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I typically only earn about 30k avios a year (ignoring signup bonuses) and while I spend enough to get the companion voucher, 30k avios is not enough for a long haul flight in club world. FYI I fly solo so the avios requirements are halved.
Would it be better to just use it on an economy flight to Europe or should I just let the companion voucher go to waste and wait until I can use it on a long haul flight?
I’m a little unclear on are you asking 1. You currently have a companion voucher and how you should use it? or 2. your long term strategy on whether you should bother to earn a companion voucher.
If you are in situation 1. When does your voucher expire? You have to do the outbound before the expiry date. So if you only have enough avios before the expiry date for a short haul AND you have the money and the annual leave and find somewhere you want to go on holiday with availabilities then sounds like it is ok to use it for an upgrade to club.
In scenario 2. I don’t think you should ignore the sign up bonus. I am going to assume you are a 1 person, with about 15k of spend per year (you said 30k points earning potential on a BAPP that is 15k of spend). I think you can easily earn more than 30k per year. Start with a BAPP, spend 10k get voucher, including a 70k SUB (that’s the last uplift) that is 85k avios. Close the card, wait for a plat bonus open that and spend the minimum. Based on current uplift that is 76k avios. Close then wait for a Barclays bonus (assume 50k bonus), spend 10k get voucher, that would land you 65k aviois. By this point it has probably close to 2 years since the BAPP so wait for 2 years and another bonus open that again and keep looping. Keep a nectar card in between to keep earning whilst waiting for uplift. [Assuming the current bonus and 2 year rules stay in place].
This way every 2.5 years ish you are earning about 226k avios plus 2 vouchers. Not counting the nectar points in between. A return ticket to say Japan is 220k avios (peak) plus £550 in club return. The 241 BAPP would mean that costs you 110k avios, Barclays upgrade means paying 100k points (I think). The 226k points used with one 241 and one Barclays upgrade gets you 2 trips to the far east in club. Only one trip if you want get to Australia.
I think there is space to think about your earning strategy rather than I don’t earn enough avios to use my voucher.
Are you eligible for the Barclaycard Avios Plus SUB? There’s a 50k SUB available that could help earn you enough avios for a LH redemption.
Maybe consider downgrading to the free BA Amex for now, if you’re not going to use the voucher. Obviously, you’ll earn less, but the 0.5 extra avios per £1 spend is definitely not worth the £250 annual fee without using the voucher.
As someone pointed out recently, BA’s surcharges mean that using avios for long haul doesn’t guarantee good value. So if you decide you want to use the 241 voucher, a trip to one of the further destinations like Greece or the Canaries would be pretty good use of it, especially if you wanted to travel at a popular time. Lounge access plus CE cabin make for a pleasant experience.
Or alternatively you could use it for long haul RFS – admittedly this would be in economy but if you decided to pay for an exit row seat this makes it much more bearable.
You might even be able to get PE to (e.g.)east coast USA or DXB if using the 50% avios option. Or CW out and economy back if you play around with the avios/cash options.
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