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If I wanted to travel return to Hong Kong from Heathrow using the Barclay Ba cabin upgrade voucher, It is only one voucher which I would like to use for my Mrs & I on the return flight . Can I book the return ticket for both of us and apply the voucher to the return flight or do I need to book two separate tickets for outbound / return and apply the voucher to the return leg ? I can’t seem to find any info on the Ba site . Sorry I am new to all this.
There’s lots of info on here so have a look at the relevant threads, but in brief, if you want to use the voucher for 2 people, one way, that leg has to start in the U.K.
Annoyingly this isn’t possible. I spent quite a bit of time on the phone to BA last week trying to do it.
What isn’t possible? It’s always been in the Ts and Cs of the voucher that the journey has to start in the UK.
That’s why I started this thread: https://www.headforpoints.com/forums/topic/barclays-upgrade-voucher-vs-amex-241/
I believe there are not that many use cases for the Barclays voucher if CE trips are not worth it (you pay max economy Avios + CE class taxes) and you cannot book flights back to the UK on their own (so no possibility to book 355 days ahead like with 241).
Maybe it is useful for routes with lots of seats like USA.
You can use the voucher to upgrade the return only but that can only be done if booked all at once as part of a return journey that originates in the UK. It’s the itinerary that must originate in the UK, but either flight can be upgraded if used for two pax.
Wait, let’s say for one person in CW to HND, can you not book the outbound at 355 with the Barclays voucher and then phone back to add the return when it’s released also using the voucher?
If not, I might need to opt for the 7000 Avios instead of the voucher.
You can use the voucher to upgrade the return only but that can only be done if booked all at once as part of a return journey that originates in the UK. It’s the itinerary that must originate in the UK, but either flight can be upgraded if used for two pax.
This isn’t true, I went through it on the phone with BA last week. It went up to their manager in the end.
Wait, let’s say for one person in CW to HND, can you not book the outbound at 355 with the Barclays voucher and then phone back to add the return when it’s released also using the voucher?
If not, I might need to opt for the 7000 Avios instead of the voucher.
You cannot use this method with the Barclays voucher unfortunately.
You can either:
– book a UK to somewhere ticket
– book a return flight departing the UKYou cannot book the UK-Somewhere and then book the return and add it and get the avios back.
That’s the main struggle with this Barclays voucher, no 355 bookings. You need to wait for both outbound and inbound to be available and book them together.
Wait, let’s say for one person in CW to HND, can you not book the outbound at 355 with the Barclays voucher and then phone back to add the return when it’s released also using the voucher?
If not, I might need to opt for the 7000 Avios instead of the voucher.
You cannot use this method with the Barclays voucher unfortunately.
You can either:
– book a UK to somewhere ticket
– book a return flight departing the UKYou cannot book the UK-Somewhere and then book the return and add it and get the avios back.
That’s the main struggle with this Barclays voucher, no 355 bookings. You need to wait for both outbound and inbound to be available and book them together.
I don’t have personal experience of trying this, but I’ve read several people saying it is possible to add in a return leg. For example, the last post in this thread
https://www.headforpoints.com/forums/topic/booking-flights-with-upgrade-voucher/page/2/
You cannot book the UK-Somewhere and then book the return and add it and get the avios back.
Yeah, but that’s slightly different to what I’m asking, I think.
There shouldn’t be any Avios to get back because you phone to add return using voucher and pay Avios in one go.
This is what I do with 241. Is this not allowed with Barclays voucher? How would they expect you to use it for popular routes if this isn’t allowed?
Ok so basically …
With the Barclays voucher you can:
– book UK to somewhere (one way)
– book UK somewhere and back (a return ticket)You cannot:
– book somewhere to UK (one way only)
– book UK to somewhere with the voucher. Then book somewhere to UK without the voucher, call and have the Avios of the return refundedThese two last things you can do with the 241 from Amex however.
So indeed, no 355 days trick with the Barclays voucher which makes it harder to use on the most popular routes.
