Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
GUIDE
BA Amex companion voucher vs Barclaycard upgrade voucher
The BA Amex companion voucher and the Barclaycard Avios cabin upgrade voucher both attach to a British Airways Club Avios Reward Flight, but they cut the cost in different ways: the companion voucher removes the Avios for a second traveller, while the Barclaycard voucher moves the booking up one cabin class. [4] [2]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- With a companion voucher, a member travelling with a companion pays the Avios for one person and the taxes, fees and charges for both; travelling solo, the member pays half the Avios required for one person plus the taxes, fees and charges for one person. [4]
- The Barclaycard Avios cabin upgrade voucher moves an Avios Reward Flight up one cabin class where available and cannot be used to upgrade to a First class cabin. [2]
- Barclaycard sets its spend target at £20,000 on the Barclaycard Avios card within 12 months, and one upgrade voucher can be collected for each 12-month period in which the target is reached. [2]
- The Barclaycard Avios card page lists no monthly fee on that card. [2]
- The Barclaycard voucher has to be used at the point of booking, and travel must have started within the 24 months after it was issued. [2]
What does each voucher do to the price of a booking?
The two vouchers work on different parts of the price. Avios is the reward currency of The British Airways Club, and both vouchers are spent against Avios Reward Flight bookings rather than cash tickets. [3] [2]
Companion voucher. British Airways' Reward Flights guidance says that a member using a companion voucher and travelling with a companion pays the Avios for one person and the taxes, fees and charges for both. [4] If the same member travels alone on the voucher, they pay half the Avios required for one person and the taxes, fees and charges for one person. [4]
Cabin upgrade voucher. The Barclaycard Avios card issues a British Airways cabin upgrade voucher that moves the booking up by one cabin class where available — from Premium Economy (World Traveller Plus) to Business (Club World), for example — and Barclaycard says a booking cannot be upgraded to a First class cabin with it. [2] The booking stays an Avios Reward Flight, paid with Avios plus a cash amount for taxes, fees and carrier charges per person. [2]
For Avios-only flights — direct journeys operated by British Airways and its subsidiary Euro Flyer and sold only as Reward Flights — British Airways says a Barclays upgrade voucher can be used to upgrade between cabins, availability depending, and that the upgrade price remains the same as for a standard Reward Flight. [4] The same guidance says an American Express voucher can be used within the cabin and dates it is eligible for. [4]
How much do you have to spend, and what does the card cost?
Barclaycard sets the target at £20,000 spent on the Barclaycard Avios card within 12 months; at that point the cardholder chooses between a British Airways cabin upgrade voucher and 7,000 bonus Avios. [2] One cabin upgrade voucher is collected for every 12-month period in which the spending target is reached. [2] The same card page lists no monthly fee. [2]
| Term | Barclaycard Avios card |
|---|---|
| Spend target | £20,000 on the card within 12 months [2] |
| Choice at the target | British Airways cabin upgrade voucher or 7,000 bonus Avios [2] |
| Vouchers per 12-month period | One [2] |
| Monthly fee on the card | None [2] |
| Cabin effect | Up one cabin class where available; not to First [2] |
| Travel deadline | Travel must have started within 24 months of issue [2] |
When the target is reached and the voucher is chosen, Barclaycard says it can take up to five working days to appear in the British Airways Club account, and that it is not shown in the Barclays or Barclaycard app. [2] The voucher is held in the member vouchers area of the British Airways Club dashboard. [2] The card's own earning rules on the American Express side are a separate product question; the companion voucher earning guide covers that ground.
Which airlines and cabins can each voucher be used on?
Barclaycard describes the cabin upgrade voucher as usable on an Avios Reward Flight booking to any worldwide destination, where availability exists, with British Airways and its partners. [2] The voucher must be used at the point of booking an Avios Reward Flight and cannot be applied to an existing booking. [2] It lifts the booking by one cabin class where available and cannot take a booking into First. [2]
On British Airways' side, the American Express voucher is described as usable within the cabin and dates it is eligible for, in guidance covering Avios-only flights and Reward Flights that can mix cabins and dates. [4] The companion voucher pricing described by British Airways applies at the point of booking the Reward Flight. [4]
What is the practical difference when booking for two people?
With a companion voucher the saving lands on the Avios side: the member pays the Avios for one person while the taxes, fees and charges are due for both travellers. [4] The cash element is therefore not halved along with the Avios. [4] If the voucher holder travels alone, the Avios cost drops to half of one person's Avios, with one person's taxes, fees and charges still payable. [4]
With the Barclaycard voucher the number of people priced does not change: the booking remains an Avios Reward Flight with Avios plus a cash amount for taxes, fees and carrier charges per person, and the voucher itself changes the cabin. [2] A two-person booking is priced accordingly, with the upgrade taking effect where availability allows. [2]
Exceptions and limits
- The Barclaycard voucher cannot be added to a booking after the fact: it must be used at the point of booking an Avios Reward Flight. [2]
- Travel using the Barclaycard voucher must have commenced within the 24 months following its date of issue. [2]
- Reward flights and cabin upgrades are subject to availability. [2]
- No First class cabin upgrade is possible with the Barclaycard voucher. [2]
- British Airways says that a Reward Flight booking made with any type of voucher, such as a Companion Voucher or Travel Together Ticket, needs its contact centre for certain changes, including shifting an off-peak date to a peak date or taking an immediate Avios refund. [4]
- Only one British Airways Club membership can be linked to a Barclaycard Avios card, and spending on one Barclaycard Avios card does not count toward the spending targets of the other. [2]
Frequently asked questions
Does a companion voucher cover the second passenger's taxes and fees?
No. British Airways says the member pays the Avios for one person and the taxes, fees and charges for both travellers. [4]
How much do you need to spend to get the Barclaycard upgrade voucher?
£20,000 on the Barclaycard Avios card within 12 months, at which point the cardholder can take the cabin upgrade voucher or 7,000 bonus Avios instead. [2]
Can the Barclaycard voucher be used to fly First class?
No. Barclaycard says bookings cannot be upgraded to a First class cabin using the cabin upgrade voucher. [2]
How long do you have to use the Barclaycard upgrade voucher?
Travel must have commenced within the 24 months following the voucher's date of issue. [2]
Can you add the Barclaycard voucher to a booking you already made?
No. The voucher must be used at the point of booking an Avios Reward Flight and cannot be applied to amend an existing booking. [2]
Sources
Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. American Express card terms, and Avios credit cards from issuers other than Barclaycard, are not covered here.
- Barclaycard Avios credit card page, checked 18 October 2026
- The British Airways Club, checked 18 October 2026
- Reward Flights, The British Airways Club, checked 18 October 2026