Bits: funky Platinum cards, BA and Virgin close Arrivals lounges, United Airlines resumes Edinburgh

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News in brief:

Funky new American Express Platinum designs …. but not for the UK

Perhaps aware that the design of The Platinum Card has become a little staid, American Express is launching two new designs in January.

Unfortunately, these will only be available to US customers for now. I thought they were worth sharing, however, because I do find them quite attractive.

The first is by Julie Mehretu, which “evokes the abstract modernity for which she is known”. Click to enlarge:

The second design, below, is by Kehinde Wiley, which “wonderfully captures the essence of his profound energy and worldview”.

What do you think?

BA and Virgin Atlantic close their Heathrow arrivals lounges

This shouldn’t really be news to anyone, although as it seems to have caught a few people by surprise I thought we should mention it.

British Airways has temporarily closed its Arrivals lounge in Heathrow Terminal 5. Virgin Atlantic has temporarily closed its Revivals lounge in Heathrow Terminal 3.

The reason, of course, is that all arrivals into the UK must now quarantine immediately until they receive the results of a PCR test. Unsurprisingly, there is no leeway to allow you to have a champagne breakfast and a quick spa treatment before doing so …..

United Airlines to resume its US services from Edinburgh

United Airlines has announced the resumption of its Edinburgh flights for 2022, in a move which will make it the largest airline flying between Scotland and the US.

First up in New York Newark, which will launch on 5th March. This will be a year-round service.

There will be one flight per day using a Boeing 757-200, which is a narrow bodied aircraft. These aircraft have 16 flat-bed business class seats, 45 Economy Plus seats and 108 economy seats.

Summer services to Chicago and Washington DC will begin on 7th May.

Both routes will have a daily service, and both will use a Boeing 757-200.

Whilst United Airlines is a Star Alliance member, you can earn Avios when you fly United by signing up to Aer Lingus AerClub and crediting your flight there. You can then use ‘Combine My Avios’ to move your points into your British Airways account.

We will take another look at this feature over the weekend as it is something that many Avios collectors do not know about. You cannot, unfortunately, redeem Avios for United flights via AerClub.

Category

American Express Platinum card, United Airlines and MileagePlus, Virgin Atlantic and Flying Club

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

CreationAreDreadful says:

3 Dec3 December 05:03

Do they offer a version for non-LGBTQ+ card holders ?
- N says:
  
  3 Dec3 December 05:06
  
  Wtf does this even mean?
  
  Designs are nice, I’d be happy for them to be in my wallet.
  - Bagoly says:
    
    3 Dec3 December 15:26
    
    It is true that looking at E.g. artists chosen to design such things, (and models in How to Spend It), the distribution now is much closer to that of the world population, rather than of the existing customer base.
    That’s good for the world as a whole, although models/artists from the previously dominant demographic may feel a bit annoyed.
    
    So long as such designs are additional options rather than forced on anybody, I don’t see any ground for complaint by a customer.
    Pink cards, flowery cards, darker colours of plasters/stockings etc are all things which should have been offered years earlier – now we should celebrate the choice.
    
    Personally I love flowers, but I hate both these designs.
- Youllnever says:
  
  3 Dec3 December 05:14
  
  Delete
- Sideshowbob says:
  
  3 Dec3 December 06:06
  
  Idiot
- Ed says:
  
  3 Dec3 December 06:53
  
  Is your masculinity really so fragile that it’d crumble at carrying a credit card with flowers printed on it
  - Paul Pogba says:
    
    3 Dec3 December 06:56
    
    Perhaps some prefer gender neutral designs? Thats the way the worlds going, isn’t it?
    - James says:
      
      3 Dec3 December 09:32
      
      They are gender neutral though? Is it an age thing where older men don’t like flowers?
- Paul Pogba says:
  
  3 Dec3 December 06:54
  
  A design for the proudly toxic and masculine 🙂
- Duncan Stevenson-Price says:
  
  3 Dec3 December 07:04
  
  Did I accidentally stumble into the comments section of the Daily Mail?
  - Paul Pogba says:
    
    3 Dec3 December 08:23
    
    I know heretical views get you excommunicated in certain circles in the metropolis but it shouldn’t really be a huge surprise that a site where people chase status and spend the average weekly wage on a credit card fee some will have more traditional views.
    - Dominic says:
      
      3 Dec3 December 09:06
      
      Brilliant response, Paul Pogba.
    - Rhys says:
      
      3 Dec3 December 09:38
      
      The idea that some abstract marks or some flowers are somehow related to the gay community isn’t ‘traditional’ but really fucking stupid, though, right?
      - Susan says:
        
        3 Dec3 December 09:42
        
        +1
      - Duncan says:
        
        3 Dec3 December 09:52
        
        👏👏👏
      - Anna says:
        
        3 Dec3 December 09:57
        
        Yes, but it makes a change from having them classed as “girly”!
      - Paul Pogba says:
        
        3 Dec3 December 10:09
        
        Do you know any straight men that like flowers?
      - Rhys says:
        
        3 Dec3 December 10:15
        
        No, you’re right. Paragraph 6(b) clause iii of the heterosexual licence specifically bans men from enjoying flowers.
        
        Isn’t it great to be straight!
        
