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 (May 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.

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

10,000 bonus points, Hilton Gold status and NO FX fees Read our full review

NEW: Hilton Honors Debit

2,500 bonus points, 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 American Express Platinum in detail here and you can apply here.

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.

The Platinum Card from American Express

80,000 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 Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Rewards Credit Card (10,000 bonus Amex points)

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.

and for small business owners:

• American Express Business Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Business Platinum (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.