Here’s a roundup of the week’s points, miles and travel industry news you may have missed:
Buy Your Way into Air France’s La Première Lounge
Air France is opening up its First Class Lounge privileges in Paris (CDG) for passengers on long-haul flights with an Air France business class ticket. Here’s what you’ll have to pay for lounge perks:
- Arrival services — 150 euros (about $167) or 20,000 Flying Blue miles;
- Departure or connecting flight services — 300 euros (about $335) or 40,000 Flying Blue miles.
Earn 75,000 Hilton HHonors Points
Through September 30, 2015, you can earn 75,000 Hilton HHonors Bonus Points when you open a Citi Hilton HHonors Visa Signature Card and spend $2,000 within the first three months. This card has no annual fee, and offers silver elite status for as long as you’re a card member. It typically offers a bonus of just 40,000 points, so now is a good time to apply if you’re looking to boost you Hilton account.
Get a 50% Bonus When You Buy TrueBlue Points
Through September 17, 2015, you can get a 50% bonus when you buy points from JetBlue. You must buy at least 3,000 points to earn the bonus, and you can buy up to 30,000 points in a single transaction, with a limit of 60,000 points for any member in a calendar year. If you purchased the maximum 30,000 points (for a bonus of 15,000 points), you would pay about $887, or just under 2 cents per point. At that rate, buying points isn’t a good deal, but if you need a small amount to top up your account for a specific redemption, you may as well earn the bonus.
United Club Members Will Need a Same-Day Boarding Pass For Access
Beginning August 18, 2016, United Club members will only be able to access a lounge if they hold a same-day boarding pass. Currently, the Club is open to members even if they aren’t traveling that day. United explains that the move is intended to “maintain an exclusive United Club experience,” but it’s unlikely that many members travel to the airport and pass through security just to enter the lounge.
Save Up to 40% on Accor Hotels Stays
Book a last-minute summer stay at one of Accor’s 1,100 hotels across the globe by August 17, 2015 for travel through September 6, 2015, and you can get a discount of up to 40 percent. Accor’s portfolio of brands includes Pullman, Grad Mercure and Sofitel, as well as the budget-friendly Ibis and Philippe Starck’s design-savvy Mama Shelter.
Earn 100 Free Marriott Rewards Points
Fill out a quick, eight-question survey about Marriott e-mails and you can earn 100 free Marriott Rewards points. That won’t get you far, but every bit helps, and the survey shouldn’t take longer than a minute to complete. Have your Marriott Rewards number handy, since you’ll need it to collect your points.
Ryanair May Link Up with Long-Haul Airlines
European low-cost carrier Ryanair is looking into teaming up with British Airways owner International Airlines Group and Aer Lingus to offer transfer connections for long-haul passengers, perhaps as early as the end of the year. Potential options include working with TAP Portugal for traffic from Lisbon, as well as Norwegian Air Shuttle and Virgin Atlantic for traffic from London Gatwick.