In this post:
Amex Introduces New Welcome Bonus Restrictions on Business Gold and Business Platinum
American Express has added new welcome restrictions to the Business Gold and Business Platinum cards.
These two cards have been something of an anomaly. If your application was approved, you received the points, regardless of the other American Express business cards you’d held before.
That has now changed.
Business Platinum now follows the familiar 24-month rule. You won’t receive the welcome bonus if you currently hold the card or have held Business Platinum within the previous 24 months. However, holding or having previously held Business Gold does not affect your eligibility for a Business Platinum welcome bonus. Thankfully, your personal Amex cards are still treated separately.
The changes also make the order you apply much more important. Now Business Gold is the obvious starting point. You can earn that welcome bonus before moving on to Business Platinum later.
Despite this, the welcome bonuses are still pretty good and are temporarily increased to:
- Business Gold: 30,000 Membership Rewards points after spending £3,000 in the first three months
- Business Platinum: 70,000 points after spending £6,000 in the first three months.
It’s disappointing to see this loophole disappear. This is the latest in a range of changes to AMEX cards, including the recent changes to the BA Premium Plus card and changes to the Business cards themselves, including replacing the spend-based rewards with travel credits.
British Airways Has Started Serving Burgers in Club World
British Airways has started serving burgers in Club World as part of the second meal service on most transatlantic flights from London, replacing the previous afternoon tea or focaccia service with a new selection of British-inspired comfort food.
The new choices include a smash burger with British-made raclette cheese, breaded cod with potatoes and tartare sauce, and a raspberry roly-poly for dessert. The burgers are supplied by UK chain PHAT Buns, which specialises in American-style smash burgers and has restaurants across the UK. The burger is served deconstructed, with the salad on the side to help keep the bun from becoming soggy.
It’s easy to see why BA has gone down this route. Delta’s collaboration with Shake Shack proved popular after launching in First in 2024. Qatar has served gourmet burgers in Business as part of dine-on-demand for a number of years, and Virgin Atlantic has already been very successful with comfort food in Upper Class.
It’s also not BA’s first attempt at serving burgers. In 2014, BA introduced a Flying Burger in First after spending 10 months of development. This latest version is a much simpler proposition.
I’m quite optimistic about this. Burgers are a difficult one to perfect in the sky, so I’m glad to see the salad will be served separately. If BA can keep the burger juicy, it could indeed be very popular.
What do you think about this change? Let us know in the comments below:
Get Up to 50% More Marriott Bonvoy Points When You Buy or Gift
Marriott has brought back its buy/gift points bonus, and this time, it’s up to 50%, though different accounts have been targeted with different offers. My account has been targeted with the 40% bonus. To get the bonus, you must purchase points before 9th September.
Marriott has also increased the annual purchase limit to 200,000 points, up from 150,000 for the duration of the promotion, so if you’ve already purchased points this year, you may still be eligible.
- Buy 2,000 to 39,000 points – receive a 40% bonus (30% for some accounts)
- Buy 40,000 points or more – receive a 50% bonus (40% for some accounts)
For the 50% bonus, you’re buying points at 0.62p per point, which is about as good as Marriott Buy Points promotions get.
If you’re planning a Marriott redemption, this offer is well-worth a look. Sometimes, purchasing points during an offer and using them for a redemption can work out cheaper than paying in cash, especially if you’re adding to your existing points balance. However, we only recommend buying points with a specific redemption in mind, where you know you’re getting good value.
For example, a night at JW Marriott Grosvenor House London costing 98,400 Marriott Bonvoy points or £1,034 in cash would cost around £610 if you purchased the points during this promotion with the 50% bonus, or £653 with the 40% bonus. That’s a saving of £381–£424 compared to paying the cash rate. Keep an eye on the Marriott points saver rate, where stays can be particularly good value.
It can also be excellent value to purchase points to take advantage of the Stay for 5, Pay for 4 benefit on award bookings. Points will be in your account within 72 hours, which is something to keep in mind if you want to redeem straight away.
