Bits: Amex unveils new ‘Sidecar’ lounge, Luxair Edinburgh flight, IHG ‘buy points’ bonus

News in brief:

American Express unveils new Sidecar lounge concept

Last week we brought you news that American Express will open its first proper Centurion Lounge in mainland Europe in Amsterdam …. this week it is announcing a brand new lounge concept.

Called ‘Sidecar by Centurion Lounge,’ the concept is a new pit-stop lounge for travellers on a flight departing within 90 minutes.

Sidecar will offer a more intimate experience thanks to its speakeasy-inspired concept and small plates menu. It sounds like it will allow Amex to open companion lounges at airports in spaces that might be too small for a fully-blown Centurion lounge, whilst helping to take some of the pressure off of the main lounges.

The first Sidecar by Centurion Lounge will open in Las Vegas in early 2026. Based on the rollout of Centurion lounges it may be some time until we see one closer to home, although Heathrow wants to open up more passenger space for lounges and restaurants over the coming years.

I’ve long thought that there is room for more differentiation amongst airline lounges. One size certainly does not fit all and it’s a good idea to cater to different needs as more are built. It’s also the sort of concept that would work quite nicely at London City Airport, should the space be available.

Luxair launches Edinburgh flights

Luxembourgian flag carrier Luxair is launching its latest foray into the UK with flights to Edinburgh. Existing routes include Manchester and London City to Luxembourg.

The bad news is the route doesn’t launch for another year, until July 2026.

Flights will operate twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays. On Monday:

• LG4731 departs Luxembourg at midday and arrives in Edinburgh at 13:10
• LG4732 departs Edinburgh at14:00 and arrives in Luxembourg at 16:50

On Fridays:

• LG4733 departs Luxembourg at 13:30 and arrives in Edinburgh at 14:20
• LG4734 departs Edinburgh at 15:10 and arrives in Luxembourg at 18:00

There’s no word on what aircraft type will operate the route. Luxair is expecting its first E195-E2s early next year so it could be that. Alternatively, it might be a Dash 8.

Luxair uses Lufthansa’s Miles & More as its loyalty programme but is not a Star Alliance member.

You can read my review of Luxair’s (now discontinued) London City – Antwerp route here.

If you are looking for somewhere to stay in Luxembourg, we were there last week for the launch party for the new Luxembourg Marriott Hotel Alfa. This review should appear next week.

Last day for a 100% bonus buying IHG One Rewards points

IHG One Rewards is winding up its latest 100% bonus for buying points.

This offer ends TODAY, Thursday 17th July.

The maximum number of points you can buy is 400,000 (ie 200,000 plus the 200,000 bonus) although this can vary.  The minimum purchase to trigger the bonus is 5,000 points on my account but, again, this could vary.

The page to buy points is here.

With a 100% bonus, you would be able to buy up to 400,000 IHG One Rewards points for (at current exchange rates for $2,000) £1,465.

We usually value IHG One Rewards points at 0.4p.  You are paying 0.37p here so it is not necessarily a slam dunk unless you are just topping up your account, although you shouldn’t lose money either. The skill is to use them at hotels where you can get substantially more than 0.4p per point of value, although this got a little harder since IHG reward prices started getting more closely related to cash rates.

You can buy points via this link. You only have until tonight (17th July) to jump in.