Letting companion voucher expire... again
Apr 5, 2019, 2:09 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 61
Letting companion voucher expire... again
Has anyone else commited this mortal sin?
I've been saving BA Miles for ~15 years, for a 2-4-1 trip to SYD in J. 2 years ago, I finally had enough Avios and managed to find seats. We booked and then my wife got pregnant. We cancelled and the companion expired a month later.
Realising I now needed 250k more Avios to take our son too, I put the dream holiday to the back of my mind and downgraded to the standard BA card (non plus).
Surprisingly, I've just hit the 20k spend requirement and have another companion voucher. Yet I am 50k short of miles to get the 500k I need for 3 return seats in J and unlikely to hit that in the next 12 months. The voucher will once again expire.
It's a tough call and I'm tempted by both a short haul redemption to get some value from it, as well as blowing the majority on a trip to MSY / GIG but I'll never have another opportunity to take my wife and son to the other side of the world in J. I've got to let it go.
I've been saving BA Miles for ~15 years, for a 2-4-1 trip to SYD in J. 2 years ago, I finally had enough Avios and managed to find seats. We booked and then my wife got pregnant. We cancelled and the companion expired a month later.
Realising I now needed 250k more Avios to take our son too, I put the dream holiday to the back of my mind and downgraded to the standard BA card (non plus).
Surprisingly, I've just hit the 20k spend requirement and have another companion voucher. Yet I am 50k short of miles to get the 500k I need for 3 return seats in J and unlikely to hit that in the next 12 months. The voucher will once again expire.
It's a tough call and I'm tempted by both a short haul redemption to get some value from it, as well as blowing the majority on a trip to MSY / GIG but I'll never have another opportunity to take my wife and son to the other side of the world in J. I've got to let it go.
Apr 5, 2019, 2:25 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Brighton. UK
Programs: BA Gold / VS /IHG Diamond & Ambassador
Posts: 14,189
(Putting aside any difficulties in getting reward seats to SYD) what's the cost of buying 50k avios to get him a reward seat?
Also what's the cost of buying those avios compared to buying your son a cash fare? or using your existing avios to upgrade a WTP fare?
Also what's the cost of buying those avios compared to buying your son a cash fare? or using your existing avios to upgrade a WTP fare?
Apr 5, 2019, 2:33 pm
#3
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Yorkshire
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 355
I have two currently that I probably won’t use, I don’t chase the Avios, the 241 vouchers are just a bye product of the BA Amex. When flying (1 or 2 long hauls a year) I go for cost and schedule over Avios (I should actually achieve silver silver later in the year, More by accident than design). Over time the Avios mount up and I use them accordingly.
Apr 5, 2019, 2:51 pm
#4
Join Date: Jun 2003
Programs: BA, IHG, 5C
Posts: 4,413
Three business class seats to Sydney is not going to happen, they just don’t make them available. You might find something for the 3rd by mixing up the legs, but that’s 1 in 10 and would cost even more avios. Perhaps you could book your wife a redemption to Singapore, then buy a cheap ticket Y or WT+ ticket SIN-SYD then share the time down the back by switching onboard.
Your avios, and another voucher, and a bit more collecting time would probably get you two shorter long haul redemptions. They’d therefore give you much more value than SYD. Two longhauls will save a lot more cash fare than LON-SYD because that route is so competitive (look for Qatar fares), especially if you’re moving around Oz.
Your avios, and another voucher, and a bit more collecting time would probably get you two shorter long haul redemptions. They’d therefore give you much more value than SYD. Two longhauls will save a lot more cash fare than LON-SYD because that route is so competitive (look for Qatar fares), especially if you’re moving around Oz.
Apr 5, 2019, 4:51 pm
#6
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: BA Executive Club (lowly Blue but with MUCCI, apparently)
Posts: 1,186
I try my very best to use them, but I have let a couple go and it tears me up inside when it happens. LOL!
We do earn a new one every year though, so it's not like we're hurting for replacements.
We do earn a new one every year though, so it's not like we're hurting for replacements.
Apr 5, 2019, 8:53 pm
#7
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: RTW
Posts: 677
As Avios redemptions have no child discount, you may find that it's cheaper anyway to use the 241 for 2 adult fares & buy a ticket for your son. I assume he'll be over 2 yrs old before you leave?
Alternatively, if you can get the 2 released at -355, you could use for 1 adult + 1 child and then one parent does an ex EU to join on same flight.
Even with a voucher, the fees & taxes on the Oz route make it a poor proposition IMHO compared with ex EU on BA or others (esp if you give value to the Avios earned, but that argument can become difficult if you never find some way to spend the things).
Despite taking many long haul trips each year, I've ended up using my last few 241s on short notice UK/Europe Business Class as I'd never bother with a cash biz fare on those routes.
Alternatively, if you can get the 2 released at -355, you could use for 1 adult + 1 child and then one parent does an ex EU to join on same flight.
Even with a voucher, the fees & taxes on the Oz route make it a poor proposition IMHO compared with ex EU on BA or others (esp if you give value to the Avios earned, but that argument can become difficult if you never find some way to spend the things).
Despite taking many long haul trips each year, I've ended up using my last few 241s on short notice UK/Europe Business Class as I'd never bother with a cash biz fare on those routes.