One of the key features of the RBC British Airways Visa Infinite card is the ability to earn a British Airways Companion Award eVoucher each year.
Once earned, you can apply a Companion Award eVoucher to a booking from British Airways Executive Club, and save on the number of Avios required for a booking for one or two passengers.
How to Earn a British Airways Companion Award eVoucher
In Canada, there’s only one way to earn a British Airways Companion Award eVoucher.
Each calendar year, upon spending $30,000 (all prices in Canadian dollars) on an RBC British Airways Visa Infinite card, you’ll earn a Companion Award eVoucher.
You can only earn one voucher per calendar year, even if you spend more than $30,000. Therefore, even if you spend $65,000 on the card in a year, you’ll still only earn a single Companion Award eVoucher.
The spending window resets on January 1 of every year, and you aren’t able to roll over any excess spending to the next year.
After meeting the $30,000 spending requirement, you may have to wait up to eight weeks for the Companion Award eVoucher to be added to your British Airways Executive Club account.
Once earned, Companion Award eVouchers are valid for 24 months from the date of issuance. More specifically, the flight to which the voucher is applied must commence before its expiry date.
Since the vouchers are valid for two years, it’s possible to have more than one available in your account. Because of this, you can use two Companion Award eVouchers on the same booking, which would then cover up to four passengers.
It’s worth noting that there are other, similar vouchers offered on cards in the United States and the United Kingdom. These vouchers have different terms and conditions, which don’t apply to the Canadian Companion Award eVoucher.
This guide is specific to the British Airways Companion Award eVoucher earned on the RBC British Airways Visa Infinite.
British Airways Companion Award eVoucher: The Rules
Once you’ve earned a British Airways Companion Award eVoucher, you’ll need to understand its rules and limitations.
First off, the voucher can only be used on flights operated by British Airways. You won’t be able to use the voucher on any codeshare flights, or flights with any Oneworld or British Airways partner airlines.
You may use the voucher on either one-way or round-trip flights; however, you won’t be able to use the voucher on more than one booking. In other words, if you use it for a one-way flight, there’s no way to retain the value for another one-way segment.
Travel must originate in and return to Canada, which means that you can’t use it for flights departing from or returning to any other country.
The British Airways Companion Award eVoucher can only be applied to award flights booked using Avios from a British Airways Executive Club account. It may not be applied to cash bookings.
The British Airways Companion Award eVoucher may be redeemed for one or two people on the same booking.
If it’s redeemed for a solo booking, the Companion Award eVoucher reduces the cost in Avios by 50%.
For example, if a round-trip redemption were to cost 100,000 Avios without the voucher applied, it’d cost just 50,000 Avios with the voucher applied.
If it’s redeemed for a booking for two people, the Companion Award eVoucher covers the second passenger’s base fare in Avios.
For example, if a couple were to make a redemption that’d cost 200,000 Avios (100,000 Avios each) without the voucher applied, the same booking would cost just 100,000 Avios total with the voucher applied.
In either scenario, you’ll still be responsible for paying all taxes, fees, and surcharges. As is typically the case with British Airways flights paid for with Avios, this can easily add up to hundreds of dollars for a solo traveller, and a hefty sum for two passengers.
In the case of using it for a booking for two people, this means that you’ll have to pay the same amount of taxes, fees, and surcharges that you would if the voucher weren’t applied.
One of the best features of the Companion Award eVoucher is that it can be used to reduce the cost of a booking in any cabin class, including economy, premium economy, business class, and First Class. Unfortunately, British Airways doesn’t currently operate aircraft with First Class cabins to Canada.
The Companion Award eVoucher will be issued in the name of the primary cardholder, who must be travelling on the booking to which it’s applied. This means you can’t use the British Airways Companion Award eVoucher if the cardholder isn’t on the booking.
As per the terms and conditions, your RBC British Airways Visa Infinite card must be in good standing at the time of travel. British Airways and RBC may refuse to honour the Companion Award eVoucher if you no longer have the card at the time of travel.
How to Use the British Airways Companion Award eVoucher
To redeem a British Airways Companion Award eVoucher, you first need to login to your British Airways Executive Club account.
Once logged in, go to the main page of your profile, and scroll down to “My eVouchers”.
From there, click “Redeem”, and you’ll be able to search for your desired flights.
Recall that it’s only possible to use the British Airways Companion Award eVoucher on one-way or round-trip British Airways flights departing from and returning to Canada.
As it stands, British Airways only operates four direct routes to Canada:
- Montreal – London Heathrow
- Toronto – London Heathrow
- Vancouver – London Heathrow
- Vancouver – London Gatwick
Even though these are the only routes that depart from Canada, you can still add on another British Airways flight elsewhere out of London.
Keep in mind that British Airways prices award flights based on the distance of each individual segment. Therefore, in addition to the number of Avios required for the first flight to London, you’ll have to add more for the second flight.
