andrewsco

I thought it would be useful to start a thread that concentrates on Credit Cards that are available to those of us living in the UK. There is already a very good thread located here that is updated by UA Fan, however the majority of the offers on that thread are only available to US residents.

This thread is slightly different to that listed above in the fact that this covers all current credit cards available that are airmiles, hotel or other travel rewards related – not just special offers.

I would appreciate it if anyone could post up with any credit cards that i have missed, offers that I am unaware of or any inaccuracies in the post below. When posting, if possible please provide a link to the website (if there is one), so I can collate the relevant information, or better yet, complete the information in the same format that I have done below and post - I will then consolidate the first post:

A number of these cards have the option to be referred by an existing cardholder. There are a number of people on this forum who will be more than happy to refer people, myself included, so if you would like someone to refer you then either post a request in this forum or feel free to PM me. In some instances it actually pays to be referred (particularly AMEX Platinum Card), and it is always appreciated as an extra way of generating miles / reward points.

Useful posts:
AMEX & BA 2010 Masterthread
Tesco & BA 2011 Masterthread
42,000 BA Miles for Ł300!
AIRMILES: The UK reward scheme
BMI Credit Cards FAQ
18,000 BA AMEX Prem Plus Credit Card
Pay UK Tax with BMI Mastercard
How to get > 1.5 BA miles per UK Membership Reward Point


AIRLINE CARDS


American Airlines

AAdvantage American Express Card from MBNA
Cost: Ł0
Offers: Currently none
Key Features:
• 10,000 AAdvantage bonus after first purchase within the first 3 months
• Collect 1.5 AAdvantage miles for virtually each Ł spent
• Collect 3 AAdvantage miles for all American Airlines purchases in the first 6 months


British Airways

British Airways American Express Card
Cost: Ł0
Offers:
Key Features:
• 9,000 bonus BA miles when you spend Ł1000 in the first 3 months
• Collect 1 mile for virtually each Ł spent
• Obtain a free companion voucher when you spend Ł20k on the card in 1 membership year (reset at the anniversary of taking the card)

British Airways American Express Premium Plus Card
Cost: Ł150 annual fee
Offers: Quidco Ł45 cashback here.
Key Features:
• 18,000 bonus BA miles when you spend Ł3000 in the first 3 months (only if new member, upgrades from free card above do not qualify for the bonus)
• Collect 1.5 miles for virtually each Ł spent
• Collect 3 miles for all Ł spent on BA flights and Holidays
• Various insurance benefits (travel accident insurance, purchase & refund protection)
• Obtain a free companion voucher when spend Ł10k on the card in 1 membership year (reset at the anniversary of taking the card)


BMI

BMI American Express Credit Card from MBNA No longer available.
Cost: Ł0
Offers: Quidco Ł15 cashback here.
Key Features:
• 20,000 destination miles when you spend Ł250 within 90 days
• Collect 1.5 miles for virtually each Ł spent
• Collect 3 miles for all Ł spent on the flybmi.com website

BMI Plus American Express Credit Card from MBNA
Cost: Ł85 annual fee
Offers: Currently none
Key Features:
• 24,000 destination miles when you spend Ł250 within 90 days
• Collect 2 miles for virtually each Ł spent
• Collect 4 miles for all Ł spent on the flybmi.com website
• 2 BMI lounge passes each year (one time use only)
• 4,000 status miles will be added to your account annually

BMI Mastercard Credit Card from MBNA (Not online, by phone only - call 0800 068 8788)
Cost: Ł0
Offers: Currently none
Key Features:
• 12,000 destination miles when you spend Ł500 within 90 days
• Collect 1 miles for virtually each Ł spent
• Collect 2 miles for all Ł spent on the flybmi.com website


Flybe

Flybe Credit Card
Cost: Ł0
Offers: Currently none
Key Features:
• Bonus return flight after first spend on the card
• Collect 1 Rewards4all point for every Ł250 spent


Lufthansa

Miles & More American Express Credit Card from MBNA
Cost: Ł0
Offers: Currently none
Key Features:
• 1,500 award miles after first purchase within 90 days
• Collect 2 award miles for each Ł spent within the first 6 months
• Collect 1.5 award miles for each Ł spent thereafter
• No mileage expiration

Miles & More Visa Credit Card from MBNA
Cost: Ł0
Offers: Currently none
Key Features:
• Collect 1 award mile for each Ł spent
• No mileage expiration


