Booking flights with Barclays upgrade voucher

[PaulC]

I asked on the daily chat but no response – Booking with a Barclays upgrade voucher, is it exactly the same as when booking a year in advance using a 2-4-1?
Book outbound online and then ring up to add inbound flight when released and let them do the maths?

[yorkieflyer]

I asked the same question recently, I guess no one knows yet?

[PaulC]

Im pretty sure someone will have tested the water by now surely. We are ready to book our annual Jan holiday for next year but inbound flight haven’t been released yet.

[PaulC]

Ive just realised they are like the old Lloyds vouchers, only good for one way upgrades as a couple or two vouchers for a round trip.
Back to earning 2-4-1’s it is then.

[davet]

I’ve found that its greatest limitation is the fact in most cases you have to phone to book, a line that is UK office hours only when most flights have already been snapped up over night

Hopefully get to use the ones I have earned but I will not continue to earn these ones its too limiting

[NorthernLass]

You only need to call if adding a domestic connection, and surely any of the call centres can book it for you, as per the BAPP voucher?

Though my only attempt at calling to add a MAN leg was so infuriating (wanted to charge full avios and cash price), I’ve just booked these separately with both my BC vouchers, it’s just not worth the stress!

[davet]

Also with two vouchers you need to call, open jaw and if adding a return separately. Just booking one seat to an airport with great availability is the only time you dont need to call

[Aston100]

My voucher will never get used.
It is pretty much useless to me.
Everything about the Avios Barclaycard is/was infuriating.
The Amex companion voucher seems superior in just about every way IMO.

[NorthernLass]

I’ve done pretty well with my 2, DXB and AGP when cash prices are sky high. I realise those destinations make me sound like a cast member from TOWIE or something 😂. They work well with my strategy going forward of using other airlines like VS and QR for return sectors direct to MAN.

[davet]

I’m happy with the Barclays Avios setup overall, I must have taken 150-200k miles from it for about £300 just the vouchers that have disappointed

Once by youngest reaches 2 then ill use the points on QR instead

[secretsquirrel]

In the BA account when searching reward availability or booking reward flights there is a tab upgrade using points.Click on that and your Barclays voucher will show to use.

[NorthernLass]

I’ve had some really bonkers pricing quoted trying to do it that way, I find it best just to select the voucher from the account page and do it from there.

[davet]

Any more experiences with booking using these vouchers? I booked the outbound yesterday but I expect the return flights will be gone before the phonelines open and wondered if I could book with avios and phone up to sort join all the dots and refund the difference

[davet]

Also had to book myself two flights because of the lack of ability to use two vouchers and not being able to book a child without an adult it seemed the best way to shotgun the seats :/

[ak1031]

Please can anyone tell what the cancellation charge would be if I book and then cancel say within 2 month of the flight departure. My travel plans are bit fluid but waiting for too long would mean losing out on the seat availability.

[Tim330]

I can confirm that if you call BA after booking two one ways with the Barclays upgrade voucher having using the voucher for the outbound at t-355 then the agent will apply the voucher to the inbound. I had no better use so used it for a club europe £0.50 plus 15,250 avios (band 4). I had the return flight booked with no voucher for 18,350 avios plus £25 which the agent then adjusted to 10,750 refunding 7,600. The 10,750 being the economy plus £15 price no not the least cash most avios option.

[Jerseylou]

NorthernLass wrote:

I’ve had some really bonkers pricing quoted trying to do it that way, I find it best just to select the voucher from the account page and do it from there.

When I try to do this it only gives me the option of economy or premium economy. I had understood that to book CW it was premium economy Avios but CW taxes and charges and that I need CW availability. How do I see CW availability with one of these vouchers?

[SamG]

I’ve now got 2 x vouchers in my account. I can search for flights but I can’t then tick both boxes to proceed. per the T&C you shouldbe able to use 2 x vouchers in the one booking – guess it’s a calling in job unless anyone has any suggestions?

[Michael C]

The fact that this voucher “makes” you use the highest number of points is too annoying!!

[NorthernLass]

@Jerseylou – you need to select PE and you will automatically be shown CW availability if it’s there.

@SamG – you need to make 2 separate bookings online. Can’t recall if BA can put both vouchers on one booking if you do it by phone. If you do call, not all CS agents will know how to do it even if it’s possible so you may need to HUACA.

@Michael – it certainly is but it spurs me on to extract the best possible value I can get from it! It’s a matter of pride, lol.

[h1jfg]

@NorthernLass – I think what @SamG is referring to is the fact that you can search for return flights for 2x people, and after selecting flights you then get to a pop-up screen that asks you to select 2x vouchers (not voucher, vouchers, plural). It then shows you the two vouchers you have in your account and there is a tick box next to each one. But you can only select one voucher. When you try to tick the box next to the second voucher it just does nothing. And weirdly, when you untick the first voucher you then can’t tick either of the vouchers. And if you try to progress having ticked only one voucher it says you haven’t selected enough vouchers. So it looks like its all setup for multiple vouchers, but the code behind the pop-up just isn’t working. Which is infuriating as you’re left with no option other than to call BA. Which is always a joy.

[h1jfg]

NorthernLass wrote:

@Jerseylou – you need to select PE and you will automatically be shown CW availability if it’s there.

@SamG – you need to make 2 separate bookings online. Can’t recall if BA can put both vouchers on one booking if you do it by phone. If you do call, not all CS agents will know how to do it even if it’s possible so you may need to HUACA.

@Michael – it certainly is but it spurs me on to extract the best possible value I can get from it! It’s a matter of pride, lol.

I think what @SamG was commenting on is that when booking return flights for 2x people you get to a screen where it says please select 2 vouchers, and it shows you the two vouchers in your account, but it only allows you to tick the box of one of the vouchers. And if you then untick the box, it won’t let you select either of the vouchers. And if you proceed with only 1x voucher it then says you haven’t selected the correct quantity of vouchers. For me this is bad coding on their website as it clearly states that it expects you to select two vouchers, and then fails to let you do exactly that.

[SamG]

Yes that’s right

However I called in – NO QUEUE!! – and the agent had no issue doing a booking for 2 adults and an infant who turns 2 during the trip using two vouchers. She said everything automatically priced correctly on her side. No booking fee charged as the website isn’t working

As I’m still relatively swimming in Avios I don’t find these bad value for Canary Island flights even though we are forced to take the £1 option

[Alanr]

Just reporting an experience of using the BC voucher to book a return flight (for 1 person) after first booking the outbound leg via the BA website. I had to wait till 355 days to return date and at around 1am UK time got through to what seemed to be a call centre in India. The agent there insisted it was not possible to subsequently add a return flight to an outbound booking using the voucher, as the outbound booking consumed the voucher, and flat out refused to do it.

The next day an agent at the UK call centre told me this was wrong and it is indeed possible (as others here have reported). The agent recommended avoiding that call centre, which I got through to by using the New Zealand BAEC number. So I’ll try the US one next time.

[JohnTh]

Remember to select the lower class of travel and then it offers the “upgrade”.
With one voucher.
I thought you couldn’t book a return for 2 people when I put in club Europe for class, so ended up with separate booking for return leg. Fortunately got through quickly to great BA agent Joe who was able to cancel both (as same day) and rebook as single booking ref.