In this post:
United can deny boarding to customers for not using headphones
In a piece of news I hope will spur all airlines into action, United has changed its Contract of Carriage (the legal agreement you “sign” when you buy a ticket). In late February 2026, the airline officially added a clause that gives them the right to refuse transport or remove a passenger if they refuse to wear headphones while listening to audio or video content. Like most airlines, United is currently rolling out high-speed Starlink Wi-Fi. With faster internet, they expect more people to stream video and want to prevent the cabin from becoming a melee of noise. If there is one thing that is most annoying about passengers on aircraft, it is people who play videos or games without headphones at full blast. Many airlines that have Wi-Fi ban voice and video calls, which I also welcome.
This change to the contract, allows United to classify a refusal to use headphones as a failure to follow crew member instructions. The updated “Rule 21: Refusal of Transport” now includes: “Passengers who fail to use headphones while listening to audio or video content”.
The airline now has the legal authority to:
- Deny boarding at the gate.
- Remove a passenger from the aircraft (before takeoff).
- Issue a permanent ban from the airline in extreme cases of non-compliance or disruption.
This is the first explicit mention of being able to deny someone boarding for not using headphones, so it will be interesting to see which other carriers follow their lead.
Hotels.com reintroduces its Reward Program
Hotels.com used to have one of the most useful hotel reward programs going. It may not have been the most generous or interesting scheme, but it was simple, and most travellers could benefit. You simply had to stay 10 nights to get one night free based on the average of your stays. This gave a 10% return on your stays. Then they decided to integrate all their loyalty schemes across their brands and came up with the dreadful One Key. The only real advantage to it was that you could earn rewards across multiple brands, but you only got a 2% return on your purchases, which drove many previously loyal customers away. Hotels.com realised that there was a huge backlash to the new program fairly early on and stopped its rollout worldwide, but by then, the UK and US were already stuck with One Key.
From today, Hotels.com has officially announced a new version of its rewards program in the UK. This move marks a significant shift away from the “One Key” system that replaced the original program in 2024. The company has gone back to the “Stay 10, Get 1” concept, but with some adjustments:
-
New rewards: For every 10 nights you book, you receive £100 in “Hotels.comCash.”
-
Minimum Spend Requirement: To count toward your 10-night progress, a room must cost at least £75 per night (including taxes).
The new scheme will be better than the old Rewards scheme for budget travelers, but if you spend a lot on rooms, you will be worse off as you will receive a flat £10 back per night instead of 10%. The good news is that the credit does not have to be spent on a single stay, unlike previously.
There will be 3 tiers like before:
- Silver – get 15% or more off select stays and one VIP Access in-stay benefit
- Gold and Platinum – get 20% or more off select stays, room upgrades when available, and an in-stay benefit such as free breakfast at participating hotels
The new scheme will start in April with accounts transitioned to the new program between 4 April and 4 May.
If you have been using Hotels.com during the One Key period:
-
OneKeyCash Conversion: Any unspent OneKeyCash in your account is being automatically converted into Hotels.comCash at the same value.
-
Tier Status: Your current Silver, Gold, or Platinum status will carry over to the new program.
-
Existing Bookings: Stays booked before today’s transition will earn rewards under the old One Key structure (2% back), so you may want to cancel and rebook if you can with no penalties. This would have to be done after your account is converted over to the new scheme.
HT: Head for Points
Which hotels can you earn Avios on?
Hilton had disappeared from cashback and Avios shopping websites during Covid, and I had never remembered to double-check if it returned since I don’t use them as much currently. So when I saw a new offer for Hilton earnings through Avios.com, I thought it would be worth a recap of all the hotels and hotel booking sites that can earn you Avios. This is how I generally earn most of my Avios, since you are generally spending high amounts on hotels, so the Avios soon mount up.
You can earn Avios on a vast range of hotels globally, but the method and the number of points you earn depend on how you book. There are two main ways to do this:
1. Booking Platforms and Avios.com
-
British Airways Hotels (Executive Club): If you book a “Flight + Hotel” package directly through British Airways, you earn 1 Avios per £1 spent on the total cost, plus the usual Avios for the flight itself.
-
Avios Hotels (Hotels.com/Expedia Partnership): BA has a dedicated portal (often powered by Expedia or Hotels.com) where you can earn up to 10 Avios per £1 spent. The prices can be higher than booking direct with Expedia so it is worth cross checking.
-
Via Avios.com: By clicking through the Avios.com “Shopping” portal to various booking sites and hotel chains:
-
-
Agoda: 10 Avios per £1 (Special Offer)
-
Best Western: 8 Avios per £1
-
Booking.com: 6 Avios per £1 (Special Offer)
-
Hilton: 8 Avios per £1
- Hotel du Vin – 6 Avios per £1
-
Hotels.com: 8 Avios per £1 (Special Offer)
-
IHG: 3 Avios per £1
-
Malmaison: 6 Avios per £1
-
Marriott: 4 Avios per £1
-
Marriott Homes & Villas: 3 Avios per £1
-
Montcalm Luxury Hotels: 10 Avios per £1
-
Mr & Mrs Smith: 1 Avios per £1
-
Radisson: 4 Avios per £1
-
Rotana: Up to 1 Avios per $1 (Middle East & Africa)
-
Shangri-La: 500 Avios per stay
-
Thistle: 12 Avios per £1 (Special Offer)
-
Travelodge: 1 Avios per £1
-
These links from Avios.com will take you to the company’s official website, where you can book in the normal way and double- or triple-dip with credit cards and the hotel’s own loyalty scheme.
2. Hotel Loyalty Programs
Many large hotel chains allow you to either earn Avios directly instead of hotel points, or convert your hotel points into Avios later. Key partners include:
-
Marriott Bonvoy: You can set your preference to earn Avios directly (usually 1–2 Avios per $1 spent) or transfer points at a 3:1 ratio.
-
IHG Hotels & Resorts (Holiday Inn, InterContinental): Earn up to 2 Avios per $1 spent.
-
Hilton Honors: While they removed the “double dip” option, you can still convert Hilton points into Avios (though the transfer rate is generally poor).
-
Accor Live Limitless (ALL): They have a unique partnership where you can double-dip—earning both ALL points and Avios simultaneously if you link your accounts.
-
Hyatt: You can earn 500 Avios per stay at most Hyatt properties.
