Clack

I've earned a GUF2 each of the past ten years. I've never redeemed a single one of them, mainly because the wife is not able to join my business trips because of the kids, and our holidays are often booked with Avios where it becomes too much of a run-around to figure out how to get everyone seated together. Then there is the fact that I've asked our corporate TA (AmEx) to try to use them on some of my business flights, and they've always come back with too many excuses about it being too hard, no availability, etc. Finally, as long as I'm in CW I'm fine; I don't think the jump to F for some more expensive wine that I don't drink is worth it. In fact I've turned down upgrades on 747s that would take me out of my Upper Deck cocoon and stick me in the cramped nose F section, which I don't care for at all. Maybe it's worthwhile on the A380, but I've never been offered that one. So the GUF2s just expire each year.

However, major life change afoot - the big corporate gig is finally ending in December. While I'm excited to be free of the corporate BS on the one hand, by far the worst part (other than the lack of a paycheck) will be downgrading to long-haul economy. I should be able to pull in some consulting gigs with clients in the US and Europe, but being based in Singapore (until the kid finishes school) means absolutely brutal hours in the way-back. I've got my Gold for Life so I can queue up like I'm still a big-shot, but folding my 6'2" frame into those miserable coach seats for 16 hours back to California will kill me - possibly literally.

So, I need to make use of the GUF2 any way I can going forward to get upgraded to CW for these long-hauls such as SIN-LHR. I've read through the 50 pages of this thread and come out more confused than when I started. Can someone give me the short easy answer to this question - what is the best way to use a GUF2, or Avios for that matter, to pay for economy and fly CW? I can usually book some months in advance, but now that I will be paying for my travel myself, I can't afford to pay for CW and I can't fathom 13-16-hour flights in coach at my age and build. Thanks for any simple advice on how to do this - while a million-miler on three different airlines over the years, I've only really used miles and Avios to book mostly short-haul economy awards for family holidays. Now I need to master their use to get my long-haul business trips up to CW any way I can.

Cymro

You generally can't... but; you can either pay for economy and upgrade to premium economy using miles/GUF voucher, or premium economy to Club (usually much better value).

If you're booked in premium economy as a gold you have a good chance of being upgraded to Club for free anyway, but it's impossible to guarantee.

Remember that ExpertFlyer and baredemptionfinder.com are your friends in finding award availability; that day flights are much easier in economy (e.g., BA10 out of BKK for the westbound, either connecting on CX the day before or on a separate booking) and that a good travel agent (if you can find one - Propeller Travel in the UK but not 100% sure that they can handle SIN-originating fares) can use a GUF even where there is no miles availability as long as it's all BA metal and there is availability in the lowest fare bucket for the higher cabin.

Finally, remember that fares out of Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur are frequently much, much lower than out of Singapore.

flashware

And of course you can use Avios to position to BKK and KUL for decent value in J.

Cymro

You can, but given how pleasant MH's economy product is, and the plethora of low cost airlines on those routes, I'm not sure I'd bother unless I was already earning more than I could spend on upgrades.

SIN-BKK is only a daily non-stop or a connecting flight with MH if you want OW options. It's a good way to travel *from* BKK-SIN but the connection is about 20h SIN-BKK-LHR so probably not worth it.

KARFA

Not much more to add over what has been posted already. the GUF guide here though may be worth a read in terms of learning how they work BA Gold Upgrade Voucher Discussion and Wiki Thread

thejohn

Sorry but I did try to google search my question without any joy so can I ask this question. I'm soon going to earn a GUF2. And I have a BA Holiday booked for next February it's a N class fare on a BA aircraft with my 2 adult children from LHR-DOH-DPS we are booked in WT, is it possible to use the GUF2 and a Avios upgrade so the 3 of us to travel WTP (there is availability)LHR-DOH leg.
Thanks in advance
John

teledude

Yes. Call BA holidays

thejohn

Thanks for the quick reply teledude all I have to do now is hope that the 3 WTP tickets will be available after the GUF2 lands in my BAEC account in the middle of Sept.
John

Cymro

Are you sure about that? LHR-DOH is at serious risk of being cancelled and replaced by a QR-operated flight, plus BA Holidays is treated as a travel agent and DOH-DPS is undoubtedly going to be on a BA codeshare on QR metal.

Do the restrictions on TA bookings apply if the non-BA operated flight is a BA codeshare?

teledude

The GUF and UuA will only apply to BA coded operated legs. If they cancel after I'd like to think you'd get moved to QR J. No guarantee though.

Cymro

I agree there's no chance of upgrading the QR operated legs, but isn't there a general prohibition on UUAing any leg of a booking with avios or a GUF if it is both a TA booking (as BA Holidays would be) and there is a non-BA element to it? (What I can't remember is whether it applies to codeshares or not).

(There may be ways around this but BA Holidays is sure to follow the letter of the law plus, I think, when the rules changed about using a GUF on a TA booking so that you could upgrade at a later stage, it still follows the avios rules).

Clack

Thanks, folks, I'll check those guides. Yes, it's no problem to hop over to KL or BKK to pick up a BA long-haul there, and I certainly don't mind coach for that 1-2-hour flight.

However, when I look at SIN-LHR in January, I get S$1200 / S$2400 / S$6500 for Econ, Premium Econ, and CW respectively. From BKK on BA, those (currency converted) figures are S$1300, S$3300, and S4700, and that's not including the cost of getting to BKK. So it appears the coach and PE on BKK-LHR are the same or even more expensive than SIN-LHR, but CW is slightly cheaper. Not sure it's going to make much difference.

So maybe the best idea is to try to buy economy and upgrade to PE. I don't recall seeing how that is do upgrades (Avios or GUF2) on the website - do I have to call BA to do that?

tango3

There is an ex-KUL fare on PE for travel until March 2019 for around S$1900 (to LHR; cheaper S$1700 to DUB).

I did try Propeller Travel before, and they were able to quote a SIN-KEF ticket for the slightly less than the BA website.

mmxbreaks

Wondering if someone can help advise:
I have a booking, all in Club, part of which contains LHR-JFK. Now, I know there's an A fare code available in First on that flight, but no Avios redemption availability.
I'd still like to upgrade the flights using a GUF2 that's not long from expiration. However, as this is a travel agent booking I'm not sure it's possible? Any tips, or is it going to be impossible to action?
Thanks!

flashware

Have you used your 6 month extension yet?