A simple one-way flight from one of the four British Airways Canadian routes will cost the following amount of Avios, taxes, fees, and surcharges for each class of service when booked as a Reward Flight Saver.
Montreal or Toronto to London Heathrow:
- Economy peak: 30,000 Avios + $100
- Economy off-peak: 25,000 Avios + $100
- Premium economy peak: 60,000 Avios + $280
- Premium economy off-peak: 42,500 Avios + $280
- Business class peak: 90,000 Avios + $350
- Business class off-peak: 80,000 Avios + $350
Vancouver to London Heathrow or London Gatwick
- Economy peak: 35,000 Avios + $150
- Economy off-peak: 30,000 Avios + $150
- Premium economy peak: 67,500 Avios + $330
- Premium economy off-peak: 47,500 Avios + $330
- Business class peak: 100,000 Avios + $450
- Business class off-peak: 90,000 Avios + $450
A round-trip Reard Flight Saver booking is just double the amount in Avios, as well as double the amount of taxes, fees, and surcharges.
It’s worth noting that you pay a lower amount of taxes and fees for travel in economy and premium economy. Depending on which class of travel you’re comfortable flying in, you may want to be mindful of the extra costs that come along with your chosen class of service.
How to Maximize the British Airways Companion Award eVoucher
Generally speaking, you’ll save more Avios by using a British Airways Companion Award eVoucher as you fly farther distances.
While you won’t be able to avoid paying the taxes, fees, and surcharges, there are still a few ways in which you can optimize your redemption.
Book Reward Flight Savers
British Airways introduced Reward Flight Savers to long-haul flights in 2022.
Reward Flight Savers allow you to choose to pay more Avios than the standard rate for a particular booking, but less in taxes and fees. You’ll know a flight is available at the Reward Flight Saver level with a ticket logo displayed in the search results.
Using a Companion Award eVoucher in tandem with a Reward Flight Saver booking is a great way to leverage the benefits of both.
For example, the standard off-peak pricing for a one-way flight in business class from Toronto to London is 50,000 Avios plus $865 in taxes and fees.
However, the Reward Flight Saver pricing for the same one-way flight in business class is 80,000 Avios plus $350 in taxes and fees.
For a solo traveller, the total cost in Avios for a round-trip business class flight with a Companion Award eVoucher applied would be 80,000 Avios plus $700 in taxes, fees, and surcharges for a Reward Flight Saver booking, or 50,000 Avios plus $1,730 in taxes, fees, and surcharges for a standard business class award booking.
It’s worth noting that the taxes and fees are much greater for the standard booking versus the Reward Flight Saver booking.
For a solo traveller on a Reward Flight Saver booking, 40,000 Avios is a very reasonable price to pay per direction for a direct business class flight to Europe. Even with the taxes, fees, and surcharges accounted for, it could represent a great use case for a Companion Award eVoucher, especially if you value having direct flights to London.
The same holds true for a booking for two passengers. With a Companion Award eVoucher applied to a round-trip Reward Flight Saver booking in business class on an off-peak date, the total cost would be 160,000 Avios plus $1,400 in taxes, fees, and surcharges.
Add More Flights
Since you can apply a Companion Award eVoucher to British Airways flights, this means that you can use it to fly to the airline’s other destinations in Europe or beyond.
While you’ll end up paying more in Avios to begin with, it can be a useful way to reduce the cost of what would have been a more expensive redemption, at least with Avios.
For other destinations within Europe, this can be fairly minimal.
For example, a peak one-way Reward Flight Saver business class flight from Toronto to Paris with a layover in London costs 95,000 Avios, plus $351 in taxes, fees, and surcharges.
This is only an extra 5,000 Avios plus $1 in taxes and fees compared to the cost of just flying from Toronto to London, which is 90,000 Avios plus $350 in taxes and fees.
With a Companion Award eVoucher applied, it’d only cost an extra 2,500 Avios to add on an extra business class flight from London to Paris.
If you want to fly to another destination to which British Airways flies, keep in mind that travelling further afield will incur a significant amount of taxes and fees.
For example, a one-way off-peak business class Reward Flight Saver booking from Toronto to Johannesburg via London prices out at 190,000 Avios plus $800 taxes and fees.
With a Companion Award eVoucher applied, the cost for the same flight drops to 95,000 Avios plus the same $800 in taxes and fees. For a round-trip booking for a solo traveller, you’d pay 190,000 Avios plus $1,600 in taxes and fees.
Book on Off-Peak Days
British Airways Executive Club uses peak and off-peak pricing, which changes the amount of Avios required for any particular booking.
Travel on peak days requires more Avios, while travel on off-peak days requires fewer Avios. Peak and off-peak pricing vary between times of year and even days of the week.
You’ll find the word “Off-Peak” written in a red box in the search results, which indicates that your travel date is an off-peak date. If there’s nothing written there, then it’s a peak date.
For example, a one-way Reward Flight Saver booking in business class from Montreal to London costs 80,000 Avios on off-peak days.
