Recently, we looked into which voucher is better, the British Airways American Express 2-4-1 (earned from the Premium Plus card) vs the Barclaycard (earned from the Avios Plus card) upgrade voucher. You can read all about it here: today, I thought that we would have a look at the Virgin Atlantic Rewards voucher vs the Amex 2-4-1 from British Airways American Express Premium Plus, so without further ado, let’s dive in:
When it comes to UK travel credit card perks, two heavyweight contenders are the British Airways American Express Companion Voucher (or “2-4-1” for those of us fluent in AvGeek) and the Virgin Atlantic Reward Voucher. Both can unlock serious value, but which is the better deal?
In This Post
Face-to-Face Showdown: Which Voucher Reigns Supreme??
| Feature | BA Amex Companion Voucher | Virgin Atlantic Reward Voucher |
|---|---|---|
| How to Earn | Spend £12,000 per year on the BA Amex Premium Plus (£25,000 on the free BA Amex). | Spend £10,000 per year on the Virgin Atlantic Reward+ card (£20,000 on the free version). |
| Main Perk | Brings a companion for free (plus taxes/fees) OR gives a solo traveller a 50% Avios discount on a reward flight. | Can be used for a companion reward flight, a one-way upgrade, or a discount on a paid ticket. |
| Cabin Eligibility | All cabins (Economy voucher earned from the free card to First Class vouchers earned on the paid version). | All cabins (Economy to Upper Class). |
| Taxes & Fees | The companion still pays full taxes, fees, and carrier charges (which on BA long-haul flights can be eye-watering). | Companion also pays taxes & fees, but Virgin’s charges are often lower than BA’s. |
| Availability Issues? | Reward flight availability on BA can be scarce, especially in premium cabins. | Virgin’s availability is generally better than BA’s, but still not perfect. |
| Validity Period | 2 years (Premium Plus card) or 1 year (free card). | 2 years. |
| Can It Be Used on Partners? | Yes. Aer Lingus, Iberia. | Yes! Can be used on Delta, Air France, KLM and other Virgin partners. |
| Best Value Use Case | Long-haul Business or First Class flights (e.g., London to New York in Club Suite for 50% fewer Avios if solo). | Upgrading from Premium to Upper Class on long-haul flights (e.g., Premium Economy to Upper for 5k Virgin points + voucher). |
| Card Annual Fee | £250 (BA Amex Premium Plus) / Free (Standard BA Amex, but requires £25k spend). | £160 (Virgin Reward+) / Free (Standard Virgin, but requires £20k spend). |
| How Easy Is It to Earn? | High minimum spend (£12k or £25k) makes it tough unless you funnel everything through Amex. | Lower spend requirement (£10k or £20k) makes it slightly easier to hit. |
Which One Wins?
For couples and families, the BA Amex Companion Voucher is probably the winner since a free extra seat (even with the taxes) can be worth thousands on long-haul redemptions.
For solo travellers: The BA Amex voucher’s 50% Avios discount makes it unbeatable for premium cabins, though Virgin’s upgrade perk could still be appealing if you like Upper Class.
For flexibility and partner redemptions, the Virgin Reward Voucher edges ahead since it can be used on Delta, KLM, and Air France, giving it more options than BA.
