Jan 1, 2021, 3:53 am
Last edit by: DeathSlam
British Airways American Express Companion Voucher (2-4-1) Discussion and Wiki Thread
Summary
The British Airways American Express Companion Voucher entitles you to receive a second seat for a companion on the same flight as you and in the same cabin when you make a reward booking on a British Airways mainline flight with a BA prefixed flight number (but not on flights operated by franchisee, codeshare or alliance airlines). All you’ll have to pay is the taxes, fees and charges for you and your companion’s tickets. From July 2022 (for vouchers earned after 1 September 2021) a solo traveller can use a voucher to save 50% of the Avios required for a redemption.
The voucher is easy and straightforward to use. You as the cardholder may book a redemption ticket, paid for entirely in Avios, and you take a travel companion with you at no additional Avios cost. The usual taxes, fees and surcharges apply to both passengers, which must be paid for by the card holder.
New terms apply to vouchers earned after 1 September 2021. The notes below are marked "Legacy" and "Revised" to indicate where they differ. Some significant changes:
Standard Voucher Terms and Conditions (see https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb...amex-companion)
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the British Airways American Express Companion Voucher?
A: The British Airways American Express Companion Voucher entitles you to receive a second seat for a companion on the same flight as you and in the same cabin when you make a reward booking on a British Airways mainline flight with a BA prefixed flight number (but not on flights operated by franchisee, codeshare or alliance airlines). All you’ll have to pay is the taxes, fees and charges for you and your companion’s tickets. A solo traveller can also use a Revised voucher to reduce the Avios component of a redemption by 50%.
Q: How do I qualify for the British Airways American Express Companion Voucher?
A: To qualify for your British Airways American Express Companion Voucher, you must reach the required spend threshold for your card, as shown below, within a 12-month period ending on the anniversary of the date of issue of your BA/AMEX Card. Please note that required spend does not include cash withdrawals, interest, balance transfers and fees.
Q: I’ve hit my spend. When will the voucher show up?
A: Once you hit the target, you will receive an email congratulating you on the award of your voucher. It will show up quite prominently on your BAEC account home page after logging in. American Express directly states once a Card Member qualifies, we compile a list of eligible Card Members (monthly) and send it to British Airways (can take 3-5 days). British Airways advises the Card Member of their e-voucher / Companion Ticket via mail within 10-15 days.
The e-voucher / Companion Ticket shows online for a period of time to redeem, when the Card Member logs onto their Executive Club (Avios) account at ba.com.
Q: Where can I see my voucher?
A: Go to the BAEC website. At the top of the welcome page, it will appear under the heading "My eVouchers", looking like the image above. In addition, you can go to the eVouchers page, where you can see used and unused vouchers.
Q: How long is the voucher valid for?
A: When the voucher is earned on the BA Premium Plus American Express card, the voucher is valid for 24 months. When the voucher is earned the free BA American Express card, it is valid for 12 months. You must have booked and completed the whole of your outbound travel by the date the voucher’s validity expires, and it cannot be extended under any circumstances. The longer validity of the Premium Plus voucher is often cited as a very good reason to pay the card fee (£250 as of July 2022).
Q: How do I get the most value from my voucher?
A: There is potential for you to save a substantial amount of Avios using the voucher, but its value to you is something only you can define. But in short, using the voucher for redemptions in First or Club World will maximise its value, as these naturally incur the highest redemption spend and will therefore save you the most Avios. Note that Revised vouchers earned using a free card only allow bookings in economy cabins.
Q: Can I use the voucher and part-pay with Avios?
A: The ticket itself must be paid for entirely with Avios. Taxes, surcharges and fees (the "cash component" of the ticket composed of these fees, which are charged on standard redemptions in any event) must be paid for using an American Express card, although not necessarily a British Airways one (this is stated in the Terms and Conditions, but any Amex works)
Q: How do I pay the taxes, surcharges and fees?
A: An American Express card must be used to settle the taxes, surcharges and fees for both passengers. The Terms and Conditions state you must use the same American Express card that the voucher was earned on to settle this payment, but in practice any American Express card can be used. You may not use a Visa, MasterCard or other payment form to settle these fees.
Q: Can I book an open-jaw trip using the voucher?
A: You can, but you will need to call BA. For the trip to be valid, the length of the surface sector must be shorter than either of the flown journeys. If you want to fly from LHR to AAA and from BBB back to LHR, then the LHR-AAA and BBB-LHR distances must both be greater than the distance between AAA and BBB.
Q: Can I book my outbound flight at 355 days and call back to add the return booking?
A: Yes, but you will need to call BA. Once availability shows, you can call to add the return leg – the BA policy is to waive the £35 change fee per passenger if the return was beyond the booking window when you booked the outbound, i.e. that you booked your outbound leg when seats became available at T-355.
For example: If you booked your outbound at T-355 and called later to add the return leg the change fee would be waived. If you booked your outbound at T-50 and then booked the return for T-60 a few days later, the fee will not be waived.
Important update, posted by cbagent on 12 Feb 2018:
If adding the return sector to an existing one-way Amex 241 where the inbound dates were out of range at time of booking, it is now possible to book the flights online as a new one way Avios booking then call BA UK office when open.
