I’m now looking for our return and hope that it’s not in economy! I’ve booked the outgoing as a one way flight but have the following questions:

1 – Should I find my return flights I can add them to our booking in an equal cabin or lower (ie premium) and this should still allow half the Avios to be used?

2 – I can still consider an open jaw return?

3 – Can I mix and match with carriers such as flying out BA and returning on another such as Iberia or Are Lingus (I understand this is probably not going to be something I can do due to route mapping and provision)

4 – If I choose to use my Avios to return from Singapore on Qatar, how can I take advantage of our household account with BA – only my Avios transferred when I checked – how can I use my wife’s Avios in her account – do I need to ring up?

Many thanks for all your help. Flying out in Club is great, I’m looking for the return to not be as painful!

We are looking to try and book 4 premium economy (as a family with two children) tickets to Tokyo for Easter 2025 by combining two vouchers but note they only guarantee 2 tickets on 355 release.

Is the best thing then to try and secure 2 premium economy and pay cash for 2 other premium economy or 2 economy and then upgrade later when more reward flight availability comes up (although with no guarantee that they would)??

Thanks

Marcus Rees-Davies

No. If you only have enough Avios for an economy flight then the voucher will get you 2 economy flights for the same number of Avios. You can’t pay an extra sum to upgrade (unless BA offers you a deal at check-in).

Marcus Rees-Davies

And looking at the fees, seems to make sense to fly aer lingus from UK to Dublin and then on ….

Rob

Thanks Rob, if l have enough points for an economy flight and then have a 2-4-1 can l pay for upgrade or am I missing the point? I have to have enough points for free flight then can get a 2-4-1 ?

ChrisM

No, you must travel.

You need the Barclaycard credit card voucher if you want to gift it to someone else.

Marcus Rees-Davies

You need the Avios for one ticket. It can’t be used for a 241 on cash tickets.

(You CAN do this with the Virgin Atlantic credit card vouchers, interestingly.)

Rob

In a similar boat to Brian. I’m happy travelling economy wherever I travel. With that being said, is it even worth getting either of the BA cards? Would I be better getting a standard cashback card, or just the free card and transferring them into Nectar?

Bee

Online

Rob

Thanks -can it be done online or requires a phone call.

Gary

What you want to do is ok but this makes no sense at all.

Instead, use your 241 for a one way trip to fly you both out. Use a standard Avios redemption to pay for a one way return flight for your partner. This means you won’t be forfeiting the taxes and charges on your return leg.

Bee

Yes on an Amex 241, No on a Barclays upgrade voucher.

Rob

Ok thanks for that !

zapato1060

It’s only a 12k spend so only 2k difference with the BAPP.

Faris

No, just see it as a second holiday in premium, depending on your Avios.

brian

And if your not paying £250 for BA blue and you hit the 20k spend then that LHR-GRU eco flight is a brilliant use. Its not clear cut. If you using a premium 242 for LHR-AMS then thumbs down.

brian

You may find an Istanbul flight during summer holidays for a £1,000 in economy. So using the 241 would be very good usage. But apart from those outliers, using long haul is what’s agreed as BEST use not the sole use.

Marcus Rees-Davies

Yes, you can use more Avios and less cash but it’s almost always better more cash than Avios.

The “2024 prices are so high you may find value” caveat seems undercut by the “I’m not entirely sure why you would” want the standard card statement further down the article.

I guess as you say, a lot hinges on whether you’d have any desire to fly transatlantic economy which I guess a large amount of the audience here would not.

brian

Long haul, Brian, even if you’re happy flying in Economy, you probably won’t get a great ‘pence per Avios’ return. That said, prices have been so high of late that it may work.

Short haul, yes, Economy is a perfectly fine way to use a 2-4-1 voucher – but obviously the mega-savings are from Business / First Class long haul redemptions.

Not really, if you plan to use your companion voucher.

No-one should apply directly for the free British Airways American Express. Even if you want this card – and I’m not entirely sure why you would – it makes more sense to: ”
When reading statements like this I’m not sure if I’m far removed from the target audience of this site or whether I’m just “doing it wrong”.

Faris

No!