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Top loyalty deals
HHonors launches international auction
Hilton has teamed up with Martell to offer the Ultimate Martell Experience, an international auction using HHonors points. All points from the winner’s bid will be donated to charity.The package includes accommodation at the Martell's private Chateau de Chanteloup, near Cognac, France. Gourmet meals, including full breakfasts, 4-course lunches and 4-course gala dinners, will be prepared by Martell's private chef. The trip will also include a tour of the Galienne Vineyards and the Cellars de Chanteloup, home to Martell’s eaux-de-vie ageing process, with private tastings.
The highest bidder will also be presented with a limited edition, engraved Martell Cognac bottle, unavailable for purchase anywhere in the world.
The charity is to be chosen by the winner, from a list of more than twenty organizations supported by Hilton such as the World Wildlife Fund and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The points will be converted into a monetary value. For more information visit hiltonfamily.com/givingback.
Adam Burke, senior vice president of customer loyalty for Hilton Hotels Corporation, commented: "We are thrilled to collaborate with Martell to offer members across the world this incredibly exclusive experience. Since we started running auctions two years ago, HHonors members have bid millions of points and donated tens of thousands of dollars to our Giving Back charity partners. At the same time, we've been able to offer members a chance to take spectacular vacations to exotic locations."
Auction bidding begins at 12pm (US Eastern standard time) on Monday, October, 13 2008. All bids must be received by 12pm (US Eastern standard time) on October 27.
To place a bid go to hhonors.com/martellauction. The package is non-transferable and must be booked at least three months in advance. The minimum bid is 65,000 points.
Visit www.hhonors.com.
Accor unveils AClub
Accor has officially launched its new worldwide loyalty programme AClub, with members earning vouchers which can be used in more than 2,000 hotels worldwide.
As of September 15, guests can earn points for stays at Sofitel, Pullman, Novotel, Mercure, MGallery, Suitehotel, Ibis and All Seasons properties, as well as on expenditure on hotel services such as food and laundry. Unlike the group’s previous loyalty scheme (Compliments from Accor Hotels), AClub is free to join, but interestingly Accor’s budget brands – Motel 6, Formule 1 and Etap – have not been included.
Accor has devised a simple voucher redemption system, with points being converted into cash vouchers which can then be used as payment in all Accor hotels. As a result there are no blackout periods, which means travellers can use their points at popular or busy times and there is no restriction on the use of points for promotional rates. Guests can pay for their stay with a mixture of AClub vouchers and cash or credit card.
Points can also be used with partners, such as Club Méditerranée and Europcar, or converted into miles with airlines, including Air France KLM, British Airways, Delta Airlines, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, US Airways and Qantas. Points earned have no expiry date, provided that members spend at least one night a year in a participating hotel.
To celebrate the launch of the new scheme, cardholders can earn double points for every Accor stay until December 31. You can join AClub after your first stay, or register online at a-club.com, where you can also check your points and download vouchers to spend. The minimum redemption level is 2,000 points, which earn members a €40 voucher.
Depending on the number of hotel nights or the number of points earned in a year, members will be upgraded, with the points earned increasing significantly with each upgrade.
AClub cardholders get two points for each €1 spent in a Sofitel, Pullman, MGallery, Novotel, Mercure or Suitehotel, and one point for each €1 spent in an Ibis or All Seasons hotel.
The AClub Silver card is awarded after at least 10 hotel nights or 2,500 points earned in a year. Silver cardholders earn three points for each €1 spent in a Sofitel, Pullman, MGallery, Novotel, Mercure or Suitehotel, and 1.5 points for each €1 spent in an Ibis or All Seasons hotel.
The AClub Gold card is awarded after at least 30 hotel nights or 10,000 points earned in a year. Gold cardholders earn 3.5 points for each €1 spent in a Sofitel, Pullman, MGallery, Novotel, Mercure or Suitehotel, and 1.75 points for each €1 spent in an Ibis or All Seasons hotel.
Finally the AClub Platinum card is awarded after at least 60 hotel nights or 25,000 points earned in a year. Platinum cardholders earn four points for each €1 spent in a Sofitel, Pullman, MGallery, Novotel, Mercure or Suitehotel, and two points for each €1 spent in an Ibis or All Seasons hotel.
For more information visit a-club.com.
Visit www.a-club.com.
Discover the Flavours of Eastern Europe!
From now until December 2008 book a stay for a minimum of two nights in one of the 9 Hilton hotels in Eastern Europe and benefit from special rates including breakfast and a half-day city tour to discover the beauty of these 7 destinations!
