Latest news with #Amex
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Business
- Scottish Sun
American Express issues major update on British Airways points change after big overhaul left customers furious
Check below to see if you'll benefit POINT TO IT American Express issues major update on British Airways points change after big overhaul left customers furious Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) AMERICAN Express has issued a major update on British Airways points, following the airline's recent overhaul of its loyalty scheme. Thousands of Amex cardholders will soon be able to earn "tier points" through their spending, unlocking elite perks with the airline, according to airline rewards website Head for Points. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Premium Plus cardholders will be able to earn up to 2,500 tier points in a membership year The offer comes after a controversial update to the airline's loyalty scheme earlier this year, which means customers now need to spend more to achieve elite status. Travellers flying with British Airways or its Oneworld partners earn Avios to save on future flights and tier points to determine their BA Club status. The number of tier points you earn in a year decides whether you'll be in Blue, Bronze, Silver, or Gold membership levels. Blue status is given automatically to anyone who joins, but nearly half of the scheme's 13million members hold Bronze status or higher. These higher-tier statuses unlock perks, including complimentary seat selection, priority check-in, additional hold baggage allowance and access to the airline's airport lounges. Before April 1, you earned tier points based on how far you flew. Now, you earn one tier point for every £1 you spend on flights and holiday packages. To achieve higher statuses like Silver, which offers business class lounge access, you now need to spend £7,500 a year - significantly more than before. British Airways Amex cardholders already earn Avios on their spending, but they couldn't earn tier points before April's changes. The standard blue card earns 1 Avios per £1 spent, while the Premium Plus card, costing £300 a year, earns 1.5 Avios per £1. How to safeguard your holiday: A guide to ATOL protection and vetting travel companies However, from today, Premium Plus cardholders are able to earn up to 2,500 tier points in a membership year through their spending. Customers will earn 750 tier points for spending £15,000 on the card. If they spend an extra £5,000 (reaching £20,000), they'll get another 750 tier points. Spending a further £5,000 (a total of £25,000) will earn them an additional 1,000 tier points. Earning 2,500 tier points won't make much of a dent in the 20,000 needed for Gold status, but it's helpful for those aiming for Bronze or Silver. With 2,500 tier points from the Amex card, Bronze members would only need 1,000 more tier points, which can be earned by spending £1,000 directly with British Airways. Customers with the fee-free British Airways Amex Card aren't eligible for this offer. To participate in the offer, you'll need to enrol through the American Express app or website. Upon enrolment, you;ll also receive 500 free tier points automatically. British Airways said that there will be further opportunities to earn tier points using the Premium Plus credit card from April 2026. Meanwhile, customers booking flights with British Airways can enjoy bonus tier points on bookings made until December 31. This offer was originally set to end on February 14 but was extended after customer backlash. For example, you can earn 75 extra tier points for a short-haul economy flight and 150 extra tier points for a long-haul economy flight. To benefit from a tier points bonus, you must register your British Airways Club membership number by visiting Should you stay loyal to BA or look elsewhere? If you fly regularly - especially as part of your job - then the BA Club may still be beneficial for you. But you should never book a flight with BA or an affiliated airline just to earn points if money is tight. If your priority is cutting costs, concentrate solely on finding the lowest ticket price. Platforms like Skyscanner, Google Flights, and Kayak allow you to tailor your search to highlight the most affordable options. You can also convert your unused Avios into Nectar points. These can be redeemed for shopping, used to save 5p per litre on fuel, or even put towards other purchases For example, 500 Nectar points can be exchanged for £2.50 off at retailers like Argos or Sainsbury's.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
American Express issues major update on British Airways points change after big overhaul left customers furious
