The University Arms hotel in Cambridge joins Marriott’s Autograph Collection

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• pablo says:

  24 Aug24 August 05:17

  Also Singapore are avios shopping portal partner. 2 avios per £1

  • Alex W says:

    24 Aug24 August 11:18

    Wow never new that. Bizarre that you can earn Avios for Singapore airlines!

  • Alex says:

    24 Aug24 August 11:50

    So you can earn M&M miles AND Avios??

• Tariq says:

  24 Aug24 August 05:47

  If you have free Shangri-La Jade status from Amex Platinum, then you can get free SQ silver KrisFlyer status using their partnership website – just got our cards through the post last week, links and upgrades online within 24 hours.

  • Pangolin says:

    24 Aug24 August 09:34

    You can get Gold status with just 3 segments within 4 months of registering.

    • Alex says:

      24 Aug24 August 12:20

      How? Does that give you access to LH lounges?

      • Pangolin says:

        24 Aug24 August 16:36

        It’s part of the Infinite Journeys tie-in, the same crossover promotion that gives you instant Silver can also be used to obtain Gold, which does indeed give you access to LH lounges and any Star Alliance lounge.

        Take a flight to Singapore, hop over to KUL and back. By the time you return from Singapore you will have qualified for Kris Flyer Gold (did the exact same thing last November).

• PGW says:

  24 Aug24 August 05:56

  I’m not familiar with Singapore’s standard fares but I’m seeing MAN-SIN at around £3k in Business on the sale page. Is that a really a sale fare or am I missing something?

  • Crafty says:

    24 Aug24 August 06:50

    I’ve gone through the whole list of destinations and, based only on the “from” prices, they’ll have to trim off a whole lot more before I’ll bite.

    Singapore does seem to price way above the others, based on the near daily flight tracking I’ve been doing for the last 3 weeks.

• Mike says:

  24 Aug24 August 06:52

  Data point for rob, pangolin and others involved in the platinum challenge dsicussions over last few days.

  My account has overnite updated to be PPE instead of PE. Justice is served!

  Interested to hear if others are same?

  • KBuffett says:

    24 Aug24 August 07:03

    Yes!!!! Mine has too. Great result.
    Thank you Rob for highlighting the challenge.
    I just hope it lasts until 2020. Is there any way for checking?
    Also, are Marriott redemptions still book 5 nights pay for 4? And do they include ex-SPG properties?
    Would breakfast be included for redemption stays?
    I’m a little unclear on a few things since completion of the merger.

    • Rob says:

      24 Aug24 August 08:55

      I will do an article on Marriott brekky rules.

      • Ian M says:

        24 Aug24 August 19:43

        That will probably need to be the longest article in the history of headforpoints!

  • Ian M says:

    24 Aug24 August 07:40

    I’ve been made Platinum Premier Elite overnight as well. Finally!

    KBuffett…
    Yes 5 for 4 on redemptions and yes you still get free breakfast on redemptions if the hotel brand you’re staying at offers it for Platinum members.

    • HL says:

      24 Aug24 August 07:47

      Ian, have you heard anything back from AMEX SPG missing bonus points? I almost giving up arguments with them.

      • Ian M says:

        24 Aug24 August 08:18

        So.. I called on Tuesday to ask for an update only to be told that the person who was dealing with my complaint has taken the week off. The lady I spoke to said she would put a note on the system asking that the complaint gets moved to another person so it can be addressed. I’m going to call again today and ask for an update.

      • Ian M says:

        24 Aug24 August 15:47

        SPG Amex double points update….

        Spoke to the woman dealing with my complaint today. She has listened back to the original call when I was offered double points for 3 months and accepted my complaint. She said she will go through all my August purchases and issue all the missing points. She will also ensure all future purchases up to the end of my 3 months offer are issued correctly.

        Finally success!

  • Steve says:

    24 Aug24 August 07:43

    +1 pleasant surprise aa just embarking on a 6 hotel stay holiday for the next 4 weeks

  • Brian S says:

    24 Aug24 August 08:29

    Yes me too.

    I’m not expecting it to last beyond this year and probably will be PE next year but this is good for the remainder of 2020 at least.

    Not at all bad for asking for a challenge and not completing it 🙂

  • Pangolin says:

    24 Aug24 August 09:36

    Yes, just checked mine and it now shows PPE!

    My SPG app is still showing Platinum though.

    • Rob says:

      24 Aug24 August 10:07

      As does mine.

  • N says:

    24 Aug24 August 09:38

    +1

    • mike says:

      24 Aug24 August 10:26

      the strange thing is it says PPE in the Marriott app, but when I log in on desktop it still says PE, anyone else getting this?

      • Ian M says:

        24 Aug24 August 11:13

        I’m showing as PPE on both the app and the website. Try clearing your cookies?

