Bits: new American Express cashback deals, easyJet launches routes from Southampton

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News in brief:

New American Express cashback deals launched

American Express has launched a new wave of travel-related cashback deals. Some, all or none of the offers below will be found on the ‘Offers’ section of your online statement page, or in the Amex app. You need to ‘save’ the offer before it is activated.

Airbnb – 2% cashback

This is an older deal but it has been extended to 25th August. You can also get £30 off your first stay via our refer-a-friend link here.

Guoman Hotels (click for website) – £50 back on £195 spend

Valid until 29th September. Includes The Tower and The Cumberland in London.

Thistle Hotels (click for website) – £35 back on £100 spend

Valid until 29th September. Remember that the Thistle at Heathrow allows you (for a £5 fee) to take the driverless pods from the car park behind the hotel directly to Terminal 5 – more here.

Red Carnation Hotels (click for website) – £50 back on £250 spend

This may not be a well known brand, but they own the impressive Ashford Castle in Ireland as well as a few upmarket London properties. I wrote this article about them because they are also a Virgin Flying Club partner, so you’ll earn 2,000 miles per night as well as getting £50 back! Ends 13th September.

onefinestay – 10% back

This is a more upmarket airbnb! Ends 30th September.

The existing Heathrow Express deal (£10 back on £50 spend) is still running until 23rd July.

easyJet launches flights from Southampton

easyJet is trialling flights from Southampton, albeit in a small way. A thrice-weekly service to Geneva will begin on 14th December.

If you live in London and have never flown from Southampton, you may not appreciate how convenient it is. The train trip from Waterloo to Southampton Airport Parkway is a touch over 1 hour. The station is directly at the airport and you will be in the terminal within 5 minutes.

When visiting the south coast, I have even rented cars from the airport in the past and travelled down by train from London. It is quicker and less stressful than hiring a car in Central London and driving all the way down.

The airport even has an Executive Lounge – Breeze Priority – which we reviewed here.

It is worth noting that Flybe also has a huge number of routes from Southampton (list here) which you can book using Avios points. Many of these are routes which are not served by British Airways, such as Brest, La Rochelle, Biarritz etc.

Category

American Express Gold card, American Express Platinum card, British Airways and Avios, Flybe, Marriott Bonvoy American Express

pauldb says:

12 Jul12 July 11:23

There are many Flybe routes not served by BA but Biarritz isn’t one of them. 😉
Nigel M. says:

12 Jul12 July 13:02

The 423 bus runs to and from Terminal 5 past the Thistle hotel. Free of charge both ways.
- Gavin says:
  
  12 Jul12 July 13:43
  
  Also a 25 min walk, though I’d only do it with a small backpack or briefcase, and you have to walk across the bus gate and the pavement runs out near the end!
- Harpo says:
  
  12 Jul12 July 16:24
  
  Not just the 423 – also near the secret free car park!
FreddieTheFrog says:

12 Jul12 July 16:41

Secret free car park ? Do tell us more
- Harpo says:
  
  12 Jul12 July 18:01
  
  I Recommend Car park (sorry – not great at cryptic clues – happy to tell people if there’s ever another HFP get together.)
the real harry1 says:

12 Jul12 July 19:36

Airport users have reacted angrily to the prospect of a £15 congestion charge for motorists at Heathrow.

Sir Howard Davies, chairman of the Airports Commission, had speculated that the idea of a charge for driving to Heathrow would not only be political acceptable — it would also be “popular”.

Expansion at Britain’s busiest airport is contingent upon air quality limits. Private cars are significant contributors to pollution at Heathrow. Sir Howard told the Evening Standard: “The idea that you should have to pay £10 or £15 if you really want to drive to the airport and maybe you pay more if you are in a diesel car — I think that is a perfectly politically acceptable thing. Indeed I think it would be popular.”
http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/heathrow-congestion-charge-runway-expansion-travellers-oppose-toll-air-pollution-airport-15-pounds-a7832821.html
- Nick says:
  
  12 Jul12 July 19:53
  
  Fantastic idea!! The congestion and pollution are horrendous at Heathrow, but if you build big car parks at major motorway junctions and provide quick bus links no less than every 5 mins, you’ll solve both of them in an instant. Interestingly the charge is to apply to everyone – passengers, visitors and staff alike.
  - the real harry1 says:
    
    12 Jul12 July 20:11
    
    so you work at (say) WHSmith as a till girl – you’ll end up paying £15 to park in the staff car park?
    - Sussex bantam says:
      
      12 Jul12 July 21:14
      
      There is already a charge to drive to Heathrow. It’s called the outrageous cost of parking.
      - the real harry1 says:
        
        12 Jul12 July 21:20
        
        I seem to have methods to mitigate that by about 50% 🙂
ADS says:

17 Jul17 July 13:30

in case anybody is interested in the SOU-GVA flights – they’re on Tue/Thu/Sun – with departing from SOU at 09:00 on Tue/Thu (10:25 on Sun) and arriving back into SOU at 08:15 (painfully early start the other end) with a slightly better 09:45 arrival on a Sunday.
John says:

20 Jul20 July 11:02

With the Thistle offer, the pay and stay by 29th concerns me. If I pay up front for a non refundable stay in October, amex should charge the card prior to the 29th so the credit should work, right?