AMERICAN Express has issued a major update on British Airways points, following the airline's recent overhaul of its loyalty scheme. Thousands of Amex cardholders will soon be able to earn "tier points" through their spending, unlocking elite perks with the airline, according to airline rewards website Head for Points. 1 The offer comes after a controversial update to the airline's loyalty scheme earlier this year, which means customers now need to spend more to achieve elite status. Travellers flying with British Airways or its Oneworld partners earn Avios to save on future flights and tier points to determine their BA Club status. The number of tier points you earn in a year decides whether you'll be in Blue, Bronze, Silver, or Gold membership levels. Blue status is given automatically to anyone who joins, but nearly half of the scheme's 13million members hold Bronze status or higher. These higher-tier statuses unlock perks, including complimentary seat selection, priority check-in, additional hold baggage allowance and access to the airline's airport lounges. Before April 1, you earned tier points based on how far you flew. Now, you earn one tier point for every £1 you spend on flights and holiday packages. To achieve higher statuses like Silver, which offers business class lounge access, you now need to spend £7,500 a year - significantly more than before. British Airways Amex cardholders already earn Avios on their spending, but they couldn't earn tier points before April's changes. The standard blue card earns 1 Avios per £1 spent, while the Premium Plus card, costing £300 a year, earns 1.5 Avios per £1. How to safeguard your holiday: A guide to ATOL protection and vetting travel companies However, from today, Premium Plus cardholders are able to earn up to 2,500 tier points in a membership year through their spending. Customers will earn 750 tier points for spending £15,000 on the card. If they spend an extra £5,000 (reaching £20,000), they'll get another 750 tier points. Spending a further £5,000 (a total of £25,000) will earn them an additional 1,000 tier points. Earning 2,500 tier points won't make much of a dent in the 20,000 needed for Gold status, but it's helpful for those aiming for Bronze or Silver. With 2,500 tier points from the Amex card, Bronze members would only need 1,000 more tier points, which can be earned by spending £1,000 directly with British Airways. Customers with the fee-free British Airways Amex Card aren't eligible for this offer. To participate in the offer, you'll need to enrol through the American Express app or website. Upon enrolment, you;ll also receive 500 free tier points automatically. British Airways said that there will be further opportunities to earn tier points using the Premium Plus credit card from April 2026. Meanwhile, customers booking flights with British Airways can enjoy bonus tier points on bookings made until December 31. This offer was originally set to end on February 14 but was extended after customer backlash. For example, you can earn 75 extra tier points for a short-haul economy flight and 150 extra tier points for a long-haul economy flight. To benefit from a tier points bonus, you must register your British Airways Club membership number by visiting Should you stay loyal to BA or look elsewhere? If you fly regularly - especially as part of your job - then the BA Club may still be beneficial for you. But you should never book a flight with BA or an affiliated airline just to earn points if money is tight. If your priority is cutting costs, concentrate solely on finding the lowest ticket price. Platforms like Skyscanner, Google Flights, and Kayak allow you to tailor your search to highlight the most affordable options. You can also convert your unused Avios into Nectar points. These can be redeemed for shopping, used to save 5p per litre on fuel, or even put towards other purchases For example, 500 Nectar points can be exchanged for £2.50 off at retailers like Argos or Sainsbury's. FLY LIKE A GOLD MEMBER FOR LESS IT is possible to get Gold member perks for free or cheap. You might assume that luxury perks like lounge access and fast-track security are exclusive to frequent or business class flyers, but that's not the case. Cheap or 'free' lounge access Airline lounges are usually reserved for frequent flyers or business class passengers - but there are ones such as No1 Lounges that you can pay to get access to. If you have a NatWest or Barclays Premier bank account then you can get free access to some lounges. On the Beach is offering free airport lounge access with 5-star holiday bookings for 2025. Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is free to join and you can get discounts on passes to No1 Lounges. Rob Burgess, editor of frequent flyer website said: "You could get a credit card which comes with a Priority Pass lounge card. "Good options are the free for a year Amex Gold card (four free airport lounge passes per year), Amex Platinum (unlimited lounge access for up to four people) or the Lloyds World Elite Mastercard, which is £15 per month but offers unlimited airport lounge access." But always remember to pay off your balance in full each month, as interest charges may outweigh the perks. If you can't get free entry then prices start around £20. This can work out cheaper than paying for a meal and drink at the airport - but you need to weigh up the costs. Read reviews before you book as the facilities vary. Baggage loopholes If you fly with Easyjet then there is a loophole to get a second hand luggage bag for free. You are allowed to bring one bag from Duty Free - but MoneySavingExpert says it's heard from customers who have used this to store their handbag. Cheaper and better seats It is possible to sit together for free if you're flying BA, easyJet or Virgin - if you know the tricks. Try and check in as soon as it opens online and you will usually be able to sit together. With EasyJet you can check in 30 days in advance. You have to pay to get a specific seat, but the earlier you check-in the more likely you are to get a better one and be able to sit together. BA, Virgin Atlantic and Tui guarantee that kids under 12 will be sat with at least one adult. If you're flying with Ryanair, MoneySavingExpert says it can be cheaper to select the basic fare and then add extras rather than selecting the regular one. It says its seen costs of baggage and seat allocation can be up to 60% cheaper using this trick.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