Half of the Avios on this new booking will then be refunded to reflect Amex voucher use. The benefit of this is that there is no need to try calling open BA office in the early hours of the morning and the downside is the itinerary will be ticketed as two one way bookings. In addition the Avios balance must be high enough to take a debit of double the required Avios albeit for a relatively short time. May be of use for some people. Note: you are strongly advised not to use this new method of booking two separate one ways if going to the US/Canada. When booking as two separate bookings and having the 2-4-1 applied across both is that taxes/charges/fees are not recalculated when the voucher is applied across to the second booking. Sometimes this will work out well for you (bookings exHKG for example), but for exUS or exCA bookings it is not recommended at all since exUS/CA taxes/fees/charges are very high. As an example, using the two separate bookings method on a LHR-JFK booking in J or F for two people would cost you about £480 more that the old method of calling and adding the inbound to an existing booking. Please see post 965 here for more information.
Important update, posted by DeathSlam on 8 Feb 2024:
From 7th December 2022 it is now possible to use Amex 241 vouchers on Aer Lingus and Iberian flights.
https://mediacentre.britishairways.c.../details/14362
Q: As redemption seats are released at midnight GMT, what is the best way to secure them? There is no guarantee they will be available when the BA office opens in the morning!
A: Call a BA office that is open at midnight GMT. You will then be able to make the booking without waiting for your local office to open. Depending on timezone, Japan, Hong Kong and even the USA are frequently contacted for this purpose.
Q: I made a one-way booking using a voucher and have already completed the travel on that booking. Can I now add an inbound flight to the booking to make use of the voucher?
A: No.
Q: Does cancelling my BA American Express card mean I will lose the voucher? Does downgrading my BA American Express Premium Plus card to the free card mean I will lose my voucher?
A: No. Contrary to what American Express will tell you, you will keep the voucher if you cancel the card entirely, and similarly your voucher will retain its two year validity if you downgrade from the Premium Plus card to the free card. Remember though that you will need to pay the taxes and fees on an American Express card, so it may be worth asking to downgrade the Premium Plus to the free card for this purpose if you don’t hold another Amex.
Q: If I cancel my 2-4-1 booking, will I get the voucher back?
A: Yes, the voucher will appear in your BAEC some time after cancellation along with your Avios. The voucher will retain the same expiry date.
Q: If I cancel my BA Amex after making a 2-4-1 booking, and later cancel the booking, will I get the voucher back?
A: Collective forum experience would lend us to believe that in this situation you would receive the voucher back, as the voucher is credited to your BAEC account and there would be no way for it to know that you had subsequently cancelled your card. The expiry date of the voucher will remain the same.
Q: If I have already used a 2-4-1 voucher, can I still find out what its expiry date is?
A: Yes. Log in to your BAEC account, and then go to the eVouchers page. This will list the details of all relevant vouchers. The details include the expiry date of each voucher, and for vouchers that have been used, the reference of the booking on which it has been used, so that you can see which voucher was used on which booking.
Q: There is one redemption seat available on the route I want. If I use the voucher, will it book a second seat for me automatically?
A: No. The voucher makes use of existing availability, so to book travel for two passengers there must be a minimum of two redemption seats available on the flight.
Q: Availability on BA is really poor. Can I book a codeshare flight?
A: No. The terms of the voucher state that the booking is restricted to BA metal. You should be able to secure availability at T-355 days, as BA release two Club World seats for all flights at this point.
Q: Can I use a Gold Upgrade for Two voucher in conjunction with my voucher?
A: Yes. You will need to call BA to make the booking.
Q: Can I use a Joker in conjunction with my voucher?
A: Yes. You will need to call BA to make the booking.
Q: Can I fly mixed class bookings using the voucher?
A: Yes, however all companions on the booking must fly the same cabin. This means you could fly First outbound and Club World inbound together using the voucher, but you cannot have one passenger in Club World and another in World Traveller Plus on the same leg of the booking.
Q: Can I book myself on one flight and my companion on the next flight?
A: No. You must fly on the same flights, in the same cabin. This also applies to all four passengers if the booking has been made by a Premium Plus Cardmember using two vouchers in the same booking.
Q: I’ve booked in Club World and seats in First have opened up. Can I rebook in First?
A: Yes. You will need to call BA to do this, and the standard BA change fee of £35 will apply along with the Avios difference between cabins.
Q: I booked two regular redemption seats in Club World. Can I retrospectively apply the voucher to my booking and get half the Avios back?
A: No. You will need to cancel and rebook, as you need to apply the voucher at the time of booking. As per standard redemption procedures, there is no guarantee the seats will be re-released for you to book, so cancellation is at your own risk.
Q: I’ve read lots of stories that those travelling on 2-4-1 vouchers are prioritised for downgrades. Should I be worried?
A: Downgrades are very infrequent and while there are stories of this happening, you shouldn’t worry that this will happen to you. BA have a number of strategies for overbooking situations and the likelihood of your flight being overbooked, let alone you receiving a downgrade or being denied boarding, is very low.
Q: Can I use a Lloyds Upgrade Voucher in conjunction with my 2-4-1?
A: No. The two vouchers are mutually exclusive.
Q: What is the best strategy to use the voucher and get the flights I want?
A: Flexibility. Being open to arrival airport, dates, and booking as far in advance as possible will all help your chances of booking the trip you want. Travelling midweek and during school term time will also lend itself to more availability.
Q: Can I make a 2-4-1 booking before the voucher expires, but actually fly after the voucher's expiry date?
A: Sort of. In short, you must book and fly the outbound leg before the expiry date. Your return leg(s) can take place after the voucher's expiry date passes.
Q: Do I have to return during the lifetime of the voucher?
A: Although your outbound journey must be completed before the voucher expires, you are free to return any time afterwards (within the limit of the validity of the ticket, which is normally one year from the date of outbound travel).
