Calculate required avios Barclays Upgrade Voucher

[gustavo]

Hello,

I have used my Barclays Upgrade Voucher earlier this year and wanted to know if there’s a quick way to check the avios required if you don’t have a voucher currently – my new one comes in next year. I thought it would be wathever the first option for avios that appears for the cabin below plus taxes of the cabin above?

Earlier this year I booked LHR-GRU World Traveller Plus from 39k avios plus £499 off peak. Now checking with my formula it would be 70k avios plus £380 off peak. Is my calculation right? If so, that’s a difference of £191 if you take avios as 1p which could be one of the bad examples because of Rob’s article on Brazil and HK regarding taxes.

Thanks!

[duggie1982]

LHR-GRU off-peak Economy up to WTP would cost -70,000 avios and £380, just checked with my current BC upgrade voucher

[gustavo]

Thanks @duggie1982 so my maths seem correct and it’s quite a bit more expensive to redeem this voucher in Brazil. I might have to re think if I am given the opportunity of avios instead of an upgrade voucher.

[duggie1982]

Its also jumped up for club world as its now 100k avios with £550, I am sure when I was looking last month it was about 65-75k avios but the cost with it was around £800

[Anna]

It does look at though the further you’re travelling the worse value the upgrade voucher is. I found a relative sweet spot for DXB next December when cash fares are going to be high – upgraded to CW outbound for 85k avios plus £350. I considered doing one cash fare and using the voucher for a return but the quoted cash element was £1800! BA IT seems all over the place just now.

[gustavo]

New style 241 are not too bad, I booked a trip LHR-GRU next year before the change and paid 150k avios plus £1510. Today that would be 150k avios plus £1540, so I guess the only problem from me would be the Barclays Upgrade Voucher for that route. I am assuming if travelling solo and using a 241 with the discount of avios they introduced a month or so ago is the way to go, if not travelling with a companion.

[Michael C]

Until April, LHR-GRU with Air France in Business is GBP1300. If anything like
that is around, I’ll be forgetting the 241s. etc.

[phil]

Anyone who may have a new style Amex premium plus companion voucher should seriously consider using it with Iberia. I just booked two return business class flight to Brazil from Madrid. Total of 105k avios plus £372 in taxes (that’s the total for the two of us, not each). Return flights to Madrid on top costs £230 for the two of us (after a handy £40 Iberia Amex credit). Yes, it’s less convenient to have to go via Madrid, but saving almost £1000 and 100k of avios points was a no brainer for me. Will get an afternoon in Madrid (where I will make using of the Amex £150 global dining offer) and also get to experience Iberia for the first time.

[gustavo]

Hi @phil thanks for sharing that. I booked mine before but would have considered very seriously your options. The only problem for me specifically is that I’m still another domestic flight away from São Paulo, so I stop in Madrid makes it a 2 stops flight but if you do have the time it’s much better.