Booking Barclays Avios Upgrade Flights from the regions – No availability?

[Aerotec]

I am wanting to book EDI-LHR-IAH for October. I can find LHR-IAH flights in Club but when I try to book from EDI there is no availability.

Anyone else managed to use a Barclays upgrade voucher from the regions?

Thanks!

[Peggerz]

I used to have this problem with the old Lloyds card with upgrade voucher and had to phone. It could never find the connecting flight from another country or region in the UK even though they were clearly there. I’d be interested in your final answer as I will want to book something from EDI via LHR/LGW too.

[sloth]

Aerotec wrote:

I am wanting to book EDI-LHR-IAH for October. I can find LHR-IAH flights in Club but when I try to book from EDI there is no availability.

Anyone else managed to use a Barclays upgrade voucher from the regions?

Thanks!

They don’t even work from City airport…

[NorthernLass]

There’s more about this on the Barclaycard avios threads but it’s looking like you’ll need to call BA to book connecting flights using the upgrade voucher, which is a complete PITA!

*For long haul, anyway – presumably as the cabins don’t match on the 2 aircraft.

• This reply was modified 55 years, 4 months ago by .

[NorthernLass]

And on RFS flights you only get the maximum avios plus £2 option to book online, so it’s a complete mess really!

[Aerotec]

Ok thanks all,

I am looking at my options to get to Las Vegas and/or Houston Mid Oct. I am having a look at using the upgrade voucher or flying MAD with Iberia or Dub with Aer Lingus. It’s my first long haul travelling alone as always used a 241 so I am having to go reread a lot of articles to get up to speed on best options!

BA want £540 plus around 50k avios and the upgrade voucher just for Premium Economy! Just not worth collecting Avios at those prices but cash fares seem to have gone mad too!

[NorthernLass]

That would be the standard peak pricing for a return redemption to LAS – 50k avios for an economy return, the upgrade voucher would take it to premium economy and £540 would be the taxes and surcharges for that cabin.

[Aerotec]

I hear you, I have just always booked J or F with a 241 which helps me justify the Avios/cash but £540 and 50k and an upgrade voucher just for WT+ doesn’t fill me with as much joy at the VFM recieved 🙂

[Aerotec]

Ok this saga continues.

Found time to call BA. I have found the routing I want:

EDI-LHR
LHR-IAH
SFO-LHR
LHR-EDI

Agent was very nice but said she would need to book it on 2 bookings, domestic then longhaul. I said that wasn’t acceptable as the domestic sector is a free add on and I would need to collect and recheck baggage. She is away checking on what else they can do but I have a training course in 3 minutes so will need to hang up. 🙁

She also advised me there is no availability for her showing for the LHR-IAH sector? I am on BA.com right now and it shows 4 seats avialable and lets me go right through to the checkout!

Ah come on BA sort out your IT mess!

[mark.z]

I had the same issue, could not book Edi-LHR route directly. The agent I spoke with had to send the request to their back office and I received another email advising me to call them back after two days to pay for the ticket.

• This reply was modified 55 years, 4 months ago by .

[NorthernLass]

BA still doesn’t have anything like an acceptable phone service even after 2 years of pandemic chaos! The upgrade voucher (and therefore the avios Barclaycard) is no use to me if I can’t use it online to book my preferred routing.

[Aerotec]

Ok update (again) on this. I stayed on the call as I didn’t need my screen on during my training course! And Amanda came back and advised me she had located the 4 IAH seats AND been advised how to make the booking but it would take her a while to process the booking. I told her to just call out when she needed me and I would pay attention to my training course while she processed the booking.

In the end the call took 1.5hrs but she managed to book my chosen itenary and the domestic adds on were included and in Club too. 65k Avios and £872 for EDI to IAH/SFO. Shame the tax has jumped up but based on cash prices I am happy with this outcome from the new Barclays Upgrade Voucher.

The call was actually answered quickly and Amanda was super helpful despite the complexity in the booking. Only thing I forgot to do was ask if I could pay the Tax/Fees with some evouchers I had. Anyone know if that would have been possible?