BA / Barclaycard upgrade voucher or 7,000 Avios

[Andrew J]

CarpalTravel wrote:

For people like me, who were never going to use the voucher, it’s nice to at least have the option.

Yes it always confuses me how upset people get about more choice being offered – if 7000 Avios isn’t for you, then don’t select that option.

[WillPS]

JonF wrote:

Credit Card
• Additional 0.5 points per £1 spend over the free card, on £10k is 5000 avios = £50
• Cabin Upgrade voucher trade in 7000 avios = £70

Not sure I follow the logic of paying £180 (£20/month – £5/month ‘dual reward’) for £120 worth of additional value from the paid card (over the free version)?

[QFFlyer]

WillPS wrote:

JonF wrote:

Credit Card
• Additional 0.5 points per £1 spend over the free card, on £10k is 5000 avios = £50
• Cabin Upgrade voucher trade in 7000 avios = £70

Not sure I follow the logic of paying £180 (£20/month – £5/month ‘dual reward’) for £120 worth of additional value from the paid card (over the free version)?

Big spenders will gain a lot more than that if they spend more based on the extra Avios earned. Plus you don’t *have* to take 7k Avios, the voucher for some will be worth heaps. It’s just another option.

For me it works, as I can’t originate in the UK most of the time, which limits the use of the voucher.

[WillPS]

QFFlyer wrote:

WillPS wrote:

JonF wrote:

Credit Card
• Additional 0.5 points per £1 spend over the free card, on £10k is 5000 avios = £50
• Cabin Upgrade voucher trade in 7000 avios = £70

Not sure I follow the logic of paying £180 (£20/month – £5/month ‘dual reward’) for £120 worth of additional value from the paid card (over the free version)?

Big spenders will gain a lot more than that if they spend more based on the extra Avios earned. Plus you don’t *have* to take 7k Avios, the voucher for some will be worth heaps. It’s just another option.

For me it works, as I can’t originate in the UK most of the time, which limits the use of the voucher.

I agree and I’m not complaining, in my case I’ll get £46.20 worth of Nectar points rather than nothing (which is what I had priced in as an upgrade voucher is useless to me).

I’m critiquing the numbers @JonF quoted, which presented a £70 valuation of the voucher (not the upgrade) and £50 valuation of the extra half point as sufficient justification for (at least) £180 worth of fees. Using that 1p valuation I think you’d have to spend £22k (£1833.33/month) in order to justify the fee on points alone –
22k x 0.5 = 11000 points = £110 @ 1p per Avios
Bonus for 10k = 7000 pts = £70 @ 1p per Avios

I’m not trying to say that’s an insanely high spend if this is your only credit card (and if you just want Avios points, not Nectar, it’d be a solid choice for one in that case).

[WillPS]

Just edited a reply which has now disappeared 🙁 hopefully it comes back. The thrust is I don’t disagree with that, my issue was with the numbers, and by maths it’d take £22k of spend to justify £180 worth of fees with Avios valued at 1p; not £10k.

[Bill_B]

I just made a reply which also disappeared.

However the key point is that the lounge passes require you to hold both the card and the bank account.

[Bill_B]

WillPS wrote:

QFFlyer wrote:

WillPS wrote:

JonF wrote:

Credit Card
• Additional 0.5 points per £1 spend over the free card, on £10k is 5000 avios = £50
• Cabin Upgrade voucher trade in 7000 avios = £70

Not sure I follow the logic of paying £180 (£20/month – £5/month ‘dual reward’) for £120 worth of additional value from the paid card (over the free version)?

Big spenders will gain a lot more than that if they spend more based on the extra Avios earned. Plus you don’t *have* to take 7k Avios, the voucher for some will be worth heaps. It’s just another option.

For me it works, as I can’t originate in the UK most of the time, which limits the use of the voucher.

I agree and I’m not complaining, in my case I’ll get £46.20 worth of Nectar points rather than nothing (which is what I had priced in as an upgrade voucher is useless to me).

