Sep 16, 2017, 2:32 pm
Last edit by: Prospero
Summary
This is a guide to gold upgrade vouchers which BA issues. In the wiki there are a number of frequently asked questions, and in the posts below there is a lot of detail and information on these vouchers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is a Gold Upgrade Voucher?
Gold Upgrade Vouchers are awarded when you reach certain Tier Point levels and allow you to an upgrade to the next travel class.
Q: How do I qualify for a Gold Upgrade Voucher?
You will be awarded a Gold Upgrade Voucher for Two (GUF2) when you reach 2,500 Tier Points. Two Gold Upgrade Vouchers for One (GUF1) are awarded when you reach 3,500 Tier Points. You have the option to choose another two GUF1s at 7,000, 8,000 and 9,000 Tier Points.
Q: When will I know I have a voucher?
The voucher will appear on your BAEC homepage when you hit the required Tier Points in the same place as any Amex 241s that you may have.
Q: How long is the voucher valid for?
The voucher is valid for 12 months must be redeemed within one year of its issue.
Q: Do I have to travel by the expiry date?
No. You must book your ticket by the expiry date so you can travel up to 355 days after.
Q: Can the voucher be extended?
If you do not redeem the voucher within twelve months you can request an extension. Extensions are usually granted for a further six months.
Q: Where can I use the voucher?
You can use the voucher for a one class upgrade on any BA published fare on flights operated by BA.
Q: Can I use the voucher for a one way ticket?
Yes. The voucher can be used for a one way booking. FT opinion may say that this is not a good use but your individual circumstances will influence this.
Q: Where can I upgrade to?
You can upgrade to the next cabin on any BA flight:
- Euro Traveller to Club Europe
- World Traveller to World Traveller Plus
- World Traveller Plus to Club World
- Club World to First (where fitted on the aircraft)
As the voucher will upgrade you to the next available cabin, an economy (Euro Traveller / World Traveller) booking would upgrade you to Club Europe (from ET) on the short haul flight and World Traveller Plus (from WT) on the long haul flight.
Q: I haven’t got a companion. Can I still use a GUF2?
Yes. You can use a GUF2 on your own for a single or return journey. GUF2 can be divided to two GUF1 meaning that if you want to use it as a solo traveller, ask first through customer service to divide it.
Q: Does the voucher have to be used in conjunction with a paid fare?
No. Gold Upgrade Vouchers can be used either with a paid fare or a journey booked with Avios.
Q: Can I use the Gold Upgrade voucher with an Amex 2-4-1 voucher?
Yes. You can combine a GUF with a companion voucher (also known as a 2-4-1). This is a great way to really get a really good value use for the voucher as you will save a very large amount of Avios.
Q: Can I use the Gold Upgrade voucher with a Lloyds voucher?
No. A Lloyds voucher cannot be combined with a Gold Upgrade voucher.
Q: Can I UuA a ticket and then use my GUF voucher?
No. Tickets can only be upgraded using the Gold Upgrade voucher or Avios, not both.
Q: Are bookings made with the Gold Upgrade voucher flexible?
Only if the underlying ticket is in a flexible bucket. For example a J ticket upgraded to First will be flexible according to the original ticket rules. The same applies to redemption tickets.
Q: Can I use the Gold Upgrade voucher on another oneworld airline?
Yes, currently only with AA when certain conditions of use are fulfilled.
Q: Is the voucher valid on franchise operated flights?
Yes. Gold Upgrade vouchers are available for British Airways and franchise operated flights only.
Q: Can I use the voucher on an itinerary that includes non-BA flights?
With a booking direct with BA this is fine. For a TA booking you can’t include non-BA flights. However, there are the occasional reports of a few slipping through where some Travel Agents have managed to apply a GUF to a booking which includes both BA and non-BA flights on BA codeshares.
Q: Can I upgrade an existing booking?
Yes. Please call the BA Service Centre to do this.
Q: Do I have to travel myself when I use the Gold Upgrade voucher like the Amex 2-4-1?
