What to do with my companion voucher?

[Aston100]

Hello,
I have a companion voucher that expires in March 2023.
There is no way I am going to be flying longhaul with BA before summer 2023.
I was going to wait a couple of months and then book a domestic flight using that voucher and then cancel it the next day for an FTV. I was going to use the FTV this August (t minus 355) to book something for summer 2023.

Just read a few comments elsewhere on this site that BA are refunding FTVs.
This is clearly not what I want to happen if I’ve used mine for just a domestic flight with a view to rebooking later this year onto a longhaul for summer 2023.

Any thoughts on what I should do now?

By the way, I’ve got another companion voucher expiring in September 2023. No idea what will happen with that one since the next longhaul with BA will be Xmas 2023 and I believe FTVs expire in Sept 2023 (can’t see them being extended further).

Thanks

EDIT: I generally do longhaul twice a year; Summer 2022 and Xmas 2022 are already set, so the companion vouchers mentioned above are no good for those travels.

• This topic was modified 54 years, 4 months ago by .

[ChrisC]

BA are only refunding simple FTVs not those with 2-4-1s in them.

So what I would do is

1. book something now that is eligible for an FTV (so for before end of August)

2. Don’t cancel that flight until close into the flight date

3. Rebook immediatly using the FTV when your 2023 flights are available.

[tiriavpo]

Aston100 wrote:

By the way, I’ve got another companion voucher expiring in September 2023. No idea what will happen with that one since the next longhaul with BA will be Xmas 2023 and I believe FTVs expire in Sept 2023 (can’t see them being extended further).

As it stands, you are probably better off with a 241 expiring in Sep 23 than with a FTV expiring in Sep 23. For a regular 241 it is just outbound that has to be before 241 expiry and you take any companion, for a FTV the whole trip has to be complete by end Sep 23 and it has to be the same companion as the original (FTVd) booking.

• This reply was modified 54 years, 4 months ago by .

[NorthernLass]

May half term 2023 work for you? (isn’t your partner a teacher?) I have got 2 FTVs with 241s and can’t face calling BA just yet. My plan is to call You First later in the year and ask them to book me anywhere BA is flying F to for a few days (within reason, I’m not sure I’d enjoy Kuwait, for example).

• This reply was modified 54 years, 4 months ago by .

[meta]

I know it’s generally not a good use of 241 vouchers, but they can be used for short-haul and I did use them in the past for cheap holiday overall. I usually link it to some crazy low points-priced Holiday Inn or similar. For example, spent 10 days in Sardinia. Paid £100 + 30k Avios for RT in CE to Cagliari (cash price for 2 was cca £700, so only a slight saving) 5k points per night for Holiday Inn near the airport (used points earned by my partner on work trips), rent a car cost cca £300. The room was clean though absolutely terrible design. However, we didn’t spend much time in the room and drove all around South of Sardinia. It was probably the best summer holiday we did.

So 10 days for less than £1k when you count in the 241 voucher and Avios cost.

[John]

BA isn’t going to refund FTVs with 241s.

With the 241 expiring March 2023, your choices are FTV it before August 2022, and then you have until September 2023 to decide what to fly with it, but must fly and return by then;

or book something by March 2023 which could be as late as Feb 2024.

If it were me I’d go for the latter.

Sep 2023 241 can be booked in Sep 2023 for summer 2024.

If 241s are hard to use I would reconsider my holding of the BAPP (which is why I haven’t held one for 5 years).

[Aston100]

NorthernLass wrote:

May half term 2023 work for you? (isn’t your partner a teacher?)

I shall never make fun of Chris Heyes and his total disregard for personal identifiable information ever again!
BTW, did we ever establish what became of dear Chris?

But yes, May half term next 2023 would work in theory, but I have a ‘me problem’: I can’t bear the thought of travelling long haul for (what will likely be) 6 or 7 nights max. If I’m going to the effort of travelling far away, it needs to be for 2 weeks or more to make the most of it.
On the other hand, if I travel shorthaul, I feel it would be a waste of a companion voucher as European shorthaul business class seems barely any better than regular economy for an approx 3 hours in the air.
Like I say, it is a ‘me problem’.