I’m critiquing the numbers @JonF quoted, which presented a £70 valuation of the voucher (not the upgrade) and £50 valuation of the extra half point as sufficient justification for (at least) £180 worth of fees. Using that 1p valuation I think you’d have to spend £22k (£1833.33/month) in order to justify the fee on points alone –
22k x 0.5 = 11000 points = £110 @ 1p per Avios
Bonus for 10k = 7000 pts = £70 @ 1p per Avios

I’m not trying to say that’s an insanely high spend if this is your only credit card (and if you just want Avios points, not Nectar, it’d be a solid choice for one in that case).

You’re not taking into account the lounge passes, which require both the card and the bank account.

[WillPS]

Bill_B wrote:

WillPS wrote:

QFFlyer wrote:

WillPS wrote:

JonF wrote:

Credit Card
• Additional 0.5 points per £1 spend over the free card, on £10k is 5000 avios = £50
• Cabin Upgrade voucher trade in 7000 avios = £70

Not sure I follow the logic of paying £180 (£20/month – £5/month ‘dual reward’) for £120 worth of additional value from the paid card (over the free version)?

Big spenders will gain a lot more than that if they spend more based on the extra Avios earned. Plus you don’t *have* to take 7k Avios, the voucher for some will be worth heaps. It’s just another option.

For me it works, as I can’t originate in the UK most of the time, which limits the use of the voucher.

I agree and I’m not complaining, in my case I’ll get £46.20 worth of Nectar points rather than nothing (which is what I had priced in as an upgrade voucher is useless to me).

I’m critiquing the numbers @JonF quoted, which presented a £70 valuation of the voucher (not the upgrade) and £50 valuation of the extra half point as sufficient justification for (at least) £180 worth of fees. Using that 1p valuation I think you’d have to spend £22k (£1833.33/month) in order to justify the fee on points alone –
22k x 0.5 = 11000 points = £110 @ 1p per Avios
Bonus for 10k = 7000 pts = £70 @ 1p per Avios

I’m not trying to say that’s an insanely high spend if this is your only credit card (and if you just want Avios points, not Nectar, it’d be a solid choice for one in that case).

You’re not taking into account the lounge passes, which require both the card and the bank account.

Neither was @JonF 😉 their suggestion was that £120 worth of benefit from points justifies £180 worth of fees, before you factor in the other benefits.

[Bill_B]

WillPS wrote:

Bill_B wrote:

WillPS wrote:

QFFlyer wrote:

WillPS wrote:

JonF wrote:

Credit Card
• Additional 0.5 points per £1 spend over the free card, on £10k is 5000 avios = £50
• Cabin Upgrade voucher trade in 7000 avios = £70

Not sure I follow the logic of paying £180 (£20/month – £5/month ‘dual reward’) for £120 worth of additional value from the paid card (over the free version)?

Big spenders will gain a lot more than that if they spend more based on the extra Avios earned. Plus you don’t *have* to take 7k Avios, the voucher for some will be worth heaps. It’s just another option.

For me it works, as I can’t originate in the UK most of the time, which limits the use of the voucher.

I agree and I’m not complaining, in my case I’ll get £46.20 worth of Nectar points rather than nothing (which is what I had priced in as an upgrade voucher is useless to me).

I’m critiquing the numbers @JonF quoted, which presented a £70 valuation of the voucher (not the upgrade) and £50 valuation of the extra half point as sufficient justification for (at least) £180 worth of fees. Using that 1p valuation I think you’d have to spend £22k (£1833.33/month) in order to justify the fee on points alone –
22k x 0.5 = 11000 points = £110 @ 1p per Avios
Bonus for 10k = 7000 pts = £70 @ 1p per Avios

I’m not trying to say that’s an insanely high spend if this is your only credit card (and if you just want Avios points, not Nectar, it’d be a solid choice for one in that case).

You’re not taking into account the lounge passes, which require both the card and the bank account.

Neither was @JonF 😉 their suggestion was that £120 worth of benefit from points justifies £180 worth of fees, before you factor in the other benefits.

I understood the £120 to be the net benefit of holding both products, since that was what JonF was evaluating. Either way though if you hold the bank account, getting the card and spending £10k gets you £194 of extra value when counting the lounge passes.

[Alex G]

Just had an email from BAEC promoting Barclays Premier Banking.

“Every year, on your anniversary, you can choose between a Cabin Upgrade Voucher or 7,000 bonus Avios.

