Hailo taken over by mytaxi – so claim your 1,000 Avios whilst you can

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London taxi app Hailo is to be taken over by mytaxi, the European taxi app owned by Daimler.

‘Taken over’ is perhaps not the right word, since the CEO of Hailo will become the new CEO of mytaxi. Hailo shareholders will be in the minority in the new business, however, and the acquisition is a reflection of investor pressure following huge losses in a failed attempt to break into the North American market. There will also be substantial job losses in London.

Within 12 months the Hailo name and app will disappear. The business will be absorbed into the mytaxi app. The upside is that you will be able to use the app to order a cab in nine European countries.

Hailo Avios

Hailo is currently running a promotion with British Airways Executive Club to earn 1,000 Avios. As there is no certainty that this deal will continue once the business is absorbed into mytaxi, you might as well take a look now. You have four days left.

You need to download the Hailo app (from the Apple or Google Play stores) and take your first trip before 31st July. The journey can be as short as you like.

You must have added your BAEC number into your Hailo profile for this offer to kick in.

Note that you must be physically in London for the app to give you the option of adding your BAEC number.

Going forward, you will earn Avios on all of your Hailo trips at the rate of 1 Avios per £1 spent. The company used to offer a flat 100 Avios if your ride takes you to any London airport but I can no longer find any references to that.

Full details can be found on this page of ba.com – scroll down to the Hailo deal.

Note that Hailo is being very slow at adding on the bonus Avios. I don’t know anyone who has got them yet, although it is possible that the company has always planned to do them in one go once the offer ends.

How to earn Avios points from UK credit cards

How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (December 2021)

As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Avios points from UK credit cards. Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses!

There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:

British Airways BA Amex American Express card

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 BA Premium Plus American Express Amex credit card

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

You can also get generous sign-up bonuses by applying for American Express cards which earn Membership Rewards points, such as:

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

Run your own business?

We recommend Capital On Tap for limited companies. You earn 1 Avios per £1 which is impressive for a Visa card, along with a sign-up bonus worth 10,500 Avios:

Capital On Tap Business Rewards Visa

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

You should also consider the British Airways Accelerating Business credit card. This is open to sole traders as well as limited companies and has a 30,000 Avios sign-up bonus: