Bits: British Airways launching buy-on-board?, Etihad 30% discount code
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News in brief:
British Airways believed to be launching buy-on-board catering
There are a steady stream of rumours at the moment that British Airways is poised to announce the launch of buy-on-board short-haul catering from early 2017.
My understanding is that cabin crew are currently being invited to meetings at the Waterside headquarters building where the new policy is being outlined. They are being required to sign confidentiality agreements before entering. (This could all be nonsense, you understand. I am just repeating what I hear.)
My personal view is that – as the company clearly refuses to invest any money in short-haul catering and is currently giving Euro Traveller customers no option except to starve, assuming you don’t count a mini bag of crisps as a meal – it is probably for the best. The good news is that you will be able to pay with Avios, apparently.
A bigger issue is what happens to all the people who have booked flights for 2017 and are expecting free snacks. The mini bags of crisps may continue to be free for a year.
It would be interesting to see if they remove free drinks as well. Many employers do not allow their staff to reclaim expenditure on alcohol for personal consumption, and having to switch from a free G&T to an overpriced, not reclaimable, BA G&T may be the final straw for some.
If you work for Gate Retail Onboard, Alpha LSG, Gate Gourmet or even BA cabin crew and have any insights, please drop me an email at rob at headforpoints.com.
30% discount code for Etihad business and economy flights
Etihad has released two new discount codes which are valid for flights from the UK booked before Monday evening. These give a 30% discount on fares before taxes.
STFBUS will get you 30% off the base fare on flights with outbound travel before 23rd November and return travel before 30th November. There are no black out dates.
STFECO gives a similar discount on economy tickets, although the saving is less impressive because the base fare is a far smaller percentage of the total cost in this cabin.
You can book on the Etihad website here.
How to earn Etihad Guest miles from UK credit cards (April 2024)
Etihad Guest does not have a UK credit card. However, you can earn Etihad Guest miles by converting Membership Rewards points earned from selected UK American Express cards.
Cards earning Membership Rewards points include:
- American Express Preferred Rewards Gold (review here, apply here) – sign-up bonus of 20,000 Membership Rewards points converts into 20,000 Etihad Guest miles. This card is FREE for your first year and also comes with four free airport lounge passes.
- The Platinum Card from American Express (review here, apply here) – sign-up bonus of 40,000 Membership Rewards points converts into 40,000 Etihad Guest miles.
- American Express Rewards credit card (review here, apply here) – sign-up bonus of 10,000 Membership Rewards points converts into 10,000 Etihad Guest miles. This card is FREE for life.
Membership Rewards points convert at 1:1 into Etihad Guest miles which is an attractive rate. The cards above all earn 1 Membership Rewards point per £1 spent on your card, which converts to 1 Etihad Guest mile. The Gold card earns double points (2 per £1) on all flights you charge to it.
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