Using 2-4-1 voucher for parents – how?

[Mr. AC]

I’m Red with a bunch of miles and a 2-4-1 voucher, and I want to send off my parents on a Virgin Atlantic flight. I understand this is possible with a status match to Gold and voucher gifting, but not sure about the details.

I’m guessing similar to BA I can’t just book them from my account with a 2-4-1 if I’m not the passenger. Thankfully, Silvers and up can gift vouchers. So I do a status match (booking a cheeky flexible revenue flight to do so) and then gift. But what about the points? I don’t think it’s possible to transfer those.

I guess the obvious choice would be to convert Amex MR points.

Anything I’m missing?

[Reney]

You just need to call up and tell them you want to use your points and your voucher to book flights for your parents. I have done this before (alas covid never flew it).

No idea about status thou, I am a lowly red.

[Bob]

don’t need any status, your best option is to use them for upgrades so book a redemption in premium using your miles and then use the vouchers to upgrade to upper class. you complete the full booking process in a single call.

as you would be using your own miles and vouchers you can book for others no questions asked.

[Mr. AC]

Reporting my experience. tl;dr is that I failed

1. CS refused to apply the voucher as 2-4-1 to a booking where I’m not one of the passengers. Surprisingly they said that using it upgrade is allowed, but the extra taxes made it not worth it in this case.
2. My cheeky plan to get status by using a status match and a refundable booking failed as well. Turns out the match is smartly implemented – they agreed to match me but only shortly before my REVENUE flight (which I booked far in the future) – and as a Red I couldn’t gift the voucher.

So in the end I paid the full points price and still am sitting on a voucher that will probably expire unused in the end.

[Bob]

They are wrong and it is allowed to use vouchers for another passenger where you have used your points to book their tickets and you are not a passenger on the booking. Have done so myself. Just HUCA. (i have previously been advised that vouchers are non refundable for eg or that cancellation is 7 days before and not 24 hours before etc etc)

However if you are red then it’s better value to book the tickets in premium as normal then using the voucher to upgrade. If you use for 2-4-1 then you only get a 50% discount so it’s a 2 for 1.5.