Bits: Tesco 20% bonus emails, bonus on Flying Blue miles purchases, Marriott / Hertz bonus

News in brief:

Emails arrive for the Tesco / BA 20% conversion bonus

The mythical emails regarding the new 20% conversion bonus of Tesco Clubcard points to British Airways Executive Club finally arrived yesterday.  Details of this promo can be found in my original article here.

Unfortunately, they left more questions unanswered.

Not everyone has received the email, which came from BA and would therefore be based on your privacy setting with the Executive Club.  I got it but no-one else in my family did.  Are they blocked from the bonus?  Or, as Tesco has been telling people, is anyone who is a member OK?

The £100 cap on conversions is also not clear.  The wording implies that you could make unlimited transfers as long as none of them exceeded £100.  Is this really true?  After all, auto-convert transfers are capped at £100.

If you got the email and plan to convert under £100, you are good to go.  For everyone else, questions remain.

Up to 50% bonus when purchasing Flying Blue miles

Flying Blue, the Air France / KLM loyalty programme, is running a bonus promotion for anyone who is looking to top up their account.  It is slightly worse than the previous offer in July as the threshold for getting the maximum bonus is raised from 20,000 to 30,000 miles.

Until 13th November, the following bonus is available when you buy miles:

• Up to 2,000 Award Miles = 10% Bonus
• 4,000 – 8,000 Award Miles = 20% Bonus
• 10,000 – 28,000 Award Miles = 30% Bonus
• 30,000 Award Miles = 50% Bonus

Members can buy up to 75,000 miles per year, excluding bonuses. Elite members have no cap.

At the top end, buying 75,000 miles with an extra 37,500 will cost €2,062.  That works out at 1.3p per mile which is not a massive bargain.

At the end of the day, though, I don’t imagine anyone except an existing Flying Blue member topping up an account getting excited by this. It is also worth remembering that Flying Blue is an American Express Membership Rewards partner – why pay for a pile of FB miles when you can take out an Amex Gold and get 20,000 miles free (22,000 if I refer you)?

If you are interested, the link to buy miles is here.

Marriott and Hertz bonus launched

Finally, Marriott Rewards has launched a new promotion with Hertz.  Hertz is not an Avios partner – although you can collect Virgin Flying Club miles – so this could be an interesting option if you have a Hertz booking coming up.

Until 31st March 2016, you will receive:

• 2,000 Marriott Rewards points on 2-4 day rentals
• 5,000 Marriott Rewards points on 5+ day rentals
• Valid at participating locations in the UK, Europe, USA, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Australia and New Zealand

You need to quote PC 169680 when you book.  In theory, you should also use code CDP 154080 to bring up the negotiated Marriott rates with Hertz.

You will often find that PC codes give you the bonus irrespective of which CDP code you use, so if you have access to a cheaper Hertz deal then I recommend you use that.  If you still receive the Marriott Rewards points then that is great.  If you don’t, you have the comfort of having saved hard cash instead.  Full details can be found here.

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How to earn Marriott Bonvoy points and status from UK credit cards (April 2025)

There are various ways of earning Marriott Bonvoy points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.

The official Marriott Bonvoy American Express card comes with 20,000 points for signing up, 2 points for every £1 you spend and 15 elite night credits per year.

You can apply here.

Marriott Bonvoy American Express

20,000 points for signing up and 15 elite night credits each year Read our full review

You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points by converting American Express Membership Rewards points at the rate of 2:3.

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

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

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.

The Platinum Card from American Express

80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review

You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points indirectly:

• American Express Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Rewards Credit Card (10,000 bonus Amex points)

and for small business owners:

• American Express Business Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Business Platinum (50,000 bonus Amex points)

The conversion rate from American Express to Marriott Bonvoy points is 2:3.

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which can be used to earn Marriott Bonvoy points.