Would be interested to know if what you mention is possible:
1) book UK to somewhere online using the voucher
2) call BA and ask them to add the return to the outbound (using less avios)But reading the t&c and from what people have posted previously, it is not 🙁
Ok so basically …
With the Barclays voucher you can:
– book UK to somewhere (one way)
– book UK somewhere and back (a return ticket)You cannot:
– book somewhere to UK (one way only)
– book UK to somewhere with the voucher. Then book somewhere to UK without the voucher, call and have the Avios of the return refundedThese two last things you can do with the 241 from Amex however.
So indeed, no 355 days trick with the Barclays voucher which makes it harder to use on the most popular routes
I don’t disagree with what you’ve posted, but it doesn’t cover scenario I’ve just asked about, which is slightly different.
Anyone have insight on this?
Based on post on page 2 of below thread, as shared by @tontoro, it does look like you can call to add return using voucher, so hope this is the case: https://www.headforpoints.com/forums/topic/booking-flights-with-upgrade-voucher/page/2/
I posted on this last quoted thread. To try to add some clarity, this is what I did when using the voucher in April. This booking was for one person, using one voucher.
T-355, outbound booked online. LHR-AUS £225 + 67,500 avios. In the BA app this appears as “BA Barclays cabin upgrade voucher redeemed -67,500”.
16 days later, return added by phone (using 0344 number at 12.32pm). This generated 2 lines in the app. First “BA Barclays cabin upgrade voucher redeposit 67,500” and then “Reward flight -135,000”. I paid an extra £225 when booking the return.
Observations:
1 For me, at least, it was possible to book online at T-355.
2 I did not attempt to phone overseas at 1am, but the agent who added the return was not surprised or fazed by the request.
3 The return used the same avios/TFC level and cost exactly the same as the outbound. The total cost was £450 + 135k avios.I posted on this last quoted thread. To try to add some clarity, this is what I did when using the voucher in April. This booking was for one person, using one voucher.
T-355, outbound booked online. LHR-AUS £225 + 67,500 avios. In the BA app this appears as “BA Barclays cabin upgrade voucher redeemed -67,500”.
16 days later, return added by phone (using 0344 number at 12.32pm). This generated 2 lines in the app. First “BA Barclays cabin upgrade voucher redeposit 67,500” and then “Reward flight -135,000”. I paid an extra £225 when booking the return.
Observations:
1 For me, at least, it was possible to book online at T-355.
2 I did not attempt to phone overseas at 1am, but the agent who added the return was not surprised or fazed by the request.
3 The return used the same avios/TFC level and cost exactly the same as the outbound. The total cost was £450 + 135k avios.Great, thanks for sharing. What you describe mirrors my experiences with the 241 voucher when calling to add return (e.g., my BAEC account shows Companion Voucher redeposit and Companion Voucher redeemed) and suggests that Barclays voucher does allow booking at 355 days before in a similar fashion.
That’s great news for the Barclays voucher. It was indeed not very clear to me this could be done (as I was afraid BA would say only a UK return or from UK one way could be booked once).
Sorry to comment on an old post but I thought I would share my experience on the Barclays upgrade vouchers.
We travel to Hong Kong this week and I booked our 2 return seats in business using 2 x Barclays upgrade vouchers. I was hoping to book the outward online but unless doing as two bookings the site wants to use the 1st voucher to upgrade both pax on the outbound leg.
So I rang up to the US call centre around midnight. My first time I was told I needed to call in the day to the UK! Fast forward a week and a lovely girl in Newcastle (seems the US line was going to Newcastle on both occasions) held both seats and added one of the vouchers to the booking with notes that the return flights would be added and 2nd voucher added at that point.
2 weeks later I called and another helpful lady on the US line reserved both inbound seats. This time no instand confirmation and was told would be a few days to get the ticket. 3 days later the booking was updated and new confirmations issued with both vouchers noted as credited.
However, the 2nd voucher js actually still active in my account so we will see if it only gets used when we fly back.
But to confirm we did manage to book 355 days out for one leg with 2 vouchers and add the return later.
Hoping to do that for HND (wish me luck) thus week for next year!
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