BA companion voucher how and when to use?

[d1gger]

We do this often, they link the bookings on their system, but it will show as separate bookings (not clear I know!).
I guess there are 4 of you altogether, so it would be yourself and a child on 1 booking and your wife and child on another.
I've found it easier to call and speak to an advisor to book rather than doing it online - especially as its for 2 (4 people) bookings, you just need to watch the availability on them as the tickets get snapped up pretty quickly.

[sbchannel]

Morning morning!

SO today I stayed up until 1am to book my return flight. I was going to book online but then the taxes were over £1100 so decided to call so the taxes would recalculate which brought the additional taxes down to around £250pp!

Now I don’t know if I did this right - I have booked the flight to London but will need to add on a regional flight to Newcastle - do I just call again tomorrow and add it?

Also, I can see the flight on my app, but I have had no email confirmation and there is no pending charge on my card for the taxes, how long does this usually take?

I also can’t book seats - will this change once the flight is paid for?

I want to thank you all so much for your help, you all really helped none get my head around this!

[stanleycamel]

Originally Posted by sbchannel

Morning morning!

SO today I stayed up until 1am to book my return flight. I was going to book online but then the taxes were over £1100 so decided to call so the taxes would recalculate which brought the additional taxes down to around £250pp!

Now I don’t know if I did this right - I have booked the flight to London but will need to add on a regional flight to Newcastle - do I just call again tomorrow and add it?

Also, I can see the flight on my app, but I have had no email confirmation and there is no pending charge on my card for the taxes, how long does this usually take?

I also can’t book seats - will this change once the flight is paid for?

I want to thank you all so much for your help, you all really helped none get my head around this!

See more...

Glad you got sorted about your Orlando-Gatwick.

Yes you have to phone to book your Heathrow to Newcastle - there will be no additional Avios to "pay" but there will be additional taxes. I know it is stating the obvious but make sure you allow sufficient time for the journey from LGW-LHR.

The email and charge goes through once the e-ticket is validated (given a ticket number starting with 125) - it is possible you could get one showing the journey to and from the US back to London then an update to include the Newcastle service or you may just get the one. It depends on the process time of the additional payments - this is done by a back office team normally comes through reasonably quickly but at the moment some centres have been on lockdown so there is a backlog.

You will be able to look at booking your seats once all the above is processed but just keep trying.

I suggest you keep an eye on the app to make sure the additional flight is added and giive it a little time for the email to arrive - if it hasn't come through after, say, 2 weeks give them a ring. Its up to you but I would just ring during normal UK working hours to add your Newcastle journey.

At the moment we know that BA have stopped their LGW services and they may go over to Heathrow - whether that will be the situation next year we do not know and that can be looked at if it happens.

Bear in mind that using Avios for a redemption flight (as opposed to reducing cost of cash ticket) are flexible in the fact that they allow cancellation of the flights up to 24 hours prior to departure. If this situation arises you get the Amex voucher back to the original use by date and the taxes fees and charges too at a cost of £35.00 per person. You cannot change your return journey after you have travelled outbound but that is generally an unusual situation.

Hope I haven't confused you too much and good luck getting your journey all booked.

[sbchannel]

Originally Posted by stanleycamel

Glad you got sorted about your Orlando-Gatwick.

Yes you have to phone to book your Heathrow to Newcastle - there will be no additional Avios to "pay" but there will be additional taxes. I know it is stating the obvious but make sure you allow sufficient time for the journey from LGW-LHR.

The email and charge goes through once the e-ticket is validated (given a ticket number starting with 125) - it is possible you could get one showing the journey to and from the US back to London then an update to include the Newcastle service or you may just get the one. It depends on the process time of the additional payments - this is done by a back office team normally comes through reasonably quickly but at the moment some centres have been on lockdown so there is a backlog.

You will be able to look at booking your seats once all the above is processed but just keep trying.

I suggest you keep an eye on the app to make sure the additional flight is added and giive it a little time for the email to arrive - if it hasn't come through after, say, 2 weeks give them a ring. Its up to you but I would just ring during normal UK working hours to add your Newcastle journey.