If you book with BA you can use the voucher for any other person or persons. However you must pay for the booking yourself either through your account on ba.com or through the Service Centre. If you book through a TA then the voucher owner must travel on the booking.
Q: If I cancel the booking will I get the Gold Upgrade voucher back?
If you cancel more than 24 hours before departure then the voucher will be reinstated to your account if the original validity has not expired. If you cancel within 24 hours then the voucher will not be available for further use. Any refund on the other part of the ticket will be subject to the original fare rules.
Q: Does there have to be Avios availability in the upgraded cabin to use the Gold Upgrade voucher?
No. There only needs to be discounted revenue fare availability in the cabin you are upgrading to (A for First, I for Club and T for WT+).
It used to be the case that you had to book through a Travel Agent to achieve this, and that direct bookings with BA required Avios availability in the cabin you are upgrading to. With changes to GUF2 made in 2019, this is no longer the case.
Q: Can I book the outbound leg using an Amex 2-4-1 and GUF2 and then add the inbound when it becomes available?
Yes. This can be done in the same way as adding a return leg to a booking using the Amex 2-4-1 voucher.
Q: Can I use the Gold Upgrade voucher on flights that do not originate in the UK?
Yes. Flights do not have to originate in the UK. A GUF can be used on an ex-EU booking - there is no requirement to start and finish in the UK or your Executive Club resident country.
Q: Can I use two GUF1s to upgrade two classes?
No. Nice try
Q: Can the Gold Upgrade voucher be used by anyone in the Household Account?
Any Household Account Member who earns Gold Upgrade vouchers must redeem them personally. Gold Upgrade vouchers are not part of the Household Account pool and cannot be redeemed by another Member of the Household Account. Household Account Members who earn Gold Upgrade vouchers are subject to applicable Household Account redemption rules, whereby the Gold Upgrade vouchers can only be used for members within the Household Account. These upgrades cannot be allocated to Executive Club Members under age 18. An upgrade earned by a member under 18 is allocated to the Head of that Member's Household Account, but the head must be a gold card holder. If the head is not a gold the voucher is effectively lost since it can’t be allocated.
Q: Will I earn Tier Points and Avios with the Gold Upgrade voucher?
Yes. You should earn tier points and Avios in line with the original selling class of the booking and not based on the cabin you upgraded in to - although sometimes mistakes do seem to happen and you do end up earning based on the cabin you upgraded to. As a reward booking doesn’t earn any tier points or Avios you won’t earn anything from a reward booking to which you had applied a GUF.
Q: I have more than two people in my booking. Can I just upgrade two of them?
No. A GUF can’t be applied to a selection of passengers on a booking, and has to cover all of them - you can’t end up with a booking for four people where two are still in CW and the other two are upgraded to F. If necessary you can as BA to split the booking so that those not being upgraded are under one booking reference, and those being upgraded by the GUF are in a new separate booking reference.
Q: Does an infant use an available upgrade?
No. If an upgraded booking contains an infant travelling on an infant fare, the infant will be automatically upgraded with the adults. Child fares will be subject to the same rules as adults.
BA Gold Upgrade Voucher Discussion and Wiki Thread
Jun 13, 2018, 3:44 pm
#151
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: GGL/CCR
Posts: 1,899
Jun 13, 2018, 4:25 pm
#152
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: BAEC GGL/CR; Hilton Diamond; Mucci des Puccis
Posts: 5,573
Jun 13, 2018, 8:45 pm
#153
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: BCN
Programs: BA GGL, IB, LH, IHG Gold
Posts: 582
If we are talking the INCEU60 AMS-BKK, routed through SIN on the outbound with a stopover, there’s nothing stopping you from routing the return through HKG (or SIN), which do have a first class cabin.
Jun 14, 2018, 2:38 am
#154
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: GGL/CCR
Posts: 1,899
Jun 14, 2018, 11:38 pm
#155
Join Date: Sep 2008
Programs: A3 *G, AA exePlat, AS MVP 75k Gold, JL sapphire, UA silver
Posts: 4,035
Q: Can the Gold Upgrade voucher be used by anyone in the Household Account?
