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IHG New and Emerging Brands Bonus Points Promotion
From 1 October to 31 December 2024, IHG One Rewards is offering a ‘3X Unlimited’ Promotion, giving loyal guests the chance to earn triple the points on qualifying stays. The push on this promotion is on what they have called their ‘ New and Emerging Hotels’, which includes the following IHG brands: avid, Atwell, EVEN, voco, and Garner hotels. These hotels span a variety of styles, so whether you’re after a quick stopover or a more luxurious experience, there’s something for everyone.
To participate in the promotion, you must be an active IHG One Rewards member and register for the promotion. You can pre-register between 19 and 30 September 2024, but if you miss that window, you can still register anytime during the official Promotion Period, which runs from 1 October to 31 December 2024.
If you’ve not heard of many of these brands like me, I will give you a small summary below. Sometimes staying at emerging brands is a really good idea as I find they often go the extra mile and still have that small and friendly feel about them. It’s when they scale, that this personalised service can sometimes become diluted.
- voco Hotels: voco blends stylish design with comfort and sustainability. It’s aimed at upscale travellers, featuring unique touches and eco-friendly practices. Locations include voco St. David’s Cardiff, voco Oxford Spires and there is soon to be a voco opening in London, Marylebone.
- avid Hotels: avid offers affordable, simple accommodations with a focus on quality essentials, such as comfortable beds and grab-and-go breakfasts. Currently expanding, avid has locations in the U.S. but none in the UK yet
- Atwell Suites: Atwell Suites is designed for longer stays, providing suite-style rooms with shared spaces for work and relaxation. It’s mostly in the U.S including Miami, Austin and Nashville., with future global expansion plans.
- Garner Hotels: Garner is a midscale brand focused on providing a comfortable, straightforward experience at an affordable price. This new brand is still expanding, primarily in the U.S.
- EVEN Hotels: EVEN focuses on health-conscious travellers with wellness amenities like in-room fitness equipment and nutritious food options. It has locations primarily in the U.S. and Asia
Find all the terms and conditions and register here.
Emirates Adds a Fourth Daily Flight to Johannesburg
Emirates is set to strengthen its presence in South Africa by introducing a fourth daily flight between Dubai and Johannesburg. This additional service is scheduled to commence on 1st March 2025.
Johannesburg has long been a key hub for Emirates, and the added frequency highlights the airline’s commitment to supporting the growing demand for travel to and from South Africa.
The new flight will operate on a Boeing 777-300ER, offering First, Business, and Economy Class cabins, ensuring all types of travellers can enjoy the Emirates experience.
I love South Africa so I can see why the demand is there for Emirates to expand. I still find Emirates very expensive and has infrequent sales, unlike Qatar which has deals on quite often lately. I would love to fly Emirates on this route with a nice stopover in Dubai so hopefully, this expansion will create the opportunity for lower fares from the UK.
Find Emirates’ current full schedule here.
British Airways Suspends Tel Aviv
British Airways has once again suspended all flights to Tel Aviv from now until and including 26th September. This will likely be extended.
BA only restarted this route in April 24 after suspending it in 2023 for the same reason, “growing tension in the region”.
A spokesperson said:
We’ve been continually monitoring the situation in the Middle East and have taken the operational decision to cancel our flights to and from Tel Aviv up to and including Thursday, 26 September.
Safety is always our top priority, and we’re contacting customers to advise them of their travel options.
