Bits: Finnair from Edinburgh, fixed Gett taxi fares, Nectar / Nero deal, INNSiDE Manchester deal

Some news in brief:

Finnair launching Edinburgh to Helsinki

This was mentioned in the discussion of the latest Finnair flight deals last week, but it is worth a separate piece.

Finnair is launching flights from Edinburgh to Helsinki next Summer.  The service will operate three times per week (Sunday, Monday and Thursday) between 19th April and 27th October.

As well as being an attractive weekend break option – you can get over to Tallinn on the ferry once you’ve seen Helsinki – it also opens up Finnair’s long-haul network into Asia to Scottish travellers.

You can redeem these flights with Avios points.   Avios redemptions are already bookable on ba.com – economy flights are 15,000 points + £95 return whilst business class is 30,000 points + £108 return.  Cash tickets can be booked on the UK Finnair site here.

London taxi app Gett launches fixed fares

In an interesting move, London black cab taxi app Gett has launched fixed fares for off peak trips in Central London.

For trips on weekdays taken between 10am and 4pm, 8pm to 11pm and 2am to 6am, you are now able to select ‘fixed fare’ in the Gett app.

Input your destination, ensure your account is set to pay by credit card and not cash, and you will be given a guaranteed fixed price for your trip.

Journeys of over six miles will be discounted by 30% making the ‘fixed fare’ option ar cheaper than paying the meter fare, even in clear traffic.

If you have not already tried Gett, you can get £10 of credit via our referral code GTSZFWS.  Click here for download options.  If you prefer Hailo, it is now offering Avios points on every ride in London – find out more in this article.

Finally …. a good use for Nectar points for the next month

Until 9th September, you can redeem 50 Nectar points for an e-code which gets you a free drink at Caffé Nero.  You simply quote the code at the till, they type it in and your free drink is validated.  The comments below suggest you can only use these for small hot drinks, unlike usual Nero redemptions.

You have 28 days to use your code from the date you redeem.

This is worth 4p to 5p per Nectar point which is clearly a major boost to the usual return of 0.5p.  Full details are on the Nectar website, to which I can no longer link as you now need to be logged in.

INNSiDE Manchester promotion

You may remember that I reviewed Melia’s new INNSiDE hotel in Manchester back in June.

I was very positive about the property which seems to be a good addition to the business hotel scene in the city.   It is also a good sign for the future rollout of the INNSiDE brand in the UK.

I was emailed with details of rate reductions which are currently running as the hotel continues to build up occupancy levels.  You will need to join Melia Rewards to get the full discount, otherwise you are only offered 30%.  Looking at a few dates in September, it takes rooms down to around £100 midweek.

You will also receive £15 of credit per day towards your spending in the hotel (not valid towards breakfast) when you book at melia.com.

Given that you can also collect Avios via Iberia Plus when you stay at Melia Hotels and credit your stay to Melia Rewards, it is worth a look if you are heading to Manchester this Autumn.  The hotel website is here.

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How to get MeliaRewards Gold status from American Express (April 2024)

Do you know that holders of The Platinum Card from American Express receive FREE MeliaRewards Gold status for as long as they hold the card?  It also comes with Marriott Bonvoy Gold, Hilton Honors Gold and Radisson Rewards Premium status.

We reviewed American Express Platinum in detail here and you can apply here.

You can discover the benefits of MeliaRewards Gold status on the Melia website here. It includes three vouchers per year worth 20% off any booking.

Small business owners may want to consider American Express Business Platinum instead:

(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.)