Reply To: Are Barclays Upgrade vouchers any good for long distance flights?

[NorthernLass]

The Barclays voucher can offer great value, if targeted wisely. I used one for MAN-LHR-DXB in December 2023 for business class, cost 85k avios plus £350, for 2 of us, one-way, when cash prices were very high (not far off £3k pp for a return trip). So it depends on whether you can make it work. On the route you’re looking at, it’s better value to book with IB (though of course you’ll need to get to MAD first).

Similarly, the upgrade voucher can be very useful on longer CE flights – in peak season you can pay £600 and above for a one-way CE flight to somewhere like Athens or Malaga. So you need to match the voucher to a specific trip you’re planning, but yes, they can have a lot of value – I can’t see myself ever going for the 7k avios option, put it that way!