a bonus (see the next section).
3. Time big planned purchases. Christmas shopping, a holiday or a sofa you were buying anyway all count. Paying by credit card also gives you Section 75 protection on purchases between £100 and £30,000.
4. Track your card year, not the calendar year. The clock runs to your card anniversary.

Try it with your own numbers:

Never spend more than you planned just to hit the target, and clear the balance in full every month. At a 29.1% purchase rate, a few months of interest can wipe out the value of the voucher. Our UK Budget Planner helps you see what you genuinely spend each month before you commit to a target.

What is the 10,000 Avios supplementary card offer?

Until 12 January 2027, Amex is giving 10,000 Avios to Premium Plus cardholders and 5,000 Avios to free-card holders who add their first supplementary card, according to Head for Points on 6 November 2026. There's no spend target on the supplementary card, and the first one is free.

Key conditions it reports:

• Only accounts that don't currently have a supplementary cardholder qualify, and only the first card added earns the bonus.
• You must apply through the specific Amex supplementary-card page linked in that article; other pages may not track the offer.
• Avios usually post soon after the card is approved, sometimes in two instalments.

You're responsible for everything a supplementary cardholder spends, so only add someone you trust with your credit.

How do you book a flight with the Companion Voucher?

You apply the voucher at the time of booking, through your British Airways Club account. BA says you can book on the Reward Flight page, in the Avios app, or by phone on 0344 493 0750, where an offline booking fee applies per passenger.

The rules that trip people up, from BA's voucher terms:

1. The voucher holder must travel on the booking. You can't give it to friends.
2. Both passengers must be on the same flights and in the same cabin, and booked at the same time.
3. It works on British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus (and their listed subsidiaries), on any route where reward seats are available.
4. Only outbound travel has to happen before the voucher expires. The return can be after expiry, as long as it's booked at the same time.
5. Names can't be changed after booking.
6. Availability isn't guaranteed. Premium Plus vouchers get "enhanced access" to Club World reward seats, but popular dates still go fast, so book as early as you can.

Can you use it on your own?

Yes. Travelling solo, the voucher gives you 50% off the Avios price of your reward flight, and you pay taxes and charges for one person. The same 50% discount applies to one adult travelling with an infant under two.

How much does a Companion Voucher flight really cost?

You pay the Avios for one person, plus taxes, fees and carrier charges for both passengers. On short-haul economy those charges are modest. On long-haul business they can run to several hundred pounds per person, so a "free" second seat is better described as a half-price seat in Avios with full cash charges.

To check the true cost for your trip:

1. Search your route on the Reward Flight page with two passengers and the voucher applied.
2. Note the Avios and the cash total.
3. Compare with the cash price of the same two tickets.

If the cash charges are close to the price of a paid economy fare, the voucher saves less than you think on that route. It tends to work best on long-haul Club and First, where the Avios saved and the cash fare avoided are both large.

Take Action: Before you pay the £300 fee, price two or three trips you'd actually take. If none shows a clear saving over the fee, the free card or a cashback card may suit you better.

What changed on the BA Amex cards in 2026?

The biggest change was the earn rate. Since 7 October 2026 the Premium Plus card earns 1.25 Avios per £1, down from 1.5, and the bonus on BA spend has gone. We covered the cut, and how the Barclaycard Avios Plus compares, in BA Premium Plus earn rate cut.

Three other points worth knowing:

• The 60,000 Avios bonus has ended. Premium Plus ran a 60,000 Avios sign-up offer until 6 October 2026. The standard 30,000 Avios bonus for £6,000 spend in three months is back.
• Tier points are coming. From 1 April 2027, Amex says Premium Plus cardholders will earn 1 British Airways tier point per £10 of eligible spend, up to 3,000 a year.
• BA Holidays option. Until 31 March 2027, BA says a voucher can instead get you back 25% of the Avios used on a British Airways Holidays package.

Is the BA Amex Premium Plus worth it for the voucher?

It may suit you if you can put £15,000 a year on a card without changing your spending, clear the balance every month, and will use a voucher for two people in a premium cabin. It's harder to justify if you fly economy, travel alone, or can't comfortably reach the spend target.

If you've held a personal BA Amex in the last 24 months you won't get the welcome bonus, and Premium Plus needs a personal income of at least £35,000. If flexibility matters more than BA specifically, Membership Rewards cards like Amex Gold earn points you can convert to Avios and other schemes. See our Amex Gold vs Platinum comparison for how they stack up.

With rates rising, carrying a balance on any rewards card is an expensive mistake. Our guide to what the rate rise means for credit cards explains why.

FAQ

How do I get a BA Amex Companion Voucher?

You earn a Companion Voucher by spending £15,000 on a British Airways American Express card in one cardmembership year, which runs to your card anniversary. Both the free card and Premium Plus qualify. The voucher is then added to your British Airways Club account, and only one is issued per 12-month period.

Do you pay taxes for both people with the BA 2-4-1 voucher?

Yes. With the Companion Voucher you pay the Avios for one passenger but the taxes, fees and carrier charges for both. On long-haul business class flights those charges can be several hundred pounds each, so always check the full cash cost on the Reward Flight page before booking.

How long is the BA Amex Companion Voucher valid?

A voucher earned on the BA Amex Premium Plus card is valid for 24 months and works in any cabin. A voucher from the free BA Amex Credit Card is valid for 12 months and works only in economy. Only the outbound flight must be taken before expiry; the return can be later if booked together.

Does supplementary card spending count towards the Companion Voucher?

Yes, in practice. British Airways' terms say qualifying spend must be billed to the account, and spend on a supplementary card is billed to the main cardholder's account. Until 12 January 2027, adding your first supplementary card also earns 10,000 Avios on Premium Plus, or 5,000 on the free card.

Can I give my Companion Voucher to someone else?

No. The voucher is non-transferable, and the cardholder who earned it must travel on the booking. You can choose who travels with you, but both passengers must be on the same flights and in the same cabin, and names can't be changed once the booking is made.

Can I use the Companion Voucher on Iberia or Aer Lingus?

Yes. British Airways' terms let you use the voucher on British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus reward flights, including their listed subsidiaries such as BA CityFlyer, Iberia Express and Aer Lingus UK. Reward seat availability still applies, and changing to a different airline means cancelling and rebooking.

The bottom line

The BA Amex Companion Voucher can be valuable, but only if three things line up: you hit £15,000 of normal spending, you pay the card off in full, and you use the voucher for two people in a premium cabin. If that's you, the BA Amex Premium Plus (Representative 135.7% APR variable, £300 annual fee) is worth a look, and existing cardholders should consider the 10,000 Avios supplementary card bonus before 12 January 2027. If not, a no-fee or cashback card is likely to leave you better off. For a wider look at whether your cards fit your plans, our personal finance review is a good next step.