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Bits: new BA strike dates announced, new Amazon cashback credit card launched

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News in brief:

New British Airways strike dates announced

The Unite union announced yesterday that a further wave of cabin crew strikes will take place on Thursday 19th, Friday 20th and Saturday 21st January.

British Airways will announce its contingency plans on Monday.  This is likely to involve, based on the strike this week:

some flights being cancelled where a route is served by several daily BA flights

charter aircraft being used on some flights

First Class catering being replaced by Club World catering on some long haul services

Do not ring BA now and try to change any existing flight plans.  The call centre will not allow changes, unless you have a flexible ticket, until the contingency plans are released.

amazon-credit-card-mastercard

Amazon launches a good cashback credit card

With little publicity to date, Amazon has launched the Amazon Platinum Mastercard.  The package is pretty decent and it is arguably the best cashback card on the market for heavy Amazon users.

You may want to weigh up whether this is a better deal than any miles or points Mastercard or Visa you have.  Here are the core benefits:

the card is free

you receive £10 of Amazon credit for signing up

you get 0.5% cashback on all spend in Amazon credit (same rate as the John Lewis and ASDA cards)

you get 0.75% cashback on all Amazon spending (the John Lewis card gives 1% back on John Lewis and Waitrose spending, the ASDA card gives 1% on ASDA spending)

The card also looks pretty smart and is likely to be more of a hit with the boys / girls than carrying around an ASDA credit card.  The only downside is the interest rate which, at 21.9%, is very high – don’t touch this card if you ever roll over a balance.  The issuer is New Day.  Full details can be found here.  Representative APR 21.9% variable.

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Category

British Airways and Avios

Comments (94)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • Neil says:
    13 Jan13 January 08:46

    I applied for the Amazon card earlier and within five minutes the £10 voucher was on my account along with an immediate £500 spending ability with Amazon (no need to wait for the card) which is handy as I’ve just ordered a new gun safe from them!

  • George says:
    13 Jan13 January 09:20

    A quick check shows that LHR-ATH isn’t staffed by mixed fleet crew, but does anyone know what is the likelihood of one of those flights being cancelled anyway on the strikedays?

  • keith says:
    13 Jan13 January 09:55

    the U.S. version amazon card gives you 5% discount on amazon spending, U.K. version only 0.75%

    • Alan says:
      15 Jan15 January 17:12

      all credit cards way better in the US – annual free night and plat on their IHG card, $59 fee, no min spend!

  • Lev441 says:
    13 Jan13 January 10:12

    I remember a few years ago amazon would push a credit card at the checkout stage.. does anyone remember what perks the original card had compared with this one?

    • Klaus-Peter Dudas says:
      13 Jan13 January 10:51

      The old MBNA card was much better, it was 1% on everything, 2% on Amazon. One other nice thing about the old MBNA one was that rather than getting the £10 vouchers into your Amazon account you’d get them emailed to you as voucher codes that could be used on any account. Often used them as gifts…

  • Mr(s) Entitled says:
    13 Jan13 January 10:25

    I’m not sure what Asda did to offend Rob so badly, but it really isn’t all that bad.

    If flashing the right brand card to impress people is a factor then I would highly recommend less time is devoted to all this embarrassing talk of Amex Plat benefits. Start promoting the benefits of Amex Black.

    Amex Plat is for one’s staff. Amex Black is for the Rich Kids of HfP. Word!

    • Brian says:
      13 Jan13 January 10:39

      I agree that it is faintly ridiculous to worry about the effect the appearance of one’s credit card might have on the girls/boys – it’s obviously an issue for Rob, though, since he always mentions it with the Tesco cards, too! :))

      • the real harry1 says:
        13 Jan13 January 11:28

        isn’t there a difference between wanting to impress others with your mighty card power vs not wanting (possibly small-minded!) other people to scorn & deride you for your pathetic card impotence?

      • Duncan Stevenson-Price says:
        13 Jan13 January 13:46

        I agree with Rob on this one. I know it’s totally irrational but I don’t fancy whipping out an ugly Tesco or Asda card. It’s just… kind of ugly!

        • Martin says:
          13 Jan13 January 13:54

          Thats just….
          kind of pathetic.