        It’s ok though – perhaps you’ve never heard of Alan Titchmarsh, Monty Don etc or the many men that dominate broadcast coverage of gardens and flowers.
      - Dayle says:
        
        3 Dec3 December 13:56
        
        I don’t think swearing was needed, but last time I checked, flowers are just flowers, naturally more feminine but not sure how he’s got there!
      - Bagoly says:
        
        3 Dec3 December 15:28
        
        @Rhys 10:15 is funny. 09:38 is crude.
        I request more of your wit, and less of your anger.
      - Bagoly says:
        
        3 Dec3 December 15:36
        
        I’m not an expert, but if you ask gay men who were around pre 1968, I think you may find it is true that flowers (and pink) were in some groups used as a way of covert (deniable) signalling, when overt signalling was likely to cause legal problems.
  - revlou says:
    
    3 Dec3 December 08:52
    
    🤣👍
    - mutley says:
      
      3 Dec3 December 12:02
      
      Calm down everyone, personally I hate the designs, I love gardening and flowers, ( I worked for a landscaping business as a student) I love the hissy fits on here, and the wind ups, and yes I love being Straight.
- Andrew says:
  
  3 Dec3 December 07:22
  
  Of course this is the reaction that someone wants who is as attention seeking as this individual.
- BP says:
  
  3 Dec3 December 07:32
  
  The Centurion Card. That’s as inclusive as your attitude.
- Max says:
  
  3 Dec3 December 08:51
  
  I’m gay and wouldn’t carry these. They look sub-fabulous
  - Chrisasaurus says:
    
    3 Dec3 December 09:32
    
    First one looks a lot like it wasn’t done intentionally.
    - BP says:
      
      3 Dec3 December 10:07
      
      I really like the first one. Would swap my standard platinum card for this.
      - Rui N. says:
        
        3 Dec3 December 10:24
        
        Yeah, the first one is pretty cool
  - MD says:
    
    3 Dec3 December 10:51
    
    Well I’m a straight male and I really like the one with the flowers, would happily carry it. What have you got to say to that, Paul Pogba? Ooh, flowers, embarrassing… 🙄
    
    The first one certainly looks it was “drawn” by a toddler though. Surprised by the number of people who seem to like it.
    - Paul Pogba says:
      
      3 Dec3 December 11:49
      
      Good for you, live and let live. I didn’t suggest guys couldn’t like a floral design, just that it didn’t seem likely based on every guy I’ve ever known (including the gay ones). On the other hand I’ve only met one woman without any appreciation of flowers. All my comments on this were entirely tongue in cheek.
      
      Well played to the OP throwing a grenade and walking away.
  - The Savage Squirrel says:
    
    3 Dec3 December 13:20
    
    “sub-fabulous”
    Rightly or wrongly, that did really make me laugh.
Sideshowbob says:

3 Dec3 December 06:07

So that’s why my interest has just been put up – to pay for these designs 😂
- John says:
  
  3 Dec3 December 06:36
  
  Who’s paying interest?
  - Andrew says:
    
    3 Dec3 December 07:24
    
    And you can’t pay interest on the Platinum card as the whole balance is due in full each month.
    - John says:
      
      3 Dec3 December 09:01
      
      That’s what I meant 🙂
      - Sideshow Bob says:
        
        3 Dec3 December 10:04
        
        There isn’t just one type of Amex card. I wasn’t talking specifically about the Platinum card.
    - Roy says:
      
      3 Dec3 December 17:36
      
      In the US, there is some kind of optional instalment plan for the charge cards, though, I think. (And these are US card designs we’re talking about, right?)
mark2 says:

3 Dec3 December 06:55

The first card looks like one of our 22 month old great niece’s drawings!
Alan says:

3 Dec3 December 07:32

Nice enough designs but I’d prefer just a sniff of the benefits package they get in the USA before chasing their card design 😜
- Susan says:
  
  3 Dec3 December 07:59
  
  +1 Any redesign should need to pass 2 tests: How does it benefit customers (ans: it doesn’t), how does it benefit bottom line (if it’s irrelevant to customers and involves substantial costs then it probably doesn’t). Who is going to spend £500+ on a card because it looks like someone dropped it in a painter’s van…
  - planeconcorde says:
    
    3 Dec3 December 08:27
    
    “like someone dropped it in a painter’s van…”. Nice! LOL
Anna says:

3 Dec3 December 08:10

Awful! The whole point of the Platinum card is that it looks tasteful and serious – even though the whole point of mine currently is to scrape ice off the windscreen 🤣
- Andrew says:
  
  3 Dec3 December 08:26
  
  I’m not sure that’s the “whole point” of the Platinum card – surely it’s for the benefits that can outweigh the fee?
  - Anna says:
    
    3 Dec3 December 09:58
    
    Ok, whole point of its appearance!
Distichon says:

3 Dec3 December 08:30

Both designs are way too busy and clash with the basic design instead of interacting with it, in my opinion. Happy I won’t have to deal with figuring out how not to get it.

To give an example of I personally think could have worked so it’s not just criticism: some geometric art that interacts with the existing geometric pattern. Think a subtle Vasarely type design.
Andrew says:

3 Dec3 December 08:32

Quote:- “wonderfully captures the essence of his profound energy and worldview”. That’s one certainly one view.

For me it’s more like Neil Buchanan in the 1980s “Art Attack” intro. https://youtu.be/5Dsb_r8qDss
- Nick says:
  
  3 Dec3 December 09:14
  
  I don’t like the ‘paint splashes’, which looks like it was left on the floor during a bad decorating session. But I do like the flowers, actually quite a lot.
  - MD says:
    
    3 Dec3 December 10:51
    
    Agree Nick.
Eric the Half a Bee says:

3 Dec3 December 08:34

Morning folks, looking to book California/Vegas trip for the summer and use some of my stash of Hilton points. Does anyone have any views/experience with Hilton Santa Monica, WA Las Vegas, Hilton Palm Springs and Hilton Waterfront Huntington Beach?

Would these be decent choices or are there other options I should be considering for these locations? TIA
- Eric the Half a Bee says:
  
  3 Dec3 December 08:35
  
  Sorry, posted in the wrong Oka e – will repost in chat thread.