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
Feb 11, 2020, 1:19 pm
#406
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Feb 11, 2020, 5:30 pm
#408
Join Date: Jul 2008
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LHR-KEF , FRA-LHR-MAN (one ticket, GUV'd) and then a seperate ticket for KEF-LHR-FRA (that I used avios to upgrade on one leg with availability). The GUV availability was taken from both R (with Avios) and I (no avios) availability buckets without any problem. A bit of a waste of the GUV, but my past two have expired rather than being used as I can't bring myself to pay 1.5x more for BA F (GUV'd) over QR business, sad but true!
Feb 14, 2020, 6:28 am
#409
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: London
Programs: BAEC GGL/GFL
Posts: 48
I've just booked a LHR-JFK return flight in Premium Economy and called the GGL line to use a GUF to upgrade to Club. When they calculated the tax difference, it came out as around £310. Does this sound correct? I'm sure it used to be a lot cheaper. The person on the line said the cost went up a lot around 6 months ago.
Feb 14, 2020, 6:33 am
#410
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I've just booked a LHR-JFK return flight in Premium Economy and called the GGL line to use a GUF to upgrade to Club. When they calculated the tax difference, it came out as around £310. Does this sound correct? I'm sure it used to be a lot cheaper. The person on the line said the cost went up a lot around 6 months ago.
You can always check the carrier surcharge yourself by just doing some dummy revenue bookings on ba.com for the lower and upgraded cabins and looking at the carrier surcharge in the price breakdown - in fact when doing a UuA or GUF I recommend doing that just so you know what it should be before you call.
Feb 14, 2020, 6:40 am
#411
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It looks like the YQ for WT+ is no longer necessarily uniform for all fares. Some attract a £90 YQ, some attract a £200 YQ. So that's one possible reason if the difference in the cash element for upgrading from WT+ to CW is higher than expected.
Feb 14, 2020, 6:43 am
#412
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Yes, I think that seems to be the case too. The figures I mentioned were for some specific November dates I was looking at where the ~£550 W rtn fare was available, I guess these have a reduced YQ compared to non sale fares? This does mean a bigger difference in YQ going from W to J though which becomes apparent when trying to do a UuA/GUF.
Feb 22, 2020, 2:15 am
#413
Join Date: Jun 2010
Programs: SQ*G BA GGL/CCR
Posts: 188
WT commercial booking two cabin upgrade
Hello all. Thanks for the informative thread.
Is it possible to do a two cabin upgrade from an underlying WT commercial ticket into CW by upgrading with AVIOS to WTP and then GUF to CW?
Is it possible to do a two cabin upgrade from an underlying WT commercial ticket into CW by upgrading with AVIOS to WTP and then GUF to CW?
Feb 22, 2020, 2:36 am
#414
Join Date: May 2014
Location: BRU
Programs: BA GGL, TK E (*G), ITA exec
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Feb 26, 2020, 4:49 am
#415
Join Date: Mar 2016
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 681
Quick question: I've used a GGL joker plus Amex 2-4-1 to book 4 x flights to Cape Town. My GUF2 has just hit. What are the chances that BA will allow me to apply it to the existing booking to upgrade two to F using the GUF and 2 using Avios? Alternatively, could it be used for a refund of the Avois from W to J on 2 tickets? We are unlikely to have any other good use of the GUF2.
EF is showing F7 A1 on the outbound and F9 A0 on the inbound. I have set an alert for A bucket availability and assume that using the GUF / upgrading using Avios is a non-starter without that.
EF is showing F7 A1 on the outbound and F9 A0 on the inbound. I have set an alert for A bucket availability and assume that using the GUF / upgrading using Avios is a non-starter without that.
Feb 26, 2020, 3:03 pm
#416
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Quick question: I've used a GGL joker plus Amex 2-4-1 to book 4 x flights to Cape Town. My GUF2 has just hit. What are the chances that BA will allow me to apply it to the existing booking to upgrade two to F using the GUF and 2 using Avios? Alternatively, could it be used for a refund of the Avois from W to J on 2 tickets? We are unlikely to have any other good use of the GUF2.
EF is showing F7 A1 on the outbound and F9 A0 on the inbound. I have set an alert for A bucket availability and assume that using the GUF / upgrading using Avios is a non-starter without that.
EF is showing F7 A1 on the outbound and F9 A0 on the inbound. I have set an alert for A bucket availability and assume that using the GUF / upgrading using Avios is a non-starter without that.
Mar 31, 2020, 8:34 am
#417
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Manchester
Programs: BA GfL, Marriott TfL, Hertz 5*
Posts: 267
GGL line not allowing use of a GUF1 with an AMEX 2-4-1 voucher
[/QUOTE]Using a Gold Upgrade voucher with an Amex 2-4-1 voucher
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.
