Bits: bonus miles with Virgin Trains, 25% off SPG points, Tesco Delivery Saver free trial

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News in brief:

50% bonus Virgin Flying Club miles on your next train booking

Virgin Trains is running a special promotion when you buy tickets on Virgin West Coast or Virgin East Coast.

On your first booking between 9th November and 6th December, you will receive 3 Flying Club miles per £1 spent instead of the usual 2 miles for purchases of Advance tickets.

You need to book on the official Virgin West Coast or Virgin East Coast websites.

It is not clear if you can earn the bonus twice (once for your first East Coast booking and once for your first West Coast booking) or if they track across both companies.

If you don’t collect Flying Club miles, you can also collect 2 Nectar points per £1 spent on either of the Virgin Trains sites.

10% – 25% saving when you buy Starwood points

With the announcement that Marriott is to acquire Starwood, it probably wasn’t the best time to try to persuade people to stock up on SPG points. However, SPG has launched the deal anyway.

At the top end, 20,000 points will now cost you $525 (£345). These can be converted in 25,000 airline miles in the majority of programmes. The price per mile works out at 1.4p, which is certainly not a bargain but less than a lot of airlines charge for buying their miles directly.

It is especially handy if you have a Miles & More account as it is no longer possible to purchase M&M miles.

Free trial of Tesco Delivery Saver still running

I wrote last month about a one-month free trial offer that Tesco was running for Delivery Saver. I noticed yesterday that the deal is still running which could be handy in the run up to Christmas.

This allows you to receive your online grocery deliveries free of charge (minimum spend £40). You also get all of your Tesco Direct orders delivered for free via their ‘next day delivery’ service (minimum spend £10) and free delivery on Tesco Wine and F&F orders.

You can sign up via this link. You need to make a note in your diary to cancel after the one month trial is up, otherwise you will begin to be charged the standard fee of £3 to £6 per month.

Category

Marriott Bonvoy, Tesco Clubcard, Virgin Atlantic and Flying Club

This article is closed to new posts. Discussion continues in the HfP Forums.

Kev says:

19 Nov19 November 05:53

Although Tesco do free next day delivery on Direct orders, at present these are taking between 5-7 days ‘due to unexpected high demand’.
- harry says:
  
  19 Nov19 November 06:35
  
  36 shopping days to Xmas being entirely unforeseen lol
Jonathan says:

19 Nov19 November 07:08

OT: I noticed MR points transfer to BA has to be in increments of 500.

I’m closing my BA Gold so want to clear out the account, has anyone found a way to use the residual points? It doesn’t seem like you can see whether other transfers have minimum increments like BA until you’ve gone through the faff of registering your accounts for that entity.
- Jonathan says:
  
  19 Nov19 November 07:08
  
  Typo: closing AMEX gold.
  - Brian says:
    
    19 Nov19 November 07:12
    
    Club Carlson – minimum 3 points…Or Nectar – no minimum, I believe.
- Paul says:
  
  19 Nov19 November 07:14
  
  You can transfer to Nectar in increments of 1 with no minimum
- harry says:
  
  19 Nov19 November 07:18
  
  Use Paypoint to pay money into a bill eg council tax, get to the exact 500 you need, then transfer
  - Simon says:
    
    19 Nov19 November 09:09
    
    Paypoint says I can pay my TV licence using them. Will they accept Amex? Isnt clear on the website ?
    - harry says:
      
      19 Nov19 November 09:11
      
      Generally yes. There are certain Co-Ops that say no, but just ask them to try it.
      - Jonathan says:
        
        19 Nov19 November 09:50
        
        Thanks All
Stephen degnan says:

19 Nov19 November 07:30

For east coast I only see double nectar points. Pfffft.
- Rob says:
  
  19 Nov19 November 09:25
  
  You will get double Virgin miles. This offer was in the latest Virgin Atlantic newsletter.
  - nerd. says:
    
    19 Nov19 November 09:41
    
    I don’t see any mention on their site…. I’m booking VTEC tickets fairly regularly at the minute (and already have since the 9th November) .
    
    In fact my first booking made on 9th November shows as only having earned 2 miles per £.
  - Olivula says:
    
    19 Nov19 November 09:59
    
    I just loaded up some Virgin East Coast E vouchers. They used to have no expiry date. I see they now expire after just 12 months… so you need to be sure the vouchers will be burnt in 12 months.
Nick says:

19 Nov19 November 10:03

I booked a last minute (Monday) train on VTEC on Tuesday. As usual points offered were big standard. I’m unclear if it’s only your first booking as a new member?
Nick says:

19 Nov19 November 10:03

Should say bog standard!
Brian says:

19 Nov19 November 17:01

OT – Rob, I assume you have seen the Club Carlson sale that is now on, offering free breakfast along with pretty good rates in London, among other places.
- Rob says:
  
  19 Nov19 November 17:17
  
  Yes, will try to drop it in tomorrow.