Ryanair

Ryanair Credit Card
Cost: Ł0
Offers: Currently none
Key Features:
• 1 bonus flight after the first Ł100 spent on the card
• 2 bonus flights if you spend Ł3000 within the first 6 months
• 2 bonus flights if you spend Ł3000 within the first final 6 months



United Airlines

United Mileage Plus American Express Credit Card from MBNA
Cost: Ł0
Offers: Currently none
Key Features:
• Collect 1 award mile for each Ł spent


Virgin Atlantic

Virgin Atlantic MBNA American Express Credit Card from MBNA - White Card
Cost: Ł0
Offers: Currently none
Key Features:
• 3,000 flying club miles after first purchase
• Collect 1 miles for virtually each Ł spent
• Collect 2 miles for all Ł spent on Virgin flights and holidays
• Premium Economy reward upgrade on an Economy redemption when you spend Ł10k on your card in a year
• 10% off Virgin Holidays
• Obtain a free companion voucher when you spend Ł15k on the card in 1 membership year

Virgin Atlantic MBNA American Express Credit Card from MBNA - Black Card
Cost: Ł140
Offers: Bonus 12k miles up until end of August 2011
Key Features:
• 6,000 flying club miles after first purchase
• 12,000 ADDITIONAL flying club miles after you spend Ł1500 in the first 90 days
• Collect 2 miles for virtually each Ł spent
• Collect 4 miles for all Ł spent on Virgin flights and holidays
• Complimentary Regis Business World Gold Membership
• Premium Economy reward upgrade on an Economy redemption when you spend Ł5k on your card in a year
• 10% off Virgin Holidays
• Obtain a free companion voucher when you spend Ł7.5k on the card in 1 membership year


HOTEL CARDS


Hilton

Hilton HHonors Platinum Visa Card
Cost: Ł0
Offers: None
Key Features:
• 1 free weekend coupon when you make you spend Ł750 within the first 90 days. This can be used in practically all Hilton hotels worldwide
• Collect 2 HHonors points for each Ł spent
• Collect 3 HHonors points for each Ł spent in Hilton hotels
• Hilton silver VIP status for the duration of card membership
• Gold membership if you spend 10k on the card in 1 year



Priority Club

Priority Club Rewards Visa Credit Card
Cost: Ł0
Offers: Currently none
Key Features:
• 10,000 bonus points when you make you first purchase
• Collect 1 Priority Club points for each Ł spent
• Collect 2 Priority Club points for each Ł spent in a participating hotel (see below)
• Priority Club points never expire
• Use Priority Club points for free nights at the following hotels: InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites & Candlewood Suites


Starwood Preferred Guest

Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express
Cost: Ł75 annual fee, (offer of Ł0 for first year has expired)
Offers: Currently none
Key Features:
• 20,000 Starpoints when you spend Ł1,000 within the first 3 months (valid until 30th Nov only)
• Collect 1 Starpoint for each Ł spent
• Free upgrade you to Gold Preferred Guest status when you spend over Ł15,000 per year
• Use Starpoints for free nights at the following hotels: St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, W Hotels, Le Méridien, Westin, Sheraton, Aloft, Element, and Four Points by Sheraton.
• Recieve a 5,000 Starpoints bonus for every 20,000 transferred to one of SPG's airline partners (nearly all with the exception of BMI)


OTHER CARDS


American Express Membership Rewards

Platinum Card
Cost: Ł300
Offers: Quidco Ł80 cashback here.
Key Features:
• Free Priority Pass membership to you and your supplementary card holder, along with additional access to Continental Airlines (ends 30 September 2011), Delta, BMI, AA and Eurostar business lounges
• 40,000 MR points when you spend Ł1,500 in the first 3 months
• Earn 1 MR point for each Ł1 you spend on the card
• Comprehensive travel insurance for you and your family
• Say 'no' to car rental extras as they are all covered
• Gold VIP status at the Hilton for 1 year
• Radisson silver elite membership for 1 year
• SPG Gold status for ever, providing you keep the card
• Car Hire status benefit with AVIS & Hertz
• MR points can be transferred to a large number of airmile schemes, including BA, BMI, Delta, KLM/Air France & Virgin Atlantic
• NEW Currently an offer to get free enrollment into the Cathay Pacific 'Marco Polo' program. This is currently giving members OneWorld Saphire status and thus entry into the BA lounges at T5. More info in this thread (and a few others I'm sure)