For example, a pair of F off-peak reward seats LHR-SYD rtn would set you back a total of 680,000 Avios for two without a companion voucher, and 340,000 Avios with a companion voucher. Instead you can use your companion voucher to effectively book a pair of CW reward seats (250,000 Avios total off-peak for two for a return) and then also apply your GUF to go in to F which will cost no extra Avios. Your combined use of a GUF and a companion voucher have therefore saved you a total of 680,000-250,000 = 430,000 Avios
[QUOTE]
2 weeks ago I cancelled a flight to South America booked using a GUF1 and an AMEX 2-4-1. I told the agent that I wanted to reschedule but he advised me to cancel and make a new booking. My account was quickly updated with 65K Avios and the 2 vouchers (but as yet no refund for the taxes, but that's another issue).
I had managed to get new outbound leg tickets using the AMEX 2-4-1 for 85K (?) and phoned up the GGL line as I noticed return tickets had become available. I was told that I could NOT use a GUF1 with an AMEX 2-4-1 voucher and was asked for another 125K Avios. I asked the agent to check this as I had used these vouchers together in the past and in the cancelled booking.
She told me that (in no uncertain terms !) that she was correct and had 'never utilised both vouchers in a booking in all the years I have worked here'. I asked her to look at the cancelled booking which she did, but then told me that booking was made in error. She is adamant that to book a 2 new off-peak J return flights to SCL is 250K even using the AMEX 2-4-1 and I cannot use the GUF1
If only I had not agreed to cancel the previous booking !!!
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.
For example, a pair of F off-peak reward seats LHR-SYD rtn would set you back a total of 680,000 Avios for two without a companion voucher, and 340,000 Avios with a companion voucher. Instead you can use your companion voucher to effectively book a pair of CW reward seats (250,000 Avios total off-peak for two for a return) and then also apply your GUF to go in to F which will cost no extra Avios. Your combined use of a GUF and a companion voucher have therefore saved you a total of 680,000-250,000 = 430,000 Avios
[QUOTE]
2 weeks ago I cancelled a flight to South America booked using a GUF1 and an AMEX 2-4-1. I told the agent that I wanted to reschedule but he advised me to cancel and make a new booking. My account was quickly updated with 65K Avios and the 2 vouchers (but as yet no refund for the taxes, but that's another issue).
I had managed to get new outbound leg tickets using the AMEX 2-4-1 for 85K (?) and phoned up the GGL line as I noticed return tickets had become available. I was told that I could NOT use a GUF1 with an AMEX 2-4-1 voucher and was asked for another 125K Avios. I asked the agent to check this as I had used these vouchers together in the past and in the cancelled booking.
She told me that (in no uncertain terms !) that she was correct and had 'never utilised both vouchers in a booking in all the years I have worked here'. I asked her to look at the cancelled booking which she did, but then told me that booking was made in error. She is adamant that to book a 2 new off-peak J return flights to SCL is 250K even using the AMEX 2-4-1 and I cannot use the GUF1
If only I had not agreed to cancel the previous booking !!!
Mar 31, 2020, 8:42 am
#418
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She told me that (in no uncertain terms !) that she was correct and had 'never utilised both vouchers in a booking in all the years I have worked here'. I asked her to look at the cancelled booking which she did, but then told me that booking was made in error. She is adamant that to book a 2 new off-peak J return flights to SCL is 250K even using the AMEX 2-4-1 and I cannot use the GUF1
see below
Last edited by KARFA; Mar 31, 2020 at 12:09 pm
Mar 31, 2020, 8:53 am
#419
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: London
Programs: BA GGL & CCR, GFL
Posts: 495
Using a Gold Upgrade voucher with an Amex 2-4-1 voucher
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.
For example, a pair of F off-peak reward seats LHR-SYD rtn would set you back a total of 680,000 Avios for two without a companion voucher, and 340,000 Avios with a companion voucher. Instead you can use your companion voucher to effectively book a pair of CW reward seats (250,000 Avios total off-peak for two for a return) and then also apply your GUF to go in to F which will cost no extra Avios. Your combined use of a GUF and a companion voucher have therefore saved you a total of 680,000-250,000 = 430,000 Avios
2 weeks ago I cancelled a flight to South America booked using a GUF1 and an AMEX 2-4-1. I told the agent that I wanted to reschedule but he advised me to cancel and make a new booking. My account was quickly updated with 65K Avios and the 2 vouchers (but as yet no refund for the taxes, but that's another issue).
