BA Amex companion voucher to use
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2020
Posts: 27
BA Amex companion voucher to use
Only just realised you have to fly before the expiry date of the voucher to use it.
Having read a few articles advising to use it on busines/first class to get more value out of it. I have 90,000 avios but not sure if its worth using all my avios up as i now have 2 companion vouchers to use.
The tax for flights is around £580 for business class for flights to Dubai is this worth it or is there better value out there. I know you can get normal economy flights for around £250 so was thinking what is the best use out of it?
Having read a few articles advising to use it on busines/first class to get more value out of it. I have 90,000 avios but not sure if its worth using all my avios up as i now have 2 companion vouchers to use.
The tax for flights is around £580 for business class for flights to Dubai is this worth it or is there better value out there. I know you can get normal economy flights for around £250 so was thinking what is the best use out of it?
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London
Programs: Mucci. Nothing else matters.
Posts: 38,644
Welcome to FT, ams_sxi!
We have a thread on Amex 2-4-1 vouchers, which answers many of the common questions about it: BA American Express 2-4-1 Voucher Discussion
The taxes, fees and charges that you have seen for Dubai are fairly typical for long-haul routes in premium cabins. You can save a bit by starting from an airport like Inverness, because you could save the amount of the UK Air Passenger Duty payable for the outbound journey due to an exemption for that airport. But if you're not based in or near Inverness, the (time and money) costs of getting there to start your journey could seriously erode or outweigh the benefits of saving that amount of cash.
The question of value is always a difficult and subjective one. Some people (like me) think that you get best value out of Avios and companion vouchers by flying to places you need or want to go to on dates that suit you, even if you could construct a better monetary "value" argument by counting pounds and pence alone without any heed to where you're going or why.
And one other thing to remember is that the money that you've paid to get the voucher has been paid, whether you use it or not. From that starting position, not using a voucher when you have nowhere you want to go is always cheaper than using it.
In any event, planning to use a voucher is particularly difficult at the moment because massive cuts are coming shortly, and nobody has any idea what shape the airline's route network will look like in the months after the immediate round of big cuts.
We have a thread on Amex 2-4-1 vouchers, which answers many of the common questions about it: BA American Express 2-4-1 Voucher Discussion
The taxes, fees and charges that you have seen for Dubai are fairly typical for long-haul routes in premium cabins. You can save a bit by starting from an airport like Inverness, because you could save the amount of the UK Air Passenger Duty payable for the outbound journey due to an exemption for that airport. But if you're not based in or near Inverness, the (time and money) costs of getting there to start your journey could seriously erode or outweigh the benefits of saving that amount of cash.
The question of value is always a difficult and subjective one. Some people (like me) think that you get best value out of Avios and companion vouchers by flying to places you need or want to go to on dates that suit you, even if you could construct a better monetary "value" argument by counting pounds and pence alone without any heed to where you're going or why.
And one other thing to remember is that the money that you've paid to get the voucher has been paid, whether you use it or not. From that starting position, not using a voucher when you have nowhere you want to go is always cheaper than using it.
In any event, planning to use a voucher is particularly difficult at the moment because massive cuts are coming shortly, and nobody has any idea what shape the airline's route network will look like in the months after the immediate round of big cuts.
#3
Join Date: Apr 2004
Programs: Starwoods/ Marriott Life Time Platinum, Hilton-Diamond, and HP
Posts: 823
Chase BA Visa Companion Certificate
Welcome to FT, ams_sxi!
We have a thread on Amex 2-4-1 vouchers, which answers many of the common questions about it: BA American Express 2-4-1 Voucher Discussion
The taxes, fees and charges that you have seen for Dubai are fairly typical for long-haul routes in premium cabins. You can save a bit by starting from an airport like Inverness, because you could save the amount of the UK Air Passenger Duty payable for the outbound journey due to an exemption for that airport. But if you're not based in or near Inverness, the (time and money) costs of getting there to start your journey could seriously erode or outweigh the benefits of saving that amount of cash.
The question of value is always a difficult and subjective one. Some people (like me) think that you get best value out of Avios and companion vouchers by flying to places you need or want to go to on dates that suit you, even if you could construct a better monetary "value" argument by counting pounds and pence alone without any heed to where you're going or why.
And one other thing to remember is that the money that you've paid to get the voucher has been paid, whether you use it or not. From that starting position, not using a voucher when you have nowhere you want to go is always cheaper than using it.
In any event, planning to use a voucher is particularly difficult at the moment because massive cuts are coming shortly, and nobody has any idea what shape the airline's route network will look like in the months after the immediate round of big cuts.
We have a thread on Amex 2-4-1 vouchers, which answers many of the common questions about it: BA American Express 2-4-1 Voucher Discussion
The taxes, fees and charges that you have seen for Dubai are fairly typical for long-haul routes in premium cabins. You can save a bit by starting from an airport like Inverness, because you could save the amount of the UK Air Passenger Duty payable for the outbound journey due to an exemption for that airport. But if you're not based in or near Inverness, the (time and money) costs of getting there to start your journey could seriously erode or outweigh the benefits of saving that amount of cash.
The question of value is always a difficult and subjective one. Some people (like me) think that you get best value out of Avios and companion vouchers by flying to places you need or want to go to on dates that suit you, even if you could construct a better monetary "value" argument by counting pounds and pence alone without any heed to where you're going or why.
And one other thing to remember is that the money that you've paid to get the voucher has been paid, whether you use it or not. From that starting position, not using a voucher when you have nowhere you want to go is always cheaper than using it.
In any event, planning to use a voucher is particularly difficult at the moment because massive cuts are coming shortly, and nobody has any idea what shape the airline's route network will look like in the months after the immediate round of big cuts.
#4
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Join Date: Apr 2012
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#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Posts: 38,644
There are some anecdotes from people who seem to have secured a 6-month extension, but it is not clear why or in what circumstances.