Best option for family of 4 with 1 2-4-1 voucher.

[qc]

I have been asked by a family member to help them with booking a trip for 4 to Thailand in the summer holidays next year. The flights aren’t released yet but I want them to be ready to book when they are. I have done a bit of searching this morning, looking at the Finnair and Qatar options as well as BA to KUL from where they could connect. Obviously they can only use the 2-4-1 on BA.

This will have to be in Y as they only have just under 300,000 Avios and the 2-4-1 in 2 separate accounts. I realise they will have to create a HHA first. It’s 2 adults and 2 children.

What is the most economic option?

[NorthernLass]

2 things spring to mind initially – firstly, don’t forget there are different ratios of avios and cash available if they want to make their avios go further. Secondly, have they got a bit of flexibility so that they could try and get flights on the 1 or 2 off-peak days that BA has each week in the school holidays, which require fewer avios?

I don’t know how old the children are, but one option would be to try and book the 2 PE seats guaranteed to be released (it does look as though this is all they would get on this route), and 2 fly in PE and 2 in Y, then swap over on the inbound. (If it’s a BAPP 241). They’d need 2 separate bookings to do this.

Going LHR-DOH-BKK on QR in economy might cost fewer avios but of course they won’t be able to use the 241. QR economy is much better than BA, though, and if they can book the extra leg room seats they will have a very comfortable journey.

I’ve never flown on Finnair but there are articles on here about it.

[qc]

Thanks. The children will be 8 and 11 next summer so would need to be booked with an adult.

[NorthernLass]

Yes, I was thinking 1 adult plus 1 child in each cabin – may not be practical if the children are very young or have special needs. There are readers here who would suggest parents in PE and children in Y but we didn’t put our son in a different cabin until he was 16!

[qc]

Looking at the options again it appears that the BA option would have a much larger cash option.

If using AY or QR is it best to transfer the Avios to them and book that way. I have never booked Avios flights on either of these.