What you missed on Head for Points last week
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Welcome to the Head for Points weekly newsletter, full of the latest Avios, travel loyalty and travel credit card news, hints and tips.
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STILL ON: Get a 30,000 points bonus (converts to 30,000 Avios) with ‘free for a year’ Amex Gold
American Express has brought back a special sign-up bonus on American Express Preferred Rewards Gold – apply here.
Remember that this card is free for your first year!
The bonus is increased from 20,000 to 30,000 Membership Rewards points which converts to:
- 30,000 Avios
- 30,000 Virgin Points
- 30,000 Etihad, Flying Blue, Asia Miles, Delta, Qantas or SAS miles
- 22,500 Emirates Skywards miles
- 20,000 Singapore Airlines miles
- 60,000 Hilton Honors points
- 45,000 Marriott Bonvoy points
- 90,000 Radisson Rewards points
- 2,000 Club Eurostar points
…. and many other non-travel rewards.
You receive 30,000 Membership Rewards points after spending £3,000 in three months.
Even better, you get:
- four passes for any airport lounge in the Priority Pass network
- 24 x £5 credits to spend at Deliveroo (max one per order and two per month)
- up to 12,500 bonus Membership Rewards points each year based on your spending (2,500 points per £5,000 spent)
The card is free for the first year. If you keep it beyond the first year there is an annual fee of £195. You receive a further four airport lounge passes and more Deliveroo credits on renewal.
Our main article on the 30,000 points bonus is here. Make sure you read the bit about whether or not you qualify for the bonus.
You can apply for American Express Preferred Rewards Gold with the special bonus on this page of the Amex website.
The offer ends on 27th May 2025.
The representative APR is 87.3% variable, including the annual fee. The representative APR on purchases, and in the first year which has no fee, is 30.0% variable.
In other news ….
Special features:
Is flying Premium Economy worth it? We look at the pros and cons.
This week’s top travel news stories:
Global Airlines is taking bookings for its launch flights, seriously!
Virgin Atlantic ends its partnership with Hawaiian Airlines
The brand new Clubrooms lounge opens in Heathrow Terminal 3
US rideshare group Lyft buys FREENOW
Get BA Silver-equivalent status from Malaysia Airlines in one trip
Oman Air goes double daily from Heathrow to Muscat – and soon redeemable on Avios
EXCLUSIVE: Cork Airport to lose its only lounge at the end of June
Top travel deals this week:
Get a 25% bonus when you transfer Nectar points to Avios – worth it?
Book Air India’s new A350 business class from London to Delhi for £1,631 return
Credit card news:
Excellent £75 and £100 Hyatt / American Express hotel cashback deals launched – Hotel du Palais Biarritz pictured above
British Airways and Avios news:
How to collect Avios from a current account with Barclays Premier Banking and Barclays Avios Rewards
Reviews:
Virgin Atlantic and Los Angeles:
In Los Angeles, Rhys visits IHG’s Kimpton La Peer hotel, a smart spot in West Hollywood. Image above.
On the way back, he reviewed Upper Class on the Virgin Atlantic A350 fleet. It’s six years since this seat was launched (and since our last full review) – how has it aged?
Air India:
Whilst in India to interview its CEO (see above), Rhys reviewed Air India’s new A350 business class from London to Delhi and called it ‘a world-class experience’.
Great Western Railway:
We try Great Western’s Night Riviera Sleeper, from Paddington to Devon and Cornwall. Image below.
On the way back we experience GWR’s Pullman Dining – the last proper meal on Britain’s railways.
Hotel news:
IHG One Rewards has ‘buy it now’ Champions League Final packages – for 1.3m points!
Get 30% back, up to £100, at WorldHotels worldwide with American Express
Other stories:
Why do Virgin Atlantic points upgrades on cash tickets not earn more tier points?
That’s all, folks
Our latest round-up of miles and points offers closing soon is here.
If you are booking a hotel this weekend, click here to read our summary of the best bonus points offers for April from the big chains.
Don’t forget to visit our forum if you have any questions relating to frequent flyer or hotel loyalty programmes or loyalty credit cards.
See you next Saturday,
Rob, Rhys, Sinead and Katie @ Head for Points
Linda Hearne 
Kevin 
Rob 
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