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Bits: Nicole Sherzinger joins BA’s New Orleans eBay flights, PartnerPlusBenefit quintuple points

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News in brief:

Nicole Scherzinger joins the New Orleans party flight

I have previously mentioned the eBay auctions that British Airways is running to buy two (economy) seats on a test flight into New Orleans in late February.

BA is now making a last push to extract the maximum cash possible from these tickets.   Nicole Scherzinger and YolanDa Brown have been hired to entertain guests in-flight.

”WOW. I mean, who wouldn’t want to celebrate at 40,000ft en route to Mardi Gras.  It’s going to be one fun flight, and I can’t wait to get the party started!” said Scherzinger, who presumably isn’t sitting down the back looking at the photo below.

If you’re interesting in going, you can follow the eBay action here.

PartnerPlus Benefit quintuple points bonus

PartnerPlusBenefit is the small business scheme for the UK and Ireland run by 11 of the Star Alliance airlines.  This includes Lufthansa and Swiss.

I wrote about PPB in detail in this article.  It is a LOT more flexible than the British Airways On Business scheme which I reviewed here – although you’d be daft not to join On Business too if you have a VAT registered UK business.

There is even a sign-up bonus.  At present, anyone who joins by clicking through from Head for Points will receive DOUBLE the usual sign-up bonus – you will get 3,000 points instead of 1,500.  Click here to sign up.  You receive 1,500 points and a further 1,500 after crediting your first flight.

Until the end of the year, you will earn QUINTUPLE the standard number of BenefitPoints on flights from the UK or Ireland to Munich, Frankfurt, Brussels, Vienna, Zurich and Geneva.  This applies to any flights taken on Lufthansa, Brussels Airlines or SWISS.

Comments (26)

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

  • bill says:

    Now I’m interested !

  • Anon says:

    O/T: Mornin all (22:50 here)

    Not as exciting as Nicole, but Iggy…

    Day 7, IHG Advent calendar

    He’s lurking in the middle down a bit…

    148000 points
    LE CREUSET 169600 4 PCE 3-PLY PAN SET STAINLESS STEEL
    LE-050

    Doubt I’ll be able to do day 8 for you folks, will likely be too tired after driving back from viewing the launch of the Delta IV at Cape Canaveral. 😀

  • Jon says:

    Completely O/T, but currently waiting to fly out to New York- we have booked in at a garden inn Hilton in Manhattan but not directly via Hilton. I’m a gold member- do you think it’s still worth noting that at check in? If so, do I just casually drop it into the conversation or? (Thanks, have little experience!)

    • Anon says:

      Absolutely, doubtful for earning any points, but you may get a room Upgrade. Shame you’ll be missing out on the 2x pts + 5000 pt promos.

    • mark2 says:

      I always approach the HHonors desk (if the have one, maybe not at HGI) holding my HHonors card prominently.

    • Jon says:

      Thanks all. Nothing came out of it unfortunately, but NYC more than make up for it!

  • N says:

    OT – how long to get SPG status from time of request from Amex platinum?

  • the real harry says:

    I guess it’s a case of ‘what happened at the party stays at the party’ – but if Raffles danced the conga in his boxers, I want to know 🙂

    Good party?

  • @mkcol says:

    Barely heard of that Nicole person, but Yo-who?

    Does this officially make me old?

  • Colin JE says:

    Re OnBusiness, when I last looked your business not only had to be VAT registered but also had to be a limited company. Despite being VAT registered I was kicked out for being a sole trader business.
    Is the PartnerPlus Benefit the same?

    • Rob says:

      PPB has no requirements to be a limited company or be VAT registered.

      • Pianoman says:

        Maybe should tell Sallinder this, My account was closed for no vat registered or ltd.

    • Lady London says:

      Interested readers still peeved at the sneaky way BA introduced the unreasonable requirement to be VAT registered, may wish to know that BA also offers its On Business program in other countries. Er…. without the VAT requirement, nor its equivalent in those countries.

      No idea why British Airways would discriminate against people operating perfectly respectable businesses that don’t happen to fall into categories required to be registered for VAT in its own home country, and yet British Airways does not impose this same requirement to businesses in other countries in tne On Business program.

      • Alan says:

        They also (thankfully) don’t seem to have fully imposed the VAT requirement on existing members.

  • Simmo says:

    OT…

    Been a while since I used Silver BA status when in economy.
    Travelling from T3 LHR over the weekend, when travelling in Y can I use status to get myself + 1 into all the openworld lounges? (wanted to try the Cathay lounge)

    On the way back there is no openworld lounge – so was planning on using the ‘Lounge club’ from my Amex Gold, I haven’t used it yet, is it good for 2 people for free?

    • Sean says:

      You can use any one world lounge for you and your guest as silver members yes (even in economy), it seems like the Cathay pacific lounge has just reopened last week after being closed for quite a while.
      Not sure about your second question though.

    • Genghis says:

      I believe the Lounge Club card can be used for two people for free once (or one person two visits) and after that need to pay.

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

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