Does ALDI in the UK now take American Express cards?

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• JamesB says:

  1 Feb1 February 05:09

  OT: I am currently on a Hilton status match (Diamond) and need to complete 8 stays before 22 April. I am trying to maximise existing bookings to help me on my way (3 night stay in London, 5 night stay in Doha). Is it possible that I could book the alternate nights, and my wife booking the nights “in between”? When I get to the hotels, I was hoping to ask if we could keep the same room and not have to check out (though I would lose breakfast and exec lounge access as my wife is only Silver). Would that work? Anyone share similar experiences or tricks? Thanks in advance!

  • Rob says:

    1 Feb1 February 06:18

    You will need to check out – not physically, but you will need to go to reception every day, close off the bill from the previous night, get a receipt and then check in your wife for the next day. This needs ‘buy in’ by the hotel obviously, but will work fine if you do it – it will be easier if you are not upgraded as there is no issue then with keeping the room for those days when your wife is officially the guest.

  • Original JamesB says:

    1 Feb1 February 07:12

    I’ve done this before with my partner during the lucrative avios offer last summer. It worked as Rob outlined, however, I forewarned the hotel and they were not bothered at all. We got to keep the same room, just stopped by the desk for new keys each day.

    • Leo says:

      1 Feb1 February 09:40

      Thank God it’s you. I was most confused!

  • Tracy says:

    1 Feb1 February 12:13

    We were in Florida last summer for 2 weeks, my husband and I alternated nights a few times in an Embassy Suites to both get Hilton Diamond challenges completed. It worked ok in that we are now both Hilton Diamond but checking in and out each day and keeping the same room was a faff as the system kept automatically allocating us a different room. Also, we continually had holds put on our credit card that took a while to clear. Probably about 15-20 mins a day at reception but we did get extras for our trouble lol.

• filipino_chino says:

  1 Feb1 February 06:38

  When did the lounge re-open? I am sure i was in that lounge in early December…

  Nice lounge btw, with good showers… was funny when i spotted a women getting caught taking about 20 cans of soft drinks and putting them into the lounge. From what i overheard she had already been warned and then the drinks in her hand, were taken off her and she walked out.

  Nice friendly group of filipinos who manage the bar too..

  • Axel says:

    1 Feb1 February 07:46

    I agree those bar staff should win an award, they treat you like a long lost cousin, create a great atmosphere that gets visitors chatting to each other.

    The fact the lounge was rather run down and badly designed gave it character. The reception always tried to convince me at check in I should use the other more “upmarket lounges” I had access to because of my flight status. Probably the only lounge Ive been happy to queue for.

    • the pitch says:

      1 Feb1 February 08:55

      Which is better in Abu Dhabi if you have a lounge club card, Al Reem or plaza premium?

      • Axel says:

        1 Feb1 February 10:11

        They’re one and the same. Al Ghazi is upstairs which you might wish to pop into as well

  • Rebecca says:

    1 Feb1 February 09:49

    I’m sure I was there in November! Looks remarkably similar. I was flying with BA so its whichever lounge I was directed to. I was very impressed though, I liked the individual seats which was quite enclosed so you have a nice amount of privacy. Not to mention the bar staff who filled up my champagne glass without prompting every time it dropped to less than half full….

    • Rob says:

      1 Feb1 February 10:09

      Press release came out yesterday!

• Bertster says:

  1 Feb1 February 07:40

  OT – it looks as though on-card Avios at Pizza Express have gone. Seems to have ended on Jan 30th.

  • Rob says:

    1 Feb1 February 07:49

    It has. Article already written but pushed back by ALDI 🙂

    • Bertster says:

      1 Feb1 February 10:53

      Ok, thanks – didn’t think I could have beaten you to it!

• Andy S says:

  1 Feb1 February 08:09

  slightly OT but lounge related – i finally got into the plaza premium in t5, they are still not taking priority pass but i flashed my platinum amex. Very disappointing! Not a patch on t2. Its even smaller than the aspire t5. unsurprisingly there weren’t that many people in, can’t see why anyone would want to spend 40 quid to enter a lounge

  • Rob says:

    1 Feb1 February 08:52

    Still not made it in, and no T5 flights until Easter. Half term is Gatwick.

