Can't redeem for non-household member?
Oct 16, 2012, 12:38 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 70
Can't redeem for non-household member?
Tried to redeem Avios for a friend yesterday using my Avios. Agent told me I couldn't as my account was now part of a household account and pax was not part of the household. Said only way to do it was to unwind the household a/c. Is this right? Seems a nonsense to me.
Bombo
Bombo
Oct 16, 2012, 12:46 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: somewhere north of London, UK
Programs: HH Gold, BA Silver, Accor Silver
Posts: 15,245
Those are the rules. The Household account is a hugely valuable attribute (and a rare find in frequent flier schemes).
The only exception as I understand it is using a 2-4-1 voucher - but you have to do that on the phone.
(Probably an attempt to reduce fraud...)
The only exception as I understand it is using a 2-4-1 voucher - but you have to do that on the phone.
(Probably an attempt to reduce fraud...)
Oct 16, 2012, 12:52 am
#4
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: London
Programs: MUCCI; BAEC Lifetime Gold; Marriott Bonvoy Emeritus Titanium; Hertz#1, Avis President’s Club
Posts: 3,214
Oct 16, 2012, 1:10 am
#5
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,753
Tried to redeem Avios for a friend yesterday using my Avios. Agent told me I couldn't as my account was now part of a household account and pax was not part of the household. Said only way to do it was to unwind the household a/c. Is this right? Seems a nonsense to me.
Bombo
Bombo
However, if you wish to retain your Household Account and redeem some Avios for another passenger who is not a member of said HHA, then the route to doing so is to transfer some Avios from your BA account to a pure Avios account.
They will be then be available for you to use, from the pure Avios account, on a third-party.
The Combine My Avios tool is your friend:
https://www.britishairways.com/trave...club/_gf/en_gb
Oct 16, 2012, 2:10 am
#7
Join Date: Jan 2006
Programs: MUCCI
Posts: 5,706
It can be different. If you are struggling for avilability always check there too.
If UK based you should have an Avios.com account as well as a BAEC one (and setup an IB+ one as well, incase you ever need it - as there is a 90 days rule before you could transfer into IB+ to fund it).
Ofcourse, there are things you can not do from an Avios.com account, and also issues with IB+ accounts, hence if I can do something from BAEc, I do it from BAEC.
However Avios.com and IB+ can both do other things that BAEC can not.
Oct 16, 2012, 2:10 am
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: somewhere north of London, UK
Programs: HH Gold, BA Silver, Accor Silver
Posts: 15,245
Bear in mind if there are any under 18's in your HHA, they will forfeit their points if you unwind it.
Oct 16, 2012, 2:13 am
#9
Join Date: Jun 2003
Programs: BA, IHG, 5C
Posts: 4,413
20. Members can choose to take anyone as a Companion on their Companion Voucher booking except if the member is part of a Household Account. In such an instance, the companion must also belong to the Household Account.
Oct 16, 2012, 2:31 am
#10
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Gold, Hilton Gold, IHG Gold Ambassador
Posts: 142
Don't know if they've started to enforce a change yet, but my recent 241 now has the condition:
20. Members can choose to take anyone as a Companion on their Companion Voucher booking except if the member is part of a Household Account. In such an instance, the companion must also belong to the Household Account.
20. Members can choose to take anyone as a Companion on their Companion Voucher booking except if the member is part of a Household Account. In such an instance, the companion must also belong to the Household Account.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/19089605-post1841.html
Seems a little overly restrictive to me (ok, I'm an Amex PP Cardholder with a HHA...)
GD
Oct 16, 2012, 2:37 am
#11
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: BA - Blue > Bronze > Silver > Bronze > Blue
Posts: 6,812
Oct 16, 2012, 4:43 am
#13
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: GCM
Posts: 1,009
Oct 16, 2012, 12:10 pm
#14
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 2,832
For 2-4-1 vouchers held by U.S.-based Executive Club members (from their Chase credit cards), the Terms and Conditions continue to allow Household Account (HHA) members to select a companion who is outside the HHA:
"Companions do not have to be named within a BA Executive Club Household Account. Members can choose to take anyone as a Companion on their redemption voucher booking."
Despite this statement, the customer service agents at the U.S. call center told me last week that their computers will not accept a companion booking for a non-HHA member. They indicated that this was a "recent change." So it appears that the T&C's haven't caught up with reality.....
"Companions do not have to be named within a BA Executive Club Household Account. Members can choose to take anyone as a Companion on their redemption voucher booking."
Despite this statement, the customer service agents at the U.S. call center told me last week that their computers will not accept a companion booking for a non-HHA member. They indicated that this was a "recent change." So it appears that the T&C's haven't caught up with reality.....