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Bits: Heathrow Express free upgrade for Star Alliance Gold, new Amex fashion deals

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News in brief:

Free Heathrow Express upgrade extended

If you have Star Gold status via any of the frequent flyer schemes in the Star Alliance, you can still claim a free First Class upgrade on Heathrow Express.

This deal was originally due to expire at the end of May but has been extended for another month.

Note that you must be travelling on a full-fare Standard Class ticket which means that you cannot link it to the 12% discount for Mastercard holders which is currently available.

Heathrow Express

London shopping deals with American Express

Thanks to reader Yosuke, I was sent details of an American Express promotion aimed at people who live outside the UK but are visiting here – although anyone can take part.

Take a look at this site.

As well as hotel deals, it has the following fashion offers:

20% off at Gap

10% off at Liu Jo

£10 off £100 spend at Pepe Jeans

£15 off £150 at World Duty Free

10% off at Zadig & Voltaire

10% off at Camper

20% off at Banana Republic

To redeem, you must print off a voucher to take into the store and pay with an American Express card.  Most are valid until the end of August.

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:

Barclaycard Avios Plus 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 card

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: 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.

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

40,000 points sign-up bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

American Express Business Gold

20,000 points sign-up bonus and FREE for a year Read our full review

Capital on Tap Business Rewards Visa

Huge 30,000 points bonus until 12th May 2024 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 Business Credit Card

1% cashback uncapped* on all your business spending (T&C apply) Read our full review

Category

American Express Gold card, American Express Platinum card, British Airways American Express, Marriott Bonvoy American Express

Comments (27)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • n says:
    19 Jun19 June 05:57

    Presumably you can stack the WDF voucher with the offer currently running under My Offers?

  • Save East Coast Rewards says:
    19 Jun19 June 07:25

    For those with a Network Gold Card (i.e. an annual rail season ticket in the old Network South East area or London travelcard) I noticed that the discount now applies to first class tickets too.

    This takes the discounted price of a first class ticket to lower than the undiscounted price of standard class.

    I bought the ticket on the First Great Western site (any National Rail site should work) for collection at the FGW ticket machines in Paddington. The HEX website is still only showing the discount on standard class fares.

    For me this discount puts first class into a price worth paying if there’s a chance the train will be busy. It was hard to justify the full price for first.

  • Tariq says:
    19 Jun19 June 08:18

    Thanks Yosuke, the Gap voucher can be used at any full price UK or France store – not just London, so even better!

  • John says:
    19 Jun19 June 13:21

    Someone has paid lots of effort on that page. The Hilton offer says its 2014 but t&c says 2015. BR T&C says “From X to X only”…

  • bob says:
    19 Jun19 June 16:32

    OT bit: Raffles the pay.com update becomes pertinent, they’re everywhere 🙂

    Bought £600 today and there were another £2500 worth on the shelf.

    Split across 2 cards and total works out @ 6120 free avios for my trouble. Plus I have triggered a BA Amex bonus.

    • Rob says:
      19 Jun19 June 17:40

      Everywhere except London …. which obviously means they do not exist 🙂

      • James67 says:
        19 Jun19 June 18:50

        who…London?

        • bob says:
          19 Jun19 June 19:26

          They certainly exist in deepest Sticks 🙂

          • Fenny says:
            19 Jun19 June 19:30

            They have them in *Daventry*, which is about as far from Civilisation As We Know It as you can get!

      • TimS says:
        19 Jun19 June 21:36

        There’s plenty out east, including in Tesco branches that never previously used to stock them!

  • bob says:
    19 Jun19 June 17:53

    OT Shell – wife put in £50 of diesel to get the £10 statement credit – she got 4x points, ie 1 x normal + 3 x as bonus points. Is that normal @ Shell?

    • Raymond Hennessy says:
      19 Jun19 June 18:38

      I’ve been getting 100 bonus points per week for the last 8 weeks via the Shell app, not earth shattering but every little helps 🙂

    • James67 says:
      19 Jun19 June 18:53

      Was this PRG? I’ve been getting 4x points recently too, was wondering what was going on.

      • TimS says:
        19 Jun19 June 21:38

        You only seem to get 4x if you pay on PRG at the counter. Pay at pump only gets you 1x.

        • James67 says:
          20 Jun20 June 05:03

          Wasn’t just at shell, currently I’m getting extra points on every spend.

  • bob says:
    21 Jun21 June 19:58

    OT bit my bro told me today about a travel insurance deal he took out when he went to Egypt in 2014 which was £13 a month – through Barclays – which gave an Airport Angel card included. He cancelled the insurance after 1 month. But the Airport Angel card is still valid as they sent him a renewal card for 2015 and he just got a new card with 2016 validity – he showed me the 3 cards. I didn’t ask at the time what the insurance deal was – stupidly – but between us we should be able to find it.

  • Free Heathrow Rewards first class upgrade says:
    24 Jun24 June 06:38

    […] PS.  Remember that, until June 30th, Star Alliance Gold members get a free Heathrow Express First Class upgrade just by showing their car… […]

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