BA Amex Premium Plus – can I downgrade after I receive the 70,000 Avios?
Discuss today's stories:
-
zapato1060
Im 1k away from the 3k for 70k points but will try to go for 241. Its an incredible voucher which is best used on long haul. When you get the BAPP card get a supplementary card, its free and gets you another 3k. You dont even need to use it if you dont want. So youll have 70k + 3k + 4.5k AVIOS for the spend. Thats 77.5k miles right off the bat.I have the 70k BAPP card, do you mean I get an extra 3k to add an additional cardholder? And what is the 4.5k?
Thanks in advanceYes additional 3k points for getting a supplementary card on your account, the 4.5k is the points you’ll get for spending the £3 qualifying amount you need to get the 70k bonus (£3k * 1.5 Avios – you may get more if you have any BA spend @ 3 Avios per £)
Hello
So, I have a BAPP card. I have spent the 3k so 70k Avios showing on my Amex screen. They will transfer to BAEC at the Statement date.I wanted to downgrase to the free card. I chatted first and they advise I need to phone a special number. I phoned the speical number and they advised there is’currently no downgrade offer on your accoun t. Maybe try again in 14 days or so’.
I entered a chat and they confirmed this! is this everyone elses experience.
I threatened to close the card. THey were happy to do this but did advise me that if I clsoed the card BEOFRE the 70k Avios had departed to the BAEC I would lose them.
So I am waiting until 12th March to A)make sure my Avios are safely in my BAEC account and B) to see if they have a ‘downfrade offer’.
My wife had none of this hassle wiht hers, although she had her Premium card for a few months longer to accrue the Companion Voucher.
Are AMEX getting wise to people opening accounts just for the Avios, then closing?
do you mean I get an extra 3k to add an additional cardholder?
Yes
And what is the 4.5k?
They are the Avios you will earn naturally when you spend the £3k (£3k x 1.5 AviosPer£ = 4.5K Avios)
Are AMEX getting wise to people opening accounts just for the Avios, then closing?
You don’t say how long you have had the card.
My recent experience with a relative was that they were able to downgrade after the first statement was produced. They were first offered a retention deal of spend £1K get 5000 Avios but declined that and downgraded to the free card.
Related question. Do I keep the companion voucher if I close the card completely (rather than just downgrade)?
Try this link to avoid the chat downgrade hassle:
https://www.americanexpress.com/en-gb/apply/downgrade/personal/credit-cards/BA-classicI don’t hold a BAPP so can’t check to see if this still works – if it does please report back here so that others can benefit!
Good luck 😉
PS For completeness and ease of reference there is a corresponding upgrade link that others may find useful:
https://www.americanexpress.com/uk/benefits/upgrade/ba-premium-plus-credit-cardThat card downgrade link doesn’t seem to work, but this one does. Someone here kindly shared it with me a few weeks ago. I’m now waiting for my 70,000 bonus points to be transferred over next week, then I’ll be able to confirm that it works.
https://www.americanexpress.com/en-gb/account/login?DestPage=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.americanexpress.com%2Fen-gb%2Fapply%2Fdowngrade%2Fpersonal%2Fcredit-cards%2Fba-classicRelated question. Do I keep the companion voucher if I close the card completely (rather than just downgrade)?
I think you have to pay for the trip using an American Express Card. Amex T&C say it must be the one that earned the companion voucher but general consensus is that ANY Amex card (in your name?) will do. So you will need to retian an Amex card of some kind. Maybe best to keep the free one
there was me thinking you’d found a way of downgrading without having the hassle of communicating with Amex CS on live chat.
I used this link last year to downgrade from the BAPP to the free version without chat/calling…
https://www.americanexpress.com/en-gb/apply/downgrade/personal/credit-cards/ba-classicMake sure you are logged in first. It might still work.
Just to confirm, if I downgrade using this link it will not result in another hard check? Did you receive a pro rota refund when you downgraded using this link? I am put off by the wording on that page: as it says that my current card membership contract will be cancelled and I will be applying for a new card membership contract.
@HM1995 I used that very link to downgrade last year. Account just downgraded to BA blue and new cards arrived but linked to same account. I ultimately Kicked myself 3 months later and used the UPGRADE weblink and successfully went back to BAPP. The card is too precious to play hop scotch.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
Popular articles this week:
