BA American Express 2-4-1 Voucher Discussion
Apr 24, 2019, 3:52 am
#1456
Join Date: Apr 2017
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 1,383
No you can’t use the voucher before it is issued and phoning won’t speed it up. However you might find the voucher shows on your BAEC account online before you get the email notification.
Apr 24, 2019, 3:59 am
#1457
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Lincolnshire, UK
Programs: BA GGL - maybe only briefly!
Posts: 1,378
Thanks for the help. My wife wants to tour Japan, so we’re planning on returning from Osaka, but I guess we may have to consider your suggested alternatives. We are used to booking everything in one go, therefore not worrying about more than is essential!
I take your point about booking the returns online then telephoning to change from rewards to 2-4-1, but a further complication is that we’ll be on hols in Orlando so will have to work out time difference.
I take your point about booking the returns online then telephoning to change from rewards to 2-4-1, but a further complication is that we’ll be on hols in Orlando so will have to work out time difference.
A lot of this depends on how flexible you are on dates and departure points. We booked the outbound to NRT, using the 241 voucher, albeit a couple of days earlier than originally planned, but the flights were available so we jumped in. Booking the return is usually more tetchy as you are probably now down to only a couple of feasible dates, but the watchword is to be flexible - so look at your preferred option, on the day you want, but be prepared to return from, say, Tokyo as well as Osaka, or even from somewhere outside Japan, or a day or two later.
We had already booked a flight from Tokyo to Hong Kong so our primary option was to return from Hong Kong - we were online at 0100 and managed to get the return booked, albeit for the full avios for 2 pax, and then called up later to have the voucher applied and half of the inbound avios refunded. The fall back, if there had been no HKG availability, was to return from Tokyo and cancel the local flight. Of course, you need to have enough avios to book the return at the full avios rate for two using this method. If you do it this way, they remain as separate bookings - which may have its advantages but also note that if want to cancel the whole thing it would be double the cancellation fees.
Online might be your best bet, if you can afford the initial avios outlay, as the seats appear at 1am UK time, which is 8pm in USA, which is when the office closes. You get put through to call centre elsewhere anyway, so you should be able to call just before 8pm and do deal a few minutes later - we did once manage to call the USA number from holiday in South Africa, at 1am UK time, to book a return from Vancouver - and it worked! If doing it online, do everything you can to speed up the booking process - make sure your companion is already 'in the system' and have your payment card saved - and have your CVV to hand. We have also gone through the whole online process as soon as seats appeared, only to see the transaction not go through at the last step - presumably the seats had either been bagged by a quicker clicker or, more likely, by an agent responding to a call.
Another question, if booking return from Hong Kong, which FF miles can be used between Osaka and HK, or is it best to pay? Possibly VS?
Apr 24, 2019, 8:57 am
#1458
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Dorchester, Dorset UK
Programs: BA Gold, BMI, ANA, HH Blue, SPG Gold
Posts: 2,063
We appear to be on similar itineraries!
A lot of this depends on how flexible you are on dates and departure points. We booked the outbound to NRT, using the 241 voucher, albeit a couple of days earlier than originally planned, but the flights were available so we jumped in. Booking the return is usually more tetchy as you are probably now down to only a couple of feasible dates, but the watchword is to be flexible - so look at your preferred option, on the day you want, but be prepared to return from, say, Tokyo as well as Osaka, or even from somewhere outside Japan, or a day or two later.
We had already booked a flight from Tokyo to Hong Kong so our primary option was to return from Hong Kong - we were online at 0100 and managed to get the return booked, albeit for the full avios for 2 pax, and then called up later to have the voucher applied and half of the inbound avios refunded. The fall back, if there had been no HKG availability, was to return from Tokyo and cancel the local flight. Of course, you need to have enough avios to book the return at the full avios rate for two using this method. If you do it this way, they remain as separate bookings - which may have its advantages but also note that if want to cancel the whole thing it would be double the cancellation fees.
Online might be your best bet, if you can afford the initial avios outlay, as the seats appear at 1am UK time, which is 8pm in USA, which is when the office closes. You get put through to call centre elsewhere anyway, so you should be able to call just before 8pm and do deal a few minutes later - we did once manage to call the USA number from holiday in South Africa, at 1am UK time, to book a return from Vancouver - and it worked! If doing it online, do everything you can to speed up the booking process - make sure your companion is already 'in the system' and have your payment card saved - and have your CVV to hand. We have also gone through the whole online process as soon as seats appeared, only to see the transaction not go through at the last step - presumably the seats had either been bagged by a quicker clicker or, more likely, by an agent responding to a call.
We booked the TYO-HKG flight on JAL using avios which was pretty cheap and next to no taxes.
A lot of this depends on how flexible you are on dates and departure points. We booked the outbound to NRT, using the 241 voucher, albeit a couple of days earlier than originally planned, but the flights were available so we jumped in. Booking the return is usually more tetchy as you are probably now down to only a couple of feasible dates, but the watchword is to be flexible - so look at your preferred option, on the day you want, but be prepared to return from, say, Tokyo as well as Osaka, or even from somewhere outside Japan, or a day or two later.
We had already booked a flight from Tokyo to Hong Kong so our primary option was to return from Hong Kong - we were online at 0100 and managed to get the return booked, albeit for the full avios for 2 pax, and then called up later to have the voucher applied and half of the inbound avios refunded. The fall back, if there had been no HKG availability, was to return from Tokyo and cancel the local flight. Of course, you need to have enough avios to book the return at the full avios rate for two using this method. If you do it this way, they remain as separate bookings - which may have its advantages but also note that if want to cancel the whole thing it would be double the cancellation fees.
Online might be your best bet, if you can afford the initial avios outlay, as the seats appear at 1am UK time, which is 8pm in USA, which is when the office closes. You get put through to call centre elsewhere anyway, so you should be able to call just before 8pm and do deal a few minutes later - we did once manage to call the USA number from holiday in South Africa, at 1am UK time, to book a return from Vancouver - and it worked! If doing it online, do everything you can to speed up the booking process - make sure your companion is already 'in the system' and have your payment card saved - and have your CVV to hand. We have also gone through the whole online process as soon as seats appeared, only to see the transaction not go through at the last step - presumably the seats had either been bagged by a quicker clicker or, more likely, by an agent responding to a call.
We booked the TYO-HKG flight on JAL using avios which was pretty cheap and next to no taxes.
Apr 24, 2019, 12:51 pm
#1459
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Dorchester, Dorset UK
Programs: BA Gold, BMI, ANA, HH Blue, SPG Gold
Posts: 2,063
We appear to be on similar itineraries!
A lot of this depends on how flexible you are on dates and departure points. We booked the outbound to NRT, using the 241 voucher, albeit a couple of days earlier than originally planned, but the flights were available so we jumped in. Booking the return is usually more tetchy as you are probably now down to only a couple of feasible dates, but the watchword is to be flexible - so look at your preferred option, on the day you want, but be prepared to return from, say, Tokyo as well as Osaka, or even from somewhere outside Japan, or a day or two later.
We had already booked a flight from Tokyo to Hong Kong so our primary option was to return from Hong Kong - we were online at 0100 and managed to get the return booked, albeit for the full avios for 2 pax, and then called up later to have the voucher applied and half of the inbound avios refunded. The fall back, if there had been no HKG availability, was to return from Tokyo and cancel the local flight. Of course, you need to have enough avios to book the return at the full avios rate for two using this method. If you do it this way, they remain as separate bookings - which may have its advantages but also note that if want to cancel the whole thing it would be double the cancellation fees.
Online might be your best bet, if you can afford the initial avios outlay, as the seats appear at 1am UK time, which is 8pm in USA, which is when the office closes. You get put through to call centre elsewhere anyway, so you should be able to call just before 8pm and do deal a few minutes later - we did once manage to call the USA number from holiday in South Africa, at 1am UK time, to book a return from Vancouver - and it worked! If doing it online, do everything you can to speed up the booking process - make sure your companion is already 'in the system' and have your payment card saved - and have your CVV to hand. We have also gone through the whole online process as soon as seats appeared, only to see the transaction not go through at the last step - presumably the seats had either been bagged by a quicker clicker or, more likely, by an agent responding to a call.
We booked the TYO-HKG flight on JAL using avios which was pretty cheap and next to no taxes.
A lot of this depends on how flexible you are on dates and departure points. We booked the outbound to NRT, using the 241 voucher, albeit a couple of days earlier than originally planned, but the flights were available so we jumped in. Booking the return is usually more tetchy as you are probably now down to only a couple of feasible dates, but the watchword is to be flexible - so look at your preferred option, on the day you want, but be prepared to return from, say, Tokyo as well as Osaka, or even from somewhere outside Japan, or a day or two later.
We had already booked a flight from Tokyo to Hong Kong so our primary option was to return from Hong Kong - we were online at 0100 and managed to get the return booked, albeit for the full avios for 2 pax, and then called up later to have the voucher applied and half of the inbound avios refunded. The fall back, if there had been no HKG availability, was to return from Tokyo and cancel the local flight. Of course, you need to have enough avios to book the return at the full avios rate for two using this method. If you do it this way, they remain as separate bookings - which may have its advantages but also note that if want to cancel the whole thing it would be double the cancellation fees.
Online might be your best bet, if you can afford the initial avios outlay, as the seats appear at 1am UK time, which is 8pm in USA, which is when the office closes. You get put through to call centre elsewhere anyway, so you should be able to call just before 8pm and do deal a few minutes later - we did once manage to call the USA number from holiday in South Africa, at 1am UK time, to book a return from Vancouver - and it worked! If doing it online, do everything you can to speed up the booking process - make sure your companion is already 'in the system' and have your payment card saved - and have your CVV to hand. We have also gone through the whole online process as soon as seats appeared, only to see the transaction not go through at the last step - presumably the seats had either been bagged by a quicker clicker or, more likely, by an agent responding to a call.
We booked the TYO-HKG flight on JAL using avios which was pretty cheap and next to no taxes.
Apr 24, 2019, 1:45 pm
#1460
Join Date: Oct 2018
Programs: BAEC, Skywards
Posts: 50
Thanks to the advice on this thread I managed to call USA at 0100am UK time this morning to secure the return leg on a 2 for 1 amex redemption.
A word of warning that I appear to have missed from this thread; It was a 2 for 1 for my wife and daughter; I am registered to operate my wife's account and that was all fine. However, I was not in the same country as my wife at the time so wanted to pay with my credit card, not hers that she had already used for the outbound. Having said it went through the call centre then proceeded to ring my wife at 0130 and wake her up to say the credit card hadn't worked and they needed her one.
I wont make that mistake again.
A word of warning that I appear to have missed from this thread; It was a 2 for 1 for my wife and daughter; I am registered to operate my wife's account and that was all fine. However, I was not in the same country as my wife at the time so wanted to pay with my credit card, not hers that she had already used for the outbound. Having said it went through the call centre then proceeded to ring my wife at 0130 and wake her up to say the credit card hadn't worked and they needed her one.
I wont make that mistake again.
Apr 24, 2019, 1:51 pm
#1461
Join Date: May 2011
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 174
LHR-CPT
just used my AMEX 2-1 last night on the BA direct flight to CPT. Old old 747 with decade plus old IFE and nearly 100% occupancy. Had a nightmare passenger next to me in the window seat who wanted to go to the bathroom six times yet gloated about having switched at the last minute to the window seat. Talked to himself throughout the flight when not badgering the cabin crew for more alcohol.
Many will say not a great use of the 2-1 but it would have gone unused (again) and it was literally a last minute trip to CPT and the cash fares were mega expensive compared to normal but this is Easter travel.
BA should really update their livery for this route but having a monopoly on this route to CPT they can do what they like
Many will say not a great use of the 2-1 but it would have gone unused (again) and it was literally a last minute trip to CPT and the cash fares were mega expensive compared to normal but this is Easter travel.
BA should really update their livery for this route but having a monopoly on this route to CPT they can do what they like
Apr 24, 2019, 1:53 pm
#1462
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: London
Programs: KLM, BA Silver, Etihad
Posts: 916
If the there was no mention of the 2-4-1 on the Premium Card I would be more inclined to agree with you. As it stands it's a glaring error.
Apr 24, 2019, 1:55 pm
#1463
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Edinburgh
Programs: BA Gold, HHonors Gold, Priority Pass
Posts: 759
What routes are best to use this voucher? Ideally I want to do a CW or maybe even F?
I was looking at LHR-JFK and although there is availability taxes are crazy!
Are there any good low tax routes or ex-eu that could technically work on it?
I was looking at LHR-JFK and although there is availability taxes are crazy!
Are there any good low tax routes or ex-eu that could technically work on it?
Apr 24, 2019, 2:39 pm
#1464
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: The North
Posts: 1,844
Not sure about specifically “low tax” routes but by starting in INV or JER, you can avoid paying about £175 per person in air passenger duty. By way of an example, the TFC for INV-LHR-BNA (and return) was £524.82 per person when I booked it in November for Club World; it would’ve been another ~£175 each without starting from INV.
You cannot do an ex-EU using the 2-4-1: you must depart from a UK/Channel Islands airport.