Q: I have a joint card with someone else, but the voucher has been issued in their name instead of mine, even though I did most of the spending on the card.
A: The voucher is issued in the name of the main Cardmember, regardless of who spends the most on the card.
Q: My Companion can no longer travel with me. Can I amend the name of my Companion on my 2-4-1 booking?
A: No. You will need to cancel the booking in its entirety, wait for the voucher and Avios to re-appear in your account, and create a new booking using the new Companion's details. There is no guarantee that the previous redemption seats you were booked into will reappear in the inventory, so this is at your own risk.
Q: I am a member of a Household Account. What are the rules around my companion travelling with me when this is the case?
A: The voucher terms state that, where you (as the Cardmember who earned the 2-4-1 voucher) are already part of a BA Household Account, the cardmember who travels with you must also be a member of the same Household Account. This is because Members of a Household Account cannot redeem their Avios for anyone outside the Household Account (members of the Family and Friends List are within the Household Account for these purposes). If this is problematic, there are a few ways to resolve this issue:
A: Your spend will count towards the Premium Plus target of £10,000.
Q: If I upgrade my Amex from the free to the Premium Plus card after earning a "Basic" voucher, is my voucher upgraded?
A: No. You can only earn one voucher per card year. If you have had a basic voucher issued already, it won't be swapped for anything and you'll have to wait until your next card year.
Q: I've earned my voucher on the Premium Plus card. If I subsequently downgrade the card, does it retain its two-year validity?
A: Yes. At the point the voucher appears in your BAEC account, the validity and expiry date will not change.
Q: I've upgraded / downgraded my card. How do I know what terms apply to my vouchers?
A: The voucher name in the Executive Club account can be used to understand this:
A: Yes. If you are holding multiple Legacy vouchers earned using a Premium Plus card or multiple Revised vouchers (earned using any card), you can use two vouchers to book for four people travelling together (including yourself), paying the Avios for two people and the taxes, fees and charges for four. If you want to book this on ba.com, you must check for availability for four passengers.
Questions?
This Wiki answers most commonly asked questions about the Voucher, but is not by any means an exhaustive list. Do post in the thread if you have any other questions or queries.
Related topics
Community experiences using companion vouchers
ENDS
Summary
The British Airways American Express Companion Voucher entitles you to receive a second seat for a companion on the same flight as you and in the same cabin when you make a reward booking on a British Airways mainline flight with a BA prefixed flight number (but not on flights operated by franchisee, codeshare or alliance airlines). All you’ll have to pay is the taxes, fees and charges for you and your companion’s tickets. From July 2022 (for vouchers earned after 1 September 2021) a solo traveller can use a voucher to save 50% of the Avios required for a redemption.
The voucher is easy and straightforward to use. You as the cardholder may book a redemption ticket, paid for entirely in Avios, and you take a travel companion with you at no additional Avios cost. The usual taxes, fees and surcharges apply to both passengers, which must be paid for by the card holder.
New terms apply to vouchers earned after 1 September 2021. The notes below are marked "Legacy" and "Revised" to indicate where they differ. Some significant changes:
- The term "Classic" is no longer applied to the free AmEx card, so the phrase "free" is used below to differentiate from the Premium Plus card.
- Vouchers earned using a free card can only be used for redemptions in Economy.
- The spend trigger to earn a voucher changed for the free card from £20k to £12k
Standard Voucher Terms and Conditions (see https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb...amex-companion)
- The voucher is valid for travel on BA operated flights with BA prefix only
- [Legacy Vouchers Only] Valid towards return flights only, with the journey originating from and returning to your country of membership (with the exception of vouchers issued in the UK which may also be used for one-way travel)
- Taxes, fees and surcharges apply to both the companion and the travelling Cardmember. The card holder will pay the cash supplement assessed for themselves and all others in the booking, using the credit card associated with the voucher
- For Cardmembers who have multiple Legacy Premium Plus vouchers or multiple Revised (free or Premium Plus) vouchers in their account, combining two of the same type (Legacy or Revised) of voucher within a single booking is permitted, subject to redemption availability. This allows the travelling Cardmember to take three travel companions, paying the Avios price for two passengers. Taxes, fees and charges must be paid for all four passengers. A maximum of two vouchers can be used towards any single booking
- The Cardmember can travel without the companion, however the companion cannot travel without the Cardmember
- The Cardmember cannot cancel the companion’s ticket to get the companion voucher back and still fly. In order to get the voucher back, the whole booking must be cancelled and re-booked for yourself, provided there is redemption availability
- Cancelling a redemption booking does not guarantee the seat(s) will be released back into the award inventory
- If the booking is cancelled at least 24 hours before the first flight, the Avios, taxes and fees will be refunded, plus the companion voucher. Generally the voucher and Avios will be refunded quite quickly, with the monetary components taking a few days longer. A cancellation fee will apply unless you are a BAEC GGL card holder
- Tickets booked by phone need to be booked at least 48 hours in advance
- Cardmembers must have accrued the Target within a 12-month period ending each year on the anniversary of their Promotion Commencement Date. Spend from the previous anniversary year will not be carried over
- Spend towards the Voucher must be charged to the account before the anniversary date. Any spend on the Card made before the anniversary date but not charged to the account until after the anniversary date will not be counted
- Companion Vouchers cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion (This is the formal line, but in reality it can be used with GUF2 and Jokers)
- If you (as the Cardmember who earned the Companion Voucher) are part of a BA Household Account, then both you and your companion must be members of the Household Account, or be on the 'Friends and Family' list that is attached to it
- One Companion Voucher per main Cardmember per year
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the British Airways American Express Companion Voucher?
