Accor – the Sofitel / Novotel / Mercure / Ibis hotel group – runs their loyalty scheme slightly differently to most. Instead of collecting points to redeem for free nights, you can only .....

Accor – the Sofitel / Novotel / Mercure / Ibis hotel group – runs their loyalty scheme slightly .....

18 Jan 201318 January 2013 by Rob Burgess • 19 comments

I wanted to quickly flag two things – only vaguely connected – about retail gift cards. Firstly, before Christmas American Express ran a promotion which offered a 20% discount on HMV gift .....

I wanted to quickly flag two things – only vaguely connected – about retail gift cards. Firstly, .....

18 Jan 201318 January 2013 by Rob Burgess • 14 comments

A lot of people with an American Express charge card got an email yesterday offering them a conversion bonus if they moved their Membership Rewards points into airline miles. There seem to be two .....

A lot of people with an American Express charge card got an email yesterday offering them a conversion bonus .....

17 Jan 201317 January 2013 by Rob Burgess • 26 comments

Tesco has launched a new music offer at Tesco Direct. On the face of it, 100 points for spending £6 on music is not desperately exciting.  It is well over 2p per Avios, for a start, so there is .....

Tesco has launched a new music offer at Tesco Direct. On the face of it, 100 points for spending £6 on music .....

17 Jan 201317 January 2013 by Rob Burgess • 1 comment

A quick heads up – in advance of the devaluation / realignment of Priority Club properties on January 18th. The new Hotel Indigo – Priority Club’s attempt at funky boutique hotels .....

A quick heads up – in advance of the devaluation / realignment of Priority Club properties on January .....

17 Jan 201317 January 2013 by Rob Burgess • 3 comments

If you read this article from a few days ago, I am pleased to say that the promotion is working exactly as planned. The deal is that Amex Platinum cardholders can get 5,000 bonus Membership Rewards .....

If you read this article from a few days ago, I am pleased to say that the promotion is working exactly as .....

16 Jan 201316 January 2013 by Rob Burgess • 41 comments

This is my review of the Jumeirah Zabeel Saray hotel and resort in Dubai. I promised to do a quick write-up about our Dubai holiday hotel. You should also read this post which talks about our Grand .....

This is my review of the Jumeirah Zabeel Saray hotel and resort in Dubai. I promised to do a quick write-up .....

16 Jan 201316 January 2013 by Rob Burgess • 4 comments

I wrote back in November about Hilton‘s ‘AnyWeekend Anywhere’ promotion. This offers very discounted weekend rates (some hotels have also listed them for weekdays, possibly in .....

I wrote back in November about Hilton‘s ‘AnyWeekend Anywhere’ promotion. This offers very .....

16 Jan 201316 January 2013 by Rob Burgess • 2 comments

blinkbox is an online, downloadable, film and TV rental service – a clone of Netflix or the downloadable LoveFilm option. Tesco bought blinkbox last year and now seem to be giving it a marketing .....

blinkbox is an online, downloadable, film and TV rental service – a clone of Netflix or the downloadable .....

15 Jan 201315 January 2013 by Rob Burgess • 20 comments

I have just finished an article reviewing our hotel in Dubai from last month, which will go up tomorrow. What crossed my mind when writing it, though, was the reaction you often get when you tell .....

I have just finished an article reviewing our hotel in Dubai from last month, which will go up tomorrow. What .....

15 Jan 201315 January 2013 by Rob Burgess • 25 comments

The American Express Platinum charge card has an astounding sign-up bonus at present – 50,000 Membership Rewards points.  These are worth 50,000 Avios, or a whole heap of other things. Yes, .....

The American Express Platinum charge card has an astounding sign-up bonus at present – 50,000 Membership .....

14 Jan 201314 January 2013 by Rob Burgess • 22 comments

Priority Club, the Holiday Inn / Holiday Inn Express / Crowne Plaza etc, loyalty scheme has launched this UK promotion for new members. Join up, and you get a £25 John Lewis voucher (also spendable .....

Priority Club, the Holiday Inn / Holiday Inn Express / Crowne Plaza etc, loyalty scheme has launched this UK .....

14 Jan 201314 January 2013 by Rob Burgess • 3 comments

Today’s article is about how to redeem your Avios on short haul European flights which are flown by long-haul aircraft (ie a 747, 777, A380, A330, A340 etc). Why would you want to do this? Well, .....

Today’s article is about how to redeem your Avios on short haul European flights which are flown by .....

13 Jan 201313 January 2013 by Rob Burgess • 11 comments

Attached to my InterContinental Ambassador statement this month, alongside the warning of the massive devaluation of the reward chart on the 18th, was an interesting InterContinental deal. Up to April .....

Attached to my InterContinental Ambassador statement this month, alongside the warning of the massive .....

13 Jan 201313 January 2013 by Rob Burgess • 2 comments