The ‘How to book the return leg with 2-4-1 companion voucher’ thread

[NorthernLass]

That’s how it works – if BA adds your inbound leg, you end up with one booking, if you book it online and claim 50% avios back, you are left with 2 separate PNRs.

Great result, anyway! I’m wondering if you could actually add DUB-MAD to the outbound without incurring a lot of extra cost as it’s not a U.K. departure (this is the killer for the surcharges). You then wouldn’t have to worry about missed connections and re-checking your bags.

[Simey]

NorthernLass wrote:

That’s how it works – if BA adds your inbound leg, you end up with one booking, if you book it online and claim 50% avios back, you are left with 2 separate PNRs.

Great result, anyway! I’m wondering if you could actually add DUB-MAD to the outbound without incurring a lot of extra cost as it’s not a U.K. departure (this is the killer for the surcharges). You then wouldn’t have to worry about missed connections and re-checking your bags.

Oh, good! I thought it’s 2 bookings either way, but it was a good surprise for me.

The only thing is that we have to overnight in Madrid going out and coming back, so we’ll give +1 day on either end, so the shorter hop across being a separate return flight, either with Aer Lingus or Iberia is not a huge issue! We’ll have to land, go to hotel and return to airport next day either way 🙂

[Roker]

In mid-January this year I booked LHR > HND (Tokyo)for me and my wife flying CW in early January 2025 using a Barclaycard upgrade voucher (I’m terrified of getting downgraded at check-in given how low very value that makes our seats, but fingers crossed).

Three weeks later I booked HK > LHR using the first leg of a 241 voucher. We only ever really want to go to Japan (my wife is Japanese) but I’ve pretty much given up trying to get 241 tickets to Tokyo. HK reward flight availability is far better and Tokyo or Osaka to HK is only 3.5 hours. Also, taxes out of HK are low and unlike Tokyo (and LHR), there’s a late night flight (midnight) out of HK, so some chance of sleep.

Anyway, I’m almost ready to book the return leg (LHR > HK) for December next year. I’m not too concerned about the 11-month gap between flights, although I see that has been raised as a possible issue. My worry now is that, although I have just about enough Avios to make a booking online then claim 50% Avios back, I can’t remember for sure exactly what Avios + cash combination I used. I think you have to use the same combination but of course it’s not visible on the booking. Any advice please?

[ed_fly]

Roker wrote:

In mid-January this year I booked LHR > HND (Tokyo)for me and my wife flying CW in early January 2025 using a Barclaycard upgrade voucher (I’m terrified of getting downgraded at check-in given how low very value that makes our seats, but fingers crossed).

Three weeks later I booked HK > LHR using the first leg of a 241 voucher. We only ever really want to go to Japan (my wife is Japanese) but I’ve pretty much given up trying to get 241 tickets to Tokyo. HK reward flight availability is far better and Tokyo or Osaka to HK is only 3.5 hours. Also, taxes out of HK are low and unlike Tokyo (and LHR), there’s a late night flight (midnight) out of HK, so some chance of sleep.

Anyway, I’m almost ready to book the return leg (LHR > HK) for December next year. I’m not too concerned about the 11-month gap between flights, although I see that has been raised as a possible issue. My worry now is that, although I have just about enough Avios to make a booking online then claim 50% Avios back, I can’t remember for sure exactly what Avios + cash combination I used. I think you have to use the same combination but of course it’s not visible on the booking. Any advice please?

the Avios you used should be on your booking confirmation. You should then be able to work out what option that was. It is possible when calling to get them to apply the 50% a different Avios/cash mix – though you may need to get lucky with the agent you get hold of.

[NorthernLass]

As above, go to your original email confirmation and scroll down, at some point it will show how the amount of avios/cash paid.

But, have you looked at Iberia – they fly to Tokyo and people have mentioned booking this at T-360 (?) as an alternative to BA?

[Roker]

Thanks Ed, and NorthernLass (as ever). Will check the original email then.

Good idea on Iberia, but just remind me..you can’t fly BA on one leg of a 241 and Iberia on the return….can you?

Getting so fed up with BA frankly..very slow Club Suites rollout (Asia super long haul should be first, not last) and now this ridiculous brunch thing..

[NorthernLass]

Yes, you can mix and match participating airlines with a 241 booking – you’ll find examples in this thread and the ones on using the 241 on Iberia specifically. The only complication is that Iberia releases the seats earlier, so they don’t show immediately on BA and you have to call to book them if they’re likely to be snapped up straight away.

