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In the article at https://www.headforpoints.com/2023/01/16/how-do-british-airways-american-express-2-4-1-vouchers-work/, Rob makes the following claim:
“As mentioned above, companion vouchers have access to additional Avios availability in Business Class.
There is SUBSTANTIALLY – by ludicrous margins – more extra availability opened up via this route if you start your trip outside London.”
Having tested this on some routes it doesn’t seem to be the case at all. There is not any additional availability at all, let alone much more than usual. Is it only on some routes or has it changed?
Certainly the case still for LHR – SYD, at least until recently – I can’t check now as I don’t have an unused 2-4-1. However it’s not a case of if a particular long haul flight is available starting in one regional city it will be from all regional cities if that was the impression you got. So there may be for example flights from Belfast but not from Manchester or OK from Edinburgh but not Glasgow on a particular day.
At which routes are you looking?
I think the additional availability is only for Club World (i.e., long-haul business): https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/executive-club/collecting-avios/credit-cards/uk/companion-voucher#LNA
I think only those with vouchers can see the enhanced availability, where available, but it’s not guaranteed that these seats will necessarily ever be released.
Which routes/dates have you tested?
Definitely true for me. Just last week I found extra availability for Singapore; there was no availability for LHR-SIN but start in either MAN or NCL and flights appeared for next March. In fact I got a message saying extra availability had opened up for me. I chose to start in NCL as that route seems to be less troublesome for cancellations and was easier to get reward seats LHR-NCL to time up with the flight back to LHR. Wish they would just open up the extra availability starting in LHR but I can see why they don’t.
What kind of message, @AJA? Do you mean the one on the BA booking page as AFAIK SeatSpy can’t see the extra availability?
At which routes are you looking?
I think the additional availability is only for Club World (i.e., long-haul business): https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/executive-club/collecting-avios/credit-cards/uk/companion-voucher#LNA
I think only those with vouchers can see the enhanced availability, where available, but it’s not guaranteed that these seats will necessarily ever be released.
Which routes/dates have you tested?
Only stuff via Iberia as the taxes on BA metal remove most of the benefit of the voucher. Sounds like it only applies for BA metal then on BA routes?
What kind of message, @AJA? Do you mean the one on the BA booking page as AFAIK SeatSpy can’t see the extra availability?
Isn’t there a message that pops up on the top of the page on the BA site when seats from this enhanced availability are being displayed during your search? I think this could be to what @AJA is referring.
Only stuff via Iberia as the taxes on BA metal remove most of the benefit of the voucher. Sounds like it only applies for BA metal then on BA routes?
The enhanced availability applies specifically to Club World seats, so will only be BA long haul (along with any relevant domestic connections).
To be even more specific, it’s BA Club World I fare bucket seats which are opened up. It’s how I’ve managed to book the last two trips to Tokyo: nothing in U (normal redemptions), but plenty of I seats available. The bookings I made with the voucher booked into the I bucket.
I read elsewhere that if a longhaul BA flight shows as I9 in terms of availability on Expertflyer then it should be open for use of the Amex voucher – but there are apparently some exceptions. I’m not sure that anyone outside of BA knows the exact rules!
AFAIK, the extra availability does not open up at T-355 like the 4x guaranteed seats are.
There is SUBSTANTIALLY – by ludicrous margins – more extra availability opened up via this route if you start your trip outside London.”
Having tested this on some routes it doesn’t seem to be the case at all.
I think there was some exaggeration there for sure.
But certainly I’ve managed to find additional availability to Singapore which was not accessible without the new style voucher.Definitely true for me. Just last week I found extra availability for Singapore; there was no availability for LHR-SIN but start in either MAN or NCL and flights appeared for next March. In fact I got a message saying extra availability had opened up for me. I chose to start in NCL as that route seems to be less troublesome for cancellations and was easier to get reward seats LHR-NCL to time up with the flight back to LHR. Wish they would just open up the extra availability starting in LHR but I can see why they don’t.
