In this post:
Free HSBC Premier Credit Card Bonus Increased To 30,000 Points
The HSBC Premier Credit Card has an increased welcome bonus for a limited time of 30,000 points, up from 20,000, when you apply before 23rd July 2026. You’ll need to spend £2,000 within the first 90 days of your membership.
If you’re eligible for HSBC Premier, it’s well-worth looking into this card. You’ll need to have an annual income of £100,000 paid into an HSBC Premier Current account or qualifying savings or investments of £100,000 with HSBC.
You’ll earn 1.5 HSBC Reward Points per £1 spent (0.75 Avios per £1), or 2 points per £1 in foreign currency spend, though there’s a 2.99% non-sterling transaction fee.
Points can be converted 2:1 into airline miles. There are a variety of options available, including Avios (15,000 Avios for the bonus), Qatar Privilege Club, Emirates Skywards, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, and more. There’s also the option of M&S or Amazon vouchers, as well as hotel programmes, including IHG and Wyndham.
Other benefits include a Priority Pass membership, which lets you purchase reduced-price lounge access for £24 per entry.
There’s also the paid version of the card, the Premier World Elite Mastercard (£290/year), though there is no increased welcome bonus at the moment. The bonus is currently 40,000 points when you spend £2,000 in the first 90 days. Earn rates have increased to 3 points per £1 in sterling or 4 points per £1 in foreign currency. You’ll also benefit from airport fast track and unlimited Priority Pass lounge access for you and any additional cardholders.
This is a great offer for a free card, especially if you already qualify for Premier.
Find out more about the HSBC Premier Credit Card here >>>
£5.2 Billion Bid for easyJet: What a Castelake Takeover Could Mean
Castelake has submitted a £5.2 billion takeover proposal to easyJet at 690p per share. This comes after four previous proposals from the US investment firm, all of which were declined. Castelake already has a 2.14% stake in easyJet.
easyJet has become one of Europe’s largest low-cost airlines, carrying more than 100 million passengers a year and playing a major role in competition on hundreds of routes, including being BA’s main short-haul competitor at Gatwick. Any ownership change could have a huge impact on fares, route networks and the European airline industry.
There’s more to this takeover than meets the eye. Any deal would need to overcome a number of regulatory hurdles. As a European airline, easyJet must remain majority-owned and effectively controlled by EU nationals to keep its flying rights. Castelake has reportedly selected two Irish aviation executives to hold the remaining shares.
But what does that mean if you already have a flight booked? Right now, absolutely nothing. All flights will continue to operate as normal. In the longer term, it is less clear.
easyJet holds coveted take-off and landing slots at capacity-constrained airports including Gatwick, Paris Charles de Gaulle and Milan Malpensa, while its sizeable Airbus order is extremely valuable given the lengthy delays to new aircraft deliveries.
Castelake says it wants to invest in easyJet’s future by modernising the fleet and building a more prosperous business. But we’ll have to wait and see what its detailed plans look like. If the deal succeeds, easyJet could emerge as a more profitable, faster-growing airline.
Castelake has until 3rd August to make a final offer, and shareholders and regulators could still prevent the deal altogether. This is only the first step in what is likely to be a lengthy process.
IHG Stay 3, Pay 2 Offer – Huge Savings Available
IHG is running an every-third-night-free offer on selected Suites and Premium Rooms. Bookings must be made by 15th September 2026, with stays completed by 30th September 2026, so it’s the perfect opportunity to book a city break or longer summer stay.
The offer covers the UAE, Saudi Arabia, India, and the UK, plus many more destinations across the Middle East, Africa, and Europe.
Participating brands include:
- Luxury & Lifestyle: Six Senses, Regent, InterContinental, Vignette Collection, Kimpton and Hotel Indigo
- Premium Collection: voco, Crowne Plaza and Ruby
- Essentials Collection: Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Holiday Inn & Suites, Holiday Inn Express & Suites and Garner
- Suites: Candlewood Suites and Staybridge Suites
You can use the offer as many times as you like, with stays of up to 30 consecutive nights. That means a 30-night stay would only be charged as 20 nights! The free nights only apply to consecutive stays on the same booking.
There are some excellent savings available. For example, on some dates, a 3-night stay at the InterContinental Table Bay Cape Town, King Classic Club, is priced at £1,412, saving £706 compared with booking the same stay without the promotion. With these prices, booking the first category, classed as a ‘Premium’ room, could work out much cheaper than a standard room. It’s also a great offer for the more expensive suites, saving much more than standard percentage-off offers.
You’ll need to book at least three days before arrival, and the Promotion can’t be combined with any other offer.
