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Forums Frequent flyer programs The British Airways Club Anyone with experience of mixing Barclays & BAPP vouchers?

  • 272 posts

    Planning the getaway for next Christmas and we’ve just realised that the other half’s BAPP was already used from last year. Exceedingly bad planning, I should have checked myself! This means we have at our disposal:
    1 x BAPP in her name
    1 x BAPP in my name
    2 x Barclays upgrade vouchers in my name
    All are valid for Christmas 2024 / January 2025.

    Normally, we use our own 2 BAPP vouchers for 4 pax per booking and book 355 days out. That’s now not a possibility for early Jan 2024 booking. My Amex year resets in Feb and I’ll have a voucher in a few months.

    Options as I see it:

    1. Wait until I earn a 2nd BAPP voucher and keep an eye out for availability.
    2. Try to book at T-355 with 1 x BAPP and 2 x Barclays vouchers, via Gold line call up at midnight / 1am.
    3. Book at T-355 with just one voucher.

    I’m swaying towards option 2. This is for 4 of us. Has anyone got real world experience of mixing these? I did search but I couldn’t see anything relating to 3 vouchers. Thanks!

    11,754 posts

    Asked and answered lots of times – you can’t use the 241 and the Barclays voucher/s on the same booking, if that’s what you mean?

    So you’re in the same position whether using 241 plus Barclays or 2 x 241s from different accounts. BA agent may be able to hold all 4 seats for you at T-355 while they make the separate bookings, I think people have reported doing this.

    272 posts

    Thanks Anna. I searched but couldn’t find anything – I was sure that I read a few months back about someone combining them, they either got lucky or I dreamt it.

    Think I’m going to wait it out until I have 2 x BAPP on my account and book a flight then. Having my gold benefits for seat selection and baggage allowance is important, so I’ll get these on a single booking.

    72 posts

    Can’t you call and “link” the bookings as a gold member, so all passengers travelling with you in the same class get the free seat selection, not sure about baggage?

    272 posts

    Not sure – good shout though. Never had to do this as always managed to plan to have 2 vouchers on each account at time of booking.

    3,508 posts

    Can’t you call and “link” the bookings as a gold member, so all passengers travelling with you in the same class get the free seat selection, not sure about baggage?

    They would get free allocated seating once the gold calls and asks for |BA to ‘To Complete Party’

    It’s a manual note on the account thats all.

    The extra Gold baggage only applies to those on the same booking as the Gold.

    46 posts

    I’m getting ready to book our annual trip to Japan in Jan 2025. I’m thinking of using our Barclays upgrade voucher outbound LHR > TYO (100,000 Avios + £550 for CW) then one of our BAPP vouchers for HKG > LHR inbound (various Avios + cash options). I have done a dummy booking and this is possible, and it also means I don’t have to call BA for the return leg.

    But is this efficient use of Avios and the vouchers, on two separate bookings? I don’t value the Barclays voucher very highly personally and would rather use it on a long-haul flight. We want to fly back from HK rather than TYO as BA have night flights from HK and the taxes out of HK are relatively low. TYO to HK on JAL should become available for a fairly low Avios + cash price.

    11,754 posts

    You’ll also be able to use the other half of the 241 as long as it’s within 12 months of the outbound and adheres to the rules (e.g. LHR-HKG but not LHR-NYC), which would give you even more value.

    46 posts

    You’ll also be able to use the other half of the 241 as long as it’s within 12 months of the outbound and adheres to the rules (e.g. LHR-HKG but not LHR-NYC), which would give you even more value.

    Good point NL, thank you, I hadn’t thought of that..

    1,438 posts

    The Barclaycard voucher is useless on routes with high demand like DXB and SIN. Save your BAPP vouchers for these routes.

    46 posts

    You’ll also be able to use the other half of the 241 as long as it’s within 12 months of the outbound and adheres to the rules (e.g. LHR-HKG but not LHR-NYC), which would give you even more value.

    NL, this made me think though. Can you book the return leg AFTER flying the outbound? It would be 11 months after in this case. Sorry if this has already been answered in the ‘Big’ 2-4-1 chat thread.

    11,754 posts

    The Barclaycard voucher is useless on routes with high demand like DXB and SIN. Save your BAPP vouchers for these routes.

    I used the upgrade voucher for DXB 3 weeks ago! It’s as easy to use it as to book any award seat.

    11,754 posts

    @Roker, I think that might be a no, but in any case you have to fly the inbound within 12 months, not just book it. So you should have plenty of scope to book the inbound before flying the outbound.

    330 posts

    The Barclaycard voucher is useless on routes with high demand like DXB and SIN. Save your BAPP vouchers for these routes.

    I used the upgrade voucher for DXB 3 weeks ago! It’s as easy to use it as to book any award seat.

    Also a bit puzzled by this assertion. I agree the potential need to make multiple bookings, given it still doesn’t seem possible to select 2 vouchers together, is a faff, but it hardly renders the vouchers useless.

    330 posts

    @Roker As per NL, I don’t think you can book a return after flying outbound, but you can change your return booking if your future dates aren’t yet fixed.
    The return wouldn’t need to be back to HK, just a valid open jaw, eg back to TYO for Jan 26!

    859 posts

    The Barclaycard voucher is useless on routes with high demand like DXB and SIN. Save your BAPP vouchers for these routes.

    I used the upgrade voucher for DXB 3 weeks ago! It’s as easy to use it as to book any award seat.

    Also a bit puzzled by this assertion. I agree the potential need to make multiple bookings, given it still doesn’t seem possible to select 2 vouchers together, is a faff, but it hardly renders the vouchers useless.

    I suspect @BBbetter means the Barclays voucher doesn’t open up extra business class seats
    like the Amex voucher does. However, if you are solo (no need to select more than one voucher) and fancy calling at midnight 355 days out, the usability of either voucher is the same for high demand routes.

    There has been plenty of use cases where Barclays voucher has worked for some people. On the site sometimes people make strong definitive statements because it doesn’t work for them. I think it is helpful to understand their views as a way to understand the limitation of the vouchers. The fact that Amex voucher holder must fly has always been a limitation that I find really annoying as a person who spends her points on her elderly parents.

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