I had managed to get new outbound leg tickets using the AMEX 2-4-1 for 85K (?) and phoned up the GGL line as I noticed return tickets had become available. I was told that I could NOT use a GUF1 with an AMEX 2-4-1 voucher and was asked for another 125K Avios. I asked the agent to check this as I had used these vouchers together in the past and in the cancelled booking.
She told me that (in no uncertain terms !) that she was correct and had 'never utilised both vouchers in a booking in all the years I have worked here'. I asked her to look at the cancelled booking which she did, but then told me that booking was made in error. She is adamant that to book a 2 new off-peak J return flights to SCL is 250K even using the AMEX 2-4-1 and I cannot use the GUF1
If only I had not agreed to cancel the previous booking !!!
Nonsense! Please make sure this is fedback. GGL agents are only a team of 60 as I understand it and it's not good that one of them can get it this wrong.
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.
For example, a pair of F off-peak reward seats LHR-SYD rtn would set you back a total of 680,000 Avios for two without a companion voucher, and 340,000 Avios with a companion voucher. Instead you can use your companion voucher to effectively book a pair of CW reward seats (250,000 Avios total off-peak for two for a return) and then also apply your GUF to go in to F which will cost no extra Avios. Your combined use of a GUF and a companion voucher have therefore saved you a total of 680,000-250,000 = 430,000 Avios
2 weeks ago I cancelled a flight to South America booked using a GUF1 and an AMEX 2-4-1. I told the agent that I wanted to reschedule but he advised me to cancel and make a new booking. My account was quickly updated with 65K Avios and the 2 vouchers (but as yet no refund for the taxes, but that's another issue).
I had managed to get new outbound leg tickets using the AMEX 2-4-1 for 85K (?) and phoned up the GGL line as I noticed return tickets had become available. I was told that I could NOT use a GUF1 with an AMEX 2-4-1 voucher and was asked for another 125K Avios. I asked the agent to check this as I had used these vouchers together in the past and in the cancelled booking.
She told me that (in no uncertain terms !) that she was correct and had 'never utilised both vouchers in a booking in all the years I have worked here'. I asked her to look at the cancelled booking which she did, but then told me that booking was made in error. She is adamant that to book a 2 new off-peak J return flights to SCL is 250K even using the AMEX 2-4-1 and I cannot use the GUF1
If only I had not agreed to cancel the previous booking !!!
Mar 31, 2020, 12:17 pm
#420
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Location: Leeds, UK
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2 weeks ago I cancelled a flight to South America booked using a GUF1 and an AMEX 2-4-1. I told the agent that I wanted to reschedule but he advised me to cancel and make a new booking. My account was quickly updated with 65K Avios and the 2 vouchers (but as yet no refund for the taxes, but that's another issue).
I had managed to get new outbound leg tickets using the AMEX 2-4-1 for 85K (?) and phoned up the GGL line as I noticed return tickets had become available. I was told that I could NOT use a GUF1 with an AMEX 2-4-1 voucher and was asked for another 125K Avios. I asked the agent to check this as I had used these vouchers together in the past and in the cancelled booking.
She told me that (in no uncertain terms !) that she was correct and had 'never utilised both vouchers in a booking in all the years I have worked here'. I asked her to look at the cancelled booking which she did, but then told me that booking was made in error. She is adamant that to book a 2 new off-peak J return flights to SCL is 250K even using the AMEX 2-4-1 and I cannot use the GUF1
If only I had not agreed to cancel the previous booking !!!
I had managed to get new outbound leg tickets using the AMEX 2-4-1 for 85K (?) and phoned up the GGL line as I noticed return tickets had become available. I was told that I could NOT use a GUF1 with an AMEX 2-4-1 voucher and was asked for another 125K Avios. I asked the agent to check this as I had used these vouchers together in the past and in the cancelled booking.
She told me that (in no uncertain terms !) that she was correct and had 'never utilised both vouchers in a booking in all the years I have worked here'. I asked her to look at the cancelled booking which she did, but then told me that booking was made in error. She is adamant that to book a 2 new off-peak J return flights to SCL is 250K even using the AMEX 2-4-1 and I cannot use the GUF1
If only I had not agreed to cancel the previous booking !!!
booked using a GUF1 and an AMEX 2-4-1
To be clear, a 2-4-1 has two passengers so you must use a GUF2 or 2 x GUF1s to cover both passengers. The agent was entirely correct, you can't combine 1 x GUF1 and a 2-4-1 voucher. I am sure it would have been nice to benefit from that error still but unfortunately it hasn't happened - sometimes you get a bank error in your favour and sometimes you don't.
Last edited by KARFA; Mar 31, 2020 at 12:30 pm