A: The British Airways American Express Companion Voucher entitles you to receive a second seat for a companion on the same flight as you and in the same cabin when you make a reward booking on a British Airways mainline flight with a BA prefixed flight number (but not on flights operated by franchisee, codeshare or alliance airlines). All you’ll have to pay is the taxes, fees and charges for you and your companion’s tickets. A solo traveller can also use a Revised voucher to reduce the Avios component of a redemption by 50%.
Q: How do I qualify for the British Airways American Express Companion Voucher?
A: To qualify for your British Airways American Express Companion Voucher, you must reach the required spend threshold for your card, as shown below, within a 12-month period ending on the anniversary of the date of issue of your BA/AMEX Card. Please note that required spend does not include cash withdrawals, interest, balance transfers and fees.
- Free: £12,000
- Premium Plus: £10,000
Q: I’ve hit my spend. When will the voucher show up?
A: Once you hit the target, you will receive an email congratulating you on the award of your voucher. It will show up quite prominently on your BAEC account home page after logging in. American Express directly states once a Card Member qualifies, we compile a list of eligible Card Members (monthly) and send it to British Airways (can take 3-5 days). British Airways advises the Card Member of their e-voucher / Companion Ticket via mail within 10-15 days.
The e-voucher / Companion Ticket shows online for a period of time to redeem, when the Card Member logs onto their Executive Club (Avios) account at ba.com.
Q: Where can I see my voucher?
A: Go to the BAEC website. At the top of the welcome page, it will appear under the heading "My eVouchers", looking like the image above. In addition, you can go to the eVouchers page, where you can see used and unused vouchers.
Q: How long is the voucher valid for?
A: When the voucher is earned on the BA Premium Plus American Express card, the voucher is valid for 24 months. When the voucher is earned the free BA American Express card, it is valid for 12 months. You must have booked and completed the whole of your outbound travel by the date the voucher’s validity expires, and it cannot be extended under any circumstances. The longer validity of the Premium Plus voucher is often cited as a very good reason to pay the card fee (£250 as of July 2022).
Q: How do I get the most value from my voucher?
A: There is potential for you to save a substantial amount of Avios using the voucher, but its value to you is something only you can define. But in short, using the voucher for redemptions in First or Club World will maximise its value, as these naturally incur the highest redemption spend and will therefore save you the most Avios. Note that Revised vouchers earned using a free card only allow bookings in economy cabins.
Q: Can I use the voucher and part-pay with Avios?
A: The ticket itself must be paid for entirely with Avios. Taxes, surcharges and fees (the "cash component" of the ticket composed of these fees, which are charged on standard redemptions in any event) must be paid for using an American Express card, although not necessarily a British Airways one (this is stated in the Terms and Conditions, but any Amex works)
Q: How do I pay the taxes, surcharges and fees?
A: An American Express card must be used to settle the taxes, surcharges and fees for both passengers. The Terms and Conditions state you must use the same American Express card that the voucher was earned on to settle this payment, but in practice any American Express card can be used. You may not use a Visa, MasterCard or other payment form to settle these fees.
Q: Can I book an open-jaw trip using the voucher?
A: You can, but you will need to call BA. For the trip to be valid, the length of the surface sector must be shorter than either of the flown journeys. If you want to fly from LHR to AAA and from BBB back to LHR, then the LHR-AAA and BBB-LHR distances must both be greater than the distance between AAA and BBB.
Q: Can I book my outbound flight at 355 days and call back to add the return booking?
A: Yes, but you will need to call BA. Once availability shows, you can call to add the return leg – the BA policy is to waive the £35 change fee per passenger if the return was beyond the booking window when you booked the outbound, i.e. that you booked your outbound leg when seats became available at T-355.
For example: If you booked your outbound at T-355 and called later to add the return leg the change fee would be waived. If you booked your outbound at T-50 and then booked the return for T-60 a few days later, the fee will not be waived.
Important update, posted by cbagent on 12 Feb 2018:
If adding the return sector to an existing one-way Amex 241 where the inbound dates were out of range at time of booking, it is now possible to book the flights online as a new one way Avios booking then call BA UK office when open.
Half of the Avios on this new booking will then be refunded to reflect Amex voucher use. The benefit of this is that there is no need to try calling open BA office in the early hours of the morning and the downside is the itinerary will be ticketed as two one way bookings. In addition the Avios balance must be high enough to take a debit of double the required Avios albeit for a relatively short time. May be of use for some people. Note: you are strongly advised not to use this new method of booking two separate one ways if going to the US/Canada. When booking as two separate bookings and having the 2-4-1 applied across both is that taxes/charges/fees are not recalculated when the voucher is applied across to the second booking. Sometimes this will work out well for you (bookings exHKG for example), but for exUS or exCA bookings it is not recommended at all since exUS/CA taxes/fees/charges are very high. As an example, using the two separate bookings method on a LHR-JFK booking in J or F for two people would cost you about £480 more that the old method of calling and adding the inbound to an existing booking. Please see post 965 here for more information.
Important update, posted by DeathSlam on 8 Feb 2024:
From 7th December 2022 it is now possible to use Amex 241 vouchers on Aer Lingus and Iberian flights.
https://mediacentre.britishairways.c.../details/14362
Q: As redemption seats are released at midnight GMT, what is the best way to secure them? There is no guarantee they will be available when the BA office opens in the morning!