Oops, just reported you by mistake, sorry AJA. What I was intending to say was that if you had chosen to start in MAN and the MAN-LHR leg was cancelled, you could just have dropped that leg and started in LHR. Happened to me starting in Belfast; I would like a trip there eventually but it was handy that I now decide when!
To be even more specific, it’s BA Club World I fare bucket seats which are opened up. It’s how I’ve managed to book the last two trips to Tokyo: nothing in U (normal redemptions), but plenty of I seats available. The bookings I made with the voucher booked into the I bucket.
I read elsewhere that if a longhaul BA flight shows as I9 in terms of availability on Expertflyer then it should be open for use of the Amex voucher – but there are apparently some exceptions. I’m not sure that anyone outside of BA knows the exact rules!
Thanks – very useful intel.
Wish they would just open up the extra availability starting in LHR but I can see why they don’t.
Thing is, NCL-SIN they are competing against KL, AF, EK, LH and so on, who will typically need to offer discounts owing to the intermediate stop.
However for LHR-SIN it’s a nonstop flight so comes at a premium. As such it doesn’t make sense for them to be as generous with the I fare bucket on this sector as a stand alone.
What kind of message, @AJA? Do you mean the one on the BA booking page as AFAIK SeatSpy can’t see the extra availability?
Isn’t there a message that pops up on the top of the page on the BA site when seats from this enhanced availability are being displayed during your search? I think this could be to what @AJA is referring.
Sorry for the delayed response. Yes the message appears on the BA website when doing a search for reward seats using the companion voucher. It says something like “As you are using a companion voucher extra availability is being shown”
@louie That idea of booking from MAN in the hope that they cancel the MAN-LHR sector so I can start directly from LHR would be too stressful for me. I would rather just have the flights operate as booked.Only stuff via Iberia as the taxes on BA metal remove most of the benefit of the voucher. Sounds like it only applies for BA metal then on BA routes?
Why would Iberia give extra availability for BA vouchers?
Examples, based on March 2024.
Standard Avios availability to Tokyo in Club – nil
From Manchester using a 241: 5th, 7th
Edinburgh: 5th
Glasgow: 5th
Newcastle: Nothing
Aberdeen: 5th
Inverness Nothing
Belfast: 5th
Heathrow: NothingOnly stuff via Iberia as the taxes on BA metal remove most of the benefit of the voucher. Sounds like it only applies for BA metal then on BA routes?
Why would Iberia give extra availability for BA vouchers?
No idea one way or the other but the article suggested they would.
The article may have been written before you could use the 241s on IB and EI, that’s quite a recent development.
No idea one way or the other but the article suggested they would.
Iberia has more reward availability for Iberia flights if you book on iberia.com, especially in Economy.
Hi
I am looking at flights to Tenerife using the 241 voucher. There is only economy outbound but CE inbound.
If I book the economy outbound and if seats in CE become available nearer the departure date can I upgrade the outbound to CE using the voucher and paying the extra avios/cash?
Hi
I am looking at flights to Tenerife using the 241 voucher. There is only economy outbound but CE inbound.
If I book the economy outbound and if seats in CE become available nearer the departure date can I upgrade the outbound to CE using the voucher and paying the extra avios/cash?
I think you would have to also pay a £35pp change fee.
You could cancel the whole booking at a cost of £1pp, and rely on the seats going back into inventory immediately, and then re-booking in CE. The cancellation charge of £35pp doesn’t seem to apply to short-haul bookings when cancelled online atm, and its only charging 50p per leg. You can see how many avios and £ you will get back before confirming the cancellation.
I did something similar recently, when I wanted to move my outbound forward one day, but keep my inbound. I didn’t want to pay £35pp (when there were 3 of us). It showed I was only going to be charged £1pp, and so risked it. The avios was returned immediately, and the seats also went back into inventory immediately too, so rebooked. I didn’t use a voucher, but my friends did the same thing, but with a voucher, and the voucher was also returned immediately.
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