Smart With Points Podcast - Boost Your Miles & Points

Hello and welcome to Smart With Points, the podcast that helps you travel the world for less using miles and points. I'm Jack, your host, and I'm here to decode the often bewildering world of loyalty programs, credit cards, and travel deals. Think of me as your friendly neighborhood points nerd, except instead of fixing your computer, I'm helping you fix your next holiday budget. Today we're diving into Hilton's latest promotion which has all the excitement of watching paint dry, but hey, free points are free points. We'll also chat about British Airways expanding their Middle East network and some quick hits that might save you money or spare you some travel heartache. So grab your favorite brew and let's get started.

First up, let's talk about Hilton's new promotion for the autumn and winter period. Now, before I get your hopes up, let me manage expectations here. This isn't one of those jaw-dropping promotions that makes you want to book twelve stays immediately. Instead, it's a refreshingly simple offer: one thousand five hundred bonus points per stay for bookings between the first of October and the thirty-first of December.

Let's crunch the numbers, shall we? At our estimated value of zero point three three pence per Hilton point, you're looking at about five pounds in bonus value per stay. Now, I know what you're thinking - that's not exactly going to fund your next Mediterranean cruise. But here's the thing about this promotion: it's actually quite decent for short stays. If you're doing a quick overnight business trip or a weekend city break, that five pounds bonus represents pretty good value. For longer stays though, well, let's just say you won't be writing home about it.

The good news is there's no minimum stay requirement, which means even single-night stays count. Your existing bookings are eligible too, so if you've already got something planned, you can still benefit. Reward nights using points are also included, which is always nice to see. All Hilton brands are participating, from Hampton by Hilton right up to Conrad, and there's no cap on the bonus points you can earn.

Here's the crucial bit though - you absolutely must register before your first stay. I cannot stress this enough. Even if you don't have any Hilton stays planned, it's worth registering just in case. Trust me, there's nothing worse than completing a stay and then realizing you forgot to register for a promotion. It's like leaving money on the table, except the money is points, and the table is... well, you get the idea.

Moving on to some more exciting news, British Airways is significantly expanding their Middle East network with additional flights to four key destinations starting in October. We're talking about Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Riyadh, and Jeddah - all getting boosted frequency which means thousands of extra award seats will be available for Avios bookings.

This is brilliant news for anyone who's been eyeing a Middle East redemption. More flights generally mean more award availability, and with BA's extensive partnership network through OneWorld, these destinations can serve as excellent stopovers for onward travel to Asia, Australia, or Africa. If you've been sitting on a pile of Avios and wondering where to use them, now might be the time to start looking at these routes before everyone else catches on.

Now for some quick hits that caught my attention. First up, PLAY Airlines has unfortunately ceased operations with all flights cancelled. If you've got upcoming bookings with them, don't panic, but do act quickly. Contact your credit card company or travel insurance provider as soon as possible to see what protection you might have. These situations are never fun, but the sooner you act, the better your chances of minimizing any losses.

On a more positive note, IHG has launched a flash sale offering fifteen percent off Points and Cash stays through the twenty-third of October. If you've got an IHG credit card, this effectively brings down the cost to zero point four eight pence per point, which is actually quite decent value for IHG points.

And speaking of last-minute opportunities, Kimpton is offering some interesting deals from ninety-three pounds per night for stays within the next seven days. If you're the spontaneous type or happen to need accommodation at short notice, it might be worth a look.

Before we wrap up, let me run through some current buy points offers that might be worth your consideration. JetBlue TrueBlue is offering a one hundred and thirty percent bonus at just one point four cents per point until the twenty-eighth of October. That's actually quite competitive if you're planning any JetBlue flights.

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club has a seventy percent bonus priced at one point four eight cents, ending on the twelfth of October. And Lufthansa Miles and More is offering a sixty percent bonus at one point three one cents through the thirtieth of September, so that one's ending very soon.

There are a couple of other notable offers worth mentioning. Wyndham Rewards has a massive ninety percent discount bringing points down to just zero point six eight cents, ending on the twenty-first of October. And World of Hyatt, which rarely offers discounts, has a twenty percent discount at two point zero eight cents ending on the sixth of October.

As always with buy points offers, only purchase what you have a specific plan to use. Points sitting unused in your account aren't doing you any favors, no matter how good the discount was when you bought them.

That wraps up today's episode of Smart With Points. Thanks so much for listening, and if you found this useful, I'd really appreciate it if you could subscribe to the podcast. You can find us on all major platforms including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts, or head over to our website at smartwithpoints.co.uk.

Looking for the best award flights? Use AwardTravelFinder.com to search availability across Qatar Airways, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and more. Try it for free with our link in the shownotes.