A: Call a BA office that is open at midnight GMT. You will then be able to make the booking without waiting for your local office to open. Depending on timezone, Japan, Hong Kong and even the USA are frequently contacted for this purpose.
Q: I made a one-way booking using a voucher and have already completed the travel on that booking. Can I now add an inbound flight to the booking to make use of the voucher?
A: No.
Q: Does cancelling my BA American Express card mean I will lose the voucher? Does downgrading my BA American Express Premium Plus card to the free card mean I will lose my voucher?
A: No. Contrary to what American Express will tell you, you will keep the voucher if you cancel the card entirely, and similarly your voucher will retain its two year validity if you downgrade from the Premium Plus card to the free card. Remember though that you will need to pay the taxes and fees on an American Express card, so it may be worth asking to downgrade the Premium Plus to the free card for this purpose if you don’t hold another Amex.
Q: If I cancel my 2-4-1 booking, will I get the voucher back?
A: Yes, the voucher will appear in your BAEC some time after cancellation along with your Avios. The voucher will retain the same expiry date.
Q: If I cancel my BA Amex after making a 2-4-1 booking, and later cancel the booking, will I get the voucher back?
A: Collective forum experience would lend us to believe that in this situation you would receive the voucher back, as the voucher is credited to your BAEC account and there would be no way for it to know that you had subsequently cancelled your card. The expiry date of the voucher will remain the same.
Q: If I have already used a 2-4-1 voucher, can I still find out what its expiry date is?
A: Yes. Log in to your BAEC account, and then go to the eVouchers page. This will list the details of all relevant vouchers. The details include the expiry date of each voucher, and for vouchers that have been used, the reference of the booking on which it has been used, so that you can see which voucher was used on which booking.
Q: There is one redemption seat available on the route I want. If I use the voucher, will it book a second seat for me automatically?
A: No. The voucher makes use of existing availability, so to book travel for two passengers there must be a minimum of two redemption seats available on the flight.
Q: Availability on BA is really poor. Can I book a codeshare flight?
A: No. The terms of the voucher state that the booking is restricted to BA metal. You should be able to secure availability at T-355 days, as BA release two Club World seats for all flights at this point.
Q: Can I use a Gold Upgrade for Two voucher in conjunction with my voucher?
A: Yes. You will need to call BA to make the booking.
Q: Can I use a Joker in conjunction with my voucher?
A: Yes. You will need to call BA to make the booking.
Q: Can I fly mixed class bookings using the voucher?
A: Yes, however all companions on the booking must fly the same cabin. This means you could fly First outbound and Club World inbound together using the voucher, but you cannot have one passenger in Club World and another in World Traveller Plus on the same leg of the booking.
Q: Can I book myself on one flight and my companion on the next flight?
A: No. You must fly on the same flights, in the same cabin. This also applies to all four passengers if the booking has been made by a Premium Plus Cardmember using two vouchers in the same booking.
Q: I’ve booked in Club World and seats in First have opened up. Can I rebook in First?
A: Yes. You will need to call BA to do this, and the standard BA change fee of £35 will apply along with the Avios difference between cabins.
Q: I booked two regular redemption seats in Club World. Can I retrospectively apply the voucher to my booking and get half the Avios back?
A: No. You will need to cancel and rebook, as you need to apply the voucher at the time of booking. As per standard redemption procedures, there is no guarantee the seats will be re-released for you to book, so cancellation is at your own risk.
Q: I’ve read lots of stories that those travelling on 2-4-1 vouchers are prioritised for downgrades. Should I be worried?
A: Downgrades are very infrequent and while there are stories of this happening, you shouldn’t worry that this will happen to you. BA have a number of strategies for overbooking situations and the likelihood of your flight being overbooked, let alone you receiving a downgrade or being denied boarding, is very low.
Q: Can I use a Lloyds Upgrade Voucher in conjunction with my 2-4-1?
A: No. The two vouchers are mutually exclusive.
Q: What is the best strategy to use the voucher and get the flights I want?
A: Flexibility. Being open to arrival airport, dates, and booking as far in advance as possible will all help your chances of booking the trip you want. Travelling midweek and during school term time will also lend itself to more availability.
Q: Can I make a 2-4-1 booking before the voucher expires, but actually fly after the voucher's expiry date?
A: Sort of. In short, you must book and fly the outbound leg before the expiry date. Your return leg(s) can take place after the voucher's expiry date passes.
Q: Do I have to return during the lifetime of the voucher?
A: Although your outbound journey must be completed before the voucher expires, you are free to return any time afterwards (within the limit of the validity of the ticket, which is normally one year from the date of outbound travel).
Q: I have a joint card with someone else, but the voucher has been issued in their name instead of mine, even though I did most of the spending on the card.
A: The voucher is issued in the name of the main Cardmember, regardless of who spends the most on the card.
Q: My Companion can no longer travel with me. Can I amend the name of my Companion on my 2-4-1 booking?
A: No. You will need to cancel the booking in its entirety, wait for the voucher and Avios to re-appear in your account, and create a new booking using the new Companion's details. There is no guarantee that the previous redemption seats you were booked into will reappear in the inventory, so this is at your own risk.
Q: I am a member of a Household Account. What are the rules around my companion travelling with me when this is the case?
