Donald Trump blocks flights from Europe to the USA

Donald Trump made a late announcement yesterday stating that all travel between continental Europe and the USA will be suspended from midnight on Friday.

Travel from the UK will not be affected.

EDIT:  We now have a full article covering the British Airways response to the US travel ban and how the ban will work.  Click here.

It is not clear how the ban will be implemented, although a statement from the Department of Homeland Security suggests the ban will target non-US citizens and permanent residents who have been to the Schengen area in the last 14 days. More guidance is due to be issued in the next two days.

That means that British Airways and Virgin Atlantic will be spared the brunt of the impact, although there will presumably be problems with connecting traffic from Europe.

We are not sure what this means for the recent British Airways flash sale from Paris, or what BA’s response may be, since you would be prevented from entering the US if starting your trip from Europe. We expect British Airways to issue travel guidance for transatlantic and European travel today.

American citizens and permanent residents will be able to return from Europe providing they undergo increased screening.

How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (December 2021)

As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Avios points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses!

There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:

British Airways American Express

5,000 Avios for signing up, no annual fee and an Economy 2-4-1 voucher for spending ….. Read our full review

British Airways American Express Premium Plus

25,000 Avios and the UK’s most valuable credit card perk – the 2-4-1 companion voucher Read our full review

You can also get generous sign-up bonuses by applying for American Express cards which earn Membership Rewards points, such as:

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & two airport lounge passes Read our full review

The Platinum Card from American Express

30,000 points and an unbeatable set of travel benefits – for a fee Read our full review

Run your own business?

We recommend Capital On Tap for limited companies. You earn 1 Avios per £1 which is impressive for a Visa card, along with a sign-up bonus worth 10,500 Avios:

Capital On Tap Business Rewards Visa

The most generous Avios Visa or Mastercard for a limited company Read our full review

You should also consider the British Airways Accelerating Business credit card. This is open to sole traders as well as limited companies and has a 30,000 Avios sign-up bonus:

British Airways Accelerating Business American Express

30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Avios. This includes both personal and small business cards.

(Want to earn more Avios?  Click here to visit our home page for our latest articles on earning and spending your Avios points and click here to see how to earn more Avios this month from offers and promotions.)