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Bits: £787 in Business to Bangkok and other Qatar Airways deals, Amex 2015 FHR brochure

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More news in brief:

Qatar Airways launching Amsterdam with more silly fares

Qatar Airways will fly from Amsterdam to Doha from June 16th.  This is a new route and will be served by a Boeing 787 featuring the latest impressive 1-2-1 business class seating which I reviewed here and which is pictured below.

To kick off the service, Qatar is offering some very attractive launch fares based on two people travelling together.  Quoted fares are, per person:

  • Dubai €1010 (£743)
  • Bangkok €1070 (£787)
  • Phuket €1195 (£879)
  • Maldives €1895 (£1395)
  • Bali €1625 (£1196)
  • Hong Kong €1340 (£986)
  • Singapore €1670 (£1230)
  • Tokyo €1470 (£1082)
  • Kuala Lumpur €1465 (£1078)

Other destinations are also available. Note that this is the average price for two people travelling.  If you search for one person you will not see this pricing.

The deadline for booking tomorrow, 28th March.

Remember that these fares earn Avios and BA tier points.  Most of the Asian routes will generate 560 tier points return.

You can book for travel up to 31st August.  You need to book via the Qatar Airways website here to get these fares – they will not be on Expedia etc.  Don’t forget to select Amsterdam as your departure point.

Qatar 787 350 business class

Kaligo promotion ending on Tuesday

A quick reminder that the current Kaligo.com hotel booking promotion ends on Tuesday.  If you have already made a booking with them during February or March, you might want to squeeze in another one to hit a higher bonus threshold.

You earn the following Avios bonuses for your combined spend in February and March:

3,000 Avios if you spend £250

10,000 Avios if you spend £500

20,000 Avios if you spend £1,000

Full details are in this article.  You have until January 2016 to complete your booked stays.

Amex ‘Fine Hotels & Resorts’ brochure for 2015 now online

Finally, if you have an American Express Platinum card, you’ll be interested to know that the 2015 Fine Hotels & Resorts directly is now available online.

FHR, as it is known, offers Platinum holders special deals at top hotels across the world.  You receive free breakfast, a GUARANTEED 4pm check-out, free wi-fi, potentially an upgrade at check-in and usually a credit of $100 or so towards your food and drink spending.

Four Seasons Hampshire, pictured above, is a hotel I often book via FHR.  The guaranteed 4pm check-out means you can make the most of a weekend break.

The free wi-fi is a new benefit for 2015 as I originally revealed here.


best hotel loyalty promotions

Hotel offers update – December 2024:

Want to earn more hotel points?  Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.

Want to buy hotel points?

  • Hilton Honors is offering an 80%-100% bonus when you buy points by 31st December 2024. Click here to buy.
  • IHG One Rewards is offering a 100% bonus when you buy points by 13th December 2024. Your annual purchase limit is increased to 300,000 points plus the bonus. Click here to buy.
  • Marriott Bonvoy is offering a 40%-45% bonus when you buy point by 23rd December 2024. Your annual purchase limit is increased to 150,000 points plus the bonus. Click here to buy.
  • World of Hyatt is offering a 25% bonus when you buy points by 4th January 2025. Your annual purchase limit is increased to 110,000 points plus the bonus. Click here to buy.

Comments (40)

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

  • pauldb says:

    Another bit: think about paying your council tax by credit card. Some council make zero charge, mine is £2.50 per transaction. Particularly timely if you have a bmi credit card with an earning rate that drops on 31st March.

  • Rob says:

    It only works because of the status tweak – pretty awful deal otherwise for anyone who is not status chasing. What I don’t understand is why Accor does this with just one airline, and picks Finnair!

  • Kai says:

    It seems the bonus points don’t have to be transferred to Accor? Everyone could register for double miles then.

    7:1 is paltry, but it may be an easy way to extend expiry or reach the elite threshold.

  • Geoggy says:

    I’m sure there were more UK hotels than in the new FHR brochure. The Lowry in Manchester is one I can think of not in the new brochure

    • Rob says:

      It may be in the UK Hotel Collection brochure, search HFP for my article on that.

      Rocco Forte sold The Lowry and it may have dropped in quality – they struggled to get the room rates needed to operate as a five star.

  • Debz says:

    Just booked this deal to Bangkok too tempting !
    Never flown with Qatar which loyalty scheme should I sign up to ?

    • Rob says:

      If you are in the UK, crediting to BA makes most sense. You would be very close to BA Silver with an Asian flight.

      • debz says:

        Thanks
        Anyone know if Qatar have a lounge in Amsterdam ?

        • Rob says:

          I would guess, for one flight a day, they are using someone else’s.

          • Leo says:

            Sorry to be thick Raffles – but does this also mean if I buy a Qatar business flight to Asia from LHR as a Blue – I get nearly enough points for silver? I can’t really face the thought of coming home via AMS after a change in the Gulf.

          • Nick says:

            Sorry to jump in: yes you would – I imagine it would be 560 points for a return flight from London to Asia, and you need 600 for Silver so yes.

            However for the avoidance of doubt, there are no discount fares from London. The discount fares apply to journeys starting in Amsterdam, as a promotional event to celebrate the opening of the Amsterdam – Doha route. E.g. Amsterdam to Bangkok is about £1600 for 2 people; London to Bangkok on the same dates is £3,700.

          • Leo says:

            Many thanks – I did realise that the offer was only from AMS but I was being lazy – now I’ve crunched the numbers I think it’s Tulip Time.

          • Rob says:

            That offer closes tonight remember!

  • Nick says:

    Awesome. I’m Looking down the barrel of at least £600 in seat booking charges this year as a lowly blue. This should get me silver, which makes the real cost of some of these routes less than the economy equivalent. Thanks.

    • Nick says:

      Bugger. I thought I had 80 tier points this year and I did, but the year ran out about a week ago. Whoops! That means I need to find 40 more tier points. I guess paying a full cash CE fare to Amsterdam is the best bet.

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

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