…

You can select and amend your reward choice in the Barclays App up to the working day before your Barclays Avios Rewards anniversary, and if no choice is made you’ll receive a cabin upgrade voucher.”

[NorthernLass]

That’s quite crafty marketing because it suggests that the voucher is only worth 7k avios, which a lot of people wouldn’t think to question.

[Paul E]

NorthernLass wrote:

That’s quite crafty marketing because it suggests that the voucher is only worth 7k avios, which a lot of people wouldn’t think to question.

NorthernLass, I’m interested in MAN -> LAX but of course as I doing live in London the BA website can’t cope, do you know how this is booked? assume its a call center job but does the voucher work like a standard avios redeption with a “free” domestic leg, or is there a separate charge for flying to LHR?

Ta

[NorthernLass]

Yes you have to call BA – the domestic connection shouldn’t cost any extra but not all agents are aware of this so you may need to argue your case or HUACA. Don’t forget you need avios availability MAN-LHR as well.

[JohnTh]

No news on whether you can swap a spend-earned voucher once you have it, and up to what date?

[JonF]

Bill_B wrote:

WillPS wrote:

Bill_B wrote:

WillPS wrote:

QFFlyer wrote:

WillPS wrote:

JonF wrote:

Credit Card
• Additional 0.5 points per £1 spend over the free card, on £10k is 5000 avios = £50
• Cabin Upgrade voucher trade in 7000 avios = £70

Not sure I follow the logic of paying £180 (£20/month – £5/month ‘dual reward’) for £120 worth of additional value from the paid card (over the free version)?

Big spenders will gain a lot more than that if they spend more based on the extra Avios earned. Plus you don’t *have* to take 7k Avios, the voucher for some will be worth heaps. It’s just another option.

For me it works, as I can’t originate in the UK most of the time, which limits the use of the voucher.

I agree and I’m not complaining, in my case I’ll get £46.20 worth of Nectar points rather than nothing (which is what I had priced in as an upgrade voucher is useless to me).

I’m critiquing the numbers @JonF quoted, which presented a £70 valuation of the voucher (not the upgrade) and £50 valuation of the extra half point as sufficient justification for (at least) £180 worth of fees. Using that 1p valuation I think you’d have to spend £22k (£1833.33/month) in order to justify the fee on points alone –
22k x 0.5 = 11000 points = £110 @ 1p per Avios
Bonus for 10k = 7000 pts = £70 @ 1p per Avios

I’m not trying to say that’s an insanely high spend if this is your only credit card (and if you just want Avios points, not Nectar, it’d be a solid choice for one in that case).

You’re not taking into account the lounge passes, which require both the card and the bank account.

Neither was @JonF 😉 their suggestion was that £120 worth of benefit from points justifies £180 worth of fees, before you factor in the other benefits.

I understood the £120 to be the net benefit of holding both products, since that was what JonF was evaluating. Either way though if you hold the bank account, getting the card and spending £10k gets you £194 of extra value when counting the lounge passes.

Yes, the £120 is based on holding both products, includes the value from the free lounge passes. I typically get closer to 2p per avios, this calculation is based on 1p so I would gain more than £120. However, the benefits are marginal. Especially when you consider you can earn £200 a year from switching bank accounts. I’ve not decided what I’m going to do. I have the credit card and have hit the 25,000 bonus avios. I might apply for the bank account for the sign up bonus and reevaluate after a year.

[JDB]

JohnTh wrote:

No news on whether you can swap a spend-earned voucher once you have it, and up to what date?

It is not retrospective, it is / will be an election you must make prior to issue of the voucher with the default being the voucher which is fair as it is clearly worth more than 7,000 Avios to most people.

[JonF]

JonF wrote:

Bill_B wrote:

WillPS wrote:

Bill_B wrote:

WillPS wrote:

QFFlyer wrote:

WillPS wrote:

JonF wrote:

Credit Card
• Additional 0.5 points per £1 spend over the free card, on £10k is 5000 avios = £50
• Cabin Upgrade voucher trade in 7000 avios = £70

Not sure I follow the logic of paying £180 (£20/month – £5/month ‘dual reward’) for £120 worth of additional value from the paid card (over the free version)?

