If you ever needed proof that this hobby was worth pursuing ….

If you ever try to discuss miles and points with your friends, you may find their eyes glaze over, or they grumble that ‘it’s all too complicated’ or something similar ….

Next time the subject comes up, send them a link to this post.

The pictures below are from Etihad‘s First Class service, as operated on the London to Abu Dhabi route:

and

and

and

And here is the impressive bit:

You can fly this (one way) to Abu Dhabi, for free*, simply by getting the free American Airlines credit card with the current 35,000 miles bonus that I wrote about on Saturday.

Etihad even let you use their free chauffeur service on redemption flights which will pick you up and take you to Heathrow (max 150 mile journey) and take you wherever you want from Abu Dhabi (even to Dubai).  The Etihad website says that this is available for ‘Etihad Guest redemptions’ but it appears to be OK for redemptions via American Airlines as well.

Not bad for getting a free credit card!  In fact, it is the most generous sign-up deal I have ever seen for a free airline card.  And if an Etihad First Class trip doesn’t persuade people that miles and points is a great hobby, then there really is no hope for them!

(* Taxes and surcharges WILL, unfortunately, apply!)

(PS.  You will need to come back to London, of course.  But if you have no other miles, some airlines do sell cheap one-way economy fares to the UK from Dubai or Abu Dhabi for roughly £235.  It won’t be as pleasant as Etihad First Class, though …..)

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Want to earn more points from credit cards? – April 2024 update

If you are looking to apply for a new credit card, here are our top recommendations based on the current sign-up bonuses.

In February 2022, Barclaycard launched two exciting new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard cards with a bonus of up to 25,000 Avios. You can apply here.

You qualify for the bonus on these cards even if you have a British Airways American Express card:

You can see our full directory of all UK cards which earn airline or hotel points here. Here are the best of the other deals currently available.

Earning miles and points from small business cards

If you are a sole trader or run a small company, you may also want to check out these offers:

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 12th May 2024, the Capital on Tap Business Rewards Visa card is offering a bonus of 30,000 points, convertible into 30,000 Avios. You must have a Limited Company to apply. Click here to learn more and click here to apply.

For a non-American Express option, we also recommend the Barclaycard Select Cashback card for sole traders and small businesses. It is FREE and you receive 1% cashback on your spending.