News: Nectar Connect fixed, Virgin Holidays Dubai & Maldives deals, Crowne Plaza JFK closes

News in brief:

Nectar Connect is now accepting American Express registrations again

Six weeks ago I published an article called ‘Nectar Connect is growing on me, because it doubles up with Amex cashback offers‘.

Nectar has a ‘card linked offers’ programme called Nectar Connect. This allows you to earn Nectar points (and therefore Avios) when you link your credit and debit card details to your Nectar account and spend at participating retailers.

What is good about Nectar Connect is that it doubles up with other deals, such as American Express statement credit offers. I am finding this increasingly valuable.

Unfortunately, at the same time as our article came out, Nectar Connect lost the ability to connect to Amex due to some tech changes.

This is now fixed. Readers have told me this week that they can now register American Express cards. I get an error message when I try to renew my existing links (you need to renew them every 90 days because of the high level of data mining that Nectar does on you) but new registrations seem fine. I may have to let my existing registrations expire and then start again.

You can find out more in my original article, link above.

Virgin Atlantic Holidays offering Dubai and Maldives discounts

Virgin Atlantic is gearing up to launch flights to Dubai (from October) and the Maldives (from November) and Virgin Atlantic Holidays has launched a short term promotion on both destinations.

(Pressure from Virgin Atlantic Holidays was a core reason for returning to Dubai, which the airline on its own struggled to justify. Even now there will be just four flights per week – and only for the Winter season – compared to 11 per DAY from London on Emirates.)

Here’s the deal:

• save £250 per booking to the Maldives and £150 per booking to Dubai
• book by Tuesday 11th July
• travel between 22nd October 2023 and 29th March 2024
• stay at least four nights and include a hotel
• flights must be on Virgin Atlantic

You can find out more on the Virgin Atlantic Holidays website here.

Crowne Plaza JFK Airport New York City closes

Finally, a brief note that the Crowne Plaza JFK Airport New York City hotel has unexpectedly closed down.

A HfP reader with a reward booking for next week was emailed by IHG to say that the hotel was now shuttered. Whilst IHG did offer alternatives, the only options given were three Holiday Inn Express properties, only one of which was anywhere near the airport ….

The hotel situation around JFK is odd, with none of the hotels having a good reputation. The TWA Hotel, whilst architecturally impressive, is driving guests away with its ‘nickle and dime’ attitude to charges, including for the swimming pool, as Rhys found.

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Hotel offers update – September 2024:

Want to earn more hotel points?  Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.

Want to buy hotel points?

• Hilton Honors is offering a 100% bonus (some may see less) when you buy points by 24th September. Click here.

• Marriott Bonvoy is offering a personalised bonus when you buy points by 23rd September 2024. Click here.

• World of Hyatt is offering a 20% discount when you buy points by 8th October 2024. Click here.