Maximise your Avios, air miles and hotel points

Alaska Airlines will join the oneworld alliance on 31st March 2021

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In February, Alaska Airlines announced its intentions to join the oneworld alliance.  It will become the 14th full member.

The airline was hoping to complete formalities in record time, with membership finalised by the end of 2020. This has now fallen through, and the airline has just announced that 31st March 2021 is the revised joining date.

Because of the existing British Airways / Alaska partnership, covered in this article, you are gaining less than you think from their entry into oneworld.

Alaska Airlines joins oneworld early

It is already possible to spend Avios on Alaska.  The problem is that you only can book by calling British Airways as it is not integrated into ba.com.  This should change once Alaska joins oneworld fully.

The real benefit is from tier points.  Whilst you currently earn Avios when flying with Alaska, you do NOT earn British Airways Executive Club tier points.  This will now change.

British Airways Executive Club Silver and Gold members will also get access to the full range of oneworld benefits when flying with Alaska, including lounge access, priority check-in, baggage, boarding and preferred seat selection.

Members of other oneworld frequent flyer programmes have more to gain from this announcement than Executive Club members, as it will open up Alaska award inventory to them for the first time.


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:

Nectar American Express

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 Platinum card Amex

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:

British Airways Accelerating Business American Express card

British Airways Accelerating Business American Express

30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Avios. This includes both personal and small business cards.

(Want to earn more Avios?  Click here to visit our home page for our latest articles on earning and spending your Avios points and click here to see how to earn more Avios this month from offers and promotions.)

Comments (68)

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

  • Robert says:

    Good news both on the Marriot deal and amazon credit so thanks guys.

  • MissGeekChic says:

    When I click to go to the amazon deal, it says that the offer has ended. Does anyone else see that too? I thought it was running till midnight?!

  • Niall says:

    Help! I hadn’t realised that London Edition (the hotel) is still closed whereas Berners Tavern (the restaurant) is open. I’ve a night booked on the 27th to take up the Amex offer via Virtuoso on non-refundable terms that can only be cancelled up to midnight tonight (not sure why nights can be booked when the hotel’s not yet open).

    Should I cancel? Or take the risk that the hotel will open a folio for me even though I’ll only be dining at Berners Tavern? Don’t want to be out of pocket by £400 because of a ‘schoolboy error’….

    • Harry T says:

      There’s a good chance that charges from the restaurant will trigger as a separate entity to the hotel payment system – I doubt you’ll get your amex credit.

      The hotel is scheduled to open on 22nd October, according to their last email to me.

      • Niall says:

        That’s what I see online too (22nd opening), but the reception appears to be unsure (or unwilling to confirm).

        What a dilemma! Maybe I should just ask them now if they’ll be able to use the hotel payment system, seeing as I’d be registered on it that night as a guest?

    • Andrew (@andrewseftel) says:

      For a £400 restaurant reservation in this economic environment, I’d just email the restaurant explaining your situation with the Amex offer and ask them if they can promise to bill it through the hotel if it doesn’t open as planned.

    • Scallder says:

      Berners Tavern does come through as Marriott – have always got the bonus points on the SPG/Bonvoy Amex

      • Harry T says:

        Nice, thanks for letting us know. Every hotel is different!

        • TGLoyalty says:

          Yup, if only we had a forum where we could mention these things for future Amex offers 🙂

      • Niall says:

        Thanks! Though that presents a new dilemma as to whether or not “Marriott” spend at Berners Tavern would qualify for the Amex offer. It’s not exactly check-out spend…

        • AY says:

          Did you cancell? I also have a room booked through FHR on 25 October but now when I look at rooms it doesn’t show availablity. Amex haven’t contacted me to cancel though.

  • TomD says:

    Urgh! Been wanting an Amex Plat, not sure if worth jumping the gun (for no joining bonus as I cancelled my Amex Gold 2 months ago)

  • Harry T says:

    Thanks for the amazon link, Rob. It forced the app to open on my phone, so hopefully that still generates commission.

  • María J says:

    Rob, re the Marion offer, if you check out on the 19/12 is that valid?

  • María J says:

    * Marriott

    • Rob says:

      Presumably – the rules discuss stay dates as opposed to when the payment clears, which is 2-3 days later.

  • GRice says:

    Just a Watch-Out for anyone booking a Turnbury weekend. If you book one of their standard ‘packages’ rather than a rack-rate, they’ll automatically deduct a £150 deposit from you. Having confirmed with AMEX, their offer is based on a single transaction charge to your Platinum card, rather than the total of multiple transactions, so in my case (booking 2 nights at £250 per night [total £500],but with a deposit of £150, I wouldn’t qualify for the £400 Amex refund). After a long chat with the hotel there is a work-around – ask for your deposit back at Check-in, but I can’t help think they’re not automatically honouring the spirit of the offer!

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