A: The voucher terms state that, where you (as the Cardmember who earned the 2-4-1 voucher) are already part of a BA Household Account, the cardmember who travels with you must also be a member of the same Household Account. This is because Members of a Household Account cannot redeem their Avios for anyone outside the Household Account (members of the Family and Friends List are within the Household Account for these purposes). If this is problematic, there are a few ways to resolve this issue:
- Add your companion to your Household Account. It should be noted that Household Accounts can have a maximum of seven members at any one time, and can only be changed every six months. Your companion must also live at the same address as you for this to be an option.
- Add your companion to your Household Account's Family and Friends List. Once you have a Household Account, you can create a list of family and friends, so you can spend your Avios on people outside the group and, most importantly, on people who do not share the same address as you. You can nominate up to five people on your Family and Friends List, and you can access your Family and Friends list after you have logged into your online Executive Club account at ba.com. From here you can easily add individuals to your list – simply follow the on-screen instructions.
- You withdraw from your Household Account. You may wish to note that Household Accounts can only be changed every six months.
A: Your spend will count towards the Premium Plus target of £10,000.
Q: If I upgrade my Amex from the free to the Premium Plus card after earning a "Basic" voucher, is my voucher upgraded?
A: No. You can only earn one voucher per card year. If you have had a basic voucher issued already, it won't be swapped for anything and you'll have to wait until your next card year.
Q: I've earned my voucher on the Premium Plus card. If I subsequently downgrade the card, does it retain its two-year validity?
A: Yes. At the point the voucher appears in your BAEC account, the validity and expiry date will not change.
Q: I've upgraded / downgraded my card. How do I know what terms apply to my vouchers?
A: The voucher name in the Executive Club account can be used to understand this:
- BA American Express Companion Voucher: Issued before 1 September 2021 (termed Legacy in this Wiki)
- BA American Express Credit Card Companion Voucher: Issued after 1 September 2021 (termed Revised in this Wiki) for spend on a Classic / free card. Can only be used for economy cabins.
- BA American Express Premium Plus Companion Voucher: Issued after 1 September 2021 (termed Revised in this Wiki) for spend on a Premium Plus card. Can be used for all cabins.
A: Yes. If you are holding multiple Legacy vouchers earned using a Premium Plus card or multiple Revised vouchers (earned using any card), you can use two vouchers to book for four people travelling together (including yourself), paying the Avios for two people and the taxes, fees and charges for four. If you want to book this on ba.com, you must check for availability for four passengers.
Questions?
This Wiki answers most commonly asked questions about the Voucher, but is not by any means an exhaustive list. Do post in the thread if you have any other questions or queries.
Related topics
Community experiences using companion vouchers
ENDS
BA American Express companion voucher | master thread
May 5, 2021, 3:14 pm
#243
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Manchester
Programs: VA (Plat), QR (OWE), BAEC (Silver), AY (Gold), HH (Diamond)
Posts: 165
Hi everyone.
I'm fairly new the companion voucher scheme and have almost spent enough to receive it! Although when looking at potential uses of the voucher I'm quite limited as I have only achieved approx. 50k avios which doesn't meet the requirement for a return J cabin flight which are around 100k avios.
Has anyone found clever uses of the companion voucher with low avios balances to fly in J long haul? I'm not entirely sure the voucher is worth it in the end as I'm not really a big spender and so it will take me a couple more years to reach 100k avios!
It's a shame Moscow moved to a short haul aircraft as I know that was a clever use of avios.
Thank you
I'm fairly new the companion voucher scheme and have almost spent enough to receive it! Although when looking at potential uses of the voucher I'm quite limited as I have only achieved approx. 50k avios which doesn't meet the requirement for a return J cabin flight which are around 100k avios.
Has anyone found clever uses of the companion voucher with low avios balances to fly in J long haul? I'm not entirely sure the voucher is worth it in the end as I'm not really a big spender and so it will take me a couple more years to reach 100k avios!
It's a shame Moscow moved to a short haul aircraft as I know that was a clever use of avios.
Thank you
Consider ways of increasing your balance, AMEX sign ups for you or a partner, astute estore use or buying Avios. Recent sales have seen 50k Avios for around £500.
It's all about doing the math and figuring out what works best for you
To get the best of both worlds, at the moment BA are operating select rotations with long haul aircraft. For example leaving LHR for LCA on the 20th returning 27th May is 50k Avios in business. 4.5 hrs each way on a 787 when cash fare is ~£700pp is pretty sweet. I'd say keep an eye out for these (there's a thread that covers this off) for later in the year, assuming they continue.
Good hunting
May 6, 2021, 1:07 pm
#244
Join Date: May 2021
Programs: BA Executive Club
Posts: 12
Hello all,
Hope you are all keeping well.
I have a query on the BA companion voucher/GUF2. I found reward seat availability on the LHR-HKG-KUL-HKG-LHR route. BA flies the LHR-HKG-LHR sector, while Cathay Pacific flies the HKG-KUL-HKG sector.
Can I apply both the companion voucher and GUF2 on the BA flights only, and have the whole journey booked under the same PNR at the same time? Has anyone successfully done this before?
I do apologise in advance if this has been asked previously in other threads.
Thanks!
Hope you are all keeping well.
I have a query on the BA companion voucher/GUF2. I found reward seat availability on the LHR-HKG-KUL-HKG-LHR route. BA flies the LHR-HKG-LHR sector, while Cathay Pacific flies the HKG-KUL-HKG sector.
Can I apply both the companion voucher and GUF2 on the BA flights only, and have the whole journey booked under the same PNR at the same time? Has anyone successfully done this before?
I do apologise in advance if this has been asked previously in other threads.
Thanks!
