Bits: Qatar Airways buys 10% LATAM & 49% Meridiana, BA cuts Rio flights, SPG Moments deal

News in brief:

Qatar Airways to buy 10% of LATAM and 49% of Meridiana

I mentioned in the Accor article yesterday that the Qatar Investment Authority has now become a shareholder in Accor Hotels by part-funding the acquisition of Fairmont / Raffles / Swissotel.

Qatar Airways is also on the march.  As well as making noises about increasing its shareholding in IAG, owner of British Airways, it has just announced its intention to purchase a 10% stake in LATAM.  This is the holding company for the South American airlines LAN and TAM which are now being jointly rebranded at LATAM.

As well as providing a necessary financial boost for LATAM – Qatar is buying new shares and not purchasing from existing investors – the airline is also hoping that it can increase its presence in Asia and the Middle East, presumably through codeshare agreements.

Separately, Qatar has also announced the purchase of 49% of struggling Italian airline Meridiana.  Meridiana uses Avios for its reward programme although – as it isn’t part of Combine My Avios and reward flights carry huge taxes and can only be booked by telephone – it is unlikely to trouble you.

If Qatar can drag the airline into the 21st century it may become more interesting.  The fact that Meridiana is still flying MD-82 aircraft tells you all you need to know.

It is unclear if these partnerships will run deeper.  Etihad has been very aggressive in working with those airlines in which it has acquired minority stakes, with aircraft and pilots now swapping between airlines and areas like training and purchasing being harmonised.

Air Serbia, for example, is launching a service between New York and Belgrade using an aircraft borrowed from Jet Airways of India.  This deal was brokered by Etihad which owns stakes in both.

British Airways cuts Rio frequencies

If Rio is expecting a boost in tourism next year after hosting the Olympics, they didn’t tell the people at British Airways.

For the Spring 2017 timetable, which starts on 28th March 2017, British Airways is scrapping the Tuesday and Thursday services.  This means that there will only be five flights per week to Rio.

BA has been selling tickets for these flight.  If you have a Rio booking for 2017, you might want to check that it has not been cancelled.  This is why I recommend using the free My Flights app to track your BA bookings as it would notify you within 24 hours of any changes being made – BA will take a few weeks to get around to calling people directly.

Good SPG Moments deal in Venice

Finally, there is an EXCELLENT SPG Moments package in Venice closing at NOON today.  At the time of writing there are no bids but the reserve is 40,000 Starwood points.  This would be a snip.

The dates are fixed – 20th to 22nd July.  You get:

2 nights with breakfast in a Dandalo Suite at the Hotel Danieli.  That is worth €2,900 based on paying cash for the same dates.

VIP seats for two to the performance of The Merchant of Venice at Hotel Danieli on 20 July 2016

Cocktail dinner for two featuring a menu inspired by the play and prepared by Executive Chef Dario Parascandolo

Private guided tour for two: ”Venice, the Jews and Europe, 1516–2016” at Doge’s Palace on 21 July 2016

The only reason I am writing about this instead of buying it for myself is that I will be away on the 22nd, otherwise I would have been all over this deal.  Hopefully a reader can get it instead.  Remember that bidding ends at noon.

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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.