Alan Jones

Amex Plat gives Hilton Gold.

Robert Jenkins

How do you apply for new Hilton card in Uk, I thought they had closed new applications.

Charles

Yes, after 20 years , IHG was by far the best card.
Disappointing that HFP, are unable to update us on a new IHG card.
IHG, must be losing tens of thousands on loyal clients migrating onto other cards.
WOULD LOVE A HILTON CARD BUT UNFORTUNATELY NOT AVAILABLE IN UK FOR NEW ACCOUNTS.

Rob

Thanks Rob

Robert Jenkins

Start from zero unfortunately.

The Savage Squirrel

in fact the article should just have one sentence “you can’t”. The free card is no longer available, and the cards that provide status are not free.

AJA

Also, as the title of the article is “How to get FREE hotel elite status from UK credit cards”, since the demise of Creation/IHG the HH card is the only UK card (albeit closed to new applicants) that matches that description … unlike either of the cards that are in the article – both of which are not free.

Harrier25

On the other hand that card requires you to spend £10k per annum to get or maintain Gold status with Hilton. You could just pay £595 for the Amex Platinum card and also get gold status (assuming that you qualify for the card).

I’m beginning to think that maybe the Barclaycard Hilton card isn’t such good value. But I probably wouldn’t be accepted for the Platinum card so will stick with the Hilton Barclaycard for as long as they let me keep it. As you say at least it’s free and it is accepted where Amex isn’t.

Charles

Thank God for my free Hilton Honors Barclaycard. Worth it’s weight in Gold these days, as well as keeping me Gold!

Ash

No. But you can buy Ambassador for $200 and get IHG Platinum.

Doctorbee

How has late check out been handled?

WaynedP

I feel similar to AJA on whether the cost and added connection risk is worthwhile for marginal savings. For significant savings, I’d do it. Like Wayne I’d choose DUB though as it gives so many options for getting back to the UK, including Sail Rail if need be. I’m in an unusual position in that I get free accommodation and free airport transfers (whatever the time) from family 20 mins from DUB. So I feel I get to rather cheat at the ex-EU game.

Simon Bradford

I’ve flown East or South with Qatar twice in last two years, once return from DUB and once open jaw out from OSL return from MXP.

Considerable cost savings vs flying via DOH from LHR.

As Rob says, cheapest non-LON departure points come and go, but pre Covid Scandinavia often gave good value incl CPH.

If you’re crediting your 560 Tier Points to BAEC it makes sense to get to your chosen non-LON departure point on BA to work towards racking up the required 4 flights on BA metal to achieve Silver status in BAEC.

LCY-DUB and return worked well for me on one of my trips as opposed to LHR.

One thing to be aware of is that flying this way prevents flying on one single PNR meaning that neither BA nor Qatar are liable to re-book you on a later flight for free if any of your connections with the other fails. So it’s wise to build in sufficient time between connecting flights in case something goes wrong with one flight.

It works alright if you can afford to view non-LON locations as part of the holiday, perhaps overnighting there, but not if you’re in a particular hurry to get to your final destination.

Simon Bradford

The issue I have with Rob’s suggestion is that you have to add on the cost of getting to and from the starting point elsewhere in Europe plus potentially include the cost of a hotel.

You could use Avios to get there if there are reward seats on the dates you are looking at.

Or you could just pay to fly on BA to the starting point and look at it as the UK to other European city flights counting towards the 4 eligible flights required.

The trouble is I have yet to find a starting point elsewhere in Europe that works out substantially cheaper when compared to just flying directly from the UK.

Plus there is the risk that those “cheap” Qatar flights are in their Business Lite category that does not include lounge access unless ironically you already have access via your FF status.

An alternative is to fly Finnair via Helsinki starting from the UK. The LHR-HEL sector gives you 80TP each way (as does MAN – HEL) and then a long haul flight from HEL gives you 140TP each way. So you earn 440TP. Then two European trips in business class to a 40TP destination gives you the extra 160TP you require for Silver. Finnair is struggling financially though so not sure whether they still do the cheap Asia fares. I paid £1700 in Feb 2019 which was great.

A quick search on Google flights shows availability next Jan from MAN to BKK via HEL for £2137 – the caveat being that it might also be one of their Business Lite fares that also does not include lounge access. You do though get the benefit of EC261 protection in both directions.

When, as highlighted in another article today, one sees Marriott Bonvoy has 180m members and IHG 100m it isn’t entirely surprising that they can’t really do much to look their members and they know they have you on their treadmill in the same way as BA is more likely to upgrade a lower tier/no status pax than a Gold.

Breakfast is the most interesting ‘free’ element in that virtually every hotel used to offer it free to everyone, then they tried offering it for a bit extra, then a lot extra and suddenly they make it ‘free’ again as a lure for supposedly loyal guests.

Rob

Yep I did this route recently booked back in Jan, and it was further discounted by coming back to a different location in Europe, ie Open-jaw. But note that the seat for Sofia leg in an A320 was not a full recline but my leg from Budapest still in an A320 had full recline, so even the seat amongst the A320’s vary. Whether that was just luck I don’t know or because DOH-SOF is shorter than BUD they allocate not as great a aircraft I guess?

Rob

Think the point here Simon is that Qatar will offer cheaper flights from mainland Europe than U.K. – perhaps because of APD. So you get a sale flight from Paris (for example) for £1,750 to Bangkok. 4 segments – 1 x to Doha, 1 x to Bangkok. Then the same return.

You’ve just got to get to Paris. Pretty easy (and cheap) from most major U.K. cities. Treat it as part of your holiday. Always a risk of cancellations / delays so perhaps arrive the day before.

Re Radisson – agree they can be more generous, the LHR one (which TBH isn’t the best but a quick bus ride from T3 so was handy) gave me free breakfast recently as a Radisson Rewards Premium member.

DMW

No. You don’t get nights with Platinum, you just get given Gold. It doesn’t help getting towards a higher level. This Marriott Amex is totally different – because you get 15 nights it means Plat just requires 35 nights, and the 15 even count for lifetime status.

Simon Bradford

I understand flights to Europe are available from the UK.

Best starting points come and go – Sofia was attractive recently.

In my experience with Melia Gold, I have been upgraded 4 out of 5 times even if not a benefit and has stacked with the upgrade voucher on one occasion resulting in a triple upgrade to an executive suite!

So where would you start and why? And how would you get there?