  • Alex W says:

    24 Aug24 August 12:05

    You lucky wotists! Most of us have been demoted from “old gold” to “new gold” 🙁

    • TGLoyalty says:

      24 Aug24 August 13:46

      They completed (or registered for) a Platinum challenge rather than being upgraded due to spg gold.

      • Leo says:

        24 Aug24 August 14:32

        Hopefully we can now call time on Marriott for a bit – it’s driven me more mad than even Iberia-gate.

  • E says:

    24 Aug24 August 13:08

    Brilliant – mine upgraded too. Now to sort out the missing extra bonus from this week’s stay! Thanks for highlighting this today as was getting fed up checking.

• Paul says:

  24 Aug24 August 06:52

  Oh please £2650 to Bali! Get real SQ I haven’t paid more than £1500 in the last 7 years and have managed £900 ex eu on Qatar. Ludicrous fares!

  • JFSV says:

    24 Aug24 August 07:10

    I think if you are willing to interpret “ex-EU” widely, SQ has had recent solid deals ex-IST, for example, to KUL, DPS and others.

    Still, I was not overly impressed with their soft product…

    • Mark2 says:

      24 Aug24 August 07:20

      Even interpreting “ex-EU” narrowly it includes UK (until March 19).

• Peter K says:

  24 Aug24 August 07:38

  KLM are apparently dropping Tehran as well.

  • Will says:

    24 Aug24 August 08:10

    Oh dear. Is this linked to the Trump sanctions or poor loads? Wouldn’t have thought the latter?

    AF/Lufthansa?

    • john says:

      24 Aug24 August 09:17

      Both. Loads are poor due to the sanctions apparently as some business are winding down their interests there. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-45288659

      • Will Avery says:

        24 Aug24 August 12:59

        Interesting. I heard they were pretty full flights but that was a year ago. Guess Trump’s sanctions eh?

        Shame as was planning to use some Avios on that route one day :(((

      • Alex Sm says:

        26 Aug26 August 17:43

        It’s very sad – despite all the EU political efforts it is just falling through because of Trump… There was so much hope invested and reflected in those flights – to no avail…

• Tom C says:

  24 Aug24 August 07:54

  I live in Cambridge and therefore will not be staying in the University Arms any time soon, but I’ve eaten there a few times and the food is actually rather good and a welcome addition to the rather poor (excluding Midsummer House) selection.

• Bach says:

  24 Aug24 August 08:03

  OT – i don’t suppose the amex plat car hire insurance covers vans, does it?

  • Bach says:

    24 Aug24 August 08:17

    Being more specific, I see no reference to ‘VAN’ but policy excluses commercial vehicles… would a van be considered as such if used personally to move stuff? Or this is just to exclude cars/vans/etc used for commerical purpose…

    • Peter K says:

      24 Aug24 August 08:44

      The t&c’s don’t seem to specify. They say it excludes:
      “Mopeds and motorbikes, commercial vehicles, trucks, motor
      homes, and vehicles not licensed for road use including but
      not limited to trailers or caravans.”

      I think you are likely on fragile grounds with a van. Also, it is part of the *travel* insurance and I’m sure I checked a couple of years ago and it had to be hired as part of a holiday. So if for just e.g. moving house it wouldn’t cover you.

      The best advice would be to ring. I found then very friendly and helpful.

      • RussellH says:

        24 Aug24 August 09:41

        I would agree that you probably need to check very carefully.

        A couple of years ago I hired a small van for the weekend, purely because Enterprise were offering it at about 60% of the cost of a similar sized car. The only ‘payload’ was our two suitcases. I took out insurance4carhire cover, but on reading the small print saw that vans were excluded. I phoned to check and was told that cover for a van was offerred by a separate branch of the company; it was about 125% more expensive. They had no complaints about my cancelling the car cover.

      • Lady London says:

        24 Aug24 August 11:16

        It’ll be a no. A commercial vehicle is one built for commercial use, regardless of how you choose to use it. You won’t get them to cover vans for any use.

        Much the same as in the UK, there are “car-based vans” (e.g. an Astra van small size can be) and there are “van-based cars” e.g., I believe, some Peugeot models. The speed limit on some roads will be the limit for vans (lower) if you are driving a van-based car. And higher if you are driving a car-based van.

        A little OT but shows why I’m 90% sure Amex will not cover you for hiring a vehicle built for commercial use, which by definition is a van. You’d also have to be sure which exact make and model the hiring company will give you on the day.

        Tip: I have found Questor (for vehicle excess coverage) and Hertz, who often ahve good special offers on vans in the UK, to be good combo in the past. Excesses are also much higher on vans so you really do need this type of insurance.

  • W says:

    24 Aug24 August 14:45

    I called and asked a few months ago, answer was a clear “no”.

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