Any Household Account Member who earns Gold Upgrade vouchers must redeem them personally. Gold Upgrade vouchers are not part of the Household Account pool and cannot be redeemed by another Member of the Household Account. Household Account Members who earn Gold Upgrade vouchers are subject to applicable Household Account redemption rules, whereby the Gold Upgrade vouchers can only be used for members within the Household Account. These upgrades cannot be allocated to Executive Club Members under age 18. An upgrade earned by a member under 18 is allocated to the Head of that Member's Household Account, but the head must be a gold card holder. If the head is not a gold the voucher is effectively lost since it can’t be allocated.
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I dont believe it is true. it takes some hassle for BA IT to fix, but it is possible to allocate to head of household when head is not gold [june 2017]
Any Household Account Member who earns Gold Upgrade vouchers must redeem them personally. Gold Upgrade vouchers are not part of the Household Account pool and cannot be redeemed by another Member of the Household Account. Household Account Members who earn Gold Upgrade vouchers are subject to applicable Household Account redemption rules, whereby the Gold Upgrade vouchers can only be used for members within the Household Account. These upgrades cannot be allocated to Executive Club Members under age 18. An upgrade earned by a member under 18 is allocated to the Head of that Member's Household Account, but the head must be a gold card holder. If the head is not a gold the voucher is effectively lost since it can’t be allocated.
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I dont believe it is true. it takes some hassle for BA IT to fix, but it is possible to allocate to head of household when head is not gold [june 2017]
Jun 15, 2018, 2:25 am
#156
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Beijing
Programs: SK EBG, BAEC Gold
Posts: 932
Just a reminder that if you have a BKK-KUL flight in there on MH you most likely won't get TPs and Avios for that sector as it will be issued in an "I" booking class (non-earning for BAEC). The best one for TPs and Avios is therefore via SIN. Routing via either HKG and KUL ends up with the same TPs in each case (the extra 40 for the >6000 mile KUL-LHR sector matches the 40 TPs you would get for BKK-HKG followed by the <6000 mile sector).
Jun 15, 2018, 2:30 am
#157
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,873
Q: Can the Gold Upgrade voucher be used by anyone in the Household Account?
Any Household Account Member who earns Gold Upgrade vouchers must redeem them personally. Gold Upgrade vouchers are not part of the Household Account pool and cannot be redeemed by another Member of the Household Account. Household Account Members who earn Gold Upgrade vouchers are subject to applicable Household Account redemption rules, whereby the Gold Upgrade vouchers can only be used for members within the Household Account. These upgrades cannot be allocated to Executive Club Members under age 18. An upgrade earned by a member under 18 is allocated to the Head of that Member's Household Account, but the head must be a gold card holder. If the head is not a gold the voucher is effectively lost since it can’t be allocated.
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I dont believe it is true. it takes some hassle for BA IT to fix, but it is possible to allocate to head of household when head is not gold [june 2017]
Any Household Account Member who earns Gold Upgrade vouchers must redeem them personally. Gold Upgrade vouchers are not part of the Household Account pool and cannot be redeemed by another Member of the Household Account. Household Account Members who earn Gold Upgrade vouchers are subject to applicable Household Account redemption rules, whereby the Gold Upgrade vouchers can only be used for members within the Household Account. These upgrades cannot be allocated to Executive Club Members under age 18. An upgrade earned by a member under 18 is allocated to the Head of that Member's Household Account, but the head must be a gold card holder. If the head is not a gold the voucher is effectively lost since it can’t be allocated.
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I dont believe it is true. it takes some hassle for BA IT to fix, but it is possible to allocate to head of household when head is not gold [june 2017]
Jul 18, 2018, 9:46 am
#158
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Bristol
Programs: BA Silver, Hilton Gold, Caesars Diamond
Posts: 916
Sorry if this is an obvious question, will just be suprised if this is true.
I have a gold upgrade for two voucher. If I find a business class return trip (on BA metal only) which has two seats in First with A tickets left, I can go into flight centre or wherever and get two first class returns (me and gf) for the same price?
