‘Credit Card Offers’ updated for May 2014 – summary of top deals

UPDATE – DECEMBER 2021:  This article is now out of date, but don’t worry.  We produce a monthly directory of the top UK travel credit card offers – please click HERE or use the ‘Credit Card Offers’ menu above.  Thank you.

I have updated the ‘Credit Card Offers‘ page at the top of the screen for May.

A few new deals were launched during April – I will summarise the current special offers and their closing dates below.  Of most relevance to HfP readers, the sign-up bonuses on the British Airways American Express cards are due to drop on May 21st.

Four cards are currently unavailable:

The IHG Rewards Club / IHG Rewards Club Black cards will be relaunched at the end of June once they have been migrated to the Barclaycard platform

The Hilton card is in the same boat and will relaunch on July 1st

The Ryanair credit card has also disappeared from the website although, as it is still referenced, this may again be just a temporary halt

Here is the full list of the special deals currently available:

1.  American Airlines (ends 31st May)

The sign-up bonus on the free AA credit cards is currently 15,000 miles.  This is a substantial improvement on the usual 5,000 miles.  Full details can be found in this post.  The home page for the card is here.

2. British Airways (ends 21st May)

The sign-up bonus on this free card is increased from 3,000 Avios to 9,000 Avios until 21st May.  Full details are in my review here. The Amex home page for the card is here.

3. British Airways Premium Plus (ends 21st May)

The sign-up bonus on this card is increased from 18,000 Avios to 25,000 Avios until 21st May.  Full details are in my review here. The Amex home page for the card is here.

4. Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (ends 30th June)

It is rare that you see an offer on the Virgin cards.   We went all 2013 without anything, and then Virgin launched a 25,000 mile deal.  It then immediately topped it with the best offer ever seen on these cards – 30,000 Virgin miles with the £140 ‘Black’ card and 10,000 Virgin miles with the free ‘White’ card.

Note that you CANNOT cancel the £140 paid card and receive a refund of your annual fee.  You can find full details on the Virgin credit cards bonus and links to the application forms in this article.

5.  Lufthansa Miles & More (ends 30th May)

Lufthansa is currently offering an additional 10,000 Miles & More miles when you apply for their cards.  This is a major improvement on the standard 1,500 miles!  My post on the deal is here.

6.  Tesco Clubcard (ends 8th June)

This card usually has no sign-up bonus, although you have been able to claim 1,000 bonus points by letter me refer you.  Until June 8th, Tesco is offering 1,000 points if you apply via this link.

You may still be able to claim the additional 1,000 ‘refer a friend’ points as well.  Full details are in my review of this offer here.   If you have  applied for the Tesco card during 2014, you can also retrospectively claim the 1,000 ‘refer a friend’ points – email me at rob at headforpoints.com for the referral form.)

7.  United MileagePlus (ends 30th June)

This deal just broke yesterday and I haven’t had time to write a full post yet.  Keep an eye out for it in the next couple of days.  Until June 30th, the sign-up bonus is increased from NOTHING (!) to 15,000 miles.  (Thanks to Simon)

Bonus on small business cards

Head for Points focusses primarily on personal cards. However, if you are a sole trader or run a very small business, you may also want to check out the American Express Platinum Business Card and the American Express Gold Business Card. There is currently a 20,000 points (= 20,000 Avios) bonus on the Gold Business card and a 40,000 points (40,000 Avios) bonus on the Platinum Business card.

In my experience people still receive the sign-up bonus on the small business cards even if they already have a personal Gold or Platinum card.  This is technically not what the rules say, however, and you should bear this in mind.

Want to earn more points from credit cards? – December 2021 update

If you are looking to apply for a new credit or charge card, here are our November 2021 recommendations based on the current sign-up bonus. 

You can see our full directory of all UK cards which earn airline or hotel points here. Here are the top current deals:

British Airways American Express

5,000 Avios for signing up, no annual fee and an Economy 2-4-1 voucher for spending ….. Read our full review

British Airways American Express Premium Plus

25,000 Avios and the UK’s most valuable credit card perk – the 2-4-1 companion voucher Read our full review

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & two airport lounge passes Read our full review

The Platinum Card from American Express

30,000 points and an unbeatable set of travel benefits – for a fee Read our full review

Earning miles and points from small business cards

If you are a sole trader or run a small company, you may also want to check out these offers.

American Express Business Gold

20,000 points sign-up bonus and free for a year Read our full review

American Express Business Platinum

40,000 points sign-up bonus and a long list of travel benefits Read our full review

British Airways Accelerating Business American Express

30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review

Capital On Tap Business Rewards Visa

The most generous Avios Visa or Mastercard for a limited company Read our full review

For a non-American Express option, we also recommend the Barclaycard Select Cashback card for sole traders and small businesses. It is FREE and you receive 1% cashback on your spending:

Barclaycard Select Cashback Credit Card

1% cashback and no annual fee Read our full review