Bits: new Finnair routes to Asia, SPG bonus in London, Iberia launches lifetime status
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News in brief:
Finnair launches Fukuoka and Guangzhou in 2016
Finnair is on a bit of a roll at the moment. They have literally, this week, started receiving their new Airbus A350 long haul aircraft – I am trying it out in mid November. Edinburgh services are due to start next year. They have also now announced two new Asian routes.
Finnair, if you don’t know, has a niche in flying long-haul to Asia. If you get your atlas out you will see that Helsinki is well placed for short flight times. As a fellow member of oneworld alongside BA, you can earn and spend Avios points on Finnair flights.
Fukuoka in southern Japan will launch next Spring with three flights per week. It adds to existing routes to Tokyo Narita, Nagoya and Osaka.
Guangzhou in China will launch on 6th May with four weekly flights.
Both routes are timetabled only for the Summer season, ending 29th October, at present. They will use Airbus A330 aircraft.
Get 2,000 bonus SPG points at the Great Northern Hotel
I wrote about London’s Great Northern Hotel joining Starwood Preferred Guest a few weeks ago. It is part of the new ‘Tribute’ brand which allows independent hotels to become aligned with SPG without having to (literally) adopt the full Starwood manual on how to operate.
Until December 20th, you will earn 2,000 bonus SPG points for every stay at the Great Northern, up to maximum of five stays.
I value SPG points at 1.5p each so you are effectively getting a £30 bonus when you redirect a stay there – not a bad incentive. You need to register for this offer via this page at spg.com.
Iberia launches lifetime status …. for 105 people
Finally, BA’s sister airline Iberia has launched a new ‘lifetime status’ level called Infinita. There are two levels – Infinita Prime and Infinita.
You won’t be reaching this in a hurry – Prime required 200,000 elite points. Other criteria seem to include having been an Iberia Plus member for 20 years, including at least 10 years as a Platinum member, and having flown at least 350,000 miles per year.
When you remember that Iberia had sloping business class seats until two years ago, anyone meeting these criteria deserves sympathy, to be honest ….
Only 105 people have reached the criteria for Infinita Prime. To be honest, that seems pretty pointless to me. Was it even worth paying to get the card designed? The benefits they receive include four annual upgrades, business class check-in, limo service ‘at selected airports’, VIP parking and two Gold cards for friends.
A further 700 people who have earned 125,000 Elite points receive the basic Infinita status. Again, a very small number of people given the size of the airline. These people do NOT get VIP parking or a limo service, and only two upgrades per year.
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How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (May 2025)
As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Avios points from UK credit cards. Many cards also have generous 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 Mastercard
Get 25,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £10,000 Read our full review

Barclaycard Avios Mastercard
Get 5,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £20,000 Read our full review
There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:

British Airways American Express Premium Plus Card
30,000 Avios and the famous annual Companion Voucher voucher Read our full review

British Airways American Express Credit Card
5,000 Avios for signing up and an Economy 2-4-1 voucher for spending £15,000 Read our full review
You can also get generous sign-up bonuses by applying for American Express cards which earn Membership Rewards points. These points convert at 1:1 into Avios.
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.
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 Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card
Your best beginner’s card – 30,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review

The Platinum Card from American Express
80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review
Run your own business?
We recommend Capital on Tap for limited companies. You earn 1 Avios per £1 which is impressive for a Visa card, and the standard card is FREE. Capital on Tap cards also have no FX fees.

Capital on Tap Visa
NO annual fee, NO FX fees and points worth 1 Avios per £1 Read our full review

Capital on Tap Pro Visa
10,500 points (=10,500 Avios) plus good benefits Read our full review
There is also a British Airways American Express card for small businesses:

British Airways American Express Accelerating Business Card
30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review
There are also generous bonuses on the two American Express Business cards, with the points converting at 1:1 into Avios. These cards are open to sole traders as well as limited companies.

The American Express Business Platinum Card
50,000 points when you sign-up and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

The American Express Business Gold Card
20,000 points sign-up bonus and FREE for a year Read our full review
Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Avios. This includes both personal and small business cards.
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