Apr 24, 2019, 2:53 pm
#1465
Join Date: Jan 2019
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 145
I have 2 x 2-4-1 to use up, or should i say had, as ive used one recently to redeem return to Hong Kong in First, one of the lower priced routes for fees etc, £1163 for two of us, didnt think it was too bad, going late Nov 19 so the summer heat is over, but hopefully should be warm and dry. Our first first and an A380, two birds with one stone.
Apr 24, 2019, 3:01 pm
#1466
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Lincolnshire, UK
Programs: BA GGL - maybe only briefly!
Posts: 1,378
I don't know if there is any time limit - I can't see why there should be. I think I did it on a previous occasion a day or two afterwards, rather than later the same day. You could call and ask the question before you go away.
Apr 24, 2019, 3:08 pm
#1467
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Edinburgh
Programs: BA Gold, FB Gold
Posts: 83
I've booked my 241 from EDI-LHR-SIN and will be looking to book my return inbound next week - by booking online and then phoning up to "voucher" the ticket.
If I book the first appropriate date and then better return dates crop up later on, how do I change the ticket? Do I have to phone Japan at 1am when the better seats become available. I'm looking for 4 seats in J which don't come up every day?
Is there any hassle doing this or is it straightforward?
If I book the first appropriate date and then better return dates crop up later on, how do I change the ticket? Do I have to phone Japan at 1am when the better seats become available. I'm looking for 4 seats in J which don't come up every day?
Is there any hassle doing this or is it straightforward?
Apr 24, 2019, 3:26 pm
#1468
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London
Programs: Mucci. Nothing else matters.
Posts: 38,644
A word of warning that I appear to have missed from this thread; It was a 2 for 1 for my wife and daughter; I am registered to operate my wife's account and that was all fine. However, I was not in the same country as my wife at the time so wanted to pay with my credit card, not hers that she had already used for the outbound.
Apr 27, 2019, 7:27 am
#1469
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: ABZ
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 18
I have a 2-4-1 that I’m looking to use for a trip to Tokyo in December in CW.
There’s decent availability on/around the dates I’m after, so here’s my situation.
A straight up ABZ-NRT return prices out at 150k avios + £655
INV-NRT One Way is 75k + £250
NRT-ABZ One Way is 75k + £110
(So a £600 saving between two people)
So question is, can I book the INV-NRT as a one way booking and then immediately call up BAEC and add the NRT-ABZ as a return? I’ve had a look through the threads and phoning up to add a return onto a 2-4-1 booked as a one way doesn’t seem a problem, but does the fact that the departure airport would be INV and the arrival airport being ABZ blow a hole in this plan?
There’s decent availability on/around the dates I’m after, so here’s my situation.
A straight up ABZ-NRT return prices out at 150k avios + £655
INV-NRT One Way is 75k + £250
NRT-ABZ One Way is 75k + £110
(So a £600 saving between two people)
So question is, can I book the INV-NRT as a one way booking and then immediately call up BAEC and add the NRT-ABZ as a return? I’ve had a look through the threads and phoning up to add a return onto a 2-4-1 booked as a one way doesn’t seem a problem, but does the fact that the departure airport would be INV and the arrival airport being ABZ blow a hole in this plan?
Apr 27, 2019, 8:33 am
#1470
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 12,225
I have a 2-4-1 that I’m looking to use for a trip to Tokyo in December in CW.
There’s decent availability on/around the dates I’m after, so here’s my situation.
A straight up ABZ-NRT return prices out at 150k avios + £655
INV-NRT One Way is 75k + £250
NRT-ABZ One Way is 75k + £110
(So a £600 saving between two people)
So question is, can I book the INV-NRT as a one way booking and then immediately call up BAEC and add the NRT-ABZ as a return? I’ve had a look through the threads and phoning up to add a return onto a 2-4-1 booked as a one way doesn’t seem a problem, but does the fact that the departure airport would be INV and the arrival airport being ABZ blow a hole in this plan?
There’s decent availability on/around the dates I’m after, so here’s my situation.
A straight up ABZ-NRT return prices out at 150k avios + £655
INV-NRT One Way is 75k + £250
NRT-ABZ One Way is 75k + £110
(So a £600 saving between two people)
So question is, can I book the INV-NRT as a one way booking and then immediately call up BAEC and add the NRT-ABZ as a return? I’ve had a look through the threads and phoning up to add a return onto a 2-4-1 booked as a one way doesn’t seem a problem, but does the fact that the departure airport would be INV and the arrival airport being ABZ blow a hole in this plan?
The saving would be significant from HKG but it’s not possible
