blindy

I had a letter in the post saying that I have now been awarded one of these upgrade vouchers. My first thought was "Did I spend so much on that card?" Anyway, apparently the voucher has been lying in my Avios account for over a month now. I hardly ever login to that account. Why can't they just send me an email to notify me? Rant over.

As I understand it, if I want to use this voucher, I need to look for Avios availability in both classes of travel. So if I wanted to upgrade WT+ to CW, there needs to be Avios availability in both the classes on the same flight. Can someone confirm this please? Is there a way to upgrade cash bookings with this voucher?
Looks like the voucher can be used on a return tickets or two one-way journeys which is some sort of consolation I guess provided one does find availability.

Also, the voucher is valid only for a year and I didn't even know about its existence for over a month! Grumble grumble.

Cap'n Benj

Is it not the case you need to book an expensive WT+ ticket in the first place, ie a T fare won't do?

I maybe incorrect but I believe that was one of the (many) reasons I binned the card off after the mega bonus period ended.

SteveF

Me too, but I think that the rules are slightly different under the new scheme. For a start the old voucher only allowed travel in Y whereas the new one allows J.

I think...

To the OP, you only need Avios availability in the class you are upgrading to, not from as well.

cynicalmoose

The 0% fee on foreign currency transactions (and earning Avios to boot) may make it worth keeping in the back of the wallet.

Cap'n Benj

As pointed out by SteveF, my knowledge is likely out of date, I had forgotten a new card was out after the TSB split.

The 0% certainly sounds appealing, going through Lloyds app and IT processes again certain doesn't though!

the_real_a

According to HfP, a reader confirmed that there needs to be availability ONLY in J...

Raffles

Full story here http://www.headforpoints.com/2014/07...s-credit-card/ but to quote

When you have earned a voucher, it will appear in your avios.com account.

From mid-2014 you need to redeem the voucher online – you can no longer redeem by phone

There does NOT need to be Avios availability in the orginal booking class, only the upgraded booking class. Our guinea pig proved this by booking two business class seats on a European flight where no economy seats were available.

(This is an important point. Upgrade vouchers often require availability to be showing in both the base and upgraded categories. This does NOT happen here. In effect, what the voucher effectively does is let you book an Avios reward seat for the price of a reward seat one class lower.)

The voucher lets you upgrade (or get a discount on) one return flight or two one-way flights. If you want to upgrade two one-way flights, they MUST be done in the same booking with both passengers travelling together. You CANNOT upgrade one one-way flight now and another flight next month as the voucher expires as soon as it is used once.

Whilst the voucher is only valid for 12 months, you only need to BOOK within this period. Our guinea pig proved this by booking for mid 2015, way after the expiry date of his voucher.

Enigma368

It says the voucher can only be used if the voucher holder is travelling but I got through to the payment page using the voucher having specified a different passenger to myself(without me on the booking at all). I suspect this rule may not be enforced, at least it does not seem to be enforced by their IT.

Whether they would catch this manually after booking IDK, but seems unlikely...

Godot

I'd think of it less as an 'upgrade' voucher and more of a 'book CW for the Avios of WT+' voucher (or WT+ for the Avios of WT I guess).

I used one earlier this year for an open-jaw LHR > YUL and PHX > LHR booking in CW. Had to phone up to use it, but it was a quick and easy call and the phone booking fee was waived due to the inability to make this booking online (I hear YMMV on this).
This is incorrect - you can just 'upgrade' a flight booked with reward miles (but no availability in the original class is needed).

Enigma368

Has anyone ever been able to use this on an ex EU booking. e.g. AMS-LHR-JFK but just upgrading the LHR-JFK leg of the booking? Would be useful for saving on taxes... Terms and conditions don't state booking needs to originate in UK but others here have said that rule exists.

Also, does anyone know if you could use it to book two one ways, for the voucher holder and partner, where the one ways were on different dates e.g. because I want to fly on one Date and partner is to come a few days later. Any likelihood of this being allowed?

Swibbz

I don't know if the flight needs to originate in the UK or not (the T&Cs do not say either way).

The upgrades do need to be on the same PNR and at the same time so you would not be able to book two one ways on two separate dates.

From the T&C's:
Upgrade vouchers can be used to upgrade either 2 one way flights for 2 people travelling at the same time and to the same destination or 1 return journey booked on a British Airways main line service. British Airways codeshare flights are excluded. Flights from London City airport are excluded.

yokozuma

I only just realised I had the voucher sitting in my account, never received any letter. My fault for not checking as well.

Two months before it expires but from what I remember it can only be used when the fare is FULL avios, no part avios part cash.

yokozuma

I only just realised I had the voucher sitting in my account, never received any letter. My fault for not checking as well.

Two months before it expires but from what I remember it can only be used when the fare is FULL avios, no part avios part cash.

For that reason it'll probably go unused Still, the card has been worth while for picking up Avios whilst abroad.

nearlyheadlessian

I've got an upgrade voucher and a 241 - at a loss what to do with them!

EDI_Martin

I'll be honest, i'll trigger the voucher and probably not use it. This wasn't part of the carrot that attracted me to the card, no foreign fees and ability to collect Avios with it were the carrot for me.