The News This Week at Points Well Made - 23rd Nov
- Sam
- 21 minutes ago
- 4 min read
From two new cards launched, to some Black Friday deals with Virgin, plus an exciting update from us, don't miss that one! Make sure to check out the third week of our Festive Friday series, helping you maximise your points over Christmas with the Gift Guide for Him.
As always, some housekeeping, just as a reminder we have a new weekly only email option on the website. If you are currently subscribed to our emails and would like to switch to weekly, please email me sam@pointswellmade.co.uk.
I see it all too often from people, "I can't get tickets to destination X with Avios, they're useless". Cool, yeah, using points can be hard, that's why we strategise. This is a game after all, and we will win! There is often a finite amount of seats available to be bought with points, and if you're trying to go somewhere ludicrously popular like the Maldives, Sydney, or Bangkok from the UK, seats often fly out of the door quicker than you can say "what's the point of using Avios!".
This is where my points flights strategy called "springboarding" comes into play. I'm not claiming copyright for this name or idea, and you may have version of this. Some would call this tip "positioning", and we have done a deep dive into this for you.
Want that last bite of the holiday? Well, if you're in Menorca then the Tramuntana VIP lounge may be for you. I was the first visitor of the day in the lounge before a short flight from Menorca to Majorca, so I think this is a fair time to review the lounge, really allowing it to put it's best foot forward.
Check out the review here to find out why we liked it so much!
Are you following us social media? If not, why not! Go drop us a follow on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok so that you never miss any of your favourite content!
Black Friday is known for fast deals and fast decisions, but Virgin Red are spreading the love across the month of November rather than concentrating everything into a single day. The idea is to give members more time to browse and earn Virgin Points from everyday retailers, travel bookings and selected product offers.
But is it worth your time? Or is this just another Black Friday disappointment?
Marriott has teamed up with Currensea to launch a debit card that earn Marriott Bonvoy points. This makes Marriott the second major hotel chain to partner with Currensea for UK debit cards, following Hilton's launch of the world's first hotel loyalty debit cards in September 2024.
We currently hold the Hilton Honors Plus debit card, so we know how easy it is to setup and use. So lets give you a run down of the Marriott Bonvoy debit cards, and how it compares to the Hilton offering. We'll also let you know how to convert these points to a scheme of your choosing...
As we creep closer to December things are beginning to feel more Chistmas-y! We had our first snow on Wednesday, the Christmas lights switch on's are beginning to happen, the playlists are back on repeat, and the gift lists are starting to take shape.
Whether you’re shopping for the impossible-to-buy-for man, the hobby enthusiast, or the “I don’t need anything” guy (we all know one), starting your shop through the Avios eStore or Virgin’s Shops Away/Virgin Red portal means those gifts go even further. Think flights, upgrades, maybe even next year’s big trip.
Don't worry, we're not going anywhere! We just thought we'd bring you a small update to the Points Well Made world. Thank you all so much for your continued support and ongoing questions that you have for us. It really is incredibly satisfying when people spring off something we've written and come to us with an advanced follow up question. Ultimately, that is the aim that we have for Points Well Made. We don't aim to be the home of advanced points nerds, but instead be the place that sparks your curiosity to start your journey into miles and points.
This update outlines a few of our future plans, where we see this community going and even a little opportunity for any budding writers out there amongst you!
Sam
Points Well Made is a passion project of Sam and Helena with a loyal following. If you like what we do, and wish to help us continue to create the content you love, please consider buying us a Kofi, or subscribing monthly. Your help is greatly appreciated. Thank you.
