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I had 3 companion vouchers that we were planning to use in retirement, we had worked hard in accruing both points and vouchers and had planned far flung adventures. As retirement approached and finances became restrained we decided that AMEX BA was too far a financial stretch to maintain – so we cancelled the card. It wasn’t until we went to book our S African Safari that BA accepted vouchers and asked for payment – on the related AMEX card. I pleaded with AMEX to reinstate it – and they wouldn’t, I lost all my vouchers and wrote to them explaining the situation and the consequences of losing my companion vouchers was in no way explained to me durin the cancellation phone call with them. All to no avail.
It wasn’t until I was speaking to BA some months later that I explained the situation (BA were looking final settlement for the S African flights) That the BA representative told me ‘It happens frequently’ and that he had spoken to a number of similar people at the same stage in life that had the same treatment.
We feel totally cheated. Are there more people out there that have experienced this. Particularly retirees.
Danny (Belfast)
asked for payment – on the related AMEX card.
Did they want that specific card, rather than just any old Amex?
@DKearney – I think it’s unreasonable to suggest anyone has been cheated or duped here. The terms and conditions of the companion voucher are given at the time of application and again upon the earning of each voucher. For a card co-branded by BA and Amex it doesn’t seem so unreasonable to require an Amex card to be used and the terms were loosened a few years ago to allow the use of any Amex rather than the one that earned the voucher, so you don’t even need a fee bearing card to pay.
If you weren’t warned on cancellation, that would be most unusual per reports in these forums.
You refer to three vouchers and only one card so I’m not quite sure how you lost all three vouchers on cancelling the card given the two year voucher validity.
I like the sound of “Duped in Retirement” – the hottest new movie this winter, starring Harrison Ford & Danny Glover.
Firstly, fees must be paid with an Amex card, this has always been the case, it’s in the T&Cs and most folk who work towards these vouchers are aware of this. Previously the T&C’s stated that it had to be the card on which the voucher was earned, although in the past year or two that changed to state simply “an” Amex must be used – this is what Aston’s reply above is alluding to.
Re “the consequences of losing my companion vouchers was in no way explained to me during the cancellation phone call with them” – can you say this with 100% certainty? If Amex examined the call recording, you’re sure they wouldn’t find this being mentioned?
I ask this as I’ve cancelled numerous Amex cards over the years and the implications of cancelling have always been spelled out.How long ago was this? If you still have some validity on any of these vouchers you can always borrow someone else’s Amex (with their knowledge and permission, obviously!) to pay the surcharges. BA can’t tell whose card you are using.
As above though, Amex usually make a huge song and dance when you try to cancel a card about how you’ll need it to redeem the companion vouchers (which is only partially true).
I hope you manage to salvage something from this because the vouchers are actually awesome in retirement!
*Also – re-reading your post, I’m not sure what you mean about BA looking for final settlement on your flights? The vouchers can only be used on redemption bookings which require full avios and cash payment up front.
@DKearney what you write doesn’t ring true and requires explanation; coupled with your other post on the combine my avíos thread makes me even more suspicious.
* How did you accumulate 3 vouchers, especially as your wording implies this was over some time?
* Amex not telling you what they tell everybody else during cancellation call (they always fight when you want to cancel)
* You say you lost all your vouchers – no you didn’t, they either expired or they were used, has nothing to do with not having an amex card (that’s only required to use them)
* It was ‘some months later’ when BA were looking for settlement of the flights – come on, it doesn’t work like thatEither you are having a laugh or you really, really, REALLY don’t understand the financial product you chose and paid for and everything that has happened since. Sorry, but I can’t see any blame for either AMEX or BA in this occasion – the harsh reality is that you have not been cheated.
And you didn’t think of immediately applying for a basic Amex and go back a week later? That’s on top of all the other points made above. I think you have to accept you screwed up and can’t blame anyone else but yourself. You still have all the Avios though, so maybe do some research this time and spend it wisely. Everyone makes mistakes, all you can do is learn from it.
Hi. I am so sorry you are in this position, it must be so upsetting after having saved for so long and having this dream for your retirement.
I called up recently thinking about cancelling my card and they were happy to do so but then I enquired about vouchers, the advisor did not know, after I explained I would be upset if I lost them and insisted on knowing, the advisor had to go and find out, which took time as she had to go higher up the ladder, only then to came back and confirm they would be lost. The solution was to downgrade to the free card so I would retain them. Had I not asked this, it could have happened to me.
In my opinion, they should specifically be checking if there are unused vouchers and making sure they explain the full details before taking instructions to cancel a card.
There seems to be a gap in training and knowledge.
I would hope BA listen to the recording and re-instate these for you.
Sometimes we don’t remember all the T & C ‘s that are downloaded across every type of product and service that we buy. It may be in there but how many of us would reread everything again some years after buying. Maybe BA could come to some arrangement with you? I hope so.
Good Luck!
This must be a wind-up.
This must be a wind-up.
Whatever makes you say that? 🙂
Or maybe just one more person told garbage by Amex when trying to cancel their card?!
Don’t listen to Amex. Listen to HFP!
There seems to be a gap in training and knowledge.
Is it really Amex’ responsibility to inform the customer about the vouchers?
Just get a free amex and use the vouchers
This must be a wind-up.
Whatever makes you say that? 🙂
What’s disappointing is that if someone’s going to bother to do a wind up, they might as well play it out a bit longer.
Wasn’t exactly a skillfull wind up either….
Like the OP, we once ended up with 3 vouchers. One was mine, one was my partners, and one came about through an adjustment involving fraud and a refund. I fessed up to having one that I wasn’t entitled to but neither Amex or BA did anything about it. So it is possible, if unusual to have 3. I’m still companion voucher rich with 2 cards in the family. I guess if you have more family members you can end up with more vouchers to play with? Especially if you all earn one a year and they’re valid for 2 years?
My partner cancelled his BAPP last week and didn’t receive a warning about his voucher, but he does still have a free rewards card that’s protecting his points, and I’m the one who usually pays anyway.
However, I’m an avid reader of forums like this. My partner isn’t. He wouldn’t have a clue about why he might still need a card.
I fully sympathise with the OP and don’t understand the reaction from some others on this thread. Yes, we should probably all read the small print on everything we use. What percentage of the population do? Probably those that already know there may be t&c’s that they need to check.
If someone comes on here and doesn’t use the right words or describe things in the way that the cliques do, shouldn’t we try to be helpful?
I’m sorry the OP didn’t know that they should apply for a free card or get someone else to pay. Hopefully others will read this and learn. But I must confess that I forgot to warn my partner about all this and am just glad we have backup cards.
You’re comparing two different things here though.
If you’ve put the effort into earning avios and the voucher, then don’t bother to find out what’s required to redeem them, that’s quite different from not knowing which terms “cliques” use to describe things.
Of course if more than one person in a household has a BAPP, it’s possible to collectively accumulate a voucher per year each, but the OP’s exact opening words were “I had 3 companion vouchers”.
You could potentially have three live 241 vouchers from a single BAPP couldn’t you? Trigger the first late in the membership year and the 3rd voucher earlier in year 3? Appears to be a few inconsistencies in the OP’s post, but could be poor drafting or a wind up.
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