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Planning ahead….

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  • 10th January 2023 at 13:26
    #440416
    #440416
    timborden 11 posts

    Based on our current spending, I think we’ll have two Barclaycard Avios upgrade vouchers by May and two BA AMEX Premium companion vouchers by October. Is there a way to plan ahead for travel in the summer, where we’d like to use the Barclaycard Avios upgrade vouchers, and for travel over Xmas, where we’d like to use the BA AMEX Premium companion vouchers? …or do we need to wait until we’ve earned the vouchers before booking?

    10th January 2023 at 14:19
    #440468
    #440468
    NorthernLass 7,592 posts

    I’m not completely sure what you’re asking here, but of course you have to have the vouchers in your account before you can book anything with them!

    10th January 2023 at 15:05
    #440493
    #440493
    timborden 11 posts

    Sorry…let me try again.

    With the Barclaycard Avios upgrade vouchers, can I book Premium Economy seats with Avios now and upgrade to Business when we receive the vouchers?

    With the BA AMEX Premium companion vouchers, can I book two seats with Avios now and then swap the Avios for one of the seats for the voucher later?

    Is there any other way to plan ahead before getting these vouchers?

    10th January 2023 at 15:17
    #440495
    #440495
    FatherOfFour 281 posts
    timborden wrote:

    Sorry…let me try again.

    With the Barclaycard Avios upgrade vouchers, can I book Premium Economy seats with Avios now and upgrade to Business when we receive the vouchers?

    With the BA AMEX Premium companion vouchers, can I book two seats with Avios now and then swap the Avios for one of the seats for the voucher later?

    Is there any other way to plan ahead before getting these vouchers?

    If you are Avios rich, you could snag the Avios seats (in your intended cabin), then cancel them once you get your voucher and try to rebook, but you’d be risking them not going back into inventory upon cancellation.

    10th January 2023 at 15:19
    #440497
    #440497
    JDB 4,384 posts
    timborden wrote:

    Sorry…let me try again.

    With the Barclaycard Avios upgrade vouchers, can I book Premium Economy seats with Avios now and upgrade to Business when we receive the vouchers?

    With the BA AMEX Premium companion vouchers, can I book two seats with Avios now and then swap the Avios for one of the seats for the voucher later?

    Is there any other way to plan ahead before getting these vouchers?

    The simple answer is no, you can’t do things the way you suggest.

    You should read the HfP article/FAQs about the voucher but the bottom line is that the name is a slight misnomer. It’s not actually an ‘upgrade’ voucher, instead you book Club long haul (and you need Avios availability in that cabin) but you pay the Avios for WTP. For both the Barclays voucher and Amex 241 you need the voucher in your account before booking; neither can be applied to an existing booking.

    10th January 2023 at 15:24
    #440504
    #440504
    timborden 11 posts

    Good to know….thanks for clarifying. Happy to wait…just didn’t want to miss an opportunity to plan ahead.

    10th January 2023 at 17:11
    #440549
    #440549
    NorthernLass 7,592 posts

    This wouldn’t work anyway with the Barclays voucher because you need availability in the higher class to be able to use it. So securing PE seats before you earn the voucher wouldn’t help you.

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