[rosamead]

I wanted to share my experience in case it’s helpful. We’re a family of 4 and booked our 2 for 1 one way a couple of weeks ago on our two accounts for London to Tokyo. For adding return, I decided to try US number first as Japan opened at midnight and wasn’t too sure of Australia success. I rang at 11:48, (there’s lots of menus which you could check the right selection beforehand) got through about 11:55 ish. The lady was fine with what I wanted to do. Decided to try doing both bookings on the one call. She advised that my husband should’ve called at same time as me ideally in case we lost out while she did mine. She got both our accounts up (make sure to do the nominated permission for other account if ringing for both accounts.) ready and when it ticked over midnight she quickly reserved mine then went to husbands. They were going while she did that and it ended up putting us on the afternoon flight but that was fine! Was prepared that we might even need to have 2 of us on one and 2 on the other. She then did all the paperwork. I got cut off from her when she was doing it so had a total panic about losing them! I rang back and got another operator who again was fine and the tickets were still held on our accounts. She said if that happens don’t call back straightaway. Give it a couple of minutes because they will try calling you back at least once before they move back onto their calls coming through. It was stressful but all worked out! I used my mobile phone but got a international saver add on to my contract this month to save the cost, was going to be 2.50 a minute if not! I know lots of people use Skype. Thanks to the forum for all the help.

[craig]

Firstly thanks to everyone for the advice when I asked earlier in the thread. It was very useful and I really appreciated people taking the time to explain things. I have booked my long hauls, but still have a couple of questions for the users with a bit more experience.

I have now booked the following, all on the BA website
OUT: Madrid > Buenos Aires – Iberia – Business – I used the Companion voucher
IN: Sao Paolo > Madrid – Iberia – Business – I have paid using the full avios and need to claim the 50% back

I have only just booked the inbound at 00:00 today. How long do they allow for me to claim the 50% avios back, do I have to do it today?

I would like to add on an Iberia short haul flight to the inbound. Madrid > Manchester. This is just over a 3 hour connection, and Iberia offer this connection as a single booking on their site.

This is only available tomorrow, so can I just call and ask that this is added on and pay any difference?
Should I just do the avios refund and the short haul on one call tomorrow, or 2 different calls?
And finally, the short haul only has Economy/Premium Economy as it is Iberia Express – will they allow me to add that onto the single booking even in a different class? I don’t care about the class of the short haul, it is just for convenience of checking hold luggage in all the way through.

Thank you

[NorthernLass]

You’ll be fine to leave it until tomorrow, and also to add an economy leg to MAN (I don’t think they have PE, just different economy fares). Easiest to do it on one call, I would think. Don’t ask them to merge the bookings as this isn’t what happens and ends up complicating things!

I don’t know if your luggage allowance will be affected though with being in different cabins.

[craig]

NorthernLass wrote:

You’ll be fine to leave it until tomorrow, and also to add an economy leg to MAN (I don’t think they have PE, just different economy fares). Easiest to do it on one call, I would think. Don’t ask them to merge the bookings as this isn’t what happens and ends up complicating things!

I don’t know if your luggage allowance will be affected though with being in different cabins.

Thank you, I will call tomorrow.
The luggage allowance should be fine, I am only intending on a single 23kg per person – as I am making some short hauls in South America.

[JDB]

craig wrote:

NorthernLass wrote:

You’ll be fine to leave it until tomorrow, and also to add an economy leg to MAN (I don’t think they have PE, just different economy fares). Easiest to do it on one call, I would think. Don’t ask them to merge the bookings as this isn’t what happens and ends up complicating things!

I don’t know if your luggage allowance will be affected though with being in different cabins.

Thank you, I will call tomorrow.
The luggage allowance should be fine, I am only intending on a single 23kg per person – as I am making some short hauls in South America.

@craig – it’s worth noting that with Aerolíneas on domestic and short haul, the limit is 15kg. It’s quite cheap to buy the extra up to 23kg (or an extra bag) and if you need that it’s worth considering buying it in advance as it can be painfully slow at the airport ticket office. 23kg is a fairly strict upper limit per union agreements! Earlier this year we paid £20 total for two extra cases and a golf bag.

[Wiseoldman]

Hi All

I have tried three different agents today and failed!

I have a booking for LHR to Vancouver for july next year and I am trying to add areturn from Atlanta to heathrow using Avios and BAPP voucher. All agents did not what to do and one said to cancel the Vancouver booking and make another booking. What am I doing wrong or what do i need to say to the agents to get the booking done?

thx

[BA Flyer IHG Stayer]

As has been said numerous times you cannot add to a booking once it is made so asking is pointless. The agents are correct. It’s not that they didn’t want to do it but that they can’t do it.

They will refund the 50% of the avios from the 2-4-1 for what will be a separate ATL-LHR booking

If you want this teip on one booking then you will need – as one agent told you – to cancel the YVR booking then call to make a single open jaw booking for LHR-YVR and ATL-LHR.

[NorthernLass]

When is the return journey? If not at T-355, requesting the 50% avios back won’t work in this scenario (unless you get an agent who doesn’t know BA’s policies), as they will only do this if the return seats have not been released at the time the outbound was booked.

