British Airways Avios can be a difficult reward currency to maximize, with a distance-based award chart and massive fuel surcharges overseas. You can certainly get value out of short-haul awards on partner carriers, but what if you’re more interested in international travel?
One way to soften the blow is to pair a premium award ticket redemption with a Travel Together Ticket – British Airways version of a companion pass. To get the Travel Together Ticket, members need to get the Chase British Airways Premier Rewards Visa card and spend $30,000 on it in a calendar year.
The Travel Together Ticket is issued in the form of an online voucher that will be added to your account, very similar to how the Alaska Airlines Companion Pass is issued. The voucher will appear four to six weeks after the billing cycle in which the $30,000 spending requirement is met. It is valid for travel in any cabin (economy, premium economy, business, or first).
There are a few restrictions regarding redemptions:
- The Travel Together Ticket can be redeemed for travel on British Airways flights only
- The person who earns the Travel Together Ticket must be traveling along with the companion
- The Travel Together Ticket can only be applied to round-trip flights originating in the U.S. You can book open-jaws and stopovers though
- All taxes, fees, and fuel surcharges will apply to the companion ticket. This can amount to over $1,000 on international flights, particularly in premium cabins
The Travel Together Ticket can be earned once a year as long as the British Airways Visa card account is open. The voucher is good for up to two years after the issue date. The card has a $95 annual fee, so if you’re able to get value out of it, the fee may be worth it. Because of the high fuel surcharges attached to British Airways awards, the best way to use the voucher is to redeem for a business- or first-class award.
For simple round-trip itineraries, the Travel Together Ticket can be redeemed online. Simply login to your British Airways Executive Club account, search for your desired itinerary, and as long as there are two seats available, you can redeem your Travel Together Ticket. The site can accommodate most requests, though if you want to incorporate an open-jaw or multiple segments into the itinerary, you will need to call British Airways Executive Club customer service.
While the British Airways Travel Together Ticket can save you miles, the extra cash from the fuel surcharges can be hefty. The only time it really makes sense to redeem it is if cash prices for economy fares are higher or if you really want to try out British Airways first-class product. At the very least, you could book a one-way award and pay just half the taxes, fees, and fuel surcharges for the privilege of trying the service on half your journey.