Bits: Qatar and Etihad UK sales, Starwood New York sale, Ibiza lounge access

News in brief:

Qatar Airways and Etihad launch UK sales

Both Etihad and Qatar Airways have launched sales from the UK in both economy and business class.

Neither of these sales are exceptional but if you have been looking to lock something in for the short term then you might want to commit rather than gamble on better deals coming along.

Headline Etihad deals include, in Business Class:

• Abu Dhabi £1,846
• Mumbai £1,914
• Bangkok £1,919
• Manila £2,148
• Perth £2,770

Here is my review of the Etihad A380 Business Studio which is, I think, the best business class product in the air at the moment.  You can see all of the Etihad pricing here.

The Qatar Airways deals include:

• Dubai £1,509
• Singapore £1,919
• Perth £2,499
• Hong Kong £1,919
• Bali £2,109

You can find more Qatar Airways UK offers on this page.

My review of Qatar’s A380 Business Class is here, Qatar’s 787 Business Class here and Qatar’s 777 Business Class here.

15% off Starwood hotels in New York

Flight searches for travel to the USA have taken a well publicised dip since the election and this is starting to filter through into hotel promotions.

Starwood has launched a new promotion offering discounts on its New York hotels.  1-night stays are reduced by up to 10% with 2+ night stays reduced by up to 15%.

Participating brands include Sheraton, Westin, W, Element, St Regis, Four Points, Aloft and Le Meridien amongst others.

You need to book by 30th June via this link for stays before 31st August.

Ibiza lounge joins Priority Pass

You may remember Anika’s review of the Cap des Falco lounge in Ibiza last month, photo above, in particular their desperate attempts not to let her in despite having a valid ticket.

The good news is that, as of 10th February, the lounge has joined Priority Pass (for American Express Platinum cardholders, or buy one outright) and Lounge Club (for American Express Gold cardholders).  This is particularly good news for British Airways passengers as BA, unlike Iberia, does not have a deal with the lounge to allow premium passengers to get in.

How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (December 2021)

As a reminder, here are the three options to get FREE airport lounge access via a credit or charge card:

The Platinum Card from American Express

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

The Platinum Card from American Express comes with two free Priority Pass cards, one for you and one for a supplementary cardholder. Each card admits two so a family of four gets in free. You get access to all 1,300 lounges in the Priority Pass network – search it here. 

You also get access to Plaza Premium, Delta and Eurostar lounges.  Our American Express Platinum review is here. You can apply here.

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

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold is FREE for the first year. It comes with a Priority Pass card loaded with two free visits to any Priority Pass lounge – see the list here. 

Additional lounge visits are charged at £20.  You get two more free visits for every year you keep the card.  

There is no annual fee for Amex Gold in Year 1 and you get a 20,000 points sign-up bonus.  Full details are in our American Express Preferred Rewards Gold review here.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard

A huge bonus, but only available to HSBC Premier clients Read our full review

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free LoungeKey card, allowing you access to the LoungeKey network.  Guests are charged at £20 although it may be cheaper to pay £60 for a supplementary credit card for your partner.

The card has a fee of £195 and there are strict financial requirements to become a HSBC Premier customer.  Full details are in my HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard review.

PS. You can find all of HfP’s UK airport lounge reviews – and we’ve been to most of them – indexed here.