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No, but you can create a Household Account which enables you to use your combined avios to make award bookings. There’s an article on this site explaining how it works, if you’re not aware.
Hi, my wife and I are travelling together.
1. Is it possible to book the return 2-4-1 leg (365 days out) using my avios account as I have lots of Avios and then combine that booking with my Wife’s booking (she has the outbound already booked on her 2-4-1 voucher but not enough avios for the 180,000 required for the return)
2. Would I still get half the avios back when I phone to stitch the booking together or does the return booking have to be done under the same name/account?
I cannot find a definitive answer in the thread apologies if it is in there somewhere.Tip, If you need to find an answer to a travel related question, most often a google search will come up with what your looking for, below are a couple of examples, invariably hfp will be included.
https://www.headforpoints.com/2024/02/01/how-do-i-open-an-avios-family-account/
Thank you, I will look at the household option
Hi, my wife and I are travelling together.
1. Is it possible to book the return 2-4-1 leg (365 days out) using my avios account as I have lots of Avios and then combine that booking with my Wife’s booking (she has the outbound already booked on her 2-4-1 voucher but not enough avios for the 180,000 required for the return)
2. Would I still get half the avios back when I phone to stitch the booking together or does the return booking have to be done under the same name/account?
I cannot find a definitive answer in the thread apologies if it is in there somewhere.If I’ve understood this correctly, you just need to be in a household account and your wife will be able to make the inbpund booking using your avios.
A small point, it’s 355 days not 365.
Hi, my wife and I are travelling together.
1. Is it possible to book the return 2-4-1 leg (365 days out) using my avios account as I have lots of Avios and then combine that booking with my Wife’s booking (she has the outbound already booked on her 2-4-1 voucher but not enough avios for the 180,000 required for the return)
2. Would I still get half the avios back when I phone to stitch the booking together or does the return booking have to be done under the same name/account?
I cannot find a definitive answer in the thread apologies if it is in there somewhere.If I’ve understood this correctly, you just need to be in a household account and your wife will be able to make the inbpund booking using your avios.
A small point, it’s 355 days not 365.
Oops-when I looked none of the page 6o replies were present…………hence my redundant reply!
And to compound my error that should be none of the page 62 replies. I think I’ll give up and watch Scotland vs Wales.
For the first time I’m having issues booking a Cape Town return flight. I have taken all the device I can find in this thread to make a midnight booking as speedy as possible. Last night I hit the book flights button just a second after midnight but got a message saying unable to book flights for 28th Feb next year. Eventually had to retype flight request and it accepted the 28th date by which time I had lost any time advantage. Has anyone else had this issue?
For the first time I’m having issues booking a Cape Town return flight. I have taken all the device I can find in this thread to make a midnight booking as speedy as possible. Last night I hit the book flights button just a second after midnight but got a message saying unable to book flights for 28th Feb next year. Eventually had to retype flight request and it accepted the 28th date by which time I had lost any time advantage. Has anyone else had this issue?
Read all the previous 5 pages, long-story-short, you probably have more chances trying to call BA.
For me the easiest way is to search for the day before exactly at midnight, and then click the next day availability.
Thank you for your replies. Phil uk – I shall try your useful suggestion. Captainptk – any recommendations for which numbers to use please? I’ve seen US and Japan mentioned.
@scamfly last Monday US line answered in less than 5 mins
@philuk Thank you. presumably if we use the telephone route we have to ring through just prior to midnight here, explain we wish to book next day allocation and ask them to “grab” seats as soon as they become available. Is that the process? I believe I’ve seen the number back in this thread but if you could confirm which number you use it would be very helpful. I assume you Skype?
Many thanks.@scamfly Yes, you need a moment to pass through the security questions. The agent might refuse to wait if you’re too early. There might also be longer wait when booking flights in peak season. If you fail to connect on time, be prepared to try booking the flights online. The US number I used using Skype was +1 800 247 9297.
@philuk and @captainptk many thanks for for help. I successfully booked Club return flights from JNB online @ midnight last night and already have my Avios refund. Thanks again
I’ve been reading that BA only lets you add a return flight to the companion voucher if there weren’t return flights available at the time of booking your outbound. This is an unofficial policy I understand?
Is there a limit to this? There’s an outbound I’m happy to book, but if I can’t get a return in two weeks or so time, I’m also happy to wait much longer to see if availability appears. But this could be in many months, though I’m technically still in the situation I couldn’t book a return at the same time as the outbound.
They will add it any time, but you may have to pay the £35 per person amendment fee.
I’ve read in here about how BA won’t (or shouldn’t) let you add a return flight to your companion voucher if you book an outbound when inbounds are technically available.