Easter 2023 is not an option for other reasons.

• This reply was modified 54 years, 4 months ago by .

[masaccio]

Aston100 wrote:

But yes, May half term next 2023 would work in theory, but I have a ‘me problem’: I can’t bear the thought of travelling long haul for (what will likely be) 6 or 7 nights max. If I’m going to the effort of travelling far away, it needs to be for 2 weeks or more to make the most of it.

May half-term should be a day longer next year because of the Jubilee. We’re doing St Lucia Sat -> Sun arriving back in the UK Monday.

But then I do (did) long haul in WTP regularly for 3-4 nights. Sometimes 1 night (man that was always grim).

[ChrisC]

Remeber the bank holidays will be Thurday and Friday that week and as most schools are already off that week so no half term won’t be a day longer

[Aston100]

masaccio wrote:

Aston100 wrote:

But yes, May half term next 2023 would work in theory, but I have a ‘me problem’: I can’t bear the thought of travelling long haul for (what will likely be) 6 or 7 nights max. If I’m going to the effort of travelling far away, it needs to be for 2 weeks or more to make the most of it.

May half-term should be a day longer next year because of the Jubilee. We’re doing St Lucia Sat -> Sun arriving back in the UK Monday.

But then I do (did) long haul in WTP regularly for 3-4 nights. Sometimes 1 night (man that was always grim).

Isn’t that this year (2022)?

EDIT: in the first days of these new forums, I only had a captcha once. Now I get them all the time when there are multiple quotes… but at least my post comes through right away.

• This reply was modified 54 years, 4 months ago by .

[NorthernLass]

My head’s going to explode.
The Jubilee is this year.
A 241 expiring Sep 23 needs the outbound leg flying by Sep 23. You could come back in 2024 but I don’t think that’s an option for Aston100!
RFS can be excellent value in the school holidays. I have seen economy to TFS going for £800 at February half term.
Yeah, half term isn’t longer, most schools are adding the extra day to the summer – cos that holiday isn’t long enough already!
We did 3 nights in NYC a couple of years ago, out in F and back in CW and it was fab. Hopefully doing the same to BOS in March.

• This reply was modified 54 years, 4 months ago by .

[masaccio]

Aston100 wrote:

Isn’t that this year (2022)?

Oh bloody hell of course. The years are melting together. Gah, pandemic.

[Aston100]

Thank you for the input thus far.

I will take action next week.
But first, just want to make sure I’ve understood the steps correctly:
1. For now, do nothing with the 2nd companion voucher (the one expiring in Sept 2023). Wait to see if BA announce anything later this year.
2. Regarding the 1st companion voucher (the one expiring in March 2023), book a 241 domestic flight from LHR to somewhere up north, with the outbound well after 2nd August 2022, and inbound before 31st August 2022
3. A few days before 2nd August 2022, cancel the above flight for an FTV.
4. On 2nd August 2022 (t minus 355), contact BA and get them to use the FTV towards an outbound longhaul flight to somewhere East or South we want to go on 22nd July 2023.
5. At 1am on On 24th August 2022, contact BA to book the inbound flight for 13th August 2023 and combine it with the outbound. Hope that they adjust the avios and taxes etc

Does that sound about right? I’ve got enough Avios to book the flights for summer 2023 independently without the companion voucher, if it helps to speed things up.

Thanks in advance.

• This reply was modified 54 years, 4 months ago by .

[NorthernLass]

2. You don’t need to make a return booking IMO.
4 & 5. You will probably need to be VERY flexible with your destinations given that you want to travel on specific dates during the peak period, and lots of people will be scrabbling about to use up their FTVs. I would find somewhere where you’re pretty sure you’re going to be able to get both outbound and return on avios.