Bits: Avis competition winners, Star Alliance HEx upgrade, Melia’s new Frankfurt hotel

News in brief:

Did you win 18,000 Avios from Avis?

I heard from six readers yesterday who were among the 100 people who won 18,000 Avios in the recent Avis competition we wrote about.

Do post below if you won but didn’t contact me yesterday.  I would be interested to see how many of us won.

Star Alliance Gold free Heathrow Express upgrade is back

It seems that Star Alliance and Heathrow Express have kissed and made up.  After a brief hiatus, I have now had a couple of reports that conductors are again now allowing Star Alliance Gold cardholders to upgrade to First Class for free on Heathrow Express.

Air Canada even emailed its elite members about the offer this week so I confident that you won’t be sent down to Standard Class if you give it a go.

Melia Rewards launches autumn sale

Melia Hotels has launched its autumn sale with headline discounts of up to 45%.  This includes the ME London, sponsor of our recent competition.  The booking page is here.

Melia has also launched a brand new INNSiDE four-star business hotel in Frankfurt this week – see here – which has low opening rates at the moment.

You need to book here by 31st October for stays until 31st January.  You must sign up to Melia Rewards to get the full discount – the maximum saving for non-members is 30%.

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How to get MeliaRewards Gold status from American Express (April 2025)

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

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

You can discover the benefits of MeliaRewards Gold status on the Melia website here. It includes three vouchers per year worth 20% off any booking.

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

Small business owners may want to consider American Express Business Platinum instead:

American Express Business Platinum

50,000 points when you sign-up and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

(Want to earn more hotel points?  Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.)