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Rate my redemption: Open-jaw first and business class from London to the United States, using 155,000 Avios

Aug. 01, 2022
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4 min read
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Rate my redemption: Open-jaw first and business class from London to the United States, using 155,000 Avios
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Every week, TPG brings you tips on the best ways to earn and redeem your points and miles, so you can maximize your travel.

Our team loves hearing success stories about how you’re using your loyalty currencies.

Unsure if you’re getting a great deal from your next redemption? Why not ask the experts?

TPG reader Nick shares his most recent redemption:



One of my bucket list items is to drive Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles, however as my wife works in a school we are tied into peak dates for holidays.
Armed with my British Airways Amex Companion Voucher, I booked 2 x Club World seats for the London (LHR) – Chicago (ORD) sector (using 60,000 Avios) as soon as they were released online at 1.00am 355 days before departure. I added the return Los Angeles (LAX) – London leg by phoning BA the day they were released, so overall I was very happy to have been able to use my voucher & 135,000 Avios in total to secure 2 x Club World seats on a popular long-haul route in peak season.
I also have SeatSpy alerts set up for First availability on both sectors, so when I received a notification recently that First seats had been released for the Chicago flight, a quick call to BA ensured that I grabbed those (for an extra 20k Avios & even a small refund on the taxes previously paid!). Here’s hoping that I’m similarly lucky for the return flight from LAX…
Overall, the flight cost for my wife & I (LHR-ORD in First, LAX-LHR in Club World) is 155,000 Avios & £1,245 in fees/surcharges/taxes.

You might already know the British Airways Companion Voucher from American Express can be used for mixed-cabin redemptions when you can’t find availability in the higher class of service on both legs (or when you only have enough Avios for the higher class in one direction).

By using the handy SeatSpy tool, which the TPG team uses all the time, Nick received an alert when two first-class seats opened up; then, it was a simple matter of calling BA to move up to the higher class by paying the extra Avios required. The small refund of fees and taxes doesn’t sound quite right and may have been a lucky error in Nick’s favor.

A little-known perk of the already valuable Companion Voucher is that it can be used for open-jaw itineraries. This is where you fly into one city and out of another. This could be useful if you are taking a land journey, like Nick is from Chicago to Los Angeles, and you don’t want to backtrack to fly home; it's also smart if you can’t find availability to fly out of the same city you flew into, and you are willing to travel in order to fly home in the desired class of service. For example, you may fly into Miami, but out of Orlando.

The rule for open jaws is that the distance between the airports you are flying into and out of (in Nick’s case, the distance between Chicago and Los Angeles) cannot be longer than either of the flights you are trying to use the Companion Voucher for. You can use the free gcmap.com tool to work out the distance by entering the various airport codes.

Related: The complete guide to maximizing stopovers and open jaws on award tickets

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In Nick’s case, the distance between Chicago and Los Angeles "as the crow flies" is 1,744 miles; this is much shorter than both the flight to and the flight from London, so this open-jaw itinerary is allowed with a Companion Voucher.

While the 1,245 pounds ($1,526) in fees, taxes and surcharges will sting, there’s unfortunately no way of getting around these, especially if you wish to commence your journey in London.

Related: Why are the fees, taxes and surcharges on Avios redemptions so high?

Hopefully, two first-class seats open up from Los Angeles for Nick’s return journey. Regardless, though, I rate this as an excellent redemption and savvy use of both SeatSpy and the Companion Voucher’s generous open-jaw rule.

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

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  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
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  • Annual Fee is $325.
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Apply for American Express® Gold Card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees
Best for dining at restaurants

American Express® Gold Card

TPG Editor‘s Rating
4 / 5
Go to review

Rewards Rate

4XEarn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
4XEarn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
3XEarn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
2XEarn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
1XEarn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.

  • Intro Offer

    As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.

  • Annual Fee

    $325

  • Recommended Credit

    Excellent to Good

Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.