Big spenders will gain a lot more than that if they spend more based on the extra Avios earned. Plus you don’t *have* to take 7k Avios, the voucher for some will be worth heaps. It’s just another option.

For me it works, as I can’t originate in the UK most of the time, which limits the use of the voucher.

I agree and I’m not complaining, in my case I’ll get £46.20 worth of Nectar points rather than nothing (which is what I had priced in as an upgrade voucher is useless to me).

I’m critiquing the numbers @JonF quoted, which presented a £70 valuation of the voucher (not the upgrade) and £50 valuation of the extra half point as sufficient justification for (at least) £180 worth of fees. Using that 1p valuation I think you’d have to spend £22k (£1833.33/month) in order to justify the fee on points alone –
22k x 0.5 = 11000 points = £110 @ 1p per Avios
Bonus for 10k = 7000 pts = £70 @ 1p per Avios

I’m not trying to say that’s an insanely high spend if this is your only credit card (and if you just want Avios points, not Nectar, it’d be a solid choice for one in that case).

You’re not taking into account the lounge passes, which require both the card and the bank account.

Neither was @JonF 😉 their suggestion was that £120 worth of benefit from points justifies £180 worth of fees, before you factor in the other benefits.

I understood the £120 to be the net benefit of holding both products, since that was what JonF was evaluating. Either way though if you hold the bank account, getting the card and spending £10k gets you £194 of extra value when counting the lounge passes.

Yes, the £120 is based on holding both products, includes the value from the free lounge passes. I typically get closer to 2p per avios, this calculation is based on 1p so I would gain more than £120. However, the benefits are marginal. Especially when you consider you can earn £200 a year from switching bank accounts. I’ve not decided what I’m going to do. I have the credit card and have hit the 25,000 bonus avios. I might apply for the bank account for the sign up bonus and reevaluate after a year.

Just recalculated, and for holding both products, you can opt to receive 2 x 7000 vouchers, 4 x free lounge passes at £18.50 each, spending 10K on the premium card, AND Valuing an Avios at 2p, then net gain is £490. (£740 in avios + £74 in lounge passes, less £324 in fees. I’m happy to value at 2p as that is what I typically receive. I’m going to apply for the bank account in the next few months. Holding out for another promo.

[Paul E]

NorthernLass wrote:

Yes you have to call BA – the domestic connection shouldn’t cost any extra but not all agents are aware of this so you may need to argue your case or HUACA. Don’t forget you need avios availability MAN-LHR as well.

Thank you !!

[Numpty]

Barclaycard app seems to have updated overnight. Counter for £10k spend is back, and with option to ‘Explore bonus rewards’ with option of either 7000 avios or upgrade voucher. Neither selected by default and there is a button marked ‘Update reward choice’ – which i am leaving alone for now till i decide what I’d rather have – wonder if you can change your mind once selected, and before bonus spend is done.

[zio]

Yes you can change your mind. I tested it this morning.

[WillPS]

Thanks for flagging this. I’ve now changed my rewards to 7000 points, just in time to hit the bonus on the Avios Plus card. Just need to do the maths one final time before deciding whether or not to downgrade after that now. 99% sure it’ll be a better deal for us as a Nectar-converting household with a Nectar Amex.

[mrelms]

I’ve received the email from Barclaycard confirming you now have the choice of rewards, cabin upgrade or 7,000 Avios. Says this has to be managed in the App, but does anyone know where in the App?
Many thanks.

[NorthernLass]

If you go to your avios, it used to show under there but disappeared recently. It’s possibly now re-appeared for people currently spending towards the voucher, but mine hasn’t so I’m assuming it will come back when my card year re-sets in June.

[Aston100]

Could have done with this option going live earlier this month.

[fasul]

back to the original “question”. Easy choice here – just saved 85k Avios on OW booking LGW-SJO with BA 777 for 2. Will have a “pleasure” to review the old CW seats in B777 in very dense 2-4-2 configuration which I’ve never experienced before. My expectations are really low TBH. But for next Easter trip and our dates the choice was Costa Rica or Shanghai based on BA C reward seats availability. Another easy choice for beach lovers.