  • The_real_a says:

    2 Feb2 February 05:54

    Are the coffee machines working yet?

    • Cat says:

      2 Feb2 February 06:27

      One is, one isn’t!
      I was there a couple of weeks ago – I wasn’t overly impressed with the food offering, but the self service nachos were nice, as were the individual cubicles.

  • Graham Walsh says:

    2 Feb2 February 21:01

    I liked it, was nice and quiet when I went. Nicer than T3. Chicken wings are good. Out of T5 tomorrow, first time in CE, so should have access to a BA lounge I think

• mark2 says:

  1 Feb1 February 08:22

  OT
  People have been asking about MR points for supplementary cards on Platinum.
  When applying for a Gold for my wife two weeks ago, I deliberately did not ask for a supplementary. Having done the spend and got the 22,000 points she upgraded to Platinum with just the basic card (received in two days). She then requested a supplementary receiving 5,000 MR for ‘1st Platinum Supp bonus’.
  I/she also requested a Gold supplementary but have not received any points for that.

• Alan says:

  1 Feb1 February 09:32

  OT bits. FYI the max daily transaction limit with Curve debit has been reduced from the enhanced £5k rate possible on the old card…

  “The spending limits structure of our new debits cards have changed and the highest limit group we offer is:

  £3,750 spend per day
  £20,000 spend per month (rolling 30 days)
  £1,000 cash withdrawal per day
  £50,000 yearly (rolling 365 days)

  Once you receive the card your annual and monthly limits will be reset, and the above limits will apply. Unfortunately there is no longer an option to stay on higher limits as the prepaid programme will be phased out. However, rest assured that we are working with MasterCard to offer an additional enhanced limits group in the future.

  We apologise for any inconvenience caused.”

  • Leo says:

    1 Feb1 February 09:38

    Any news on how much per single transaction?

  • Leo says:

    1 Feb1 February 09:46

    How do you find out your limits? – when I choose that option in the app it just says failed to fetch attachments.

    • Rob says:

      1 Feb1 February 10:10

      The stated limit (£2k per day) does not mean you can put through a £2k transaction as a new cardholder, in the same way Amex would almost certainly block a £20k charge to a credit card with a £20k limit.

    • Alan says:

      1 Feb1 February 11:09

      Weird, works fine for me (Android app) – just drop their support email a message, they’re very good at replying promptly.

  • Alan says:

    1 Feb1 February 11:09

    I messaged them to ask why my daily limit had dropped.

    • New Card says:

      1 Feb1 February 11:15

      I think their arrangement with MasterCard means that their top limits on the debit card are less than on the prepaid.

  • Go says:

    1 Feb1 February 16:43

    Same here

  • JamesB says:

    1 Feb1 February 18:47

    Did you guys asking for the personal card in addition to the business card or as a replacement? Thanks.

    • Genghis says:

      1 Feb1 February 20:51

      As a replacement

• Kristan Smith says:

  1 Feb1 February 09:50

  Great news about Aldi taking Amex, they’ve been accepting for a while in Germany (although not both divisions have)

  • Anna says:

    1 Feb1 February 12:44

    Any chance of Lidl following suit? I prefer their products to Aldi’s.

    • RussellH says:

      1 Feb1 February 16:46

      Very probably, I would guess that they will be watching Aldi closely on this one. I would guess that this is a win for the 0.3% rule.

      I shall be very interested to see our new Lidl in the nearest town (currently being built). They opened a new one about 15 miles away about 18 months ago in a place well known locally for its deprivation; fitted out to a very high standard, so it looks almost like a small Booths, and regularly has interesting stuff from Italy, Germany, France and Spain, and the place is usually very busy. Same in Carlisle.

      There used to be a much tattier Lidl 12 miles away in a much larger town, but it was always deserted when I went there, and it closed a few years ago. It looked much more like a Lidl in Germany, where when they started up their vans had big signs on them saying “Lidl is cheap”, which I found interesting in itself as shops in Germany (and Austria + Switzerland) normally never use the word cheap – things are claimed to be ‘good value’ instead.

• Gavin says:

  1 Feb1 February 09:59

  Very happy about Aldi, increasingly this is where we shop, as it’s next to the station so ideal before driving home.

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