British Airways Amex Blue vs Black Review (2026): Is the £300 Fee Worth It?

In Part 1, we established that an Avios point is worth roughly 1p. Now comes the next logical question: How do I earn them?

For most UK travellers, the answer is the British Airways American Express card. But there are two versions, and choosing the wrong one could cost you thousands in lost value.

• The Blue Card: Free.
• The Black Card (Premium Plus): £300 per year.

Your instinct is probably to grab the free one. "Why would I pay £300 just to hold a credit card?"

Here is the controversial truth: For many people, the "Free" card is actually the expensive option. If you want to fly Business Class using the Companion Voucher, the free card is a mathematical trap.

This is Part 2 of our Avios strategy guide. Today, we are crunching the numbers on Blue vs Black to see which one belongs in your wallet in 2026.

The Tale of the Tape

(Note: Welcome bonuses fluctuate, but using a referral link usually boosts them (mine is down below). Trigger spend for the voucher changed to £15k for both cards recently, levelling the playing field on spend).

The Killer Feature: The 2-4-1 Voucher

The reason you get this card isn't the points. It's the Companion Voucher.
This voucher lets you book two reward flights for the Avios price of one. You pay the points for yourself, and your partner (or friend) flies using zero points. You just pay the taxes for both.

This is where the Blue card fails.

The "Blue" Problem

The voucher on the free card is restricted to Economy Class only.

• Scenario: You want to fly to New York.
• Economy Ticket: £400 cash.
• Avios + Taxes: The taxes alone might be £150.
• Saving: You aren't saving much. The voucher is barely worth the effort of earning it.

The "Black" Magic

The voucher on the Premium Plus card is valid for Any Cabin.

• Scenario: You want to fly to Tokyo in Business Class (Club World).
• Cash Price: £4,000 per person (£8,000 total).
• Avios Price: 100,000 Avios + Taxes.
• With Voucher: You pay 100,000 Avios + Taxes for TWO people.
• Value: You just saved 100,000 Avios (worth ~£1,000) and unlocked an £8,000 trip for a fraction of the cost.

The Maths: The £300 annual fee unlocked thousands of pounds of value. The free card would have left you stuck in Economy.

The "Sunk Cost" Calculation

Is the £300 fee worth it for you? Let's do the breakeven math.

1. The Earn Rate: The Black card earns 1.5 Avios/£1 vs 1 Avios/£1.
   • If you spend £15,000 a year, you earn 7,500 extra Avios on the Black card.
   • Value: ~£75. (Reduces effective fee to £225).
2. The Welcome Bonus: The Black card bonus is huge (usually 25k+). The Blue card is small (6k).
   • Difference: ~19,000 Avios.
   • Value: ~£190. (Reduces effective fee to £35 for Year 1).
3. The Voucher Validity:
   • Blue Voucher expires in 1 year. (Panic booking!)
   • Black Voucher expires in 2 years. (Relaxed planning).

The Verdict: Which one should you get?

It comes down to one simple question: Do you want to fly Business Class?

Get the FREE (Blue) Card if...

• You will spend less than £10k-£15k a year on the card (you won't trigger the voucher anyway).
• You are happy flying Economy short-haul (e.g. to Europe).
• You strictly refuse to pay annual fees on principle.

Get the PREMIUM (Black) Card if...

• You will spend £15,000+ a year.
• You dream of turning left on the plane (Business/First Class).
• You want the flexibility of a 2-year expiry on your voucher.
• This is the card serious travel hackers use. The math is undeniable.

Start Earning Today (Bonus Points)

Ready to start your pot? The best way to join is via a referral link, which often triggers a higher welcome bonus than going direct to the site.

💳 Apply for the British Airways Amex (Referral Offer)

(Full disclosure: This is my personal referral link. If you use it, you get extra points, and I get a bonus to help fund the next trip. We both win.)

📩 Don't Miss Part 3

In Part 3, I’m going to show you how to earn 10,000+ Avios a year without flying and without spending a penny extra. We're talking about the "Hidden Multipliers" of the Avios world.

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