I did think, however, that was possible to add an inbound leg under the same circumstances, but possibly that only applies to simple return itineraries and not open jaw?

However, if you’re not booking the inbound at T-355, your only option as mentioned above is going to be to cancel and rebook – which you’ll need to call again to do (the rebooking, anyway). And hope your Vancouver seats go back into the inventory.

[Wiseoldman]

@BA Flyer IHG Stayer and @NorthernLass

Thanks for your replies. I was trying to buy ATL-LHR using points and then and linking the voucher. I was just hoping the phone agent can do the 50% off at the same time.

I will try again.

[NorthernLass]

@Wiseoldman, did you read the part of my post about your travel date? If your whole trip is for next summer then BA won’t refund 50% avios, you’ll need to cancel and rebook. Refunding the avios is only allowed if the inbound leg wasn’t released when you booked the outbound.

[JDB]

BA Flyer IHG Stayer wrote:

As has been said numerous times you cannot add to a booking once it is made so asking is pointless. The agents are correct. It’s not that they didn’t want to do it but that they can’t do it.

They will refund the 50% of the avios from the 2-4-1 for what will be a separate ATL-LHR booking

If you want this teip on one booking then you will need – as one agent told you – to cancel the YVR booking then call to make a single open jaw booking for LHR-YVR and ATL-LHR.

You can definitely add an additional sector, straightforward return or open jaw return. That’s what those who have insufficient Avios to book at full price and claim the 50% back do all the time. The 50% route can’t be used here because of the timeframe but an agent could have booked the flight back from ATL. Although it’s against the terms not to book the whole journey, adding a return is part of the concession. When booking a return in this way, it will lead to the whole itinerary being repriced, but doesn’t require cancellation and possible loss of the seats.

[Roker]

I just booked the return leg on our 241. I got through to the BA Blue line in less than 2 minutes (Monday afternoon UK time). We’re flying Club World HK to LHR in January and LHR to Shanghai (Open Jaw) next September.

There’s lots of availability for the Shanghai route in all classes. I’m starting to think this is now the only easy way to use a 241 to get to Japan, where we’ll be spending 3 weeks in January and again in September (will only be a couple of nights in HK and Shanghai). Later I’ll book flights from Shanghai to Fukuoka, which is only a 90 minute flight. (Kyushu, whose biggest city is Fukuoka, is a wonderful part of Japan, lots of hot springs). It’s also not much more than 2 hours from Shanghai to Tokyo or Osaka, so quite short flight times.

The helpful BA staffer on the call (Anthony) booked our return leg under the same booking reference as our outbound. I said I’d read on HfP that an Open Jaw return had to be booked under a new, separate reference. He said no, that’s the first he’d heard of that. Under the single booking reference/Manage My Booking I can already see outbound and return flights.

If you’re wondering what this cost, here’s the breakdown (this shows what a bargain HK is and what a rip off UK APD (taxes) are. Still very good value overall though):

HK > LHR: 100,000 Avios + £71
LHR > Shanghai: 100,000 Avios + £806

[NorthernLass]

You’ve not read the information on here properly, it’s when you book the inbound separately and request the 50% avios back that you’re left with 2 PNRs, regardless of it’s open jaw or just a straight return.

The surcharges for Shanghai sound on the high side – I suspect they were “recalculated” by the phone agent and might have been lower if you had actually made 2 separate bookings!

*Just checked and your “taxes” for LHR-PVG would have been £575 if you’d booked it separately. This would have required you to have enough avios to make the booking online though, before requesting half back.

Sounds like an amazing trip though, Shanghai is also on my bucket list!

[Roker]

Oh no, and I had enough Avios to book online and ask for 50% back! Yes, the agent ‘recalculated’ the taxes as they were appearing in HK$. Noted for next time!

[strickers]

A few questions for the collective. I have Heathrow to Sydney booked one-way in Premium Economy using a 241. I’m about to add a return from Singapore and using the other half of the 241, is there any problem with this being in a different class, hopefully Club World (where I am ready to bring a packed lunch)? Also, if I do this and availability comes up for Manchester to Sydney using the additional I class, can I cancel the first leg and rebook using the 241? Finally, if I do the latter can I add a domestic sector to the Singapore to Heathrow flight at a later date?

[annabh]

Just as a data point first leg MAD – EZE booked return last night from Rio/GIG paying full avios for two – called up today half avios refunded back. So got low taxes going from MAD and back from RIO. Only can do at 355 days though.

[NorthernLass]

@strickers – No problem travelling in different cabins on the 2 sectors.

If you later find MAN-SYD available, BA should be able to change your booking for the usual fee.

BA can be a bit funny about adding domestic sectors if you leave it too long after booking the long haul, but the worst that can happen is that they would make you pay for it, but it should still be on the same booking.

[strickers]

@NorthernLass Thanks.