Bits: new Starwood O2 concerts bookable, double PartnerPlusBenefit points to USA

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News in brief:

Starwood launches more O2 concert tickets

Starwood Preferred Guest launched a new batch of O2 concert tickets yesterday.

For just 15,000 SPG points (or 45,000 Marriott Rewards points if you convert them across) you can get two tickets for any of the concerts below. The seats are in the SPG box on Level 3 which is fully catered and comes with free drinks all night.

Here is a review of a concert in the SPG suite if you want to see what you’re getting.

The new options are:

Craig David – 26th March (an old listing but still available)
Bruno Mars – 18th April
John Mayer – 12th May
Ariana Grande – 26th May
Iron Maiden – 27th May
KISS – 31st May
Shawn Mendes – 1st June
Take That – 6th, 9th, 10th June

Double PartnerPlusBenefit points to North America

PartnerPlusBenefit is the small business scheme for the UK and Ireland run by 11 of the Star Alliance airlines. This includes Lufthansa and Swiss.

I wrote about PPB in detail in this article. It is a LOT more flexible than the British Airways On Business scheme which I reviewed here – although you’d be daft not to join On Business too if you have a VAT registered UK business. Click here to sign up – you’ll receive 1,500 BenefitPoints just for joining.

Until 30th April, you will receive double BenefitPoints when you fly from the UK or Ireland to the US or Canada on Air Canada, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Lufthansa, SWISS and United Airlines.

You need to register for this offer in your PPB account online.

Category

Lufthansa and Miles & More, Marriott Bonvoy, United Airlines and MileagePlus

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

Roger says:

9 Mar9 March 04:28

OT_ Amex card – prepayment towards account

On a new card account, is there any way to pay off outstanding balance before monthly statement is generated?
I want to pay-off the balance and close the card just after monthly statement is generated which will show zero outstanding as I would have paid off balance (if it is possible) which will be shown in the statement.
- Lumma says:
  
  9 Mar9 March 05:55
  
  You can pay off any direct issued amex at any time as long as the payment has actually hit the account ànd is no longer pending
  - Roger says:
    
    9 Mar9 March 05:59
    
    There does not seem to be any option on AMEX online account.
    May be that will show up after first statement is generated.
    - Rob says:
      
      9 Mar9 March 06:48
      
      You can definitely do it – potentially after the first statement. I do it all the time – if one bill is due and I need to log in, I clear my other cards at the same time irrespective of where in the cycle they are.
    - Genghis says:
      
      9 Mar9 March 06:55
      
      I recall paying off SPG Amex for me and my wife before the first statement had been produced (and then closing account for no fees charged). We held other Amex cards at the time so it allowed me into the payment screen. Have you got other Amex cards?
      - Roger says:
        
        9 Mar9 March 07:31
        
        yes, but still cannot see option.
        Not even for other cards!
        May be it was too early in the day (just after 4:00AM).
        Will try later at sensible time mid morning today.
      - mark2 says:
        
        9 Mar9 March 08:17
        
        One of the option on the grey Amex menu bar is ‘payments’.
        Or are you trying to do this on a phone?
      - Gavin says:
        
        9 Mar9 March 11:49
        
        Just paid off my SPG in full via the App, before the first statement, time to cancel it!
      - Roger says:
        
        9 Mar9 March 13:06
        
        Looking at option below contact us on left hand side., nothing try.
        Will have to have detailed look.
      - Roger says:
        
        9 Mar9 March 13:07
        
        Yes, available on app, under Account Summary!
- Gulz says:
  
  9 Mar9 March 09:23
  
  Definitely possible. I have done it from the first month that I got the Nectar Amex, mainly because the credit limit they gave me was very small and just about enough to reach the signup bonus spending threshold of £2k in the stipulated 3 month period. Thought I’ll play it safe and paid off before the statement dates and ended up hitting the threshold in just over a month.
- RussellH says:
  
  9 Mar9 March 10:10
  
  To pay any credit card monies all you need are the sort code and account number to pay into, plus the card number.
  
  If you do not already know the Amex bank details I can see no reason why Cust Serv should not tell you them.
  
  I never pay off a credit card bill through the card’s own website, because it always happens immediately. I set up a faster payment when the bill arrives, but for processing just 5 or 6 days before payment is due.
  
  Once the payment details are set up, doing further payments is dead easy.
  - Sundar says:
    
    9 Mar9 March 15:10
    
    For paying from your bank, use 30-00-00, acct no is zero zero two zero zero four seven six for Amex payments. Put your 15 digit amex acct no in reference for payment.
    This is available on Amex letters that you may get upon account opening in the bank giro credit form.
Dean says:

9 Mar9 March 06:52

You can pay Amex from your bank (don’t do it on their website) that way you can over pay and put your account in credit.
- roger says:
  
  9 Mar9 March 17:42
  
  Thank you all for all these replies.
Lady London says:

9 Mar9 March 09:06

Has British Airways ever openly acknoweleged that they changed to a requirement that members of On Business be registered for VAT? As we all know there are lots of businesses that are perfectly legal businesses but don’t have to be registerd for VAT, like mine. I don’t even think it’s in the t’s and c’s yet.

