Use your Amex Membership Rewards points for champagne and food in London (1p per point)
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1p per point is my preferred target when redeeming American Express Membership Rewards points. This is not easy, of course.
As I wrote here, redeeming Membership Rewards points for statement credit or gift vouchers only gets you 0.5p per point.
If you value Avios or other airline miles at 1p per point, then you will get to your target there. I also wrote recently about how Club Carlson transfers can easily get you 1p per Membership Rewards point.
A lesser-known redemption route that can be useful is redeeming for Jumeirah Sirius points. Jumeirah is best known for its luxury hotels in Dubai, but it also runs two five-star properties in Knightsbridge, the Carlton Tower and the Lowndes. (They are about 60 seconds walk from Harvey Nichols, walking down Sloane Street.)
The Sirius reward chart is here. Note that the transfer rate from Membership Rewards is 15:1.
I don’t want to discuss hotel room redemptions, since the value of those varies massively depending on the day you want to redeem. Let’s focus on the food and drink redemptions under ‘Dining’.
A 3-course lunch or dinner, excluding drinks, at The Rib Room at the Carlton Tower is 900 Sirius points, so 13,500 Membership Rewards points, for two people. You will get 1p per point from that, because The Rib Room is ‘reassuringly expensive’.
Lunch in the Club Room is 300 Sirius points, or 4,500 Membership Rewards points, for two. This is a very good buffet, all you can eat, served in the lounge of the spa complex. It was £22 per person plus service last time I was there, so again you get 1p per point. There is also a great view over Chelsea from the lounge.
You can also get a £30 voucher for the Champagne Bar at the Carlton Tower for 250 points, or 3,750 Membership Rewards points. This is 0.8p per point. I’m not sure how much they charge per glass though.
There are also dining options at the slightly less posh Lowndes Hotel across the road, including a 300 Sirius point (4,500 Membership Rewards points) deal for dinner for two at their Terrace restaurant.
You can also redeem for spa treatments at the Carlton Tower. Again, you get about 0.8p per point if you take this route
These redemption options won’t be for everyone, but if you have some Membership Rewards points and want a night out in London, you could do worse than one of these options.
If you don’t have any, remember that the current sign-up bonuses are 20,000 points on the free Amex Gold and 30,000 points on Amex Platinum. Full details on the ‘Credit Card Offers‘ page.
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Want to earn more points from credit cards? – April 2025 update
If you are looking to apply for a new credit card, here are our top recommendations based on the current sign-up bonuses.
In 2022, Barclaycard launched two exciting new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard cards with a bonus of up to 25,000 Avios. You can apply here.
You qualify for the bonus on these cards even if you have a British Airways American Express card:
Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard
Get 25,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £10,000 Read our full review
Barclaycard Avios Mastercard
Get 5,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £20,000 Read our full review
You can see our full directory of all UK cards which earn airline or hotel points here. Here are the best of the other deals currently available.
SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.
SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.
American Express Preferred Rewards Gold
Your best beginner’s card – 30,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review
British Airways American Express Premium Plus
30,000 Avios and the famous annual 2-4-1 voucher Read our full review
The Platinum Card from American Express
80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review
Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard
18,000 bonus points and 1.5 points for every £1 you spend Read our full review
Earning miles and points from small business cards
If you are a sole trader or run a small company, you may also want to check out these offers:
American Express Business Platinum
50,000 points when you sign-up and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review
American Express Business Gold
20,000 points sign-up bonus and FREE for a year Read our full review
Capital on Tap Pro Visa
10,500 points (=10,500 Avios) plus good benefits Read our full review
Capital on Tap Visa
NO annual fee, NO FX fees and points worth 1 Avios per £1 Read our full review
British Airways American Express Accelerating Business
30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review
Sir Stamford 
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