In this post:
Huge Business Platinum and Gold Sign-Up Bonuses Including Selfridges Giftcard
American Express has announced limited-time sign-up bonuses for the Platinum and Gold Business cards, available for applications until 12th January 2027.
To apply, you must be the director of a qualifying Limited Company or a member of an LLP. Sole traders are no longer eligible.
AMEX Business Platinum
Annual Fee: £650
Personal Income Requirement: £35,000
The sign-up bonus has been increased to 120,000 Membership Rewards (MR) points plus a £150 Selfridges Gift Card when you spend £12,000 in the first three months. You may see an offer of 100,000 instead.
You can receive a sign-up bonus if you haven’t had a Platinum Business card in the last 24 months, though you can still apply if you currently have the AMEX Gold.
The card also offers a range of excellent benefits that make it good value, including unlimited Priority Pass lounge access, complimentary hotel status with four major brands, and more. You also receive a free supplementary Platinum card with many of the same benefits.
You will ALSO receive a £200 Amex Travel credit when you sign up (and each year), with no spend target required.
Apply for the AMEX Business Platinum here >>>
AMEX Business Gold
Annual Fee: Free for the first year, then £195
Personal Income Requirement: £20,000
The sign-up bonus has been increased to 60,000 Membership Rewards points and a £100 Selfridges Gift Card when you spend £6,000 in the first three months, though some people are being targeted with a 40,000 offer.
The card also awards £100 in Amex Travel credit when you spend £40,000 in a calendar year, plus another £100 if you reach £80,000. There’s also a range of other yearly benefits such as £100 Dell credit.
Apply for the AMEX Business Gold here >>>
You can use Membership Rewards points in lots of ways. For example, you can convert 100,000 Points into 100,000 Avios or Virgin Points, which could go a long way. There are plenty of other options too, from hotel points to gift cards.
As long as you’re eligible and you can meet the spend target, a bonus as high as this is well-worth considering. If you apply for the Business Gold, you may have the opportunity to also earn a Business Platinum bonus in the future.
Free ALL Accor+? Get 100% Back
Accor has launched a new offer that effectively gives you the first year of its ALL Accor+ ibis or Voyager subscription free when you complete an eligible hotel stay.
There are two card options, and both require payment upfront:
- ALL Accor+ Voyager: €179 per year. Gives you 15% off stays at more than 30 Accor brands, including Sofitel, Fairmont, Raffles, Novotel and Mercure. You also get 20 Status Nights (just 10 more needed for Gold) and 9,000 bonus Reward points, worth €180 once you complete a stay.
- ALL Accor+ ibis: €99 per year. Get 15% off stays at ibis, ibis Styles, and ibis budget hotels, plus 10 Status Nights toward ALL Accor status and 5,000 bonus Reward points, worth €100 when you complete a stay.
To qualify, you must purchase a subscription for either the ALL Accor+ Voyager or ALL Accor+ ibis by 20th November 2026 and complete a stay by 22nd January 2027. If you already hold one of the cards, you need to complete a stay.
You’ll need to activate the offer before booking and book directly through Accor using an eligible subscription rate. Stays paid for using points are excluded, and existing bookings don’t qualify.
You can redeem 2,000 Reward points for €40 off a stay. You don’t have to spend points with Accor. You can convert them into miles, though they may be worth less. For example, you can get 1,500 Qatar Avios for every 2,000 points or 2,000 Flying Blue Miles for every 2,000 points. View all the ways to earn and spend points in our guide.
You can hold both cards and receive 30 Status Nights for instant Gold, but only one points bonus. Your subscription must remain valid throughout your stay, and bookings using the room availability guarantee won’t qualify.
It’s good to see Accor opening this up to existing cardholders too. There are so many Accor brands that the offer is well-worth a look, even if you’ve never considered one of the cards. It’s a great opportunity to try one for a year and see whether the savings are worth renewing your subscription.
United Opens the Largest Lounge in the Americas at Houston Airport
United Airlines has opened an enormous new lounge at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), with space for 800 passengers, making it the largest airline lounge in the Americas.
The new United Club opened this week as part of the airport’s Terminal B redevelopment and covers an impressive 5,000 square metres.
Inside, there are four distinct areas inspired by Houston’s culture and history. These include the Texas-themed Lasso Lounge and the Moonshot Lounge, complete with its own tequila bar.
One of the highlights is the 1,350-square-foot outdoor terrace, offering views across the airfield and a chance to enjoy some fresh air before boarding. There’s also the Gravity Garden, a quieter relaxation area with loungers overlooking the aircraft.
Other facilities include two buffet stations, two full-service bars and 11 private phone booths, alongside high-speed Wi-Fi and plenty of charging points.
Who Can Use the Lounge?
It’s worth remembering that this is a United Club, rather than a United Polaris Lounge, so access rules are slightly different.
Eligible passengers travelling in international Business Class can use the lounge, as can Star Alliance Gold members travelling on qualifying same-day Star Alliance flights. United Premier Gold members and above also receive access on eligible international itineraries.
One-time passes are available, subject to capacity.
Why Is This Relevant to UK Travellers?
United operates direct flights between London Heathrow and Houston, making IAH a useful connecting point for travellers heading to destinations across the US, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.
With more than 500 daily departures from Houston, it’s one of United’s most important hubs, so the additional lounge capacity should be particularly welcome for passengers with longer connections.
United now has seven lounges at Houston, including its dedicated Polaris Lounge and Club Fly grab-and-go facility.
The new lounge forms part of United’s $2.6 billion Terminal B redevelopment, which also includes 22 new gates.
It’s certainly an impressive addition to United’s lounge network, particularly for anyone who enjoys watching aircraft movements from an outdoor terrace.
