The Chase British Airways 50,000 point offers has been around for quite a while. The offer on the card will fluctuate from the standard 50,000 points (after spending $2,000 in 3 months) to 100,000 points – but that offer becomes a little complicated. It requires spending thresholds to get the bonuses with the full 100,000 Avios requiring $20,000 in spending (in the first year). Unless you are willing to put that much spending on that card, the 50,000 point offer will be sufficient for most people.
British Airways 50,000 Point Offer Update – No Annual Fee For the First Year
The update for this offer is that Chase is waiving the annual fee for the first year. That annual fee is normally $95.
Disclaimer: I do earn a commission if you are approved using these links – thank you very much for your support!
– Application Link – Chase British Airways 50,000 point card – $95 annual fee waived the first year
Card Details
British Airways Visa Signature Card
- 50,000 Avios after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months
- New: $0 Intro Annual Fee The First Year, Then $95.
- Every calendar year you make $30,000 in purchases on your British Airways Visa Card, you’ll earn a Travel Together Ticket good for two years.
- In addition to the bonus Avios, you will also get 2.5 Avios for every $1 spent on British Airways purchases and 1.25 Avios for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
- Pay no foreign transaction fees when you travel abroad.
- Smart Chip Technology allows you to use your card for chip based purchases in Europe & beyond, while still giving you the ability to use your card as you do today at home.
- (This bonus offer is available to you as long as you have not received a new card member bonus for this product in the past 24 months.)
Card Highlights
1.25 Avios Per Dollar
As a card to earn Avios, this card is perfect for that. That is because it earns 1.25 Avios per dollar spent which can help you get your balance up quicker. That means, for every $3,600 in spending, you will receive enough Avios for a short haul one-way ticket!
Travel Together Ticket and Paid Ticket Discount
The card does come with some added bonus features – like earning a companion pass if you spend $30,000 on the card in a year (the companion pass is only good for award flights on British Airway flights and requires you pay taxes and fees on both tickets – amounts to a huge cost) and the 10% off paid British Airway tickets (using the code CARDOFFERU)).
The Avios Offer – 50,000 Avios
But the real value for most people lies within the 50,000 Avios. Avios are easily the favorite to use for short haul flights and last minute travel. Because British Airways is a partner of American Airlines (and so US Airways) and Alaska Airlines, you can book award tickets on those airlines using Avios at a fraction of what it would cost to use the actual airline’s miles. So, a domestic ticket on US Airways for Rochester to Philadelphia roundtrip would require 25,000 US Airway miles. If you use Avios for that same flight, it only requires 9,000 Avios for the roundtrip!
The possible destinations for only 4,500 Avios one-way
Using Avios on British Airways flights is not really the best use of these points (for many people). That is because British Airways leverages fuel surcharges and flights will go through London which requires the hefty UK fee. Roundtrip premium cabin tickets on British Airways can be more expensive than an outright paid economy ticket for the same itinerary! The real strength is definitely to use these points on partner travel and, specifically, for the shorter haul flights. However, the great things about miles and points is that you get to use them for what is important to you! 🙂
See this post for details about using Avios and the various hub/focus airports in the US for your short haul needs.
Should You Get This Card?
While this limited-time offer does not offer any more points or lower spending requirements, it does essentially wipe out a $95 fee that you would have had to pay otherwise. That is almost like getting another bonus – at least you get to keep your money! 🙂 Whether the fee is required in the first year or not, I still find this card to be a very strong card given the potential value in these points.
The average out-of-pocket cost on tickets that I have used my Avios for is right around the $300 mark – for a one-way ticket! That same ticket I can get for only 4,500 Avios putting a value on them of 6.6 cents per point! That means that an offer like this would be worth around $3,300 to me in redemption value. Is that going to be that way for everyone? Not everyone may have the same cost for tickets that I did but it should give you at least $1,000 in value for those short haul flights!
It comes down to this – if you find yourself being in a Oneworld Alliance hub city (like Chicago, Miami, Philadelphia, etc) then you should absolutely get this card as it opens up dozens of cities for your travels. If you are not in a hub city but still like to travel, it still could be worth it since you can get to any hub city within 650 miles for only 4,500 Avios one-way!
This card offer does have language in it that will allow you to get the bonus again as long as it has been 24 months since you last received the offer and you do not currently have the card open. So, if you have had this card in the past and are interested in getting it again, you can do that as long as you meet those parameters.
