Bits: BA Cape Town tier points cut, St Regis Riviera Maya, Air Canada Montreal to Amsterdam

News in brief:

British Airways now giving 140 tier points to Cape Town in Business

Back in January, we reported that British Airways had increased the tier points offered for Hong Kong flights.

The distance had been reassessed as 6,004 miles which meant that it tipped over into the higher tier points band. A business class flight to Hong Kong now earns 160 tier points each way, instead of the previous 140.

What BA giveth, BA also taketh away.

Cape Town now shows as 5,995 miles in the British Airways system. As well as slightly reducing the Avios you earn per flight, the tier points you receive have dropped. A business class flight now earns 140 tier points each way instead of the previous 160.

Premium Economy now earns 90 tier points each way (was 100). First Class earns 210 (was 240). Economy earns between 20 and 70 (was 20 to 80).

It’s not clear when this change came in – it’s possible it happened at the same time as the Hong Kong change, but even though we reported that in January it wasn’t clear how long it had been going on.

The St Regis Riviera Maya opens

Over the last few days we’ve been running hotel reviews from a recent trip to Mexico by Rhys:

• W Mexico City is reviewed here
• Papaya Playa Project Tulum (Marriott’s Design Hotels) is reviewed here
• Conrad Riviera Maya is reviewed here

Just too late to be included in that trip, Marriott has opened The St Regis Kanai Resort, Riviera Maya. To quote:

Descending from the Mayan stars, The St. Regis Kanai Resort, Riviera Maya is a destination-defining oasis that captures the undiscovered glamour of the Mayan Riviera. Inspired by the neighboring 620-acre nature reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site – the Sian Ka’an Reserve, the resort breathes life and magic into the Kanai region with its avant-garde architecture, inviting interiors, and bespoke service …. the resort is a short drive from both Cancun and Playa Del Carmen and offers a gateway to the wonders of the region, from the luxuriant biodiversity of its natural parks and the mysticism of its cenotes, to the vivid blues of its ocean and the cultural richness of its archaeological sites.

Designed by Mexican architectural firm Edmonds International with interiors by Chapi Chapo Design, the resort features an exceptional circular exterior design inspired by the constellation Pleiades, resulting in unrivaled ocean views from nearly every vantage point. Designed with a minimal construction footprint aimed at protecting the natural reserve, The St. Regis Kanai Resort, Riviera Maya is suspended above a mangrove forest with the different elements of the hotel connected by elevated walkways. Guests of the resort are immediately transported into the magic of Kanai with a multi-story open air water installation leading into the main lobby. Floor-to-ceiling panoramic views of the mangroves give way to lush gardens and an expansive outdoor lawn with direct access to 2 miles of undisturbed white sand beach.

The resort website is here if you want to find out more. An image is above.

Air Canada adds Amsterdam to Montreal service

Air Canada has announced a new Summer route between Amsterdam and Montreal.

There will be five flights per week (Tue, Wed, Thu, Sat, Sun from Amsterdam, leaving the previous day from Montreal). The route starts on 2nd June and will run until 15th October.

Air Canada is using a modern Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The Amsterdam flight departs at 14.00 so you should be able to connect from the UK on the same day if necessary, albeit there is always some risk in doing this.

Air Canada is a member of Star Alliance so this is potentially redeemable using Lufthansa Miles & More or Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles, amongst other options.

Our last review of Air Canada business class was back in 2015 when I flew a Boeing 767 with the old Virgin Atlantic Upper Class-style seating. (To be honest, given that I was travelling from Edmonton to London, it was a miracle that I could get a direct flight at all and I was happy to take whatever seat was on offer.) We’ve not had a chance to try the latest seat which is a more traditional herringbone style layout.