Normally you are booking outbound 355 days out, and then the inbound 2 weeks later also 355 days out. Because it’s impossible to book a return I understand if you phone BA gives you half Avios back (and depending how you book it’s either added to original booking or a separate).
My question is is there a limit to this? I’m happy to pick an outbound flight today, but my return isn’t available yet. If I can’t get it in two weeks I’m also happy to wait months to see if a return appears. Would this fall under the, I guess, discretionary policy of adding a return to a flight that couldn’t have one booked?
They will add it any time, but you may have to pay the £35 per person amendment fee.
Thank you. I’m assuming they could also charge £35 two weeks later but generally don’t as a courtesy.
£35 is inconvenient but better than missing out completely.
I read that booking return online gives two bookings and refunds Avios after you phone; booking return over phone gives one booking and only takes half Avios again.
Is this the same regardless of whether you’re adding a return two weeks or 6 months later?
Yes – also the policy is to only return 50% avios if you booked the inbound at T-355 (though experiences with different agents can vary), so if booking after this time, the best option is to call BA and ask them to add it to your outbound booking.
I see, thank you for clarifying.
I feel optimistic to try to book the return flight online when it releases. Does mean I have two one ways, but the only disadvantage is that the cancellation fee is doubled (£35×2) I believe?I haven’t seen a definitive answer but what BA executive office do people use when trying to book over the phone and it is 1am uk (bST)? US closes at 1am – can people use Japan or Sydney assuming it lands on a monday to Friday?
Thought I would report a double failure last night.
In the past I’ve booked som of the difficult destinations MLE, TYO and last year SYD, so I’m pretty well acquainted with how it works.
I’d got my outbound using fastest finger first online. Last night I wanted to book the return.
My preference is to do it on the phone to avoid the recovering 50% of the Avios faff. But I had the computer ready as back up. Dialled US Blue line and went through the selections and the phone started ringing, after a few minutes it chirped up with a message that The Executive Club is now cloded, opening hours are blah, blah, blah….goodbye and cut off the call. Somewhat taken aback I redialled and had the same experience, tried the Bronze number which I also had stored in Skype..same experience.
This left me just enough time to try on line, I filled all my selections except the date and waited for the clock to tick past 23:59 as soon as it happened I went for date selection only to find it hadn’t incremented by one day…kept trying no luck. Logged out and back in again still the same. By now I was sure I would be too late. Skyped the US non-exec club line and got through after a long wait, unsurprisingly I was too late. Never had this kind of trouble before.
Thought I would report a double failure last night.
In the past I’ve booked som of the difficult destinations MLE, TYO and last year SYD, so I’m pretty well acquainted with how it works.
I’d got my outbound using fastest finger first online. Last night I wanted to book the return.
My preference is to do it on the phone to avoid the recovering 50% of the Avios faff. But I had the computer ready as back up. Dialled US Blue line and went through the selections and the phone started ringing, after a few minutes it chirped up with a message that The Executive Club is now cloded, opening hours are blah, blah, blah….goodbye and cut off the call. Somewhat taken aback I redialled and had the same experience, tried the Bronze number which I also had stored in Skype..same experience.
This left me just enough time to try on line, I filled all my selections except the date and waited for the clock to tick past 23:59 as soon as it happened I went for date selection only to find it hadn’t incremented by one day…kept trying no luck. Logged out and back in again still the same. By now I was sure I would be too late. Skyped the US non-exec club line and got through after a long wait, unsurprisingly I was too late. Never had this kind of trouble before.
Could I ask what flight you were trying to book? Ie back to UK from where? Thanks
I was also under the impression we have to call/searxh at 1am UK time atm as US clocks have gone forward whereas UK clocks haven’t yet
Yes, it was BKK.
Is that right about the clocks………….could explain the non incrementation. I’ll have a quick google of that.
You’re right, just checked. But, that shouldn’t affect the UK release of tickets at midnight, but it might explain the exec club being closed as the hours are to 8pm which would be midnight here. So they just stopped taking calls a few mins early.
Yes, it was BKK.
Is that right about the clocks………….could explain the non incrementation. I’ll have a quick google of that.
You’re right, just checked. But, that shouldn’t affect the UK release of tickets at midnight, but it might explain the exec club being closed as the hours are to 8pm which would be midnight here. So they just stopped taking calls a few mins early.
So I think the Website issue is down to the below issue, as the flight is from Asia
https://www.headforpoints.com/forums/topic/ba-website-issues/
Wrt the time of releases I think it’s something to do with it’s actually timed on an American time zone rather than 12 midnight UK time, hence why it moves to 1am in this interim period with the clocks changing. Happy to be corrected on this?
If the US offices are closed then who can we call instead as I thought the JP phone lines closed down?
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