Maximise your Avios, air miles and hotel points

Bits: your new IHG Accelerate target, an Accor / Priority Pass deal

Links on Head for Points may support the site by paying a commission.  See here for all partner links.

News in brief:

IHG adds a new Accelerate target for everyone

IHG Rewards Club’s Accelerate is, for most people, the most generous hotel promotion running at the moment.

Here are the headline details of the promo:

IHG Accelerate (Version 6) covers stays from 15th May to 31st August

All hotels are participating

Your bonus is personalised – you need to log in here to discover yours

This was my target for 48,900 points maximum, comprising:

  • 5,000 points for a stay before 30th June
  • 2,500 points on my next stay
  • 10,000 points for staying five nights
  • 5,600 points for staying two weekends (Fri / Sat or Sat / Sun)
  • 11,200 points for staying in IHG hotels in two different countries outside the UK
  • 3,600 points for booking a Bonus Points Package
  • 11,000 points for completing four of the five targets above, excluding the June bonus

….. and, whilst I don’t have much IHG activity this quarter, some of it will be achievable.

IHG has added a new target over the last 48 hours.  You will very likely have an extra target called ‘1,500 points (some have 2,000 points) for a stay in August’.

This is a good extra boost if you can squeeze in a stay, and it may make it more worthwhile to do a mattress run to hit any missing Accelerate targets.

However, this extra bonus does NOT form part of the ‘x,000 points for completing four of the five targets above’ bonus so it doesn’t make that target any easier to achieve.

Priority Pass

An Accor / Priority Pass deal

Le Club AccorHotels has launched an offer with Priority Pass if you buy one of their lounge access passes.

Via this link, an Accor Platinum member receives a 15% discount and between 750 and 2,250 Accor points.  If you are Classic, Silver or Gold in the Accor programme, just change the URL after clicking through by replacing ‘Platinum’ – but the deal is worse.

This isn’t as cheap as the current Priority Pass 10% – 25% off deal (click) to celebrate its 25th anniversary but, when you factor in the value of the Accor points, it is marginally better.

(You can convert 2,000 Accor points into a €40 hotel discount voucher or transfer them into 2,000 Avios in Iberia Plus, which you can then move across to BA.)

It should – not guaranteed, but should – also count as activity on your Accor account and reset the expiry date of your account.

If you don’t already collect Accor points, however, I would just take the lower upfront cash price via the 25th anniversary discount here.   Thanks to Steven for this.

Accor Live Limitless update – April 2024:

Earn bonus Accor points: Accor is not currently running a global promotion

New to Accor Live Limitless?  Read our review of Accor Live Limitless here and our article on points expiry rules here. Our analysis of what Accor Live Limitless points are worth is here.

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

Category

Accor Live Limitless, IHG One Rewards

Comments (128)

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

  • Gavin says:
    25 Jul25 July 09:55

    o/t – any experience crediting Sri Lankan flights to Iberia?

    In economy they earn 50% with Iberia compared to 25% for BA. Tier points no good for me. I’d welcome the extra points as would let us redeem a Lloyds voucher but concerned about Iberia being tricky to deal with

    Also – how to do I move my wife’s BA points into my own Avios.com account to use Lloyds voucher? We have a BA Household account. Would I need to cancel household account, create an Avios account for her, create an Avios.com household account?

    • pauldb says:
      25 Jul25 July 10:03

      You need to create an avios.com account for her, and move her avios across. Make sure you have the right number of avios between your 2 avios.com accounts, then combine them into an avios.com HHA (ending up with one balance – all the avios and voucher in one place). You cannot move avios in/out after the combination (the fact you are in a BAEC HHA is irrelevant to this.)

    • Rob says:
      25 Jul25 July 11:41

      Didn’t know that. I will take a look.

  • Genghis says:
    25 Jul25 July 10:07

    So early 2018 is when the MBNA use of Amex licensing agreement expires?