May 6, 2021, 1:36 pm
#245
Join Date: Nov 2011
Programs: BA Gold Hilton Diamond
Posts: 289
Downgrade from Amex BA Platinum Plus to free Amex BA card
Hi
I currently have two 2-4-1 vouchers and will shortly be earning a third. Due to a change of circumstances there is a chance I might struggled to spend £10k next year to earn another 2-4-1 voucher and besides I will have three to utilise.
If I downgraade to the free BA AMex card, will my existing 2-4-1 vouchers have an assumed expiry of two years - as they were earned when I had the BA PP card - or will I also get a downgraded expiry period of one year?
Thanks
I currently have two 2-4-1 vouchers and will shortly be earning a third. Due to a change of circumstances there is a chance I might struggled to spend £10k next year to earn another 2-4-1 voucher and besides I will have three to utilise.
If I downgraade to the free BA AMex card, will my existing 2-4-1 vouchers have an assumed expiry of two years - as they were earned when I had the BA PP card - or will I also get a downgraded expiry period of one year?
Thanks
May 7, 2021, 7:11 am
#247
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 258
Hello all,
Hope you are all keeping well.
I have a query on the BA companion voucher/GUF2. I found reward seat availability on the LHR-HKG-KUL-HKG-LHR route. BA flies the LHR-HKG-LHR sector, while Cathay Pacific flies the HKG-KUL-HKG sector.
Can I apply both the companion voucher and GUF2 on the BA flights only, and have the whole journey booked under the same PNR at the same time? Has anyone successfully done this before?
I do apologise in advance if this has been asked previously in other threads.
Thanks!
Hope you are all keeping well.
I have a query on the BA companion voucher/GUF2. I found reward seat availability on the LHR-HKG-KUL-HKG-LHR route. BA flies the LHR-HKG-LHR sector, while Cathay Pacific flies the HKG-KUL-HKG sector.
Can I apply both the companion voucher and GUF2 on the BA flights only, and have the whole journey booked under the same PNR at the same time? Has anyone successfully done this before?
I do apologise in advance if this has been asked previously in other threads.
Thanks!
I'm struggling to recall the details but something makes me think it was quite tricky to do and I needed an experienced agent. The GGL team did it though. I think it's possible but would be interested to hear if anyone has done this more recently.
Cheers,
~S
Last edited by Schiehallion; May 7, 2021 at 9:15 am
May 7, 2021, 8:39 am
#248
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,875
Hello all,
Hope you are all keeping well.
I have a query on the BA companion voucher/GUF2. I found reward seat availability on the LHR-HKG-KUL-HKG-LHR route. BA flies the LHR-HKG-LHR sector, while Cathay Pacific flies the HKG-KUL-HKG sector.
Can I apply both the companion voucher and GUF2 on the BA flights only, and have the whole journey booked under the same PNR at the same time? Has anyone successfully done this before?
I do apologise in advance if this has been asked previously in other threads.
Thanks!
Hope you are all keeping well.
I have a query on the BA companion voucher/GUF2. I found reward seat availability on the LHR-HKG-KUL-HKG-LHR route. BA flies the LHR-HKG-LHR sector, while Cathay Pacific flies the HKG-KUL-HKG sector.
Can I apply both the companion voucher and GUF2 on the BA flights only, and have the whole journey booked under the same PNR at the same time? Has anyone successfully done this before?
I do apologise in advance if this has been asked previously in other threads.
Thanks!
I am pleased to see you have already the excellent guide to 241 vouchers. In terms of a 241 booking it is only supposed to have BA flights on only and no non BA flights. I have heard of reports where people have managed to add in non BA flights, but they are far between and I am not sure BA will be too willing to do this. You can still book the HKG-KUL-HKG flights as a separate booking of course, although there is an implication for bags being checked through and connection protection.
In terms of combining a 241 and GUF for your BA flights that should be fine to do.
May 8, 2021, 3:21 am
#249
Join Date: May 2021
Programs: BA Executive Club
Posts: 12
A warm welcome to FT Muttong!
I am pleased to see you have already the excellent guide to 241 vouchers. In terms of a 241 booking it is only supposed to have BA flights on only and no non BA flights. I have heard of reports where people have managed to add in non BA flights, but they are far between and I am not sure BA will be too willing to do this. You can still book the HKG-KUL-HKG flights as a separate booking of course, although there is an implication for bags being checked through and connection protection.
In terms of combining a 241 and GUF for your BA flights that should be fine to do.
I am pleased to see you have already the excellent guide to 241 vouchers. In terms of a 241 booking it is only supposed to have BA flights on only and no non BA flights. I have heard of reports where people have managed to add in non BA flights, but they are far between and I am not sure BA will be too willing to do this. You can still book the HKG-KUL-HKG flights as a separate booking of course, although there is an implication for bags being checked through and connection protection.
In terms of combining a 241 and GUF for your BA flights that should be fine to do.
Given the current travel situation, I would prefer to have my bags checked through to KUL. It's not possible to have a separate booking for HKG-KUL-HKG, as I am not allowed to enter HKG.
I will call BA, and will let you know the outcome.
Thanks again.
Muttong
May 11, 2021, 2:35 am
#250
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 74
Would appreciate some advice, please. I have a 2-4-1 voucher expiring Jun ‘22 (and another in 2023) and don’t want to lose it. Ideally I would use for Nov 21 or Feb 22 to Singapore or Bangkok but no suitable availability. Is there a way to extend the voucher by booking some other route and cancelling for a FTV? Or does the flight have to be cancelled for FTV to be available? Thanks in advance.
