Premier Banking – lost voucher?

[PB2]

I was automatically moved to a Premier account by Barclays when working in the U.K..

6 years ago I moved abroad and despite not meeting the income requirements into my Barclays account anymore, Barclays never removed me from Premier Banking. For some time I’ve been doing the Avios rewards scheme paying £12 a month. I have one upgrade voucher and a second should arrive soon.

A year or so ago Barclays wrote to say you don’t meet the criteria but don’t worry we will soon offer you a £20 monthly fee option going forwards if you wish to remain Premier. For me the ONLY (rather minor) benefit of remaining Premier is the upgrade voucher – though not being U.K. based, it’s annoying it must start in the U.K. and isn’t useable in First, unlike the Amex 241.

Today I’ve had an email again telling me I don’t meet the criteria to be Premier but that they have now decided not to offer a £20 monthly fee alternative to those that don’t qualify through income or savings etc. – and that in the coming months if I continue to not meet the requirements then I will be moved out of Premier.

Not fussed about stopping the £12 for 1500 Avios monthly – but soon I’ll have 2 upgrade vouchers sitting there. Maybe the second one I can take the new offer of 7000 Avios (despite being poor value compared to a CE return upgrade).

The crux of my question – I’m pretty sure when the Barclays Avios scheme started I read that you had to continue to be a Premier banking customer *at the time of flying using the upgrade voucher* (unlike say Amex where you can earn it and cancel the card). Does anyone have experience of this?

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have any issues about being moved out of Premier if I don’t meet the requirements. I never asked to join the scheme in the first place (although to be fair, they did encourage me to continue paying monthly to earn the vouchers by letting me think worse case I can pay £20 per month to remain Premier until the vouchers have been flown).

But if they move me out, will the 2 vouchers in my BA account be deleted too? And if I made a booking for July and say come June they move me out, what would happen to that booking? Thanks

[PB2]

This being perhaps the problematic clause on BA.com (or is this more of a catch all for cases of fraud or serious wrong doing?):

“Members must remain eligible for this promotion at the time of travel. British Airways and Barclays reserve the right to refuse to issue or honour any Cabin Upgrade Voucher in the event that the customer is in breach of the terms of Barclays Premier Banking and/or British Airways Executive Club membership.”

[NorthernLass]

Don’t forget you have to choose the 7k avios option before your anniversary date or you’ll be stuck with a 2nd voucher.

[PB2]

Yes just read that, the 7000 Avios alternative option must be selected “one month before your anniversary date”, so I will indeed be stuck with another voucher it seems. Which if I can still use later in the year despite being moved out of Premier – is no big deal.

This phrase on the Barclays site is a little contradictory in the sense that if you decided to leave they still entertain the idea of you having a voucher to spend – although it may mean leave the Avios rewards scheme rather than leave Premier banking entirely:

“If you are due an anniversary cabin upgrade voucher, you won’t get it if you cancel your Barclays Avios Rewards before it appears in your British Airways Executive Club account. If this is going to happen, we’ll let you know at the time.”