News you might have missed at Points Well Made - 4th October
Hello everyone,
It's been an interesting week of news and posts here on the website.
We started off with a new guest post from Joel Sycamore who ran through his playbook for earning and using Virgin Points at 19 years old. We had so many messages about this post and how much people enjoyed it, so huge thanks to Joel for this brilliant piece of writing.
We ran a reminder that those lovely big welcome bonus offers on the British Airways Amex cards run out on the 6th October, so this really is your last reminder everyone!
Wednesday saw Currensea launch two new debit cards partnering with American Airlines, the AAdvantage debit cards are now live and we ran two pieces. One explaining the cards in detail, and another to highlight some sweet spots for these cards. These cards won't suit everyone, and I could easily say that about every card in the points and miles space. But, the joy is we are seeing new products, with new benefits and that is something to celebrate as more competition for your wallet should mean improvements across the board.
Lastly, we're going transfer bonus mad! Nectar and Avios are running a bonus offer when you convert Nectar to Avios and vice versa. Amex are offering a 40% bonus when you transfer Membership Rewards points to Hilton Honors. And you can get upto a 35% bonus into Avios via Qatar Airways from select programmes.
Lastly, the government announced they would be targeting airlines to ban them from charging parents to sit next to their kids under the age of 14. Something we can all agree is a good move.
Helena
Today's post has been kindly written by Joel Sycamore, and you'll find him on Tiktok @travelswithjoel. Joel is 19 and just starting out in points, but he's earned a healthy stash all without a credit card!
Can you really earn enough points to fly business class as a young adult without a credit card, or without actually flying? Believe it or not, you can. I'm Joel, I'm 19, and I've built up a respectable stash of Virgin Points, most of them without setting foot on a plane. At 19, I can't yet get an American Express card (at least not one worth having), or either of the Virgin Atlantic credit cards. So when I turned 18 and wanted to fly business class on my own dime for the first time, I had to get creative with how I earned my points.
If you've been sitting on the fence about applying for either the British Airways Premium Plus American Express, or the free British Airways American Express, now's the time to hop off it. The enhanced welcome bonuses on both the free card and the Premium Plus card end on 6th October 2026, which gives you just one week left to apply.
Currensea and American Airlines have launched the AAdvantage debit card for UK travellers today, and we've been given an advance look. The keen-eyed amongst you may have spotted the apps had gone live on both Apple and Android since Monday.
It's the fifth co-branded loyalty card from Currensea, after Hilton, Marriott, United and, just a few weeks ago, Lufthansa.
This time there are two versions: Platinum at £75 a year, and Black at £195 a year, and we have detailed everything you need to know about these cards here.
American Airlines and Currensea have launched two AAdvantage debit cards in the UK, and I've gone through everything they include in a separate article.
This piece is about the bits that make these cards interesting. Every mile you earn from spending on these cards also earns an AAdvantage Loyalty Point, and Loyalty Points are how American decides your status.
Nectar collectors and Avios fans have a limited-time opportunity to supercharge their British Airways Avios pot. Between 1st and 31st October 2026, you can earn a 20% bonus Avios when you convert your Nectar points either as a one off conversion or if you opt in to auto-converting into Avios, and subsequently convert your points.
First time hearing about Nectar converting to Avios?
We've got a couple of transfer bonuses to bring you today.
First, American Express are running a 40% transfer bonus into Hilton Honors points which takes it to levels you should actually be interested in.
Second, you can get up to a 35% bonus into Avios via Qatar Airways Privilege Club. Just to be clear and break it up from the Hilton offer, this is not from American Express to Qatar Airways (sorry, the headline can only be so long). Instead it is from ALL Accor, Shangri-La Circle, IHG One Rewards, Hyatt, and most interestingly to Brits, Capital on Tap. Haven't heard of Capital on Tap? We'll explain that for you, and an easy little "hack" you should be doing already, regardless of this offer.
Good news for anyone who travels as a family with children. The UK government announced on 2 October 2026 that airlines are set to be banned from charging parents to sit next to their kids under the age of 14. Name correction fees are also on the way out. But don't get too excited just yet as neither takes effect immediately.
Points Well Made is a passion project from Sam and Helena. If you've enjoyed this and want to help us keep the lights on, please consider buying us a Ko-fi or subscribing monthly. You can also find us on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok for more of the same. Thanks for reading.
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