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Hi All,
So let me explain, there was a problem with my Amex and BA link in my account, which I have held for many years and was happily collecting, receiving and using companion vouchers, then it stopped, no vouchers for a couple of years. I only realised early 2022. Long story short 6 companion vouchers appeared in my account at once – all with the same expiry.
I’ve only been able to use 2 of the vouchers, but I have been struggling for ages (since early 2022) to book any other flights.
So 4 of the remaining vouchers will expire Jan 2024.
I also have another companion voucher expiring Jun 2024.
So these are all useless for booking for Summer 2024.What can I do? Anyway I could at least get one or two extended? (I know the answer is no but worth asking)
What to do? Do some flying before Jan 2024 I guess 😀 ? Why have you been struggling to book flights? There’s loads out there. Don’t get obsessed with thinking you have to book the super-hard routes or fly to Sydney or Malé to get “value” out of a 2-for-1, or even Avios in general. A nice little short-haul weekend break is a perfectly sensible way to use them. Hell, go to Edinburgh for the day if you like – it’s a nice city…!
Don’t forget you only have to fly the outbound by the expiry date, you then have 12 months to fly the inbound after that. With a bit of creativity you may be able to get some use out of the vouchers.
I had 2 expiring from the pandemic so have used them for short haul trips where we prefer to do one leg direct from MAN, for example we did LHR-GIB in CE at Easter, then home on EJ and are doing FR to AGP next Feb half term and using the other half of the voucher to return AGP-LHR-MAN in CE.Go away once a month between now and January?
Short-haul long-weekend city breaks. Athens, Lisbon, Barcelona and Lyon.
Last minute availability tends to pop up on routes that have multiple flights.
Thanks guys
I really appreciate the ideas.
The difficulty I guess is being flexible…we can only really go when it’s school holidays.
The last one I booked the kids ended up missing 4 days of school after Easter holidays as there was just no availability on flights earlier and this was booking a year in advance!
Which always seems to be an issue, I can either get there when we want and then can’t get back when we want or visa versa…although I had not thought about splitting it up as suggested.
I guess I’ll go see what I can find. Thank you again. 🙂
If you’ve got enough avios there’s generally good availability to US cities year-round. An Easter trip to NYC/BOS/IAD would use 2 vouchers (though you don’t say how old your kids are). Also randomly checking Paris & Rome shows plenty of seats then as well.
@Anna that’s a good idea except 4 vouchers expire in Jan 24. Since outbound must be before the expiry travelling over Easter is not going to work unless there’s a way to use them for the return legs? Perhaps outbound from UK in late December with a return over Easter and then a nested trip in the other direction starting in the US? That assumes they are new style vouchers that allow a non-UK starting point.
Good point – a trip in the Xmas holidays might work then, lots for kids of all ages to do and get excited about. Between Xmas and New Year is often good value and all the decorations and Xmas markets will still be running.
Don’t forget you only have to fly the outbound by the expiry date, you then have 12 months to fly the inbound after that. With a bit of creativity you may be able to get some use out of the vouchers.
I had 2 expiring from the pandemic so have used them for short haul trips where we prefer to do one leg direct from MAN, for example we did LHR-GIB in CE at Easter, then home on EJ and are doing FR to AGP next Feb half term and using the other half of the voucher to return AGP-LHR-MAN in CE.I thought you had to complete both legs of the journey before the voucher ran out? Have the rules changed?
It’s always been the case that only the outbound has to be flown by the expiry date.
Just an update, might help others.
So I called BA to ask if I could book with more than two vouchers. Unfortunately not, max of two vouchers are allowed and voucher holder has to be in the group and fly.
The rep said he’d never seen so many vouchers in one account (6 companion and 2 upgrade vouchers). He said it was unfair so many expired in the same month/year and that they should have staggered them, but nothing he could do.
Anyway, I managed to book a getaway in October so just wanted to say thanks for everyone’s suggestions.
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