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British Airways Gold Upgrade Vouchers can now be redeemed on American Airlines

May 26, 2022
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3 min read
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British Airways Gold Upgrade Vouchers can now be redeemed on American Airlines
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Good news for gold elite members of British Airways Executive Club: Upgrade vouchers can now also be redeemed on American Airlines flights.

Gold Upgrade Vouchers are one of the more valuable perks of reaching a certain number of Tier Points in the Executive Club program. They can be used for a single-cabin class upgrade on a single or return booking. At 2,500 Tier Points, you’ll earn one Gold Upgrade Voucher for two (generally referred to as GUF2). At 3,500 Tier Points, you’ll earn two Gold Upgrade Vouchers for one (known as GUF1).

Related: Avios vs. Tier Points: British Airways Executive Club status explained

For example, you can upgrade from Euro Traveller to Club Europe or from Club World to first class. The latter of those two is likely more valuable. Until now, Gold Upgrade Vouchers could only be used on British Airways and franchise-operated flights, meaning partner and codeshare flights were not eligible.

However, they can now be used on flights operated by American Airlines, including on upgrades to first class. The following conditions apply:

  • Upgrades from economy to premium economy class on AA are not possible, so you are best to look for AA flight without a premium economy cabin to allow you to upgrade directly from economy to business class using the voucher if you want to apply it to an economy flight;
  • The voucher may be applied to existing, or new AA flight bookings provided the booking contains a transatlantic sector; and
  • The booking must be a cash booking issued by British Airways, unfortunately, redemptions made with Avios (or Advantage miles) are not applicable.
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Related: British Airways extends some Executive Club elite status by additional 12 months—is this the final extension?

This is more restrictive than how a Gold Upgrade Voucher can be applied to flights operated by British Airways, though it is nice to have this extra redemption option.

For BA flights, you can use the voucher on a new or existing Avios redemption, provided there is reward or redemption availability in the higher class.

Say you’ve scored Avios seats to New York City on BA for yourself and your other half in Club World but noticed that first class reward space has opened up on both the outbound and return flights. A GUF2 will allow you to upgrade that booking into first class without needing to spend any additional Avios.

The same works for upgrades from World Traveller Plus to Club World or even from World Traveller to World Traveller Plus. For upgrades to Club World, additional taxes are payable, as taxes for premium cabins are higher than economy cabins. The GUF2 upgrades two passengers both ways; a GUF1 upgrades 1 passenger both ways.

On BA flights, the voucher can also be used on a new or existing cash booking. A GUF can now be used to book into the lowest first, Club World and World Traveller Plus cash classes, which are much more readily available than redemption seats.

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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  • 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.