News in brief:
Heathrow Terminal 1 auctions off – everything!
Last year we covered an auction where the heavy plant from Heathrow Terminal 1 was being sold off.
On 21st April, literally everything else from T1 which could be ripped off the walls or floor is being sold. Take a look at the catalogue here.
This is the time to get that ‘Central Bus Station / Underground / Lost Property / Chapel’ illuminated sign you always promised yourself …..
Etihad UK call centre to close?
The Manchester Evening News reports that Etihad is considering closing its call centre in the city.
The call centre employs 110 staff of various different nationalities, taking calls in English, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, French, German, Russian, Portuguese, Korean, Mandarin, Cantonese and Japanese. The full story is here.
New Radisson hotel opening in New York
If you have a pot of Radisson Rewards points from your Radisson, Park Inn and Park Plaza stays, New York is a poor place to use them.
The main option, one of just two, is the Radisson Martinique on Broadway. Unfortunately (for Radisson members) it is joining Hilton’s Curio Collection later in 2018 as you can read here.
The good news is that Radisson has signed a contract to open a brand new 320 room hotel on 8th Avenue next Spring. It will be called, simply, Radisson Hotel New York City.
There are no images at present but, as a new build, it should a good addition to Radisson’s generally weak US portfolio. What is not clear to me is why it is being branded Radisson and not Radisson Blu, as new properties are generally using the ‘Blu’ brand to differentiate themselves from the rubbish under the main brand. The same press release announces a new Radisson Blu for Anaheim for example.
Earning Radisson Rewards points via UK credit cards
As a reminder, you can earn Radisson Rewards points by converting Membership Rewards points earned from selected UK American Express cards. These include:
American Express Preferred Rewards Gold – 10,000 Membership Rewards points (= 30,000 Radisson Rewards points) sign-up bonus
The Platinum Card from American Express – 30,000 Membership Rewards points (= 90,000 Radisson Rewards points) sign-up bonus
American Express Rewards credit card – up to 5,000 Membership Rewards points (= 15,000 Radisson Rewards points) sign-up bonus
It is worth noting that holders of The Platinum Card receive free Radisson Rewards Gold status for as long as they hold the card. It also comes with Hilton Honors Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Gold, Shangri-La Golden Circle Jade and Melia Rewards Gold status. We reviewed American Express Platinum in detail here.
Membership Rewards points convert at 1:3 into Radisson Rewards points which is a very attractive rate. The cards above all earn 1 Amex point per £1 spent on your card, which converts to 3 Radisson Rewards points.
10% off LATAM flights
LATAM (the merged LAN / TAM) is currently offering 10% off the base fare for flights from the UK to Brazil, Argentina and Chile.
You can find out more on their website here. The discount is applied on the payment page which is confusing as you see higher prices during the booking process.
The discount is valid on flights booked for departures by 30th June. It is not clear how long the discount will be offered.
Remember that LATAM is a member of oneworld so you can earn Avios and British Airways tier points from your flight.
(Want to earn more Avios? Click here to visit our home page for the latest articles on earning and spending your Avios points and click here to see how to earn more Avios from current offers and promotions.)
About Head for Points
OT for those who like to try something a bit different, sea planes may start operations from July this year between Guernsey and Jersey.
Ohhhhh now that sounds like fun!
And possibly a chunk cheaper than Trans Maldivian costs to the Conrad 😮
OT
Just want to say thank you to Rob and Anika and all the comment contributors.
Having been following this website for about 18 months, today is my first proper redemption. I have seen a few grumbles in the comments about how the process is getting harder or less rewarding, but having started 18 months ago, I have lined up for this year:
Club World to the far east today
First to the USA later in the year
A marriott booking which was 30000 Marriott points instead of 350 pounds. (high demand day because of a concert)
For someone who is well north of 6 foot, I probably would pay for business class tickets, so that indeed is a real saving and results in me going on more holidays.
Plus so far I have saved over 1000 GBP in other stuff, mainly amex offers/ shop small + the odd amazon order and Uber offer. I didn’t do any of that before. (Off course add back in the cost of my cards which have totalled so far about 600 pounds,
My highlight was asking the man in Tesco if there was a limit on the number of gift cards I could buy about 18 months ago, him saying no, then returning 10 minutes later with SIXTY 50gbp john lewis gift cards (I had just moved house). He was very suspicious about a stolen credit card etc, but still put it through.
Anyway thank you again very much,
Bonglim