Bits: huge Eurostar ‘50% off’ premium sale, beware your OneKeyCash expiring

News in brief:

Eurostar launches a huge ‘50% off’ sale for premium seats

Eurostar has launched a new promotion, and it is well worth a look.

If two to nine people travel together (so no joy for solo travellers) you can get half-price tickets to Paris, Brussels and Lille over the summer.

What’s interesting is the deals covers Eurostar Plus and Eurostar Premier – it is very rare to see Eurostar Premier (which includes lounge access and fast track security) discounted. Both Plus and Premier include a meal.

This is how it works:

• You can book at eurostar.com, with the call centre or in person at St Pancras
• You must use code SUMMER25SAVINGS
• You can only travel to Paris, Brussels or Lille
• Between two and nine passengers must travel together
• You can book in Eurostar Plus or Eurostar Premier
• You must book by 11pm on 7th July
• You must travel between 22nd July and 4th September
• You cannot travel on 26th or 27th July or 22nd, 25th or 30th August
• The code will expire after 10,000 bookings have been made

I assume that Eurostar Premier tickets booked under this offer retain the usual generous cancellation terms of any other Eurostar Premier ticket.

Don’t forget to sign up to Club Eurostar when booking. Our full review of Club Eurostar is here. Remember that you can top up your points after your trip with a transfer from American Express Membership Rewards at 15:1.

Beware of Hotels.com OneKeyCash expiry

It’s roughly a year since Hotels.com started to migrate Hotels.com Rewards accounts to the much-derided OneKeyCash.

What you might not know is that your OneKeyCash may actually have expired ….

OneKeyCash expires after 18 months of no activity.

However – surprise! – the OneKeyCash lump sum you received when your old Hotels.com Rewards credit was converted only has a 12 month expiry date.

A reader got in touch with Hotels.com this week after realising that his cash had expired. He said that he had not received any email notifications of upcoming expiry. This is what he was told:

OneKeyCash usually expires within 18 months when no eligible booking is made, but converted OneKeyCash only expires 12 months from the conversion date because it still follows the expiration date of your [Hotels.com Rewards] rewards nights.

Unfortunately we are unable to reinstate it because we are only following our policy.

Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this has caused [….] we’re here for you and want to ensure you have a good travel experience.

Ensuring you have a ‘good travel experience’ seems to include, in this case, refusing to reinstate over £100 of credit ….