BA Amex companion and Singapore and Hong Kong open jaw puzzler

[Wakey]

Hi

I am due to book this tonight so any swift help would be appreciated, I have spent ages researching and do not know still the answer.

We want to go to Singapore in 355 days.

Ideally I would snag a business class seat for me and wife with 2 for 1 Amex voucher, but I have 150k points so would put quite a bit of cash to it. However, we may have to settle for premium economy.

Then ideally I would book maybe a premium economy or business back from HK – again I would have to put cash to the Avios.

However, unless I ring up to book for HK and pay more taxes (as I understand it?) then I would need to buy the return in full and ask for half back. I am not sure how much extra taxes the calling up would take.

I have also read the points and cash mix must be the same – what does that mean exactly?

So question- if I book 2 business today or even 2 premium economy using points and cash, so say I used (just for illustration) 50,000 points and say £1k cash, could I then use the remaining 100,000 point to book the premium economy back from HK (x2) online, and if I ring up then will they merge the bookings and give me half the points back?

How otherwise if you are booking two different classes open jaw can the point and cash mix be the same?

Or would I have to book 2 premium economy using voucher at say 50k and then a premium economy back at 100k and ask for half back?

What would the experts on here do in my position?

cheers

[Jon]

Unless anything’s changed lately, Hong Kong is one of a handful of places where it’s worth booking the return as a separate one-way trip, as you’ll pay minimal/no carrier surcharges etc (whereas these will be a lot higher if booked as part of one ticket ex-UK). Been a while since I looked, but last time I did, it was a difference of a good few hundred pounds. Not sure how that affects the 241 situation.

[NorthernLass]

Did you book the outbound?
You need to use the same avios/cash ratio on both legs. So if you pick the 1st option outbound, you have to pay that on the return as well.
You may need to do some maths re this, or find a way of boosting your avios balance.
It would be worth investing a bit more time collecting avios then trying again.
Returning from HKG it’s worth being able to book it separately – though you’d still need to pay the same avios/cash ratio as the outbound.