Bits: get 10% off Etihad fares with Amex, £278 business class to Paris with Air France

News in brief:

10% discount on Etihad flights for Amex cardholders

Etihad is offering a 10% discount on flights in all classes to American Express cardholders.   You need to book via this special website here.

The last day to book is July 15th although you can travel at any point until December 31st.

lastminute.com Eurostar flash sale to Marseille and Lyon

I wrote about the new Eurostar routes to the south of France here.  Until the end of today, lastminute.com is running a flash sale on Standard Premier seating to Marseille and Lyon.  Take a look here for full details.

These routes are also a good way of redeeming Eurostar Frequent Traveller points as they are priced at the same level as Paris, despite it being a far longer journey.

£278 business class tickets to Paris with Air France

Air France is currently offering business class return flights from Heathrow to Paris for £278 return.

Whilst we are used to seeing low cost business fares from British Airways at weekends (you need to stay a Saturday night to get this price) few other European airlines have caught on.  Indeed, Air France still wants £645 if you want to fly from Manchester to Paris for the weekend.  £278 is a step in the right direction although I would have thought £199 would be a more suitable price.

You would get SkyTeam lounge access at Heathrow on this fare (reviewed here) plus lounge access in Paris.  It is probably of most interest to anyone who needs to knock up a KLM or Air France flight to stop their miles expiring.  Bookable on the Air France site here.

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How to earn Flying Blue miles from UK credit cards (April 2025)

Air France and KLM do not have a UK Flying Blue credit card.  However, you can earn Flying Blue miles by converting Membership Rewards points earned from selected UK American Express cards.

These cards earn Membership Rewards points:

• American Express Preferred Rewards Gold (review here, apply here) – sign-up bonus of 20,000 Membership Rewards points converts into 20,000 Flying Blue miles. This card is FREE for your first year and also comes with four free airport lounge passes.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

• The Platinum Card from American Express (review here, apply here) – sign-up bonus of 50,000 Membership Rewards points converts into 50,000 Flying Blue miles

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

• American Express Rewards credit card (review here, apply here) – sign-up bonus of 10,000 Membership Rewards points converts into 10,000 Flying Blue miles. This card is FREE for life.

Membership Rewards points convert at 1:1 into Flying Blue miles which is an attractive rate.  The cards above all earn 1 Membership Rewards point per £1 spent on your card, which converts to 1 Flying Blue mile.

The American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card earns double points (2 per £1) on all flights you charge to it, not just with Air France and KLM but with any airline.