BA - Companion Voucher redemption questions

[R.O.S.S.I]

Hi all,

Thinking about using our companion voucher for some business class flights to India next Feb/March. We've got enough points for it all and there looks to be a fair amount of availability from London.

We ideally wanted to spend most of our time down in Goa, so spend a few days in Mumbai to see the sights and acclimatise, then get another flight down to Goa to chill in a hotel etc.

I was wondering, is there any benefit to booking the trip as a BA Holiday and using Avios with things like internal flights and hotels included? Can you use your companion voucher for things like this?

If theres no benefit/bonus to booking as a BA Holiday, can you still use a companion voucher if you want to book a multi-stop booking?

i.e. I was thinking of doing something like this:
Fly into Mumbai, spend 3 nights,
Fly Mumbai to Goa spend 10 nights,
Fly Goa back to London (via Mumbai)

I know I could book this altogether at BA as multi-stop and pay bash, but just curious if you can use your companion voucher for this type of multi-city booking, with the inbound and outbound flights arriving/leaving in different cities? (i'm ok with booking a separate internal flight if needed)

 

[weringo]

You can't use the companion voucher with BA Holidays

You can't use the voucher for multi stop bookings nor can you use it for flights operated by airlines other than BA/Iberia/Air Lingus

You can use the voucher for a return flight which arrives at one airport and departs from a different airport, subject to the open jaw rules. But that's not going to help you here as Mumbai seems to be the most convenient airport for connecting on to Goa.

 

[R.O.S.S.I]

Yeh we were thinking of flying into and out of Mumbai and getting an internal flight down to Goa.

What are the open jaw rules? Could I use the companion voucher say to book the flight into Mumbai but have the return leg go from Goa (via Mumbai)? Or do they have to be direct flights? There's a lot of options on BA which have the flights from Mumbai to London but with an internal connection from Goa to Mumbai first for the way back.

 

[weringo]

You can book connecting flights using the companion voucher but all legs need to be operated by BA/Iberia/Air Lingus, so your suggestion won't work because the internal Mumbai-Goa connection isn't operated by BA.

The main open jaw rule is that the geographic distance between your the airport you arrive in (on the outbound flight) and the airport you depart from (on the inbound flight) must be shorer than both of the two flights.

 

[Rotty]

as abpve the open jaw should be fine and all must be BA (or a few partners" metal

I think voucher flights have to depart UK too

 

[doodah]

If you need any pointers, happy to help. Did Goa and Agra via Mumbai last November .

 

[R.O.S.S.I]

If you need any pointers, happy to help. Did Goa and Agra via Mumbai last November .

Ive been to India many years ago and visited the usual hotspots but i'm contemplating visiting again with my wife and what will be our 6 month old child.

Was thinking flying to Mumbai, spending a few days there, then hopping on a flight down to Goa and spending the rest of our time there.

The main issue i'm having is figuring out the best area to stay in Goa, particularly with a <6 month old - ideally dont want to be restricted to just the hotel and want to be near enough things to go out to beaches and explore restaurants and bars.

 

[doodah]

Ive been to India many years ago and visited the usual hotspots but i'm contemplating visiting again with my wife and what will be our 6 month old child.

Was thinking flying to Mumbai, spending a few days there, then hopping on a flight down to Goa and spending the rest of our time there.

The main issue i'm having is figuring out the best area to stay in Goa, particularly with a <6 month old - ideally dont want to be restricted to just the hotel and want to be near enough things to go out to beaches and explore restaurants and bars.

Congratulations on the baby. We stayed in Calangute in Goa at the Le Meridien. Hotel was great and had a few options for restaurants and bars, one of which was more family friendly. Location wise also good for beaches, attractions and shops.

 

[Ahleckz]

I couldn't book an open jaw (fly into one airport, and back from another) on the website last month. But, planned the flights I wanted and phoned up BA and they sorted it out really easily. Think you're best booking the internal flight separately.