Travel rewards cards can turn everyday spending into free flights, hotel nights or handy travel perks. Below is a UK-focused round-up of the main cards that earn airline miles, flexible points or hotel points, plus supermarket and fintech options that convert to travel rewards. I have listed some of the best travel reward cards in the UK and included information on the typical sign-up bonuses (low, medium or high because the actual number can be different depending on where you sign up from), stand-out perks and fees.
British Airways American Express Credit Card (free)
A straightforward starter for Avios collectors with no annual fee. The sign-up bonus is typically modest for meeting a small spend in the first three months, and the earn rate is 1 Avios per £1 on all spending. That makes it easy to build a balance from daily purchases without worrying about categories.
You can earn a Companion Voucher after £15,000 of card spend in your membership year. On this free version it is usually valid for economy cabins and has a shorter validity than the premium card, but it is still very useful for families. Remember to use the British Airways Avios shopping portal before online purchases to stack extra Avios on top of your card earnings.
British Airways American Express Premium Plus
The premium Avios Amex is often the go-to for serious Avios collectors. This is the credit card I use most often for Avios. The welcome bonus is usually much higher than the free card, in exchange for a sizeable annual fee. You earn 1.5 Avios per £1 on general spend and an elevated rate on British Airways purchases, helping balances grow quickly.
BA Amex Premium Plus referral: Natasha’s BA Amex referral
For the above, expect 30000 points by spending £6000 within the first 3 months
Its Companion Voucher is the headline perk. You trigger it at £15,000 annual spend, it lasts longer and can be used in any cabin, which is where the real value lies for long-haul trips with children. As with the free card, always click through the BA Avios shopping portal to boost your haul when buying online.
British Airways Accelerating Business Card (American Express Business)
A strong option for limited companies and sole traders who want Avios from business spend. The welcome bonus is typically generous for meeting an initial spend target, the annual fee sits in the mid-range, and the card earns 1.5 Avios per £1 on everything. Paid BA flights on the card also earn British Airways On Business points, which can be redeemed for discounts or reward seats for the company.
There are additional business-friendly incentives, such as tiered Avios bonuses at higher annual spend levels and free supplementary cards for employees. Pair it with the BA Avios shopping portal for office supplies and technology purchases to add extra Avios on top of the card earn.
Barclaycard Avios Mastercard (free)
An excellent no-fee Mastercard for places that do not accept Amex. I use this card to have an option for those places where Amex is not accepted (which can be common in the UK).T he sign-up bonus is usually achievable with a modest initial spend, and you earn 1 Avios per £1 on general spending, with an uplift on BA purchases. It fills the acceptance gaps so you keep earning Avios on council tax, smaller merchants and billers.
You can earn a British Airways cabin upgrade voucher after £20,000 of annual spend. While the threshold is higher than on the paid version, it is still a valuable perk if you channel most non-Amex spend here. Its wider acceptance also makes it a useful card for overseas transactions compared with Amex.
Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard
The paid version turns the dial up on both earnings and bonuses. You usually see a larger welcome bonus for meeting the initial spend and an earn rate of 1.5 Avios per £1 on everything, with an enhanced rate on BA purchases. The monthly fee is offset quickly if you put meaningful spend through a Mastercard.
The BA cabin upgrade voucher triggers at £10,000 annual spend on this card, which many households can hit with bills, groceries and travel. It is a very effective partner to a BA Amex, giving premium-cabin value with broader merchant acceptance.
Virgin Atlantic Reward Mastercard (free)
A simple, free route into Virgin Points. The sign-up bonus is typically small but easy to earn, and the ongoing rate is 0.75 Virgin Points per £1 on everyday spend, with a higher rate on Virgin Atlantic purchases. That makes it a sensible card for topping up balances if you fly or redeem with Virgin.
