[Anonymous]

[openfly]

Just received my 2500 Tier Point upgrade voucher. Tried to upgrade a money Club booking to First for a flight in Sept. They told me curtly that no Avios upgrades are available on those flights. The previous person told me the flights are wide open in F.

I queried as to why it needed an Avios seat, as this was a money booking. Apparently you only get the upgrade based on Avios availability, which on a CPT is impossible.

So yet again BA shows its true colours.

Not worth the bother.

[PegasusAir]

I agree. This has just happened to me. I can’t upgrade paid CW seats to F because there are no Avios seats available yet I was told there are plenty of F seats available – I don’t think they say this in the blurb or it’s just in the very very small print. Given the lack of availability and the fact that it is only valid for 12 months unlike the Amex 241 it isn’t easy to use.

[openfly]

@PegasusAir

I wrote a long protesting email to the CEO this morning, under the title “A dirty trick…”. I doubt that I shall receive a satisfactory or satisfying reply, but it helped me with my frustration!

Would be grateful if you did the same to express your dissatisfaction with BA, and the almost worthless upgrade vouchers.

[6Continents]

If there is no First Class redemption availability (Z class) then make the cash booking through a good travel agent, they will then request the upgrade. Doing it this way you only need A class to be available and not Z class (redemption)

[openfly]

@6Continents I prefer to book direct with BA. Travel agents have no room for discounts as BA no longer pays commission. If you book with a travel agent you usually have to go back to them if there are problems, rather than the usually excellent staff at BA Exec Club.

[PegasusAir]

6continents – Are you saying that the upgrade is allowed if A class seats are available? If so why can’t BAEC book it – they never mentioned A class to me, just that there were no Avios seats available. Is A class a special class for only certain bookings?

[SimonS1]

Openfly – my thoughts are the other way around. For anything other than a vanilla booking it’s worth talking to an agent.

When things went pear shaped after the volcano it was a lot easier to get hold of the agent, plus doesn’t it regularly take ages to get through to BA by phone?

[openfly]

SimonS1……I hear where you are coming from. I was on long haul Dial-a-Flight booking with IB during the volcano. They were excellent.
I just feel that with my direct BA.com bookings and being a Gold card holder, I have always found BA folks to be very helpful, even when abroad on the 0191 number.

[6Continents]

PegasusAir, I do not know why it works like this but if you were to use the GUF2 through a travel agent they only need A class to be available. It helps if you use a travel agent who is used to this process, I would use American Express Travel or similar as they will do lots of these.

You only have three booking classes for first class F,A,Z

F= flexible first
A = discounted first
Z = Avios/redemption

Upgrade through BA you can only book into Z
Upgrade through a TA and you book into A

To find what Z class is available use BAEC
To find what A class is available use ExpertFlyer or similar

[PegasusAir]

6Continents. Interesting. Thanks

[openfly]

@6continents.

Thanks for the info.

Just had a long conversation with a BA manager. She says that all 2500TP upgrades must go through Avios availability in Z class. Travel agents have to upgrade in Z class otherwise there must be a charge if upgrading in A class. So you must have just struck lucky…according to her.

Also she confirmed that if there is no availability on one of the sectors then you lose that sector completely!

As I said earlier, the whole thing stinks.

Don’t bother going above 1500TPs.

[LuganoPirate]

Switch to Swiss or Lufthansa. I rarely have a problem upgrading to F from a paid business ticket. I even got two free tickets with miles for my boys in First as a treat.

[MartynSinclair]

When I have been unable to use the upgrade voucher and BA see several attempts have been made, they have on occasion agreed to extend the validity of the upgrade voucher by 12 months.

The one part that used to annoy me was when I was given an upgrade subject to availability AT THE GATE..

The whole issue of being awarded an upgrade is to enjoy the entire airport experience, not just the “G U S ” gate upgrade scramble…!!

[6Continents]

openfly, The BA Flyer talk community also seem to have no problem using the GUF2 to upgrade into A class with travel agents…

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/british-airways-executive-club/1545707-understanding-guf2.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/british-airways-executive-club/1468147-guf2-can-someone-suggest-travel-agent-please-pm.html

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