BofA ‘increasingly encouraged' about Amex Platinum refresh after survey
BofA is 'increasingly encouraged' on the efficacy of an Amex Platinum refresh following a survey of credit card holders, telling investors that out of all brands surveyed American Express (AXP) cardholders were the least likely to cancel their card and the most likely to keep the card even if the benefits did not change. The firm expected a Platinum refresh this year and reports that yesterday Amex confirmed that a refresh is coming this fall, adds the analyst, who thinks a Platinum card refresh could increase net card fee revenues by 7%. BofA keeps a Buy rating and $318 price target on American Express shares. Easily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions Receive undervalued, market resilient stocks right to your inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter Published first on TheFly – the ultimate source for real-time, market-moving breaking financial news. Try Now>> See the top stocks recommended by analysts >> Read More on AXP: Disclaimer & DisclosureReport an Issue American Express: Strong Loan Growth and Stable Credit Performance Support Buy Rating American Express Reclassifies $1.6 Billion in Loans Crypto Currents: Coinbase, Shopify partner for USDC payments Morning Movers: Meta Platforms dips following big investment in Scale AI Visa, MasterCard slide after WSJ says merchants exploring stablecoins
Axios
3 days ago
- Business
- Axios
What to know about Chase Sapphire's new $795 annual fee
Chase, the largest credit card issuer in the United States, is hiking the annual fee of its Sapphire Reserve credit card from $550 to $795, the company said Tuesday. Why it matters: Premium credit card perks are getting glitzier and pricier, as high-end plastic competes for high-status customers. The intrigue: Amex this week teased"major updates" coming to its own Platinum cards, but Sapphire's new price point eclipses Amex's $695 annual fee. Here's what to know: How much is the Chase Sapphire Reserve annual fees? In addition to the new $795 price point, secondary cardholders (authorized users on the card) will also see a price hike — from $75 to $195. Fee changes for new cardholders will go into effect when applications open up on June 23. The fee changes for existing cardholders will go into effect after October 25, the annual renewal date for cardholders. By the numbers: Once the fee change goes into effect, the Chase Sapphire Reserve card will have increased by 77% since 2016, when it debuted for a $450 annual fee. Only Reserve cardholders will be affected by the new changes. How will points change? Chase is introducing a feature called "Points Boost" for Reserve and Preferred customers, as well as its business cards, Ink Business Preferred and Ink Plus. Cardholders will receive eight times as many points on bookings made via Chase's online travel portal, Chase Travel. That's a change from the company's previous offering of five times as many points on flights and 10 times as many on hotel bookings and car rentals. Flights and hotels booked directly will offer four times as many points — up from three. The "Points Boost" system will also offer up to twice as many points on some travel bookings, which exclude basic economy tickets. What perks will the new Chase Sapphire Reserve offer?
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
American Express Ranks No. 1 in the J.D. Power
American Express Company (NYSE:AXP)is one of the 11 Best Financial Services Stocks to Buy Right Now. It is placed first in the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Credit Card Mobile App and Online Satisfaction Studies, winning in all four categories: navigation, visual appeal, speed, and content. A close-up view of a payment terminal, capturing the sophistication of a payment network. This is the third time that both the Amex app and website have topped the rankings and the fifth time since 2018 that the app has done so. Furthermore, the company's monthly active users jumped by 8% throughout the previous year. American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) attributes this recognition to its dedication to user-friendly digital experiences, such as expedited card activation, a redesigned website, tailored content, and easier navigation. The improvements are meant to increase consumer happiness and engagement. The company's product, engineering, and analytics teams support its continuous innovation in digital services. It is one of the best financial stocks. Amex further solidified its position as the industry leader in customer experience by ranking first in both the 2025 Consumer Lending Satisfaction Study and the 2024 Small Business Credit Card Satisfaction Study. While we acknowledge the potential of AXP as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 10 High-Growth EV Stocks to Invest In and 13 Best Car Stocks to Buy in 2025. Disclosure. None.
