Travel perks

Mrsoverall

I’m considering getting a credit card with the benefits of either having a companion ticket or being able to upgrade flight as a perk with points. I’ve had a read but it’s very confusing.  My husband is disabled and we find that he can’t sit comfortably in a regular seat any more.  This year I’ve booked business to Canada and it cost a bomb. But going forward, this will have to be the norm so wondering if we might be able to benefit by making a sound decision on the card we use for,everyday spending.  We used to travel a lot but would tend to be one big holiday a year (which is usually a cruise )maybe two, these days.  I currently have a tesco credit card which I spend approximately 1500 on each month, daily spending, and always clear in full but I could add him to mine although probably only be a few hundred more each month as he’s retired. Would appreciate any advice or recommendations, thanks 

Voyager2002

You are obviously considering the cards provided by America Express. If you get the BA Amex the companion voucher is obviously very attractive, but then you are locked into Executive Club. Other Amex cards give you membership reward points, which can be exchanged for points in other frequent flyer schemes.

You can get extra points by finding someone to refer you to Amex; then by referring your husband; then each of you can get more bonus points by making each other additional cardholders on your accounts.

COIAHLGW

The problem is that with companion tickets, the original ticket can't be booked into the cheapest business class seat.  Therefore research "fare buckets" to see what the lowest fare class that will qualify for the companion seat.

lr1277

There is the Avios Barclaycard. This ties you into flights that accept Avios, but you get an upgrade voucher instead of a companion voucher.

This is not a recommendation but with the Avios Plus card which costs £20/month, you get the voucher after spending £10k, which should be manageable on what you say you spend.

An advantage of Barclaycard is that it is accepted in more places than Amex.

What I would recommend is perusing the HeadforPoints website, which discusses all manor of using cards to get cheaper flights and/or holidays.

As well as the articles and reviews, there is a forum where a lot of information is discussed and you have the opportunity to ask your own questions either in the daily chat thread or a subject specific thread.