[PROMOTION] 30,000 Sign up Bonus with the RBC British Airways Visa Infinite

Royal Bank is once again offering a 30,000 sign up bonus points promotion with its British Airways Visa Infinite card. Normally it has been 15,000 British Airways Executive Club sign up bonus Avios points. Below are the highlights of the credit card:

• $165 annual fee
• Earn 15,000 sign up bonus points upon approval
• Earn 15,000 additional bonus points after spending $5,000 in the first 2 months (if you sign up before July 15, 2015)
• Earn 250 bonus points when you rent a car with Avis
• Earn 2 points for every $1 spent on British Airways purchases
• Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases
• Get 10% off British Airways flights when you book on British Airways website
• Receive a complimentary Companion Award Ticket (eVoucher) when you spend $30,000 or more during a calendar year

Keep in mind that the 30,000 bonus points sign up promotion is not shown on the Royal Bank website, but you can find it on the British Airways website or on this direct link.

Earning 2 points for every $1 spent on British Airways purchases and earning 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases are pretty standard returns. The key value of this credit card lies in the Companion Award Ticket, though it requires a steep $30,000 spending per year. Keep in mind that this voucher can only be used for flights operated by British Airways and the voucher is only valid for 24-months.

British Airways, like Air Canada, has high surcharges. So I would not use my Avios points on British Airway flights, but I am very interested in using my Avios points on other Oneworld member reward flights.

Conclusion: After my analysis, I think I would prefer a promotion where the first year fee is waived for the 15,000 sign up bonus points (with a minimum spend requirement), rather than the additional 15,000 points.