Bits: Curve / Creation news, Accor launches new ‘experiences’ rewards, Pret Perks, 99p Audible deal
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News in brief:
Were you caught up in the Creation credit card cancellations?
If you are one of those people whose IHG Rewards credit card is being closed down this week, you may find this correspondence interesting. It will take 30-60 seconds to download.
A reader has used a Freedom of Information request to get hold of the internal emails between Curve and NS&I on this issue. See what you make of it.
Accor launches new ‘experiences’ rewards including BST Hyde Park
Accor Live Limitless, the loyalty programme for Novotel, Sofitel, Ibis, Mercure, Fairmont etc, is ramping up its ‘Limitless Experiences’ programme in the UK with a range of new events.
This is good news, as the ‘Limitless Experiences’ programme is one way of getting better value for your points than the fixed 2 Eurocents you get when booking a hotel.
The experiences programme is also a win for Accor, since it encourages you to sit on your points and build a balance, rather than redeeming immediately when you hit the 2,000 required for a €40 hotel voucher.
I have listed below what is currently bookable via the Accor Experiences website.
Where the pricing says ‘from’ it means that there are a variety of packages available, some of which include a hotel stay. Some packages offer different levels of VIP treatment depending on how many points you use.
All packages are for two people and usually include other perks on top of your ticket:
- Amy Winehouse: Beyond The Stage exhibition @ The Design Museum (multiple dates) – 1,000 points
- Jake Whitehall @ Eventim Apollo (20th December) – 4,000 points
- Romesh Ranganathan @ Eventim Apollo (15th January) – 3,000 points
- Russell Brand @ Eventim Apollo (1st February) – 4,000 points
- Ronan Keating inc ‘meet and greet’ @ Eventim Apollo (3rd February) – 18,000 points
- Mamma Mia! The Party (19th February, 12th March) – from 25,000 points including a hotel stay
- Ludovico Einaudi @ Eventim Apollo (23rd March) – 8,000 points
- Elton John @ BST Hyde Park (24th June) – from 18,000 points
- Eagles @ BST Hyde Park (26th June) – from 18,000 points
- Pearl Jam @ BST Hyde Park (8th and 9th July) – from 10,000 points
- Duran Duran @ BST Hyde Park (10th July) – from 10,000 points
In terms of ‘read the small print’, Mamma Mia! The Party wins. You get:
- Tier A seats including a four course dinner, drinks package and official merchandise party pack
- ‘Meet and greet’ with the cast
- Overnight stay with breakfast at the Novotel Canary Wharf
- Pre-show cocktails and canapes
- Transfers to the O2 via Thames Clipper boat, including a glass of prosecco, with a taxi transfer to the hotel after the show
You certainly get a full night for your 25,000 points.
You can redeem your Accor points for any of the above on the Experiences site here.
‘Pret Perks’ launches today
A couple of weeks ago we had the exclusive news about the launch of ‘Pret Perks’, the new Pret A Manger loyalty scheme.
The programme finally goes live today. However, it will be in beta for a few weeks and can only be accessed by people with a Pret coffee subscription and an iPhone.
You will earn one ‘star’ for every purchase and stars can be redeemed for ‘perks’. You will require 10 stars to receive a free product from a rotating list of rewards. You do not get your choice of any item in the store.
Once you have hit 10 ‘stars’, you will have 30 days to claim your free product. Your free gift will expire at this point.
You will NOT earn ‘stars’ when claiming a free coffee from your subscription unless something else is bought at the same time. All Pret coffee subscribers will receive a nominal one star per month as part of their subscription. You need to scan a QR card in the Pret app to receive your stars.
One attempt at gaming the system is already blocked in the rules. Any purchases made in quick succession will be amalgamated together, so you cannot buy a coffee and a sandwich in two transactions and earn two ‘stars’.
Full details should be on this web page from this morning.
Last call: get 3 months of Audible audio books for 99p
Audible, Amazon’s audiobook subsidiary, has been running a special promotion over Black Friday. See here.
Until tonight, 30th November, you can claim 3 months of Audible for just 99p. This works out at 33p per month.
You can choose one free audiobook per month during your trial.
The offer is not available if you have had an Audible trial in the last 12 months. If you don’t see the 99p offer like this when logged in to your Amazon account:
….. then you don’t qualify.
The link to sign up is here. The offer ends tonight.
(I know this is non-core to HfP, but we have a good relationship with Amazon who always keep us up to date with their offers. The commission we earn if you sign up keeps us ticking over whilst airline and hotel advertising remains weak.)
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