Confused about how to use 241

[0 post]

Evening all,

Hoping for some advice on how to use the 241 BA voucher. I’ve read the guide for it but still a bit unsure on it and was hoping someone here can help.

So I’m looking to book for a trip next year, now am I right in thinking I should book the outbound flight in the class I want now?

Then how would I get the return added to that? I mean if I book just an outbound flight is that the voucher then used up so I would need another voucher for the return leg?

To book a return leg I would need to phone an international call centre? and what would I be asking them for exactly? what would happen if I couldn’t get a ticket?

Also how are the taxes/fees calculated? do these depend on the class you travel?

Sorry for so many questions, it’s for my honeymoon and my then wife would kill me if I mess this up lol

Thank you for any help.

[AJA]

The taxes and fees and other charges do depend on the class of travel, as does the number of Avios – World Traveller (economy) is cheaper than WT+ which is cheaper than Club and First (if you can snag them) is the most expensive

BA only releases seats 355 days before departure so if it is a highly sought-after route eg Male or Singapore then you really have to be online or on the phone to a call centre at 1am BST or midnight GMT, phoning an international call centre is probably the only option since they are the only ones open at 1am BST.

You have the option of booking the outbound and then adding the return when they come online by paying for 2 return seats and phoning BA to get a 50% refund. See the separate thread about problems with this option) Or if not a busy route you could just wait and buy the outbound and return at the same time.

Hope that helps

[NorthernLass]

@CardMaple, let us know where you want to go and when and you’ll be able to get more specific advice. You can really come unstuck, if, for example, you need to book a highly sought-after US destination (e.g. MIA at Xmas) as you’ll get hammered for taxes if you book the inbound leg separately online.

And if you want a popular destination, you need to have a Plan B in case, as you say, there’s no availability on the return.

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

[0 post]

Thanks for the help so far!

@NorthernLass I think ideally we would lije to go to Mauritus but we are pretty flexible about the place. As for date wise we are looking at anytime between April and August next year.

I imagine Mauritus would be a popular route? I have seen outbound flights in Club World for May so if I booked an outbound one in that class now then I could just call up and get the return leg added onto that when they come up?

Any suggestions for alternative destinations? Preferably longest flight possible having a baby this year so this will probably be my first and only time flying in some luxury lol

[memesweeper]

Anonymous wrote:

Thanks for the help so far!

@NorthernLass I think ideally we would lije to go to Mauritus but we are pretty flexible about the place. As for date wise we are looking at anytime between April and August next year.

I imagine Mauritus would be a popular route? I have seen outbound flights in Club World for May so if I booked an outbound one in that class now then I could just call up and get the return leg added onto that when they come up?

MRU is indeed a popular route, Avios availability will be hard to come by. Yes, you can book outbound now. If you book the return online when it becomes available (assuming you have sufficient Avios) then at a later point your can call up and get a ‘refund’ of the overpayment versus booking a return. However, this is not 100% guaranteed. Alternatively, call up a foreign call centre around midnight GMT to make your inbound booking. Taxes fees and charges will be different to a normal return, but provided you are not flying to North America this should be tollerable.

Any suggestions for alternative destinations? Preferably longest flight possible having a baby this year so this will probably be my first and only time flying in some luxury lol

Do not let a baby put you off flying! Ours were always fine on long haul aged 0 – 2. 2 – 4 is the age that is difficult on a long flight in my experience.

[NorthernLass]

If you look at MRU on SeatSpy the return seats especially do seem to get snapped up very quickly, especially in J. You might have to settle for PE as there aren’t many other ways to get back from there!
Note that you will only get a refund of the extra avios if you book the return separately online, not any extra taxes you pay.

[SteveJ]

@CardMaple book your outbound now, online.

On the day the return flights are released, at midnight (GMT or BST? Someone can confirm) call the India/Japan executive club line (must be exec club, not sales) and add the return to the booking.

If unsure what dates are released when, try booking the flight now, fast forward to 2023 and you’ll see what dates are being sold today, use that to work out in how many days time your preferred return will be released.

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

[NorthernLass]

But still have a plan B as there’s no guarantee someone won’t bag your return flights before you do. A couple of people have posted about calling night after night to try and get desirable redemptions at midnight (or 1 am BST) and being unsuccessful.
Definitely book the outbound if a convenient date is already showing – but to give yourself a better chance for the inbound, avoid peak periods like the late May bank holiday/half term (May 27th to June 4th 2023).

[NorthernLass]

There are 2 x J seats showing on SeatSpy for May 16th and 23rd next year. If you’re going for 10 days or a fortnight, the early date would see you probably returning during half term, which will be busy (and also peak pricing). If you book the 23rd, you’ll most likely be coming back after the schools re-open and also when pricing has returned to off-peak. This is a chunky avios saving, especially to MRU.