If you ever needed proof that this hobby was worth pursuing ….
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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 …..)
Want to earn more points from credit cards? – March 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:
Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard
Get 25,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £10,000 Read our full review
Barclaycard Avios Mastercard
5,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £20,000 Read our full review
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.
British Airways American Express Premium Plus
25,000 Avios and the famous annual 2-4-1 voucher Read our full review
American Express Preferred Rewards Gold
Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review
The Platinum Card from American Express
40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review
Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard
15,000 bonus points and 1.5 points for every £1 you spend Read our full review
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: You receive a huge 120,000 Membership Rewards points if you apply for American Express Business Platinum by 9th April 2024. You receive 80,000 points for spending £12,000 within 90 days and a further 40,000 points if you retain the card for 14 months. Click here to apply.
SPECIAL OFFER: You receive 60,000 Membership Rewards points if you apply for American Express Business Gold by 9th April 2024. Remember that the card is FREE for the first year. You receive 40,000 points for spending £6,000 within 90 days and a further 20,000 points if you retain the card for 14 months. Click here to apply.
British Airways Accelerating Business American Express
30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review
American Express Business Platinum
Crazy 120,000 points bonus (to 9th April) and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review
American Express Business Gold
Huge 60,000 points sign-up bonus (until 9th April) and free for a year Read our full review
Capital On Tap Business Rewards Visa
Get a 10,000 points bonus plus an extra 500 points for our readers Read our full review
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.
Barclaycard Select Cashback credit card
2% cashback on all your business spend for 3 months (1% thereafter) and no annual fee Read our full review
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