If I want to do a J trip but uses other airlines as well (ie. AMS-LHR-HKG-BKK-LHR for Ł1200ish) then there would need to be First reward availability in the long haul sectors on BA and I should book/apply voucher via BA?
I have a gold upgrade for two voucher. If I find a business class return trip (on BA metal only) which has two seats in First with A tickets left, I can go into flight centre or wherever and get two first class returns (me and gf) for the same price?
If I want to do a J trip but uses other airlines as well (ie. AMS-LHR-HKG-BKK-LHR for Ł1200ish) then there would need to be First reward availability in the long haul sectors on BA and I should book/apply voucher via BA?
Last edited by PxC; Jul 18, 2018 at 10:13 am
Jul 24, 2018, 7:43 am
#159
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Amsterdam, Asia, UK
Programs: IHG RA (Spire), HH Diamond, MR Platinum, SQ Gold, KLM Gold, BAEC Gold
Posts: 5,072
need info i lack as have 3weeks left to use/book a GUF (already for extended 6months). thankyou
1. is there a list of BA longhaul flights without WTP so GUF will upgrade Y one class to J ?
2. list of DIF longhaul allowing book Y , get free T, and can then ring up to use a GUF for J
Reason i have Aug2018 expiring guf, but am saving avios for later use so just cheaper J seats wanted, and not all destinations have first anyway, both offpeak/peak Y will be aok
1. is there a list of BA longhaul flights without WTP so GUF will upgrade Y one class to J ?
2. list of DIF longhaul allowing book Y , get free T, and can then ring up to use a GUF for J
Reason i have Aug2018 expiring guf, but am saving avios for later use so just cheaper J seats wanted, and not all destinations have first anyway, both offpeak/peak Y will be aok
Jul 24, 2018, 8:31 am
#160
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: BCN
Programs: BA GGL, IB, LH, IHG Gold
Posts: 582
need info i lack as have 3weeks left to use/book a GUF (already for extended 6months). thankyou
1. is there a list of BA longhaul flights without WTP so GUF will upgrade Y one class to J ?
2. list of DIF longhaul allowing book Y , get free T, and can then ring up to use a GUF for J
Reason i have Aug2018 expiring guf, but am saving avios for later use so just cheaper J seats wanted, and not all destinations have first anyway, both offpeak/peak Y will be aok
1. is there a list of BA longhaul flights without WTP so GUF will upgrade Y one class to J ?
2. list of DIF longhaul allowing book Y , get free T, and can then ring up to use a GUF for J
Reason i have Aug2018 expiring guf, but am saving avios for later use so just cheaper J seats wanted, and not all destinations have first anyway, both offpeak/peak Y will be aok
Unfortunately, I am not familiar with any DIFs currently available.
Aug 7, 2018, 2:00 am
#161
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Gibraltar
Programs: BA Gold, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 174
Is it possible to use one GUF1 in order to upgrade both passengers when using a 241 voucher, or do you have to use a GUF2 or 2 x GUF1? Apologies if it's been answered albeit I have searched. One post above assumes you need GUFs equivalent to the number of people flying even when using a 241.
Aug 7, 2018, 2:17 am
#162
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 4,705
Is it possible to use one GUF1 in order to upgrade both passengers when using a 241 voucher, or do you have to use a GUF2 or 2 x GUF1? Apologies if it's been answered albeit I have searched. One post above assumes you need GUFs equivalent to the number of people flying even when using a 241.
Aug 7, 2018, 2:24 am
#163
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Gibraltar
Programs: BA Gold, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 174
Thanks flashware. I was coming from the perspective that the companion gets the equivalent booking, so only a voucher for one required - but I get that's pushing an already very useful concept in the 241
Aug 15, 2018, 5:51 pm
#164
Join Date: Sep 2008
Programs: A3 *G, AA exePlat, AS MVP 75k Gold, JL sapphire, UA silver
Posts: 4,035
Thanks for the comment. How did you manage it? The answer provided above is based on a number of reported experiences where members under 18 earned a GUF but could not be allocated it, and the head of the HHA was not a gold and BAEC explicitly stated they couldn't be allocated the GUF either.