Spend £20,000 in a card year and you earn a Virgin Atlantic reward voucher. You can use it as a companion ticket on a reward booking or to upgrade a reward seat by one cabin, which adds flexibility depending on whether you travel solo or with a partner. Do not forget the Virgin Red and Virgin Atlantic online shopping portals, which regularly offer bonus points on everyday retailers and can dramatically increase your haul.
Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard
The paid version adds a chunky welcome bonus for a relatively low annual fee and doubles the everyday earn to 1.5 Virgin Points per £1, with an elevated rate on Virgin purchases. If you concentrate spending on one card, this is one of the quickest ways to build a meaningful Virgin Points balance.
The reward voucher triggers at £10,000 of annual spend rather than £20,000, making it far easier to secure each year. Used well, it can deliver superb value on premium cabins to the USA and Caribbean, particularly when taxes and fees are reasonable on Virgin redemptions.
American Express Preferred Rewards Gold
A flexible points card that suits beginners and seasoned collectors alike. The welcome bonus is often attractive and the fee is waived in year one. You earn 1 Membership Rewards point per £1 on general spend, with periodic boosted rates on travel booked through the issuer.
Membership Rewards points transfer to multiple airline schemes including Avios and Virgin, and to hotel programmes, giving you choice if award availability is tight. You also receive a small bundle of lounge passes each year and regular card offers, which together can outweigh the fee if you travel a few times.
American Express Platinum
A premium travel card aimed at frequent flyers who value benefits as much as points. The welcome bonus can be very large, the annual fee is high, and you earn 1 Membership Rewards point per £1 on general spend. The power here lies in lounge access, hotel statuses, comprehensive travel insurance and periodic statement credits.
If you will use airport lounges regularly and can take advantage of hotel perks and credits, the net cost can be compelling. Points remain fully transferable to airline and hotel partners, so you keep flexibility when planning redemptions.
American Express Nectar Credit Card
A handy route to Avios via Nectar. The sign-up bonus is usually strong for a low annual fee that is often waived in year one. You earn 2 Nectar points per £1 on all spending, and Nectar converts into Avios at a published rate, equating to roughly 1.25 Avios per £1 if you choose to convert.
Nectar Amex referral: Natasha’s Nectar Amex referral
For the above, expect 21000 points by spending £2000 within the first 3 months
Because Nectar can also be spent at supermarkets and other UK retailers, you have the safety of a cash-like redemption if you are not booking flights imminently. If you are a regular at Nectar partners, this can out-earn many direct Avios cards on everyday spend.
This is the first reward card I had that I took seriously and over the years I have earned so many Nectar points and spent them with a range of redemption partners.
Marriott Bonvoy American Express
The main hotel card currently open to UK applicants. The welcome bonus is typically enough for a mid-range free night and the card earns Marriott Bonvoy points on all spend, with a higher rate at Marriott hotels. Points can be redeemed for hotel stays or transferred to many airline partners, including Avios, at a published ratio.
Cardholders receive annual elite night credits towards status and can unlock a free night certificate with higher annual spend. If you stay with Marriott a few times a year, the on-property bonuses and status benefits add up, while the ability to convert to airline miles keeps your options open.
Tesco Clubcard Credit Card
Clubcard points do not go to Avios directly any more, but they still convert into Virgin Points at a set rate. The Tesco credit card earns additional Clubcard points on top of your regular Clubcard earnings, with a higher earn on Tesco spend and a lower rate elsewhere.
If you already collect Clubcard points through groceries and fuel, funnelling spend through the Tesco credit card adds to your quarterly vouchers, which you can auto-convert to Virgin. It is a low-effort way to keep a trickle of travel points coming in without fees.
Sainsbury’s Bank Nectar Credit Cards
These Visa and Mastercard options earn Nectar points on top of your in-store Nectar earnings. The headline sign-up bonuses come and go, but the appeal is steady Nectar accrual on places that do not take Amex.
Because Nectar converts into Avios, these cards act as a useful back-up for bills and merchants that refuse Amex. They are also practical if you prioritise cash-like Nectar redemptions at the till when you are not planning a flight.
HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard
A powerful flexible-points Mastercard if you qualify for HSBC Premier. The welcome bonus is usually strong, the annual fee sits in the premium bracket, and the everyday earn rate is competitive with the best airline cards. Points transfer to Avios and a wide range of other airline and hotel partners.
You also receive unlimited lounge access for the primary cardholder via a lounge programme, along with travel insurances and occasional transfer bonuses to partners. For those who prefer Mastercard acceptance and flexibility over being tied to a single airline, it is a compelling alternative.
Capital on Tap Business Rewards Visa
A stand-out for small businesses and limited companies who want Avios on a Visa with no fuss. The sign-up offer is frequently available, the free plan has no annual fee, and you earn 1 point per £1 which converts to 1 Avios per £1.
There are no foreign transaction fees, high potential credit limits and the option for employee cards. If you pay suppliers, advertising or taxes from a business account, this card can generate substantial Avios without touching a personal Amex.
American Express Business Gold
The business counterpart to personal Gold with a strong welcome bonus, no fee in the first year and 1 Membership Rewards point per £1 on everything. It includes a small bundle of lounge visits and useful expense tools.
Because Membership Rewards transfer to multiple airlines and hotels, it is ideal for turning unavoidable business spend into family travel. Business sign-up rules are often more forgiving than consumer ones, which makes the bonus particularly attractive.
We use one of these for our limited company. You can request cards for employees which makes spending and tracking spending easy, and earning points even easier!
American Express Business Platinum
A premium business card with a very large welcome bonus and a high annual fee. You earn 1 Membership Rewards point per £1, with a higher rate for large individual transactions, and receive comprehensive lounge access, travel insurance and hotel statuses similar to the personal version.
If you travel frequently for work, the benefits can deliver excellent value, while the sizeable welcome bonus converts into a major head start in Avios or other airline miles. It pairs well with a business Visa like Capital on Tap to capture every pound of company spend.
Bonus: Extra Ways To Earn Travel Rewards
Reward-friendly debit and current accounts
Barclays Avios Rewards for current account holders offers a monthly Avios allowance for a set fee, plus an annual British Airways upgrade voucher after a year of membership. It is a simple, low-effort way to keep Avios flowing from your day-to-day banking.
Chase UK offers 1% cashback for a promotional period on debit card purchases and no foreign transaction fees, which makes it a great travel spending account even though it earns cash not points. Barclaycard Rewards Visa is a fee-free credit card with 0% foreign transaction fees and a small cashback rate, ideal as an overseas back-up.
Revolut and other fintech points
Revolut’s points scheme allows members to earn points from card spending that can be redeemed for airline miles, including Avios, at published rates. Higher-tier plans usually earn faster and may bundle travel insurance or lounge access features, which can be helpful if you like an all-in-one app.
Shopping portals and cashback
The British Airways Avios eStore lets you earn extra Avios at hundreds of retailers when you click through before you shop. The Virgin Red and Virgin Atlantic Shops portals do the same for Virgin Points. These stack with the points from your card, so always check the portal rates before buying online.
Virgin Red referral (free to join, 1000 points for using my link): Natasha’s Virgin Red referral
Avios referral (free to join, 500 bonus points with my link): Natasha’s Avios referral
TopCashback and similar sites can return a percentage of your spend in cash. You can either withdraw the money and add it to your travel fund or convert via partner routes where available to points-based rewards. Using a cashback site and a rewards card together effectively double dips your savings.
Topcashback referral: Natasha & Davids Topcashback referral
For many families the sweet spot is a mix of one Avios-earning Amex for big bonuses and vouchers, a Mastercard such as Barclaycard Avios for wider acceptance, and either a Virgin card or a flexible points card for diversification. Add supermarket or fintech options that convert to Avios or Virgin Points and you will be surprised how quickly balances grow. Pick the combination that matches your spending pattern and travel goals, and remember to layer in shopping portals to maximise every purchase.