News: £70 Opodo discount code, British Airways Arrivals Lounge closed, Hilton in Cape Town

News in brief:

Save up to £70 with an Opodo discount code

If you are looking to book a flight this week, Opodo has launched two new discount codes:

Offer 1:  £20 off flight bookings (minimum basket value £500)
Code: SUMMER
Valid: 13th to 19th July

Offer 1:  £70 off flight + hotel bookings (minimum basket value £900)
Code: SUMMER
Valid: 13th to 19th July

Full details are on this page of the Opodo site.

Bear in mind that if you need to cancel or reschedule your flight you will – as we found in the last few months – find it far easier if you booked direct with the airline.

British Airways closes its Arrivals Lounge at Terminal 5

The positive feedback from the reopening of the Galleries Club (South) and Galleries First lounges at Heathrow Terminal 5 continues.  I haven’t tried them myself yet but it does seem that British Airways has done an excellent job in getting these up and running.  I hope to take a look over the weekend.

What hasn’t worked, however, is the reopening of the Arrivals Lounge in Terminal 5.  The main users of this facility were passengers on overnight flights from the US and Asia, and clearly there aren’t many of those at the moment.  The Arrivals Lounge has therefore closed until there is a pick-up in long-haul traffic.

Hilton closes in Cape Town

With international tourism in South Africa down to effectively nothing, Hilton has handed back the keys of its Hilton Cape Town City Centre hotel.

The hotel ceased to be operated by Hilton from last Saturday.  You can find out more in The South African here.

There are no alternative Hilton Honors properties in the city centre, unfortunately.  There is a DoubleTree in Woodstock, and a Canopy is due to open next year.

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How to earn Hilton Honors points and status from UK credit cards (June 2025)

There are various ways of earning Hilton Honors points from UK credit and debit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.

There are two dedicated Hilton Honors debit cards. These are especially attractive when spending abroad due to the 0% or 0.5% FX fee, depending on card.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 14th August 2025, the sign-up bonus on the Hilton Honors Plus debit card is TRIPLED to 30,000 Hilton Honors points. You will also receive Gold Elite status in Hilton Honors for as long as you hold the card. Click here for our full card review and click here to apply.

You also receive FREE Hilton Honors status for as long as you hold the debit cards – Gold status with the Plus card and Silver status with the basic card. This is a great reason to apply even if you rarely use it.

We reviewed the Hilton Honors Plus Debit Card here and the Hilton Honors Debit Card here.

You can apply for either card here.

NEW: Hilton Honors Plus Debit

30,000 bonus points (to 14th August), Hilton Gold status and NO FX fees Read our full review

NEW: Hilton Honors Debit

2,500 bonus points, 50% fee discount, Hilton Silver status and 0.5% FX fees Read our full review

There is another way of getting Hilton Honors status, and earning Hilton Honors points, from a payment card.

Holders of The Platinum Card from American Express receive FREE Hilton Honors Gold status for as long as they hold the card.  It also comes with Marriott Bonvoy Gold, Radisson Rewards Premium and MeliaRewards Gold status.

We reviewed The Platinum Card from American Express in detail here and you can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

50,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review

You can also earn Hilton Honors points indirectly with:

• American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• The American Express Rewards Credit Card (10,000 bonus Amex points)

and for small business owners:

• The American Express Business Gold Card (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• The American Express Business Platinum Card (50,000 bonus Amex points)

The conversion rate from American Express to Hilton Honors points is 1:2.

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which can be used to earn Hilton Honors points.