Bits: win 120,000 Avios (only 188 entries), Expedia selling rail tickets, Etihad discount code

News in brief:

Win 120,000 Avios points (only 188 entries!)

Iberia Plus has launched a Facebook competition to give away 120,000 Avios points.

The answer to the question appears to be Madrid but I can’t personally verify this.  At the time of writing the competition has had a pitiful 188 entries despite being live for four days.  The chance of a Head for Points reader winning, once we’ve added another couple of thousand to that total, is therefore very good.

The prize will be dropped into an Iberia Plus account but you can move the points to British Airways Executive Club for free via ‘Combine My Avios’.

You need to enter by Monday. 

Expedia moves into rail ticketing

You may not have noticed, but Expedia has quietly moved into rail ticketing.  The home page for their UK ticket sales is here.

I haven’t used it yet so any feedback is welcome.  They promise no booking fees.  My major article on ‘the best way to book rail tickets’ – which is 18 months old and due for an update soon – is here.

Etihad 15% discount code launched

Finally, Etihad is running a 15% off promotion over the Easter weekend.

You need to fly from London, Manchester or Edinburgh.  The discount is only valid on the base fare, not the taxes, so it will be a better deal when used on a Business or First Class ticket rather than an Economy ticket.

The promo code required is MORE15.

You need to book on the Etihad website here by 19th April for travel by 12th December.

How to earn Etihad Guest miles from UK credit cards (December 2021)

Etihad Guest does not have a UK credit card.  However, you can earn Etihad Guest miles by converting Membership Rewards points earned from selected UK American Express cards.  These are:

• American Express Preferred Rewards Gold (review here, apply here) – sign-up bonus of 20,000 Membership Rewards points converts into 20,000 Etihad Guest miles. This card is FREE for your first year and also comes with two free airport lounge passes.

• The Platinum Card from American Express (review here, apply here) – sign-up bonus of 30,000 Membership Rewards points converts into 30,000 Etihad Guest miles.

• American Express Rewards credit card (review here, apply here) – sign-up bonus of 5,000 Membership Rewards points converts into 5,000 Etihad Guest miles. This card is FREE for life.

Membership Rewards points convert at 1:1 into Etihad Guest miles which is an attractive rate.  The cards above all earn 1 Membership Rewards point per £1 spent on your card, which converts to 1 Etihad Guest mile. The Gold card earns double points (2 per £1) on all flights you charge to it.

Etihad Guest is also a partner with the HSBC Premier Mastercard (0.5 miles per £1 spent) and HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard (1 mile per £1 spent).