Bits: Nicole Sherzinger joins BA’s New Orleans eBay flights, PartnerPlusBenefit quintuple points

News in brief:

Nicole Scherzinger joins the New Orleans party flight

I have previously mentioned the eBay auctions that British Airways is running to buy two (economy) seats on a test flight into New Orleans in late February.

BA is now making a last push to extract the maximum cash possible from these tickets.   Nicole Scherzinger and YolanDa Brown have been hired to entertain guests in-flight.

”WOW. I mean, who wouldn’t want to celebrate at 40,000ft en route to Mardi Gras.  It’s going to be one fun flight, and I can’t wait to get the party started!” said Scherzinger, who presumably isn’t sitting down the back looking at the photo below.

If you’re interesting in going, you can follow the eBay action here.

PartnerPlus Benefit launches quintuple points bonus

PartnerPlusBenefit is the small business scheme for the UK and Ireland run by 11 of the Star Alliance airlines.  This includes Lufthansa and Swiss.

I wrote about PPB in detail in this article.  It is a LOT more flexible than the British Airways On Business scheme which I reviewed here – although you’d be daft not to join On Business too if you have a VAT registered UK business.

There is even a sign-up bonus.  At present, anyone who joins by clicking through from Head for Points will receive DOUBLE the usual sign-up bonus – you will get 3,000 points instead of 1,500.  Click here to sign up.  You receive 1,500 points and a further 1,500 after crediting your first flight.

Until the end of the year, you will earn QUINTUPLE the standard number of BenefitPoints on flights from the UK or Ireland to Munich, Frankfurt, Brussels, Vienna, Zurich and Geneva.  This applies to any flights taken on Lufthansa, Brussels Airlines or SWISS.

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How to earn Star Alliance miles from UK credit cards (March 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