The Flavours of Eastern Europe package includes:
• Half-day tour of city’s cultural highlights
• Lazy breakfast until 11am & late checkout up to 6pm at the weekend
• Kids stay & eat complimentary & second room for kids is half price
• 1000 HHonors points per stay
• Double miles with selected airlines
All you need to do is choose your dream destination….Moscow, Budapest, Bucharest, Prague, Dubrovnik, Sofia and Warsaw are waiting for you to live it all!
Flavors of Eastern Europe is available at the following nine participating hotels:
Athenee Palace Hilton Bucharest
Hilton Budapest
Hilton Budapest WestEnd
Hilton Imperial Dubrovnik
Hilton Prague
Hilton Prague Old Town
Hilton Sofia
Hilton Warsaw Hotel and Convention Centre
Hilton Moscow Leningradskaya
For full terms and conditions, to find out more about the participating hotels and to book visit the website below or call the Hilton Reservations and Customer Care office nearest you and book Plan Code PR12EE.
Visit www.hilton.com/en/hi/promotions/hi_goeast/index.jhtml?adId=goeast,bt&cid=OM,HI,goeast,bt.
Hilton HHonors launches loyalty credit card
Hilton has unveiled its new HHonors Platinum Visa Card, in association with Barclaycard.The new card replaces HHonors’ previous agreement with Mastercard and financial provider Beneficial, which ended earlier this year. The Visa card earns users three HHonors points for every pound spent at all Hilton Family hotels, and two points for every pound spent elsewhere.
In addition cardholders benefit from HHonors Silver VIP membership for the duration of card membership, and will receive 7,500 bonus points if they make their first purchase within 90 days of opening an account. To give readers an idea of redemption values, the current one-night reward value at the Hilton Sharm Waterfalls Resort in Egypt is 20,000 points, 25,000 at the Hilton Warsaw, 30,000 at the new Hilton Madrid Airport and 40,000 at the Hilton Molino Stucky Venice.
There is no annual fee for the card, and cardholders can take advantage of the six month’s interest free period on all balance transfers (a 2.99 per cent transfer fee applies).
For more information visit hhonorscard.co.uk, and click here to browse Business Traveller’s list of other airline and hotel loyalty credit cards available to UK residents.
Visit www.hhonorscard.co.uk.
Credit where it's due
As a frequent flyer, it seems logical to take advantage of those airlines and hotels which are jumping on the credit card bandwagon, offering everything from reward miles to free flights when you spend. Bmibaby, for example, promises a return flight anywhere on its network for travellers who spend £100 within 90 days, while the Priority Club Rewards Visa will earn members 10,000 points on their first purchase.
To save you trawling through the small print, we have compiled a table highlighting the different cards out there, what introductory offers they provide, what you can earn and how much it is going to cost you.
Whether you are a member of Virgin’s Flying Club or Lufthansa’s Miles and More, these credit cards may well give you a way of accruing something extra. And members of United Airline’s Mileage Plus loyalty scheme should look out for its new credit card for UK residents, which will be out this summer…
Click here to view our comprehensive table of loyalty credit cards...
Visit www.britishairways.com.
Visit www.virginmoney.com.
Visit www.flybmi.com.
Visit www.lloydstsb.com.
Visit www.citibank.co.uk.
Visit www.ryanaircreditcard.co.uk.
Visit www.flybe.com.
Visit www.delta.com.
Visit www.lufthansa.com.
Visit www.ichotelsgroup.com.
GHA adds airline partners
Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) has added four airline partners to its loyalty scheme – Emirates, Etihad, Jet and Singapore Airlines.
GHA is the world’s largest alliance of independent hotel brands, with brands including Kempinski, Leela, Marco Polo, Omni and Dusit.
This is the first time the alliance has included airline partners within the scheme, and means that members can now earn 500 Emirates Skywards, Etihad Guest, Jet privilege or Singapore Kris Flyer miles per stay at all participating GHA hotels.
The alliance says
it aims to launch several more global partnerships this year.
Visit www.globalhotelalliance.com.
IHG launches loyalty credit card
Intercontinental Hotel Group has joined forces with Barclaycard to launch the Priority Club Rewards Visa, enabling Priority Club members to earn points on purchases and double points on hotel stays.
To celebrate the launch, cardholders will earn 10,000 bonus points on their first transaction (within 90 days of opening an account), which is enough for a one-night stay at selected Holiday Inn Express and Holiday Inn properties worldwide.
Cardholders will also be able to redeem points on air miles, days out and exclusive wines, with rewards starting at 3,000 points. (Two Priority Club points are awarded for every £1 spent on IHG services and one point for every £1 spent elsewhere.)
Visit www.priorityclub.com/ukvisa.
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