And yet, their programs in other countries do not require this.

Due to not being registered for VAT I’ve lost an enormous amount of On Business mileage opportunity for travel I’ve done. This is not fair and I resent British Airways being so underhanded about this requirement. Luckily Star Alliance is more sensible so I’m only doing what I have to on BA right now.
- Alan says:
  
  9 Mar9 March 10:34
  
  Thanks to already being signed up I just keep skipping the request to add VAT number to the account. It’s a very weird scheme though, the earnings rates (esp on connecting flights) seem to be plucked out of thin air sometimes! Also not as good for redemption availability as previously.
  - Lady London says:
    
    9 Mar9 March 20:29
    
    Since the insistence on VAT registration started sneakily being applied we’ve been able to spend miles but none have ever been credited even when the booking was made with our On Business number on them.
    - Alan says:
      
      9 Mar9 March 21:24
      
      That’s weird, I’m still accruing fine, just have to skip the VAT info page at login each time.
Graham Walsh says:

9 Mar9 March 10:34

O/T Just got this from Virgin Atlantic CC

As a Virgin Atlantic Credit Card Account holder, you’re exclusively invited to a weekend of shopping heaven at Bicester Village. As well as an amazing 20% additional discount voucher to use at many stores, you’ll also get up to 5 Flying Club miles for every pound you spend on your Virgin Atlantic Black American Express® Credit Card and 4 miles on your Virgin Atlantic Black Visa Credit Card.

The most exciting shopping event of the year starts on Friday 31 March and goes on until Sunday 2 April 2017 at Bicester Village.

Packed full of Bond Street style shops offering big discounts on big designer names like dunhill and Sandro, it’s the region’s ultimate shopping destination.

And if that’s not enough to tempt you, as a Virgin Atlantic Black Credit Card Account holder you’ll get access to a Private Sale and Hands-Free shopping – shop at your favourite boutiques and the concierge will bring your shopping to the visitors centre for you to collect when you’re ready to leave.
- Gulz says:
  
  9 Mar9 March 12:21
  
  Nice! Is this targetted? I presume not. Very tempting, but either way, I won’t be in the country to take advantage of this offer.
- Genghis says:
  
  9 Mar9 March 16:57
  
  I got email too and first thought was ‘too many Chinese’
  - Rob says:
    
    9 Mar9 March 17:22
    
    Midweek it is OK – and the new railway station is open now I think so you don’t need the shuttle bus.
    - Lawro says:
      
      9 Mar9 March 17:48
      
      Would never normally go on the weekend and midweek is much quieter. Doesn’t help much with this offer though
      Might be tempted….
      - Jonny says:
        
        9 Mar9 March 20:51
        
        if you can get there early on Saturday, you can have an enjoyable hour or 2 until it starts getting busy (around 11-1130)
Ian says:

9 Mar9 March 22:10

Since 1st January 2017, there is a payment limit (when using Amex own website) of £1999 (per day) when using VISA (possibly others as well)

I fall foul of this, as my bills are always greater than £2k per month & my nominated payment card is Visa debit card. Yes, I appreciate I can pay via my bank instead, just old habits die hard.
Chelseafi says:

9 Mar9 March 23:47

On the O2 concerts, not sure if they have added few more later today? Bruno Mars dates Fri21/4 & Sat 22/4 now available plus Celion Dion 21/6, looks like they had 3 dates for Ed Sheeran for May but all sold already.
- Rob says:
  
  10 Mar10 March 02:49
  
  Celine Dion was actually there (for the 20th) on Wednesday but it had sold out by the evening when I finalised the article. Never saw Ed Sheeran – those must have gone very quickly.
  - Chelseafi says:
    
    10 Mar10 March 06:46
    
    Yes and I’m sure when I looked yesterday morning the only Bruno Mars they had was for 18/4 and this date wasn’t suitable for me, it was only when I looked again late yesterday evening that I saw the 2 additional dates for Bruno available, plus 18/4 sold out, plus I then saw the Ed Sheeran dates by that time all sold out, so I think they must have updated it sometime yesterday. I wonder if any one from HFP got Ed Sheeran tickets? I got the Bruno Mars tickets for the sat evening, so pleased with that, big thank you Rob you recommended me for the SPG card only in Jan and I just completed the £1k spend, introduced my OH and had just over 16k points sitting in my account, having only just transferred in 2 days earlier, perfect timing.