What we think of it...

IF you collect BA Miles, or fancy some large reductions on your future flights with BA, then there really is no better card than the British Airways Premium Plus credit card from American Express.

With just your first single purchase on the card, you'll bag yourself 6000 BA Miles - enough for your first free flight!

After that, its miles-aplenty with 1.5 BA Miles for every pound you spend, and double BA Miles whenever you fly with British Airways.

With its high APR and rather dear annual fee, this card is not suitable for letting your debt languish unpaid, or for low annual spending.

But use it right and you could be sipping pina colada's in paradise, or cosmopolitans in New York.

The British Airways Premium Plus credit card boasts a decent credit limit and a carry-on case full of American Express card holder benefits; purchase and refund protection, fraud guarantees and a clutch of travel services.

A little more detail...

Rates and Fees

			Special Note..	Any good?
Typical APR		43.5% APR (variable) -	-
Balance Transfer Rate		17.9% p.a.	-
Balance Transfer Fee		2%	-
Cash Withdrawal Rate		25.9% p.a. (variable)	You can only make cash withdrawals equal to 20% of your available credit limit, and you can only draw up to £400 cash in any 7 day period.
Cash Withdrawal Fee		3% (£3 minimum)	-
Annual Fee		£150	-
Foreign Transaction Fee		2.73%	-

Rewards

			Special Note..	Any good?
Reward Type #1	-	BA Miles	Earn 1.5 BA Miles for every £1 you spend. BA Miles remain valid as long as you continue to earn or redeem them. Expiry of BA Miles will only occur if you do not earn or redeem any BA Miles for 36 consecutive months (3 years) - after which all BA Miles accrued to that point will expire.
Reward Type #2	-	Bonus Miles	6,000 BA Miles bonus when you first use this card.
Reward Type #3	-	Double Miles	Spend with British Airways and get double BA Miles.
Reward Type #4	-	Free British Airways Companion Ticket	If you have spent over £10,000 on your card within 12 months and you redeem your BA Miles for a British Airways flight, you will receive a free companion ticket.

Extras

			Special Note..	Any good?
Online Account Management		Yes	-
Purchase Protection		Up to £20,000 per year	Purchases made with this card will be protected against theft or accidental damage for 90 days after the purchase date. Exclusions do apply.
Refund Protection		Up to £250 per item Up to £800 per year	Purchases will be covered in the event that you return an unused eligible item to the retailer, within 90 days of purchase and the retailer will not refund you. Exclusions do apply.
Internet Fraud Guarantee		Yes	-
Travel Accident Insurance		Up to £250,000	You must buy your ticket with the British Airways Premium credit card in order for the insurance to apply.
Travel Inconvenience Benefit		Cover for: - Denied boarding - Delayed flights - Luggage delay - Lost luggage	When you purchase your flight with the British Airways Premium credit card.
Global Assist ®		Yes	Offering you emergency medical and legal advice when travelling abroad.
Emergency Card Replacement		Yes	-
Other Extras	-	Extras of: - 24 hour customer service - free additional cards.	-

Payments

			Special Note..	Any good?
Credit Limit		£1,500 minimum	Credit limit may vary from person to person.
Interest Free Period		Up to 56 days	There is no interest free period on cash withdrawals, cheques or balance transfers.
Minimum Monthly Payment		2.5% (£5 minimum)	-
Allocation of Payments		Interest fees » Balance transfers » Purchases » Cash withdrawals	You have to clear outstanding interest fees and any balance transfer amounts *before* you will be able to repay balances resulting from purchases and cash withdrawals.
Default Charges		£8	-
Copy of Statement Fee		£5	-

Card Details

			Special Note..	Any good?
Online Application	-	Yes	Remember: always ensure you meet the application requirements before applying, as getting rejected can affect your credit score.
Card Type		Platinum	You will need to satisfy the approval criteria (see online application) and have a good credit rating to qualify for this card.
Payment Company		American Express	-
Card Issuer		American Express	-
Card Advertiser		American Express British Airways	-

At a Glance

Typical APR	43.5% APR
Credit limit	£1,500 minimum
Balance transfer	17.9% p.a. (2% transfer fee)
Flyer miles	Up to 3 BA Miles for every £1 spent
Interest free period	Up to 56 days
Annual fee	£150

	This card includes:
	Online Account Management
	Purchase Protection Insurance
	Internet Fraud Guarantee
	Travel Accident Insurance
	It is best suited for:
	Keen travellers who can use the card a lot for everyday purchases, but pay it off in full each month.
	Wait! Only apply if you are...
Aged 18 or over Have a permanent UK home address Have a current UK bank or building society account Have no CCJ's for non-payment of debt If self-employed, you have been working for over 1 year Have a household income of over £25,000 - your income plus your partner's income

More about this card...

The British Airways Premium Plus credit card from American Express paves an easy route to cheaper flights.

You will earn 1.5 BA Miles for every pound you spend, and double BA Miles (3 BA Miles) for every £1 spent on flying with British Airways (not forgetting the whopping 6,000 BA Miles bonus you'll get with your first purchase).

Enjoy getting away?
The fantastic BA Miles deal (which could also see you getting 3 BA Miles per £1 whenever you buy any BA flight tickets with the card) means that you could be earning massive discounts on future flights.

You'll need to be a big spender to earn enough BA Miles to offset the annual fee, but happy shoppers will soon see the benefits of using this card as much as possible.

In addition to the bonus BA Miles you will earn, the card is a treasure chest of travel related extra's.

You'll get travel accident insurance up to £75,000 as well as emergency medical and legal assistance in case things go wrong while you're away.

If your card gets stolen while you are away, you needn't worry as the fraud guarantee on the card ensures you are never responsible for any unauthorised transactions, including internet transactions.

There is a fee for using this card abroad, but the percentage is slightly lower than other similar cards.

Spend, spend, spend
If you're wanting to earn your BA Miles you will need to spend as much as possible on this card.

Each time you spend, you can relax in the knowledge that anything purchased with the card is covered.

You'll get:

• Purchase protection that insures anything you buy on the card against theft or damage for the first three months.
• Refund protection that will pay out up to £250 per item if a retailer refuses you a refund.

Remember to always pay your balance off in full and on time each month, or the high APR will cost more than any rewards you may get back.

Final word
If you're keen on travelling and you consider yourself diligent enough to pay the balance off in full, then there are few travel reward cards that can beat the British Airways Premium Plus credit card.