NEWS & OFFERS: Amex new 30,000 sign up bonus, Bonus Avios offers, Hotel Danieli Venice to leave Marriott, and Japan reopening

American Express new 30,000 sign up bonus

American Express has launched a limited time offer on its Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card, offering a bonus 30,000 Membership Rewards^® points – up from 20,000 – for new Cardmembers who sign up and spend £3,000 in their first three months of Cardmembership.

You must apply by 11:59pm, 19 July, 2022, to benefit.

The Preferred Rewards card is a great choice if you are moving away from Avios and want flexibility. The account earns you Membership Reward points which you can transfer into a number of airline and hotel schemes. If you don’t want the benefits of a Platinum card this is a good option as it’s free for the first year. As well as transferring into travel partners you can use the points for statement credit or for money off at various retailers but generally, this isn’t a great deal. 

Here are some of the featured airlines and hotel partners:

• BA
• Virgin
• Finnair
• Singapore
• Emirates
• Etihad
• Flying Blue
• Marriott
• Hilton
• Radisson

The offer is running alongside a separate ‘Invite a Friend’ referral campaign – again running until 19 July – offering Gold Cardmembers who refer a friend 12,000 Membership Rewards points, up from 6,000, for a successful referral, while a referred friend who takes out a Gold Card receives 32,000 points, up from the usual 22,000 The friend must be a new Cardmember and referrals are subject to annual limits.***

On top of the bonus, Gold Cardmembers earn 1 Membership Rewards point for every £1 spent on purchases, 2 points on purchases made directly with airlines and 3 through American Express^® Travel Online. The Card has no fee in its first year, and has a range of other benefits including two complimentary lounge visits each year, up to £5 back, twice every month when ordering dishes via Deliveroo, access to American Express’ ongoing EAT Life programme of food events throughout the year, and additional benefits at more than 600 hotels worldwide through The Hotel Collection.

More information on The American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card is here. The Card has a representative 61% APR variable. 18+, subject to approval. Terms Apply. An annual fee of £140 applies after the first year.

This new Cardmember offer is only available if you have not held a personal Membership Rewards enrolled American Express Card within the previous 24 months. If you have held a personal Membership Rewards enrolled American Express Card within the previous 24 months, you will be entitled to all other Card benefits, excluding the welcome offer.

Bonus Avios offers with BA Executive Club

British Airways has launched a new round of Avios bonus offers for Executive Club members.

• IHG 1000 bonus points for stays of 2 nights or more. You need to select British Airways Executive Club here as your earning preference and book to stay until 31 August 2022. This means you will no longer earn IHG points but Avios instead. 
• Airbnb Experiences – 4.5 Avios per £1 – 50% extra
• Airbnb Stays – 4.5 Avios per £1 – 50% extra
• Avios 7.5 Avios per £1 – 50% extra

You can find the offers page here.

Japan to reopen to UK tourists this Friday

Tourists from 98 countries including the UK will be allowed to enter Japan on fully escorted group tours with set itineraries run by licensed Japanese tour operators from this Friday 10 June for the first time since Japan closed for the pandemic.

To enter you will need proof of a negative PCR test 72 hours prior to departure and adequate Covid-19 medical insurance. Although it may not appeal to the independent traveller, if you are desperate to go there are well known British tour operators that are licensed to operate. 

“This is the first major step towards opening borders to tourism again,” said InsideJapan co-founder and director Simon King. 

“InsideJapan is one of the few British tour operators with full JTA membership and registered travel agency status in Japan, which means that we are in a position to restart our small group tours programme again, which is excellent news.”

Hotel Danieli Venice to leave Marriott

Hotel Danieli is one of Venice’s most famous and historic hotels and has been an aspirational redemption for many Bonvoy members. I T is currently part of the Luxury Collection. Sadly the hotel is now confirmed to be leaving the program as the property becomes a Four Seasons.

The property will undergo an extensive renovation and reopen as Hotel Danieli, A Four Seasons Hotel, in 2025. In the meantime, it will be operated by another company as The Hotel Danieli, Venezia. The hotel will remain open during the renovations. 

The hotel is located along the Grand Canal, adjacent to Piazza San Marco and has three buildings: the 14th-century Palazzo Dandolo and two 19th-century additions, Palazzo Casa Nuova and Palazzo Danieli Excelsior linked by bridges. Guests arrive on boat via the Grand Canal.

It’s worth popping in for a drink in the historic bar even if you don’t stay there. The changeover is due to happen on 1 January 2023. Hotel Danieli is currently still bookable via Marriott so could be worth a booking if you were thinking of staying there and can find enough Marriott points. An alternative would be the Gritti Palace which is also a Luxury Collection hotel on the Grand Canal.