News in brief:
£50 off Virgin Atlantic Upper Class tickets this week
It’s not a life-changing deal, I know, but Virgin Atlantic is offering £50 off Upper Class routes to the USA until 8th July.
These deals are valid for travel over the Summer school holiday period, from mid July to the end of August. Full details are here.
How to handle a metal American Express Platinum card
The Platinum Card from American Express recently relaunched as a metal card. You can read our coverage of that here.
A HFP reader who is also a retailer sent me the screenshot below which was sent to him. It seems that these cards only work as contactless cards if they are held face up. If you are the sort of person who holds the card upside down so the chip is touching the terminal, it won’t work. So much for progress! Click to enlarge:
Crowne Plaza Kensington secret beach
If you are looking for somewhere classy for a quiet drink in West London over the Summer, Crowne Plaza London Kensington (the townhouse hotel on Cromwell Road, opposite Gloucester Road tube) has brought back its Secret Beach until the end of September.
I popped in for the launch party on Monday night. As you can see – click to enlarge:
….. they have done a very good job transforming the huge garden behind the hotel into a sand-covered lounging and drinking area.
If you’re looking for somewhere different for a private lunch or dinner the hotel has also – as you can see just behind the beach in the picture – installed some domes for all-weather outdoor eating. Each is fully airconditioned, has wi-fi and power sockets and has been set up with a circular dining table and chairs.
CP Kensington is a very classy hotel – don’t be fooled by the townhouse exterior. I did a review of Crowne Plaza London Kensington here based on a press tour.
About Head for Points
I have sometimes held my card ‘upside down’ when using it in shops that I know take Amex, even though they claim they don’t.
Deliberately used my card ‘upside down’ twice today. It worked fine.
Ditto
Applied for a new gold credit card and no amex offers on the card whatsoever ):
The card could NOT be added to my current online account so I made a new account, worried that I will experience the glitch where no offers filter through on the card, any suggestions? a new online acc again or report the card lost and get a new one so it may ‘trigger’ something in the system to refresh the offers?
Have you been spending on the card? Offers take a few days/weeks to trickle through
O/T but just looking at prices for the Crowne Plaza in Prague.
Fantastic offer – £92.90 per night cash, or 15,000 points PLUS £94.65.
Rob, how does this valuation of MINUS 0.0116p per point stack with you? Worst redemption ever?!
It’s because with C+P you’re effectively buying the points for about 0.5p each.
Also are you comparing a full refundable points booking with a discounted non refundable rate?
Any reason you aren’t considering the Hilton old town?
Fab hotel and Diamonds very well looked after in the lounge.
Yes, I’ve stayed there before and agree about the lounge. CP is over a third cheaper and will trigger some more Accelerate points though.
My metal platinum card works however I hold it and I’ve tried almost every way the last two days to test it