Bits: 35% SPG points discount extended, Heathrow to open a gym, Europcar flash sale

News in brief:

35% discount when you buy Starwood Preferred Guest points extended

I had this written as a ‘last chance to buy’ piece.  And then, at 10pm, Starwood went and extended the deal until 14th July.

So, in that case, I only need to remind you that Starwood is offering a 35% discount when you purchase SPG Starpoints before 14th July, which is the new extended deadline. The link to buy is here.

The good news is that the bonus is NOT staggered.  As long as buy more than 5,000 points, you get the full 35% off.

At the top end, 30,000 points will cost you $682.50 (£529).  Assuming that you convert them to airline miles with the 25% uplift for moving chunks of 20,000 at a time, these can be converted to 37,500 airline miles in the majority of programmes.

This works out at 1.4p per airline mile.  This is not a great deal most of the time (you can often pick up Avios for 1.0p) but it might make sense with some other programmes.  You cannot buy Lufthansa Miles & More miles at all, directly, so being able to get them for 1.4p may well work for some people.

30,000 Starwood points would also convert into 90,000 Marriott Rewards points.  If you are working towards a Marriott Travel Package redemption – and they are outstanding value as this article explains – then buying the full 30,000 Starwood points may well make sense.

The rules are straightforward – points post within 24 hours, maximum purchase of 30,000 points per year, your SPG account must be 14 days old to participate.

If you are interested, you can buy SPG points via this link.  But you no longer need to jump in today ……

Heathrow to open an airside gym in Terminal 2

Heathrow Airport has announced plans to open the world’s first wellness and fitness studio in an airport.

FlyFit, based in Terminal 2, opens this autumn and will offer passengers both instructor-led and interactive strength, restorative yoga, and cardio classes.

The FlyFit team will provide rental workout clothing, shower facilities and healthy food options.  If the concept works you can expect it to be rolled out to other terminals.

Europcar launches flash sale

Europcar is launching a flash sale today for UK rentals which runs until 4th July.

The following codes, when used on the Europcar UK site here, will give you a discount on your next UK rental:

• 10JULY17 for £10 off £60
• 20JULY17 for £20 off £120
• 30JULY17 for £30 off £180
• 40JULY17 for £40 off £240
• 60JULY17 for £60 off £360

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How to get FREE car rental status and other benefits via UK credit cards (April 2024)

If you hire a car in the UK, you can get special benefits (discounts, upgrades, free additional drivers etc) if you have elite status with a car rental programme. You can get elite status for free via certain American Express cards.

The Platinum Card and American Express Business Platinum

The Platinum Card from American Express and American Express Business Platinum come with two free car hire status cards. Your supplementary Platinum cardholder can also receive status in their own right.

From Avis, you receive President’s Club status in Avis Preferred. This gets you up to 25% off standard rates, a free additional driver and a guaranteed one class upgrade. For weekend rentals you will receive a two class upgrade, subject to availability.

From Hertz, you receive ‘Five Star’ status in Hertz Gold Plus Rewards. This gets you up to 15% off standard rates, a free additional driver and a one class upgrade, subject to availability.

Hertz also offers Platinum cardholders a 4 hour grace period on rentals. Your final day is treated as 28 hours, so a 1pm pick up with a 5pm return the following day is only charged as one day, not two days. We wrote about the Hertz / Platinum 4 hour grace period here.

The Platinum Card also comes with full car hire insurance with no obligation to pay for the rental via American Express. You can refuse any attempts to sell you additional insurance at pick up. This benefit has substantial value if you rent on a regular basis.

You can find more details on the two Platinum cards, and apply, in our full reviews linked below. You can apply here for the personal card and here for the business card.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold is an excellent card in its own right. You receive 20,000 Membership Rewards points for signing up (convert to 20,000 Avios amongst other things), four airport lounge passes and £120 of Deliveroo credit. Even better, your first year is free.

There are two car rental benefits:

• you receive Preferred Plus status in Avis Preferred

• you receive a special package with Hertz – 10% off best available rates at participating locations, a one class upgrade for rentals of 5 days or more, subject to availability, and no additional driver fees

Find out more about the benefits of American Express Preferred Rewards Gold in our review. You can apply here.