Bits: my Hertz President’s Circle card arrives, Lufthansa to take over airberlin short-haul

News in brief:

My Hertz President’s Circle card arrives

In late July, exactly two months ago, I wrote a piece about the new status match launched between Le Club AccorHotels and Hertz.

Many HFP readers are Accor Platinum members due to the (now discontinued) American Express Platinum member benefit. This means that you are eligible to receive top tier President’s Circle membership with Hertz.

If you look at the comments to the article above you will see that this was a fairly confusing promotion.  To be honest, I had forgotten I ever signed up.  Yesterday, however, my President’s Circle membership card dropped through the letterbox.  Your card should be on the way too if you applied.

Lufthansa’s Eurowings to take over much of airberlin short-haul

Lufthansa has now confirmed the story that I covered a few weeks ago – that its Eurowings subsidiary is to acquire all airberlin routes which do not touch Berlin or Dusseldorf.

The only change to the rumoured position is that the deal will not begin until 31st March 2017.

The deal is a ‘wet lease’.  The planes and crew remain with airberlin but Eurowings will pay a fixed fee to lease them.  Eurowings will keep all of the revenue from the services and therefore takes all of the economic risk.

40 planes are involved, of which 35 will be branded as Eurowings with the other five passing to Austrian.  airberlin is also having discussions with TUI about the NIKI operation based in Austria.

This is, in theory, a six year deal although it is difficult to imagine the operation of the routes ever passing back to airberlin.

Whilst I accept that airberlin has been losing large amounts of money on these services, it is sad to see them go as they provided interesting Avios options.  I saved a four figure sum using Avios to fly from Palma to Innsbruck this summer.  Taking the same trip next year will be expensive.

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How to earn Star Alliance miles from UK credit cards (April 2025)

None of the Star Alliance airlines currently have a UK credit card.

There is, however, still a way to earn Star Alliance miles from a UK credit card. 

The route is via Marriott Bonvoy. Marriott Bonvoy hotel loyalty points convert to over 40 airlines at the rate of 3:1.

The best way to earn Marriott Bonvoy points is via the official Marriott Bonvoy American Express card. It comes with 20,000 points for signing up and 2 points for every £1 you spend. At 2 Bonvoy points per £1, you are earning (at 3:1) 0.66 airline miles per £1 spent on the card.

There is a preferential conversion rate to United Airlines – which is a Star Alliance member – of 2 : 1 if you convert 60,000 Bonvoy points at once.

The Star Alliance members which are Marriott Bonvoy transfer partners are: Aegean, Air Canada, Air China, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Avianca, Copa Airlines, Singapore Airlines, TAP Air Portugal, Thai Airways, Turkish Airlines and United Airlines.

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