Preferred Rewards Gold Card
Cost: Ł93 first year, Ł125 thereafter
Offers: Quidco Ł45 cashback here.
Key Features:
• 20,000 MR points when you spend Ł1,000 in the first 3 months
• Earn 1 MR point for each Ł1 you spend on the card
• Earn 2 MR point for each Ł1 you spend on travel and overseas spend
• Comprehensive travel insurance
• MR points can be transferred to a large number of airmile schemes, including BA, BMI, Delta, KLM/Air France & Virgin Atlantic
• 2 free lounge passes


Diner Club

Diners Club International Credit Card
Cost: Ł50 annual fee
Offers: Currently none
Key Features:
• Free access to over 140 airport lounges worldwide
• Convert points to a number of Airline/Hotel Member programmes


Lloyds Airmiles Duo

Lloyds Aimiles Duo Mastercard / American Express Credit Cards
Cost: Ł0
Offers: 2000 Avios Point bonus if you spend Ł500 each month for the first 3 months (apply before 1st March 2012)
Key Features:
• Earn 1 avios point for every Ł1 you spend on the Lloyds TSB Duo Avios American Express Card and 1 Avios for every Ł5 spent on the Lloyds TSB Duo Avios MasterCard
• Collect double airmiles abroad

Lloyds Aimiles Duo Premier Mastercard / American Express Credit Cards
Cost: Ł50 (for both premier cards)
Offers: 10000 Avios Point bonus if you spend Ł500 each month for the first 3 months (apply before 1st March 2012)
Key Features:
• Earn 1.25 avios point for every Ł1 you spend on the Premier Duo Avios American Express Card and 1.25 Avios for every Ł5 spent on the Premier Duo Avios MasterCard
• Collect double airmiles abroad
• Free companion ticket when you spend Ł15,000 per year


Tesco

Tesco Clubcard Credit Card
Cost: Ł0
Offers:
Key Features:
• Earn 1 Club card point for every Ł4 you spend
• Earn 1 Club card point for every Ł1 you spend on Tesco fuel

If there are any credit cards that I have missed then please let me know!

janed9388

fantastic idea - I've been wondering why we didn't have one. well done ^

mia

I suggest adding this to the list of Useful Posts, with the notation that the same arbitrage opportunity applies to DL and VS miles or any other airline which transfers at the same rate from both the Sterling and International Dollar card versions of Membership Rewards:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...rds-point.html

andrewsco

Thanks for the suggestion Mia - consider it added.

UA Fan

Its a good idea to have a separate thread . I had no idea there were so many UK cards. It would have been a big mess to mix UK & US. If Canada gets too much another thread for it might be warranted.

Mods, what say ye to creating one sticky called Special Credit Card Offer Master Thread and then in the OP put two links one for US (mine) and another for this (UK)?

UA Fan

OP, do you have links to FT discussions of these specific offers? I see some discussions of special offers.

andrewsco

I've put a few useful threads at the top of the page - If you think it is worth linking to specific FT threads for certain offers then I am more than happy to add them. Any in particular you can think of / suggest?

Thanks

Raffles

MBNA still does a United card.

The offers on the Air Miles card often vary between the AM and Lloyds websites.

There are Ryanair, easyJet and FlyBE cards as well, but not true mileage cards.

Excellent thread overall.

andrewsco

Thanks for the heads up Raffles - I'll add them at some point today.

I assume that when you say a 'United' card you mean United Airlines, not Manchester United!!!

I notice your pretty much the main guy in relation to UK credit cards / BA so I'd appreciate a heads up if you see any offers / new cards on the scene.

Cheers
Andrew

andrewsco

updated to reflect the new BMI July 2001 specific offer with an additional 10,000 miles.

Andrew

Disco Volante

UA MBNA Amex here

onlysuites

Excellent thread ^

ardboe

Is the Hilton Visa worth getting?

flood

cracking thread OP ^

andrewsco

I would say it really depends on how much you stay in the Hilton? Personally if you are using the card as an every day card, I would say no. AMEX (incl. BA & BMI) or SPG cards are better IMO.

That said, it is a VISA card so good for places that don't take AMEX (although I think the MBNA BMI Mastercard is better for that purpose).

I use the BA PP card on a day to day basis as I fly with them or one of thier partners 90% of the time.

Andrew