💳 HSBC Premier: The Avios Secret You May Not Know About

Hello, Adventurous Travellers, and Happy Thursday!

In this newsletter, we have some fantastic offers and tips to help you earn more Avios and bag a stay in Qatar for less.

Let's get started:

• 🌟 The Qatar Airways Stopover programme: Enjoy a luxurious stay in Doha with packages starting at just $14 per night.

• 💵 10% Cashback at British Airways with AMEX: Hurry, limited spaces available.

• 🏬 Frequent Heathrow Flyer? Make sure you’re collecting the most Avios possible while at the airport and with the Heathrow Express.

• 💳 The HSBC Premier Bank Account: A Hidden Gem for Avios Collectors! How the HSBC Premier Bank Account can help you earn Avios + benefits like travel insurance, Priority Pass lounge access, and more.

The Qatar Airways Stopover Programme

Qatar Airways has one of the best stopover programmes out of all the oneworld airlines.

There are several packages available based on a per-person rate for a double room:

How to Book a Qatar Stopover

1. Choose "Qatar Stopover" in the Flight Search Panel: This will allow you to include a stopover in Doha without listing Doha or Qatar as your origin or final destination.

2. Select Your Stopover Timing and Duration: Book up to 4 nights.

3. Select Your Flight and Stopover Package: Flying from most countries, you can book with your flight. With other countries, you must book your flight first and then book your stopover afterwards. 

The stopover part of the Qatar Airways website is useful. There are some good ready-made itineraries, and you can book tours and look at events that will be held during your visit. 

If you have an 8-24 hour stopover, you can opt for the transit accommodation package instead. This package includes a complimentary hotel room, airport transfer, and temporary entry visa at no extra charge. 

10% Cashback Offer with British Airways and American Express

A special cashback offer has been launched by British Airways in partnership with American Express.

You will get 10% back on all transactions through the British Airways website, including taxes and charges on Avios bookings.

The bad news is that not all cardholders will get this offer. Check if you’re eligible in the ‘My Offers’ section on AMEX. If you are eligible, you’ll need to hurry. Only 35,000 cards can be registered for the offer.

Terms:

• The cashback is capped at £100, meaning that you can spend up to £1,000 to receive the full benefit.

• Purchases must be made by September 11th, and the flights must depart from the UK.

• You can accumulate spending across multiple transactions to reach the £1,000 threshold.

• There is no minimum spending requirement to qualify for the cashback.

If you’re planning on booking a flight soon, you’re in luck!

Frequent Heathrow Flyer? Make Sure You’re Maximising Your Avios! 

Even if you fly from Heathrow less than once per year, you’re missing out if you’ve not signed up for Heathrow Rewards. 

Not only will you save money on things like shopping, dining, and parking, but you’ll also earn Avios.

Receive 1 Heathrow Reward Point for every £1 you spend in shops, bars, cafes, restaurants, Official Heathrow Airport Parking and on pre-booked Heathrow Express tickets, and 1 point for every £10 exchanged at Bureaux de change.

You can then transfer Heathrow Reward Points into Avios at a rate of 1:1 with a minimum transfer rate of 250 Avios.

TIP: Use the code BAEnrol to earn 250 bonus Avios when you sign up after you’ve spent £30 or more in a single transaction.

You can also collect 5 Avios per £1 spent on the Heathrow Express, which leaves every 15 minutes from Paddington.

To earn Avios, you must purchase your tickets in advance and input your BA Executive Club number. You can also collect Heathrow Reward Points with your booking, earning you an extra Avios per £1. Pay with an Avios earning credit card to earn even more.

If you hold BA Gold Guest List status, you can sit in first class by buying a standard ticket and showing your gold guest list card along with your ticket. You can also upgrade if you hold Star Alliance Gold status.

Earn Avios with the HSBC Premier Bank Account

You often hear news about earning Avios with AMEX and Barclaycard, but did you know you can also earn Avios with the HSBC Premier Credit Cards?

There is a catch, though… To get a HSBC Premier Credit Card, you must have a HSBC Premier Account, which is free, but you must meet an income of at least £75,000 paid into the account and one of the following; a mortgage, investment, life insurance or protection product. The alternative is to have £50,000 in savings and pay your income into the account. 

If you meet the threshold, you apply for the HSBC Premier Mastercard, which earns 1 HSBC point per £1 spent. These can then be converted 2:1 into airline and hotel points. You will also get travel insurance. 

There’s also the option of upgrading to the HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard, which costs £195 per year and offers all the benefits of the free card. It earns 2 HSBC points per £1 spent and doubles when abroad.

The card also includes Priority Pass lounge access for the cardholder and £60 per year for a supplementary Priority Pass adult cardholder (this doesn’t work for children). If you’re planning on bringing your children to a lounge, it’s better to opt for a card like the AMEX Platinum.

You can transfer your points to Wyndham or IHG, as well as British Airways and several partner airlines, such as Etihad Guest, Emirates Skywards, Singapore Airlines, EVA Air MileageLands, and TAP Miles&Go.

There are often yearly deals (around June) where you get a bonus (usually 25%) when converting reward points into Avios.

Our View

If you meet the income or savings threshold, HSBC could be a good bank to go with. The Barclays Premier Account with Barclays Avios Rewards also has a £75,000 income threshold, but you can pay £12 per month as an alternative. There’s a fixed rate of 1,500 Avios monthly plus signup bonuses and 7,000 bonus Avios OR a BA Cabin Upgrade Voucher each year. 

If you plan on high spending, it’s a good idea to go for the HSBC account to earn points per £1 spent instead of a set amount.

The HSBC lounge pass benefit and travel insurance are cheaper alternatives to the AMEX Platinum card.

Final Words

That’s all for this week! We hope these tips help you maximise your travel rewards and have better experiences.

Safe travels, and always aim for the upgrade!

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Bye for now!