On peak days, the price jumps to 90,000 Avios.
If possible, try to book travel on off-peak days, since you’ll end up saving Avios even before the voucher is applied.
You can use the British Airways availability calendar to easily see which days have peak and off-peak pricing.
Book Business Class Flights
Given how the Companion Award eVoucher is structured, you’ll save more Avios as you spend more.
As is always the case, travel in premium cabins costs more than travel in economy.
Therefore, you’ll wind up getting more value out of your Companion Award eVoucher by spending more Avios to begin with.
For example, a round-trip Reward Flight Saver booking from Vancouver to London during peak pricing costs 200,000 Avios plus $900 in taxes and fees for a solo traveller. With the voucher applied, the total cost drops to 100,000 Avios plus the same $900 in taxes and fees.
For two people, the round-trip price in business class from Vancouver to London during peak season would be reduced to a total of 200,000 Avios plus $1,800 in taxes and fees. This is down from 400,000 Avios plus $1,800 without the voucher applied.
If you’re someone who values direct flights from Canada to London, or if you’re a British Airways aficionado, redeeming a Companion Award eVoucher this way is indeed a good deal.
Transfer Points to British Airways Executive Club during a Transfer Bonus
Another way to maximize the value you can get from a Companion Award eVoucher is to move points from a transferable points currency to British Airways Executive Club during a transfer bonus event.
While you’ll earn Avios directly through spending on the RBC British Airways Visa Infinite card, you can also top up your account with points from other transferable points currencies.
As a reminder, you can transfer points from the following Canadian transferable points currencies to British Airways Executive Club:
In the past, we’ve seen transfer bonus promotions of 30–50% for British Airways Executive Club, often with RBC. By transferring points into your account during a promotion, you’re effectively reducing the number of Avios required for any particular booking by 30–50%.
For example, if you’re a solo traveller, a round-trip peak Reward Flight Saver booking in business class between Vancouver and London costs 200,000 Avios plus $900 in taxes and fees.
With a Companion Award eVoucher applied, the cost drops to just 100,000 Avios.
If you were to have acquired those Avios during a transfer bonus event, then the effective cost drops down to 76,923 or 66,667 Avios with a 30% or 50% transfer bonus, respectively. There’s an argument to be made for that to be considered a great deal, even with the high amount of taxes and fees.
Using the same logic for a couple, a round-trip off-peak Reward Flight Saver booking in business class between Toronto and London costs 160,000 Avios plus $700 in taxes and fees per person.
With the Companion Award eVoucher applied, the cost drops to 160,000 Avios plus $1,400 (CAD) total for two passengers.
If you were to have acquired those Avios during a 30–50% transfer bonus promotion, then the effective cost drops down to just 123,076 or 106,666 Avios, respectively.
Once again, even with the taxes and fees, there’s plenty of value to be found here.
How Much Is the British Airways Companion Award eVoucher Worth?
It’s difficult to pin an exact value on the British Airways Companion Award eVoucher, since the amount of Avios it saves depends on the route to which it was applied, and whether it’s used for one or two passengers.
On the low end, it’d save 12,500 Avios for an off-peak one-way economy flight from Toronto to London for one passenger.
However, on the high end, you could save 200,000 Avios or more for round-trip business class flights for two people from Vancouver to London during peak season.
In fact, if you add on another flight out of London, you could potentially save even more.
We currently value British Airways Avios at 2.0 cents per point (CAD).
Using this valuation, we can estimate that the Companion Award eVoucher is worth anywhere between $250–4,000, using the potential savings of 12,500 or 200,000 Avios listed above.
Let’s assume that many travellers might aim to redeem a Companion Award eVoucher for off-peak round-trip Reward Flight Saver business class flights between Canada and London, which is arguably the best-use scenario.
If this were the case, a round-trip business class flight for a solo traveller would save either 80,000 or 90,000 Avios, and a round-trip booking for two people would save either 160,000 or 180,000 Avios.
Using our valuation, the theoretical range of value in this example goes from $1,600–3,600.
However, perhaps a more reasonable valuation of the British Airways Companion Award eVoucher is closer to $1,000.
This takes into account the relative amount of effort required to earn one in the first place, as well as the unavoidable amount of taxes, fees, and surcharges that inherently come with a British Airways redemption.
Conclusion
The British Airways Companion Award eVoucher is a perk earned with the RBC British Airways Visa Infinite card upon spending $30,000 (CAD) in a calendar year.
The Companion Award eVoucher reduces the cost in Avios by 50% for a solo traveller, or covers the base fare cost in Avios for the second passenger on a booking for two.
If used strategically, the Companion Award eVoucher can represent great value. Just keep in mind that you’ll inevitably have to pay a significant amount of taxes and fees on the booking.
If you tend to find value in British Airways Executive Club, especially for flights with British Airways, then consider setting your sights on earning a Companion Award eVoucher each year.
