Bits: get 20 Avios per £1 on Heathrow Express, a new ‘grown up’ Hilton in Ibiza

News in brief:

Earn 20 Avios per £1 on Heathrow Express tickets

It is kept very low key – and you need to book via a special website – but you can earn Avios points when booking Heathrow Express train tickets.

You need to book via heathrowexpress.com/avios and not the main Heathrow Express site.  The main site only gives you the option to collect Heathrow Rewards points.

The standard earning rate is 10 Avios per £1.  However, for tickets purchased before 31st October, this is doubled to 20 Avios per £1.  You would earn 1,080 Avios from a £54 return First Class ticket.

You cannot book cheaper Advanced Purchase tickets through the Avios site.  The only tickets available are fully flexible Standard and First Class.  Leisure travellers who have fixed travel plans and are booking over 14 days in advance will find better deals on the main site, even without any Avios.

PS.  You can credit Avios from Heathrow Express to BA, avios.com or Iberia Plus.  This is an easy way of activating a new Iberia Plus account, as you cannot transfer Avios in or out of Iberia until you have ‘earned’ 1 Avios point in the scheme.

A new ‘grown up’ Hilton hotel in Ibiza

If you enjoy the climate in Ibiza but don’t care much for the mass market hotels, Hilton has come to your rescue.

The Gran Hotel Montesol Ibiza has joined Hilton’s Curio Collection of luxury independent hotels who have formed a marketing alliance with Hilton.  This allows you to book your stays via the Hilton website – and earn Hilton HHonors points – as well as redeeming.

Built in 1933 – it was actually the first hotel on Ibiza, photo above – the Montesol is an official ‘Property of Cultural Interest’.  In the heart of Ibiza, next to the harbour, it is on the edge of the ‘upper town’ World Heritage Site.

Full details are here.  It doesn’t come cheap – for a random date in October I saw rates of over €400 per night, which makes the 95,000 Hilton HHonors points required look OK.

PS. If you are not a regular Head for Points visitor, why not sign up for our FREE weekly or daily newsletters? They are full of the latest Avios, airline, hotel and credit card points news and will help you travel better. To join our 65,000 free subscribers, click the button below or visit this page of the site to find out more. Thank you.

How to earn Hilton Honors points and status from UK credit cards (April 2025)

There are various ways of earning Hilton Honors points from UK credit and debit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.

There are two dedicated Hilton Honors debit cards. These are especially attractive when spending abroad due to the 0% or 0.5% FX fee, depending on card.

You also receive FREE Hilton Honors status for as long as you hold the debit cards – Gold status with the Plus card and Silver status with the basic card. This is a great reason to apply even if you rarely use it.

We reviewed the Hilton Honors Plus Debit Card here and the Hilton Honors Debit Card here.

You can apply for either card here.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 30th April 2025, the annual fee on the basic Hilton Honors debit card is halved from £60 to £30. The sign-up bonus is also easier to earn – you need to spend £1,000 either in the UK or abroad within three months. The usual bonus rule requires you to spend the full £1,000 outside the UK.

NEW: Hilton Honors Plus Debit

10,000 bonus points, Hilton Gold status and NO FX fees Read our full review

NEW: Hilton Honors Debit

2,500 bonus points, Hilton Silver status and 0.5% FX fees Read our full review

There is another way of getting Hilton Honors status, and earning Hilton Honors points, from a payment card.

Holders of The Platinum Card from American Express receive FREE Hilton Honors Gold status for as long as they hold the card.  It also comes with Marriott Bonvoy 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 Hilton Honors points indirectly with:

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

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.

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 Hilton Honors points is 1:2.

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