Greetings: I did receive the official written notification and it's all very exciting ( I'm an optimist on things like this). I do have a question concerning the companion ticket/$30,000 annual purchase benefit. The letter states that all these benefits start on 11/12/09( Or around that date -- don't have the letter in front of me) and that this specific benefit is based on $30,000 in credit card purchases per calendar year. Does that mean that the benefit will start to be calculated on the basis of 2009 calendar year spending or 2010 calendar year spending ( or some other formulation starting in November 2009). The info I received wasn't clear on this point. Thanks for deciphering this for me ( and all those others that might be interested in the answer).
If no one has by the time I get home from work, I will. The benefit I was referring to was (this is from memory) a free companion ticket the same class as a redeemed rewards ticket if you spend $30,000 on the card in a calendar year( good for 2 years from the date of award certificate issuance). Again this is from memory so if I mis-read or mis-remembered the benefit, my apologies.
Programs: BA Blue, Flying Blue, AA Platinum. Starwood, Hilton Diamond, A-Club, Kimpton.
Posts: 868
Mine was in the mail.... So here is what it says....
Redeem for 1 travel for 2
Every year you spend $30,000 you will receive a redemption voucher for a ticket for a companion valid for 2 years. Redeem your BA Miles for a British Airways flight and take anyone with you on the same flight, in the same class of service.
Earn 25% more BA Miles on British Airways purchases.
Accelerate your rewards even more, by earning 2.5 BA miles for every $1 spent on British Airways flights, land products, and vacation packages.
Earn 25% more BA Miles on everyday purchases
Now, every time you use your card, you'll earn 1.25 miles for every $1 you spend.
These new benefits will take affect on November 12th, 2009 and are in addition to our complimentary companion ticket offer - every time you purchase a full-fare First , Club World, or World Traveller Plus ticket , you receive a complimentary companion ticket. Plus, you still receive $50 off every ticket purchased online at ba.com/get50.
The website for the new 2 for 1 reward travel offer is :
I just received the following letter in the mail from Chase Bank which is the issuer of my British Airways Visa Credit Card:
Good News! We've enhanced your British Airways Visa Card benefits, so that you'll have more opportunities to go wherever we fly.
1. Redeem for 1, Travel for 2. *
Every year you spend $30,000 you will receive a redemption voucher for a ticket for a companion, valid for 2 years. Redeem your BA Miles for a British Airways flight and take anyone with you, on the same flight, in the same class of service.
2. Earn 25% more BA Miles on British Airways purchases.
Accelerate your rewards even more, by earning 2.5 BA miles for every $1 spent on British Airways Flights, land products and vacation packages.
3. Earn 25% more BA Miles on everyday purchases.
Now, everytime you use your card, you"ll earn 1.25 miles for every $1 you spend
These new benefits will take affect on November 12th, 2009 and are in addition to our complimentary companion ticket offer - every time you purchase a full-fare First, Club-World, or World Traveller Plus ticket, you"ll receive a complimentary companion ticket. Plus, you still receive $50 off every ticket purchased online at ba.com/get50
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The fine print on the 2 4 1 reads as follows:
"Subject to availability. Taxes, fees, charges and surcharges, including airline surcharges apply. British Airways Executive Club terms and conditions apply. Cardmember must spend $30,000 in a single calendar year on their British Airways Visa card to receive a Redemption Voucher for a companion ticket. Cardmember is eligible for only one Voucher each calendar year. Cardmember will receive the voucher 4-6 weeks after the billing cycle when the Cardmember reaches $30,000 in purchases, and will not be eligible for another Voucher until the next calendar year. Voucher is valid for a companion ticket in conjunction with Cardmember's reward flight on BA taken within 2 years from the date of issue. All Redemption Vouchers will be issued in the name of the main Cardmember who must travel on any booking where the voucher is used. Redemption Voucher(s) cannot be used in connection with any other promotion and is only valid if it has been acquired in accordance with the rules of this promotion. Redemption vouchers are not extendable, transferable and have no cash or mileage value. Companion must travel with the Cardmember on both the outbound and inbound journey and must be booked at the same time for both directions. Redemption Flights and Redemption Vouchers may only be used for flights on British Airways mainline service, which have a BA prefixed flight number. Travel on franchise, codeshare or alliance airlines is not permitted. Travel must originate and return to the US. Additional restrictions apply. Please visit ba.com/Redeemfor1Travelfor2
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So...I called the US British Executive Club phone number and the agent who took my call absolutely insisted that the 2 4 1 Voucher cannot be used in conjunction with a British Airways Executive Club booking. She said that only "paid" tickets were eligible for a British Airways Visa Cardmember to use the 2 4 1 Voucher. I read her verbatim the language from the fine print in the rules and she still would not concede that these 2 4 1 Vouchers would be able to be used in conjunction with Executive Club award bookings.