          • Richard says:
            13 Jan13 January 16:13

            For what it’s worth, I’m put off the Amex Gold card for equally aesthetic reasons. That big gold medallion thing in the middle! So bling.

      • Rob says:
        13 Jan13 January 13:54

        Do you not judge people by the credit card they carry?

        • Mr(s) Entitled says:
          13 Jan13 January 20:48

          Absolutely not.

          I judge people, we all do, but not on something that is so easy to obtain in any guise that it is virtually meaningless.

        • Fenny says:
          13 Jan13 January 21:04

          When I finally got to apply for a Cole Brothers card, I was gutted when it arrived and said John Lewis on it.

    • Rob says:
      13 Jan13 January 13:56

      Black is a terrible package for the money. Was offered an IDC version once and rejected it.

      • Mr(s) Entitled says:
        13 Jan13 January 20:55

        But who can put a price on vanity? That bloke behind you in the queue at John Lewis that you don’t know, he will think you are a baller. Presumably people who do know you won’t be swayed either way.

    • the_real_a says:
      13 Jan13 January 14:12

      Over Christmas the lads from school meet up for night out – think Northern inner city. In the past 20 years we have all gone in different directions, and sometimes forget the northern “norms”. One lad brought out his Waitrose credit card and tried to pay for a round (think tough northern pub) to such ridicule from the barmen that that it brought the whole pub to hysterics. Cue at least 3 hours of “banter” about it.

      • the real harry1 says:
        13 Jan13 January 21:02

        I can imagine it:)

        Waitrose! Waitrose wonker! Does he work for them? Shop boy!

    • Talay says:
      14 Jan14 January 03:54

      Ah for the days when we basked in the light of Centurion.

      I swear, one day around 2001 or so, 3 people in a row in M&S in Angel handed over Amex Centurion cards. I kept my last one when I dumped it a few years afterwards. By then we had actually gone to green Amex, still Centurion but not in your face like the black card.

    • Imbruce says:
      15 Jan15 January 11:41

      American Express require you to spend USD $250,000 per year on your Amex Platinum card,
      Have a household income of USD $1.3 million per annum and have a net worth of $16 million.
      Then you have to pay a fee of £2.200 per annum and a joining fee of £2.500.
      To obtain the Centurion Card. It’s made of andodised Titanium
      It’s easier to get a JP Morgan Palladium Card than American Express Centurion card,
      The Pallidum card is now called a Reserve card but it’s still made of Palladium and your details
      are laser etched onto the card.
      There is no credit limit on either card you just have to be able to clear the balance each month

  • the real harry1 says:
    13 Jan13 January 13:11

    OT the Holiday Extras 15% Amex statement credit is back, combines/ double dipping with the best discount you can find – good for airport parking 45% off

    • mark2 says:
      13 Jan13 January 14:06

      thanks harry1 I was waiting for you to mention this. Is it MSE code to use please?

      • the real harry1 says:
        13 Jan13 January 14:19

        that’s the one I’d use (MSE links)

        don’t forget with DriveFly Meet & Greet you should be getting nearly 30% discount, if they start by giving you 15%, let it hang for half an hour and use you back button, which gets the higher discount

        • the real harry1 says:
          13 Jan13 January 18:20

          nice one
          the other thing I forgot with DriveFly is that they offer different rates for the different LHR terminals – just go for the cheapest then DF will change your terminal foc with a phone call

    • Nate1309 says:
      13 Jan13 January 19:34

      Damn it. I booked parking last night!

  • Tom says:
    13 Jan13 January 13:12

    Does anyone know if LHR-LED (St.Petersburg) is a Mixed Fleet route? Here’s hoping it’s not!

    • Andrew says:
      13 Jan13 January 16:58

      It is mixed fleet if I remember correctly. But as only one flight per day you’ll probably be okay (BA seemed to combine flights in the strike this week or only cancel flights where people can be rebooked to a very close alternative (think San Jose and San Francisco).

  • Duncan Stevenson-Price says:
    13 Jan13 January 13:43

    Damn it! Flying back from DFW to LHR on the 19th in First. Was looking forward to comparing this with our outbound CW flight. I hope it’s somehow magically not affected.

    • Andrew says:
      13 Jan13 January 17:00

      You *might* be OK as your crew will have booked onto their shift a number of days before to work the outbound LHR-DFW leg and then have a night or two rest at DFW.

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

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