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Fourth night free with Hilton luxury inc NoMad
Hilton regularly does 4th or 5th free promotions with their luxury hotels that can provide good value for longer stays. You can usually book these through Hilton Impresario agents, which give extra benefits, or you can book directly.
Hilton recently acquired Nomad hotels (except Las Vegas) and their newest offer, which is available to book directly now, includes a wider range of hotels. The full list available is now Waldorf Astoria, LXR, Conrad, NoMad, or Signia by Hilton.
You need to book at least three days in advance for a minimum stay of four consecutive nights and a maximum stay of seven consecutive nights. Each hotel has its own policy regarding cancellations and blackout dates, so be sure to check these before booking.
The only catch is that you will be charged the standard flexible rate, which is more expensive than an advance purchase but usually is cancellable and changeable.
You can find the offer page here.
2000 Virgin Red points with refer a friend
Virgin Red is doubling their referral bonus until 22 August 2025. That means it is now worth 2,000 Virgin Points for both you and the other person.
It is pretty easy to do, just share your link via email, Facebook post, Facebook Messenger, or WhatsApp. You can get rewarded for up to 10 people who join Virgin Red and start earning points using your link.
Once the person receives your link, they simply have to earn any amount of Virgin points in any way that is specified on the Virgin Red app EXCLUDING Buy Points transactions, conversion of points from another loyalty programme into Virgin Points, bonus point awards (including referral rewards), prize draws, competitions, and games. So you could get them to do one shopping purchase online through the Virgin Red portal that they would have made anyway, and you will both get 2000 Virgin points. They have up to 18 months to earn the points too. You get the bonus once their first points post to their account.
In order for the referral to qualify for the reward, the referred friend must join Virgin Red for the first time using the referrer’s name or referral link, be over the age of 18, and meet the conditions of their reward, including earning Virgin Points by completing a qualifying earn transaction within 18 months of joining Virgin Red.
New Etihad business class takes off
Etihad Airways has launched the first commercial flight of its all-new A321LR, which flew to Phuket on Friday. Narrow-body aircraft for medium and long haul flights have been big business since Covid, when airlines discovered the new longer-range narrow bodies could be perfect for routes with lower demand or to increase frequency. The latest designs include long-haul style business class seats but feel much more exclusive than travelling on a larger aircraft. The business class seats don’t have doors, but they are fairly private due to the herringbone design. They also have lie-flat seats, which you don’t always find on shorter flights.
The new aircraft is designed to deliver Etihad’s premium cabin standards on short and medium-haul sectors.
This aircraft was the first of 30 A321LR aircraft scheduled to join its fleet.
Arik De, Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer at Etihad Airways, said: “The A321LR symbolises our ambition to deliver extraordinary experiences on every route we serve. It allows us to bring the sophistication of our widebody cabins, including our renowned First experience, to more destinations, and to more travellers, than ever before.”
Etihad’s A321LR introduces a new benchmark for narrowbody travel, with a premium cabin layout with both first and business class with the standard you would expect on long haul.
First Suites
- Two fully enclosed private suites with sliding doors, flat beds, and unique styling
- Space for a guest to dine or relax, either in the privacy of their suite alone, or with companion
- Features include a 20-inch 4K screen, wireless charging and Bluetooth pairing
- Full Etihad First service onboard and on the ground
Business
- Fourteen seats in a 1-1 herringbone configuration, each with direct aisle access and window views
- Enhanced with 17.3-inch 4K displays, wireless charging and Bluetooth connectivity
- Generous personal space and intuitive storage
Economy
- 144 ergonomically designed seats offering generous legroom
- Equipped with 13.3-inch 4K touchscreens, USB charging and Bluetooth headphone pairing
- Entertainment includes a library of premium films, series and games
All cabins feature high-speed Wi-Fi capable of video conferencing, streaming movies and gaming, being rolled out progressively on Asian routes, and enlarged overhead bins.
The aircraft are planned to be used on a wide range of destinations: Algiers, Hanoi, Phnom Penh, Chiang Mai, Tunis, Krabi, Medan, Copenhagen, Milan, Phuket, Düsseldorf, Paris, Bangkok, Athens, Zurich, Chennai, Kolkata and Riyadh.
You can explore the new seats in 3D here.
1 comment
Liberal use of first class by Etihad there. I expect some blotto passengers upon seeing the added amenities and food offerings of the two enhanced front seats will create aggro for the crew. One toilet up front for what Etihad are calling a mixed cabin of F and J seems a misstep. It will presumably be shared with the flight crew too and simply won’t impress those familiar with F on Etihad’s wide bodies.
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