Last week, the bonus increase that many had been waiting on for a while came back – the 100K Avios offer. Even with a devaluation this year of premium travel using Avios, that offer still possesses an incredible amount of value. A lot of that value can be found right here in the US on domestic airlines – Avios: King of Spontaneous Travel.
2 Different British Airways Credit Card Offers – Which One?
The Chase 100K Avios Offer
With the increased offer (you can read that post here), Chase also offers those who do not wish to meet the high spending for the complete 100K the opportunity to still get the normal 50K offer by spending the regular $2,000 – great option! I mean, it is nice to know that if you sign-up anticipating that you can spend the complete $20,000 required for the 100K Avios that you can still get 50K Avios just for spending $2,000, right?
Paying The $95 Annual Fee
Except for one thing – if you go that route, it will cost you $95 for the option to go for the big bonus. Why is that? Because the increased offer (as with just about all of Chase’s increased bonus offers) does not waive the annual fee. That means that the increased offer will put the $95 annual fee up front instead of you having it fee-free for a year.
The Chase 50K Avios Offer – No Fee
– Chase 50K Avios Offer Link Annual Fee Waived
If you had wanted to sign-up for the Chase British Airways card and do not mind getting “only” 50K Avios, then you can still sign-up for the regular offer that waives the $95 annual fee for the first year. So, if the spending is too high for you and you are content with 50K Avios, then I highly suggest you apply using the link above so you do not have to pay the $95. But, if you think there is a good chance that you can spend the full $20,000 without overextending yourself, then it would be a good idea to apply through the limited-time offer link.
Summary
No matter what, it is always nice to have options! I like that Chase has the tiered offering on the increased offer so that you do not totally miss out if you miss the spending. But, I also like the option to spend a smaller amount for half as many Avios and be able to do so without it costing me $95 the first year.
If you can swing the $20,000 in spending over a year for the 100K Avios offer, then I would definitely go with that one. That will give you a total of 120,000 Avios (after the spending) which will give you short-haul travel for a long time to come!
or go for the no fee one, then SM to chase to match the higher one. AF avoided… http://therewardboss.com/2015/09/18/chase-matches-100000-bonus-ba-avios-offer-british-airways-visa-credit-card/
Of course that is possible but chase also has a history of either refusing the match when an annual fee is present or making one pay it. But, if one is content with 50k, definitely worth trying.