    • pauldb says:
      25 Jul25 July 10:10

      No idea – I’m just speculating. But I’m not sure there’s great value in becoming a preferred FS partner if it doesn’t include the main value product: the credit card.

    • Rob says:
      25 Jul25 July 11:41

      Could be. At the moment – and this is a little odd – if you go on the Virgin Money website you can apply for the MBNA Virgin Atlantic cards! This is despite the fact that Virgin Money doesn’t issue them and they are basically selling you an MBNA product instead of one of their own.

    • Alex W says:
      25 Jul25 July 12:39

      Expiry date on my Virgin black card is Late 18 if that’s anything to go by.

      • Fenny says:
        25 Jul25 July 13:14

        Mine is 3/20.

        • the real harry1 says:
          25 Jul25 July 13:40

          means nothing

          my MBNA BMI cards had long expiry date a well – card scheme got cancelled

      • Alan says:
        25 Jul25 July 18:21

        It doesn’t – we’ve had plenty of similar situations before where they just cancel and reissue cards.

  • Nick Burch says:
    25 Jul25 July 11:20

    OT Just had an email from Eurostar on their new loyalty program launching in the autumn. Apparently they’re merging the two schemes (Eurostar Frequent Traveller and Points Plus). All a bit vague on the rest. Anyone heard anything about the changes? (Maybe the guy who got the job with Eurostar off the back of the Head For Points articles on Eurostar?!)

    • Genghis says:
      25 Jul25 July 11:27

      +1. I’m always sceptical when companies use the words “new and improved” to describe a loyalty scheme.

      • Rob says:
        25 Jul25 July 11:38

        I know the Eurostar team. They are doing this with good intentions. With the new Amsterdam etc routes opening this year, the current programme doesn’t really make sense any longer.

        • Nick M says:
          25 Jul25 July 12:12

          Do you think redemptions are likely to move away from 750 return for anywhere on the network? – I transferred enough points a while ago for a couple of trips, but haven’t used them as yet as have usually been planning in advance and cash has made sense… Will it be best to make a booking and lock in the current rates? [Conversely, I will have some more MR points to distribute soon, could it make sense topping up and hoping that the benefits are safeguarded? – Brussels and Paris are our most likely/common routes]

          • Rob says:
            25 Jul25 July 12:38

            They will have a bigger network. At present, for an easy life, the Avignon etc services are disturbingly cheap. I would expect that to change, with possibly a higher band for longer trips.

            Amsterdam is tricky though. It will be a long train ride but the actual distance from London is no further than Paris – it would be odd if they charged more than Paris for it.

  • Jean Paul says:
    25 Jul25 July 11:40

    OT: Are there any Hilton properties in the UK available for less than 10k honors points?

  • Wally1976 says:
    25 Jul25 July 11:44

    OT – Rob, you promised us an article on the Amex gold credit card (the MSE/MoneySupermarket promoted one (I think)) a week or so ago…

    • Rob says:
      25 Jul25 July 12:39

      It is written but I’m awaiting clarification from Amex on a couple of things and the key people seem to be away for a couple of weeks.

  • Crafty says:
    25 Jul25 July 12:19

    OT: I promised to update back on my Easyjet EU261 claim as this was perceived a tough nut to crack. I’m pleased to say not for me! Filled in their online form Saturday night which took 5 minutes. Received an email today confirming the delay (3 hrs 3 mins) was in their control, and that there’ll be £447 in my bank account next week! Zero stress zero hassle. Please don’t anyone be put off applying. Now it’s time to spend my winnings!

  • Gary says:
    25 Jul25 July 12:23

    O/T but quite possibly relevant to many who use Amex

    Amex users will no doubt be aware of the ‘Contact us” online facility for secure messaging.

    However, when I go to use it today, I see this: “Email servicing is no longer available.”

    (Partners account is the same.)

