Bits: 50% off mytaxi, 1903 Lounge in Manchester partners with SkyTeam, Avis / Emirates deal
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News in brief:
Get 50% off mytaxi in London this weekend
mytaxi – the rebranded Hailo app – has been running a ‘weekend only’ promotion over the last couple of weeks giving customers 50% off their rides.
This promotion has been extended to 3rd December which means you can still make the most of this offer this weekend.
Until midnight on Sunday all black cab rides booked via the mytaxi app and paid for with in-app card payment will be half price.
The trip must start and end within London.
If you don’t have a mytaxi account, you will get a £10 first ride credit when you download the app if you use my refer-a-friend code robert.bur1. You will find an ‘Add Promo Code’ option in the menu.
PS. It isn’t yet clear when Avios will be returning to mytaxi. Avios and Hailo had an active partnership before Hailo was sold, and ex-Hailo riders are still receiving Avios for their rides. mytaxi is not yet allowing new members to earn Avios, however. It has deals with other airlines in other countries so it is presumably just a matter of time.
1903 Lounge at Manchester Terminal 3 partners with SkyTeam
Earlier in the year, Manchester Airport opened a premium lounge in Terminal 3 called ‘1903’.
Children are banned, groups of more than four people are banned. It is designed to be a very calm space with high end food and drink.
I reviewed the 1903 Lounge here and liked it a lot. You can find out more, and book for cash, on the airport website here.
The 1903 Lounge has now done a deal with SkyTeam. Anyone flying business class on a SkyTeam member airline, such as Air France and KLM, can currently use 1903. SkyTeam status card holders can also gain access.
It isn’t clear what will happen to any SkyTeam passengers who have children under 16 with them.
This move is a trial for a few weeks due to overcrowding issues at the Escape lounge.
Generous Avis / Emirates Skywards deal launched
Emirates Skywards miles are not so easy to pick up in the UK, so this new deal from Avis is worth a look.
You will receive a whopping 10,000 Emirates Skywards miles when you rent an Avis car for three days or more. You also get an upgrade on your booking if available at pick up.
There are not many restrictions. You must book by 10th January and pick up the car by 28th February. The deal is valid worldwide but you can only earn the bonus once.
If you are collecting Skywards miles, I would value the bonus at £75 – £100. If you do not normally collect them, the options for smaller sums are more limited. 10,000 miles will get you around £40 of easyJet flight credit or hotel room credit.
You can also convert them into Heathrow Rewards points, albeit ‘restricted’ points which cannot be converted onwards into other airline miles (6,000 miles = a £20 Heathrow shopping voucher). An even better option may be for Arsenal football tickets, including the Emirates Skybox.
Full details can be found on this page of the Emirates website. You MUST book through the dedicated Avis / Emirates booking portal.
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How to earn Emirates Skywards miles from UK credit cards (April 2025)
Emirates Skywards does not have a UK credit card. However, you can earn Emirates Skywards miles by converting Membership Rewards points earned from selected UK American Express cards.
Cards earning Membership Rewards points include:
- American Express Preferred Rewards Gold (review here, apply here) – sign-up bonus of 20,000 Membership Rewards points converts into 15,000 Emirates Skywards miles. This card is FREE for your first year and also comes with four free airport lounge passes.
SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.
- The Platinum Card from American Express (review here, apply here) – sign-up bonus of 50,000 Membership Rewards points converts into 37,500 Emirates Skywards miles
SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.
- American Express Rewards credit card (review here, apply here) – sign-up bonus of 10,000 Membership Rewards points converts into 7,500 Emirates Skywards miles. This card is FREE for life.
Membership Rewards points convert at 4:3 into Emirates Skywards miles which is an attractive rate. The cards above all earn 1 Membership Rewards point per £1 spent on your card, which converts to 0.75 Emirates Skywards miles
The American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card earns double points (2 per £1) on all flights you charge to it, not just with Emirates but with any airline.
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