May 11, 2021, 2:53 am
#251
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 554
Would appreciate some advice, please. I have a 2-4-1 voucher expiring Jun ‘22 (and another in 2023) and don’t want to lose it. Ideally I would use for Nov 21 or Feb 22 to Singapore or Bangkok but no suitable availability. Is there a way to extend the voucher by booking some other route and cancelling for a FTV? Or does the flight have to be cancelled for FTV to be available? Thanks in advance.
May 11, 2021, 1:46 pm
#252
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 800
I had two FTV from a cash booking last year that were converted to e-vouchers by BA.
I am planning to book a 2-4-1 trip and the value of the two e-vouchers will more than cover the cost of the taxes.
I know I can’t use a cash FTV for a redemption booking but I assume I can use an e- voucher(s).
How does this work if I need to ring Japan at 0100 to book?
Any help will be greatly appreciated.
I am planning to book a 2-4-1 trip and the value of the two e-vouchers will more than cover the cost of the taxes.
I know I can’t use a cash FTV for a redemption booking but I assume I can use an e- voucher(s).
How does this work if I need to ring Japan at 0100 to book?
Any help will be greatly appreciated.
So if you get an E-voucher from a cash FTV (BA auto converted my FTV), this then cannot work with paying taxes for a redemption booking.
There is nowhere to put the evoucher code online either unless you are booking a full cash flight only ticket.
Neve mind.
May 12, 2021, 1:40 am
#253
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 554
Thought this might be of use to some people.
I booked 4 CW outbound today for May 1 2022 using two vouchers. I plan to book the return when it’s released in two weeks.
I had 3 241 vouchers. One of which expires end of April 2022 so I attached that to a booking under my wife and child’s name and cancelled that booking to put it into a FTV expiring 2023.
However I was unable to use that FTV for this flight since I was told I could not add two other passengers to this booking. Since I’m Silver and my wife is Bronze I didn’t want to split it over two bookings. So had to use my other two 2-4-1s for this booking and now need to work out a plan of what to do with the FTV. My hope is the 2-4-1 gets an extension so I can cancel it and use it then. Worse case is, if I need to change the name to me and my wife then I just cancel the whole thing since it was an avios booking for £70 and then rebook it.
Having done a lot of research I was unaware that I was unable to add another booking to the FTV. I had assumed that I would just start a new booking rather than piggyback on the old one.
Hope that knowledge is of use to others.
I booked 4 CW outbound today for May 1 2022 using two vouchers. I plan to book the return when it’s released in two weeks.
I had 3 241 vouchers. One of which expires end of April 2022 so I attached that to a booking under my wife and child’s name and cancelled that booking to put it into a FTV expiring 2023.
However I was unable to use that FTV for this flight since I was told I could not add two other passengers to this booking. Since I’m Silver and my wife is Bronze I didn’t want to split it over two bookings. So had to use my other two 2-4-1s for this booking and now need to work out a plan of what to do with the FTV. My hope is the 2-4-1 gets an extension so I can cancel it and use it then. Worse case is, if I need to change the name to me and my wife then I just cancel the whole thing since it was an avios booking for £70 and then rebook it.
Having done a lot of research I was unaware that I was unable to add another booking to the FTV. I had assumed that I would just start a new booking rather than piggyback on the old one.
Hope that knowledge is of use to others.
May 12, 2021, 2:03 am
#254
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 800
Thought this might be of use to some people.
I booked 4 CW outbound today for May 1 2022 using two vouchers. I plan to book the return when it’s released in two weeks.
I had 3 241 vouchers. One of which expires end of April 2022 so I attached that to a booking under my wife and child’s name and cancelled that booking to put it into a FTV expiring 2023.
However I was unable to use that FTV for this flight since I was told I could not add two other passengers to this booking. Since I’m Silver and my wife is Bronze I didn’t want to split it over two bookings. So had to use my other two 2-4-1s for this booking and now need to work out a plan of what to do with the FTV. My hope is the 2-4-1 gets an extension so I can cancel it and use it then. Worse case is, if I need to change the name to me and my wife then I just cancel the whole thing since it was an avios booking for £70 and then rebook it.
Having done a lot of research I was unaware that I was unable to add another booking to the FTV. I had assumed that I would just start a new booking rather than piggyback on the old one.
Hope that knowledge is of use to others.
I booked 4 CW outbound today for May 1 2022 using two vouchers. I plan to book the return when it’s released in two weeks.
I had 3 241 vouchers. One of which expires end of April 2022 so I attached that to a booking under my wife and child’s name and cancelled that booking to put it into a FTV expiring 2023.
However I was unable to use that FTV for this flight since I was told I could not add two other passengers to this booking. Since I’m Silver and my wife is Bronze I didn’t want to split it over two bookings. So had to use my other two 2-4-1s for this booking and now need to work out a plan of what to do with the FTV. My hope is the 2-4-1 gets an extension so I can cancel it and use it then. Worse case is, if I need to change the name to me and my wife then I just cancel the whole thing since it was an avios booking for £70 and then rebook it.
Having done a lot of research I was unaware that I was unable to add another booking to the FTV. I had assumed that I would just start a new booking rather than piggyback on the old one.
Hope that knowledge is of use to others.
I assume this is what you meant?
May 12, 2021, 10:37 am
#255
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 554
The only way they could do it would be to cancel the whole ticket and return the voucher. But that would’ve cost £70 and be pointless as the voucher would’ve expired by the date I needed to use it.