    • Anna says:
      25 Jul25 July 14:44

      We’ve got that as well, though I do find Amex facilities disappear and reappear on a regular basis, such as the accumulated spend calculator on the BAPP. The chat facility always seems to be busy also.

      • Simon Schus says:
        25 Jul25 July 16:03

        That is the same for me, and a shame if it happens. The chat facility is now 24 hours apparently, but I have found it a little underwhelming as they just advise me to call the number to do anything.

        • Simon Schus says:
          25 Jul25 July 16:04

          I have had some decent service from the AMEX ‘Secure Message Centre’. On my AMEX US card, the version of the Secure Message Centre has been gone for a while – one has to either call up or use the chat functionality.

        • mark2 says:
          25 Jul25 July 16:34

          That’s a shame. It was useful for quietly cancelling cards without speaking to anyone; perhaps that is why they have removed it!

          • Michael Jennings says:
            25 Jul25 July 18:11

            I used it for cancelling a card today. It was all very quick and efficient.

        • Crafty says:
          25 Jul25 July 17:05

          I find the live chat useless (one agent manning 5+ chats?), and the secure message centre useful.

          • Simon Schus says:
            25 Jul25 July 21:11

            The secure message centre is always listed as ‘busy’ when I have tried to use it, including today. I just gave up because the previous responses I’ve had is that they’ve diverted me elsewhere (i.e. to AMEX Customer Service on the telephone, or the AMEX Travel Services).

      • Alan says:
        25 Jul25 July 18:24

        Sadly this looks different – it isn’t just missing, they have actively said they have closed it down – “Email servicing is no longer available. You can still access your email inbox and sent messages here.”

    • Alan says:
      25 Jul25 July 18:24

      Noooo I found it fantastic – replies within a day or two and pretty much always a decent reply. So much less hassle than calling too.

      • Simon Schus says:
        25 Jul25 July 21:13

        I’ve found that the Secure Message Centre is pretty much the only reliable way to find out information, or get near-immediate action/information when travelling internationally (e.g. due to timezone issues, or not wanting to call at-cost).

        What a shame.

  • Neil says:
    25 Jul25 July 12:38

    I am slightly annoyed with IHG at the moments. One of my Accelerate targets was to book and complete two stays through the app. I have done this and they are not showing. IHG have told me they will look look at it until after six weeks have passed.

    • Neil says:
      25 Jul25 July 12:46

      Just seen the posts above – it seems I have also been caught out!

      • Crafty says:
        25 Jul25 July 14:30

        If you have a little moan at them you should get some points (I did).

        • Kathy says:
          25 Jul25 July 16:31

          Yes, I had to chase up an app booking too, but they gave me the points.

    • Alan says:
      25 Jul25 July 18:25

      Sadly they seem to do this every time with Accelerate and mobile tasks – very frustrating!

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

New to Head for Points?

Welcome!  We’re the UK’s most-read source of business travel, Avios, frequent flyer and hotel loyalty news. Let us improve how you travel. Got any questions? Ask them in our forums.

NEW: Sign-up bonuses boosted to 3,000 and 18,000 points

Latest Forum Posts

Get 40,000 bonus points (worth 40,000 Avios) and £300 dining credit with The Platinum Card

Check reward flight availability instantly for free!

See a whole year of reward seat availability on one page at SeatSpy.com

Get £10 when you spend £150 on your free Currensea card

Booking a luxury hotel?

Our luxury hotel booking service offers you GUARANTEED extra benefits over booking direct. Works with Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental, The Ritz Carlton, St Regis and more. We've booked £1.7 million of rooms to date. Click for details.

SME? SPECIAL OFFER TO 12TH MAY EARN POINTS WORTH 30,000 AVIOS WITH CAPITAL ON TAP

Get 20,000 bonus points, four airport lounge passes and your first year free with American Express Gold

The UK's biggest frequent flyer website uses cookies, which you can block via your browser settings. Continuing implies your consent to this policy. Our privacy policy is here.

Got it!