At the moment we know that BA have stopped their LGW services and they may go over to Heathrow - whether that will be the situation next year we do not know and that can be looked at if it happens.

Bear in mind that using Avios for a redemption flight (as opposed to reducing cost of cash ticket) are flexible in the fact that they allow cancellation of the flights up to 24 hours prior to departure. If this situation arises you get the Amex voucher back to the original use by date and the taxes fees and charges too at a cost of £35.00 per person. You cannot change your return journey after you have travelled outbound but that is generally an unusual situation.

Hope I haven't confused you too much and good luck getting your journey all booked.

See more...

That’s fantastic, thank you so much

[Softy]

Also, be aware that the seat booking isn’t free with BA business like it is with Virgin. It’s expensive too.

[sbchannel]

Originally Posted by Softy

Also, be aware that the seat booking isn’t free with BA business like it is with Virgin. It’s expensive too.

See more...

It’s obscene! On the way out to Miami to sit in upper deck it’s £182pp!

It’s more so I can keep an eye out to see if it’s booking up quickly, it’s it’s going to remain pretty empty I won’t pay!

[Softy]

The wife and I will never pay for seats, particularly in business/first as it doesn’t really matter if you’re next to each other or not.

[sbchannel]

Originally Posted by Softy

The wife and I will never pay for seats, particularly in business/first as it doesn’t really matter if you’re next to each other or not.

See more...

With this being our honeymoon we will pay for seats if it looks like we won’t get to sit together, on the way out.
As we will likely be sleeping (or trying to on the return) it doesn’t matter so much and won’t bother. I really want to sit upper deck (never have before) but I am struggling to justify the cost. It also says in the terms that if we cancel the flights that the seats are not refundable at all!

[Sandraoh40]

Originally Posted by sbchannel

With this being our honeymoon we will pay for seats if it looks like we won’t get to sit together, on the way out.
As we will likely be sleeping (or trying to on the return) it doesn’t matter so much and won’t bother. I really want to sit upper deck (never have before) but I am struggling to justify the cost. It also says in the terms that if we cancel the flights that the seats are not refundable at all!

See more...

We have reward seats booked in December. CW out to LA and first back from Vegas. We had to do the same as you. We booked online for the outward journey and had to call for the return, then call the next day to get the LHR -GLA added on. It was much easier than I had thought, and so exiting when we got the first class back.
We would normally pay to sit together, and while I don’t want to sit separately on the way out we won’t be paying the prices they are asking. We too would like to be upstairs ( we are meant to be on a 747) but no way are we paying any more. In the way home we didn’t have to pay to reserve as it’s free in first. But I totally get your point of view as it’s your honeymoon.
Well done on getting what you wanted.

[Peko]

Originally Posted by Softy

The wife and I will never pay for seats, particularly in business/first as it doesn’t really matter if you’re next to each other or not.

See more...

You don’t have to pay for seat reservations in First on BA.

Originally Posted by sbchannel

With this being our honeymoon we will pay for seats if it looks like we won’t get to sit together, on the way out.
As we will likely be sleeping (or trying to on the return) it doesn’t matter so much and won’t bother. I really want to sit upper deck (never have before) but I am struggling to justify the cost. It also says in the terms that if we cancel the flights that the seats are not refundable at all!

See more...

I wouldn’t book seats just yet if you’re only doing it for upper deck. There is very little certainty right now about which aircraft will be in use post-Covid, and plenty of rumours that the 747s will not return to the skies (ditto all of the A380s).

Although it’s possible these aircraft will return, you do have the risk of paying, and then having to fight BA for a refund if there is an aircraft type change to a single deck aircraft and you don’t consider the seats comparable. The policy is to refund if a seat change is not comparable, but it’s not always automatic if that comparison is subjective. Plenty of reports of people having to fight for refund. It’s correct that seat reservations are not refunded if you cancel the flight.

Of course if you wait and there is no change, you might miss out on the upper deck, but on balance right now, if I had to pay for seat reservations (I don’t have to), I’d probably be waiting until there is a bit more certainty about next year’s schedule.