Spare Cabin Upgrade Voucher?

[executiveclubber]

Reminder that you can use your “Upgrade” voucher (actually just an Avios redemption reduction to the cheaper seats) to buy someone else’s flight via your account, and there are plenty of people here who would benefit from such an arrangement!

[Aston100]

What is the worst that can happen?

[Anna]

Indeed, my OH has kindly booked me CE return to AGP with one of his vouchers at October half term when he can’t travel! Admittedly not the best use but cash prices were nudging £600 last time I looked so not too shabby.

[Reney]

Aston100 wrote:

What is the worst that can happen?

I agree with Anna, I have used my sister’s voucher before. But the original poster implies others on HFP might benefit so it feels like this thread should be linked with the can I borrow 27k avios thread.

[Aston100]

No really, I am curious what is the worst that can happen if you used your voucher to buy a ticket for a stranger on the internet.

[Stu_N]

Aston100 wrote:

No really, I am curious what is the worst that can happen if you used your voucher to buy a ticket for a stranger on the internet.

Ticket cancelled, both BAEC accounts closed so Avois and status wiped and a lifetime ban from BAEC.

[Reney]

Other possible scenario:

I think you have to give some personal details in order for a plane ticket to be purchased so possible identity thief issues (for the person who is flying).

Assuming there was meant to be a payment exchange, the least worst case is someone went on a nice holiday with your voucher and points and the original owner got nothing back.

[executiveclubber]

Moreso a reminder. I’ve seen so many people allow these things to expire, when family, friends (and yes HFPers) would get a lot of value out of them.

No need to exchange payment if it would expire anyway!

[executiveclubber]

Reney wrote:

Ticket cancelled, both BAEC accounts closed so Avois and status wiped and a lifetime ban from BAEC.

I highly doubt this happens regularly if at all. BA can’t even show you a flight you bought in the app, let alone start punishing valuable members with draconian measures to lose their business forever….

[JDB]

executiveclubber wrote:

Reney wrote:

Ticket cancelled, both BAEC accounts closed so Avois and status wiped and a lifetime ban from BAEC.

I highly doubt this happens regularly if at all. BA can’t even show you a flight you bought in the app, let alone start punishing valuable members with draconian measures to lose their business forever….

If you believe that, you are either rather naive or ill informed.

[executiveclubber]

JDB wrote:

executiveclubber wrote:

Reney wrote:

Ticket cancelled, both BAEC accounts closed so Avois and status wiped and a lifetime ban from BAEC.

I highly doubt this happens regularly if at all. BA can’t even show you a flight you bought in the app, let alone start punishing valuable members with draconian measures to lose their business forever….

If you believe that, you are either rather naive or ill informed.

No need to be personal. Have you got any evidence to suggest anyone has gotten a lifetime ban from BA for… using their upgrade voucher for someone else?

[JDB]

@executiveclubber – not yet re upgrade voucher but there is plenty of evidence of BA/IAG aggressively closing accounts to protect its position as the sole marketplace for Avios and all the vouchers etc that surround it. Clearly, it depends who you use the voucher for and you can act however you want with your vouchers, Avios etc. but you should do so advisedly and at your peril.

[Reney]

executiveclubber wrote:

Reney wrote:

Ticket cancelled, both BAEC accounts closed so Avois and status wiped and a lifetime ban from BAEC.

I highly doubt this happens regularly if at all. BA can’t even show you a flight you bought in the app, let alone start punishing valuable members with draconian measures to lose their business forever….

Hmm the quoting is going a bit wrong here.

[Reney]

executiveclubber wrote:

Moreso a reminder. I’ve seen so many people allow these things to expire, when family, friends (and yes HFPers) would get a lot of value out of them.

No need to exchange payment if it would expire anyway!

This assumes I can gift a voucher and the receiver can use their own avios pool? I have only used this in the context of a household account so not sure this works that way. If it can’t then you are gifting the voucher (which fair point if of no value no payment is needed) but the avois is of value.

If the receiver is using their own avios I.e will need to book via their own account how to convince BA to book a flight using someone else voucher unless you have been made a named nominee on their account which no one here would do for a stranger. Too many questions on how practically this would work.

If it was a voucher code that you can gift away then I can see practically how it might apply.

[FatherOfFour]

and I doubt that BA will ever make it possible to “gift” the voucher from one account to another. When agreeing the finances with BC and Amex, they presumably have an assumption about the % that go unused, which subsidise those being used very effectively. If they were giftable, a lot more would be used and they’d probably be used by people who know how to extract the best value. I think it’s a nice feature (vs Amex) that you can use them on bookings for friends and family and don’t have to travel yourself, but I would be very nervous of extending this outside my immediate friends and family group.

[can2]

I knew this was coming after someone else was asking for 27k Avios.

What is next? Asking an Avios millionaire to include you in his household account?

[Stu_N]

executiveclubber wrote:

Reney wrote:

Ticket cancelled, both BAEC accounts closed so Avois and status wiped and a lifetime ban from BAEC.

I highly doubt this happens regularly if at all. BA can’t even show you a flight you bought in the app, let alone start punishing valuable members with draconian measures to lose their business forever….

1) I’ve seen this sort of thing crop up on flyertalk a few times a year and I’m a very casual browser of that site.
2) businesses take revenue protection very seriously and a few cases pour decourager les autres is probably money well spent by BAEC
3) BA will know who their valuable members are (or profitable customers) and be fine with losing the custom of chanchers who are breaking the rules
4) no one is saying this happens often but the poster asked for worst case scenario