Bits: last weekend for BA Premium sale, Marriott opens a Seychelles resort, Elton John winners

News in brief:

Last chance to book in the British Airways Premium sale

British Airways is currently running its first premium-only flight sale of the year, but the offers end on Tuesday.

It is surprisingly good, with prices to some destinations getting close to their pre-covid levels. This means £1,300+ Club World fares to New York and more – all direct from London.

It is also offering some good savings on BA Holidays packages which include a Business Class flight – in some cases, the holiday costs little more than buying the flight on its own.

Details of the luxury flight deals are here and the BA Holidays deals are here.

The best deals are, in general, for travel between January and February 2024 – admittedly further out than you may want to commit – but you’ll also find prices lowering before then. We recommend using the Low Fare Finder tool on ba.com to see which months the sale fares are available.

The best Club World fares are to the US and Canada:

• Austin – £1,625
• Boston – £1,378
• Chicago – £1,378
• Montreal – £1,390
• Nashville – £1,485
• New Orleans – £1,555
• New York – £1,329
• Philadelphia – £1,385
• Portland (Oregon) – £1,485
• San Francisco – £1,665
• San Jose (California) – £1,695
• Seattle – £1,595
• Toronto – £1,374
• Washington DC – £1,455

Get an even better deal with BA Holidays

There are also some good deals over at BA Holidays, assuming you are happy to package a hotel and / or car with your flight.

You can make substantial savings when you book a flight + hotel deal with BA Holidays. For example, in the Premium Sale Club World flight prices to New York start at £1,329 pp. However, if you book Club World flights and four nights in a 4* hotel in New York via BA Holidays, packages start from £1,495 pp. Based on two sharing, adding a 4* hotel only costs you £85 per night.

You will receive DOUBLE British Airways Executive Club tier points too

One of the most attractive promotions currently running from any travel company is the British Airways Holidays ‘double tier points’ offer.

If you book a ‘flight and hotel’ or ‘flight and car’ package for 5+ nights via British Airways Holidays, for travel completed by 31st December 2023, you will receive double tier points on your flights.

Full details of the ‘double tier points’ offer can be found on the British Airways Holidays website here.

Other benefits of using BA Holidays versus booking a cash flight and hotel include:

• only pay a deposit, which can be as low as £60, now with the balance not due until 5-7 weeks before travel
• 1 bonus Avios for every £1 spent at BA Holidays on top of the usual Avios earned from your flights
• double Avios (3 per £1) on your payment if you use the British Airways Premium Plus American Express card

You can see full details of offers and fares in the Premium Sale section of the BA website here. The BA Holidays deals are here.

The sale ends on 21st March.

Marriott opens a new Tribute Portfolio resort in the Seychelles

Marriott’s Tribute Portfolio has added a newly opened property – Iaïla, Seychelles, a Tribute Portfolio Resort.

Tribute Portfolio is – and hopefully this isn’t doing it an injustice – aimed at independent hotels which are too small or not quite luxurious enough to become part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection. Both brands allow independent hotels to remain their independent style, with no long list of ‘brand standards’ to meet, whilst also being part of a major marketing ‘system’.

To quote:

Marking the brand’s debut in the Seychelles, the resort offers an oasis perfect for island exploration and revitalization set in the serenity of a natural botanical paradise. Located close to Anse Royal, the photo-ready white sandy beach on the Southeastern coast of Mahé, the Seychelles’ largest island the resort set to showcase the hidden gems of the island for travelers and locals who seek out independent experiences and crave a connection with the community when traveling.

Designed by MMAC Design, the resort has a harmoniously calming color palette complemented by bold pops of green which pay homage to the beautiful tropical surroundings. With carefully curated interiors, guests will appreciate the intricate detailing throughout, including the lobby ceiling which has been carved to reflect the shapes of the many islands in the Seychelles. Each of the resort’s 76 bespoke guest rooms are decorated with nature-inspired aesthetics, featuring a mural of the Seychelles’ plant silhouette, hand woven macramé bed board, and room separator made with wood and rattan, the natural materials often used in the island’s traditional architecture. In addition, families or a collective of friends can choose from the resort’s eight boutique suites, including the Senior Suite with a private plunge pool and private terrace overlooking the Indian Ocean and surrounding mountains.

Regular readers may remember that Hilton has opened a similar property recently in the form of The Mango House, which is part of its LXR Collection. The Mango House website is here.

You can learn more about Iaïla on the Marriott website here, although it is a little thin on content at the moment. Both photos above are of the resort.

Are you an Elton John competition winner?

Earlier this week we ran a competition to win tickets to see Elton John on his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour from the Marriott Bonvoy VIP Box at The O2.

This was to promote the fact that you can redeem Marriott Bonvoy points for concerts and events at The O2 through Marriott Moments experiences.

Marriott Bonvoy Moments is about a lot more than just the private suite at The O2, of course. Using Marriott Bonvoy points accumulated from travel and dining, you can gain VIP access to concerts, culinary experiences, premier sporting events and more all over the globe.

We can now announce the four winners of the competition, each of which wins a pair of tickets for themselves and a guest:

• Sarah M
• Rob B (not me!)
• Janice L
• Michael R

All winners have already been contacted and have accepted their prizes, so if you share the same name I’m afraid it isn’t you. Rhys, Sinead and I look forward to meeting you all on the 12th.

Thank you to everyone who entered and sorry if you didn’t win this time. Keep your eyes peeled for more competitions as we have some big ones to come.