I mentioned that the UK based Executive Club members have always been able to use their British Airways Amex 2 4 1 Voucher in conjunction with mileage bookings and she said that this was only a UK Benefit and would not extend to Executive Club Members based in the US.
Additionally, since the spend accrual period is based upon a calendar year I asked if my spend going back to January 1, 2009 would count towards the $30,000 threshold. (It would seem foolish to start a new program on November 12th, 2009 and expect anyone to reach the $30,000 spend level in a mere six (6) weeks; until the end of the calendar year.
True to fashion, the BA Executive Club representative said that I would have to speak with Chase to get the answer to this question. I spent over a half hour on the phone with Chase and they said that they only send over the monthly mileage amount(s) to the British Airways Executive Club and they in turn post these to their member's Executive Club accounts. Incredibly, Chase insists that the BA Executive Club will issue the 2 4 1 Vouchers and I need to go back to British Airways to ask whether the 30,000 spend accrual will start from November 12th, 2009 or retroactive back to January 1st, 2009.
If we will be able to use the 2 4 1 Voucher with a mileage booking, is one able to do it all online from the website, or will we have to call on the phone and be subject to the additional $20.00 fees for each ticket?
Anyone have any additional information on these issues???
Programs: AA Gold, BA Silver, *wood Gold, Marriott Silver, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 950
Quote:
Originally Posted by zoosh
The fine print on the 2 4 1 reads as follows:
"Subject to availability. Taxes, fees, charges and surcharges, including airline surcharges apply. British Airways Executive Club terms and conditions apply. Cardmember must spend $30,000 in a single calendar year on their British Airways Visa card to receive a Redemption Voucher for a companion ticket. Cardmember is eligible for only one Voucher each calendar year. Cardmember will receive the voucher 4-6 weeks after the billing cycle when the Cardmember reaches $30,000 in purchases, and will not be eligible for another Voucher until the next calendar year. Voucher is valid for a companion ticket in conjunction with Cardmember's reward flight on BA taken within 2 years from the date of issue. All Redemption Vouchers will be issued in the name of the main Cardmember who must travel on any booking where the voucher is used. Redemption Voucher(s) cannot be used in connection with any other promotion and is only valid if it has been acquired in accordance with the rules of this promotion. Redemption vouchers are not extendable, transferable and have no cash or mileage value. Companion must travel with the Cardmember on both the outbound and inbound journey and must be booked at the same time for both directions. Redemption Flights and Redemption Vouchers may only be used for flights on British Airways mainline service, which have a BA prefixed flight number. Travel on franchise, codeshare or alliance airlines is not permitted. Travel must originate and return to the US. Additional restrictions apply. Please visit ba.com/Redeemfor1Travelfor2
For those who typically use BA miles for flights on OW partners (i.e. CX, QF, LAN etc.), take note of the above bolded restriction.
Reading the promotional materials for the Redeem for 1 Travel for 2, it appears to me that the reference to taking someone with you "on the same flight" means the complimentary companion ticket only applies to one way travel, not roundtrip. Any one else read it this way? If so, it certainly diminishes the value of this "enhancement."
My wife and I both got our notices in the mail yesterday from JP Morgan Chase. Right now she is taking advantage of the 5X program from October 1 to December 31 with the 12,500 miles max. I don't understand why her card got selected for it instead of mine as I my card earns the more miles each year. However it really doesn't matter as we have a household account.
I guess that those purchases that don't qualify for the 5X miles (for her card) will then get 1.25X miles starting November 12.
My JP Morgan Chase United Airlines card is getting only a crummy 2X miles on certain purchases during this 3-month period (no maximum miles) - still better than 1X.
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