News: Luxury Travel Diary auctions, Etihad raising fuel surcharges on Monday

News in brief:

The latest Luxury Travel Diary auctions

Luxury Travel Diary has been in touch to let us know that they’ve a number of auctions coming up that may interest readers. For the uninitiated, Luxury Travel Diary runs a number of auctions for luxury hotel stays, travel accessories and gift vouchers, which often sell for well below their retail price. We know HfP readers have picked up some really good deals in the past at these auctions .

Here’s some auctions ending over the next few weeks:

• Ends today: 2-night stay at the 5* Ritz-Carlton Al Wadi Desert, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE

• Ends in 8 days: 2-night stay at the 5* Villa Igiea, a Rocco Forte Hotel, in Palermo, Italy

• Ends in 14 days: 4-night stay for 2 guests at Yayaki Boutique Hotel, Spetses Island in Greece

• Ends in 24 days: 2-night stay at 5* InterContinental Cascais Estoril in Portugal

There are lots of different auctions running for 4* and 5* hotels all over the world, with differing lengths of stay available so it’s worth browsing through the options. There’s also some fun products and experiences available including luxury swimwear, yacht charters in the UAE and guided tours of Paris.

Etihad raising fuel surcharges – book now

For once, an airline has given us advance notification that it will be raising the charges added to reward flights, and indeed cash tickets.

Etihad will be increasing its surcharges on Monday 7th March in a move which it is blaming on the rise in aviation fuel costs.

Unfortunately we don’t know exactly how big the increase will be. If you have been dithering about making an Etihad Guest redemption, however, you may want to ensure it is booked by Sunday evening just in case.

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How to earn Etihad Guest miles from UK credit cards (April 2025)

Etihad Guest does not have a UK credit card.  However, you can earn Etihad Guest miles by converting Membership Rewards points earned from selected UK American Express cards.

Cards earning Membership Rewards points include:

• American Express Preferred Rewards Gold (review here, apply here) – sign-up bonus of 20,000 Membership Rewards points converts into 20,000 Etihad Guest miles. This card is FREE for your first year and also comes with four free airport lounge passes.

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.

• The Platinum Card from American Express (review here, apply here) – sign-up bonus of 50,000 Membership Rewards points converts into 50,000 Etihad Guest miles.

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 Rewards credit card (review here, apply here) – sign-up bonus of 10,000 Membership Rewards points converts into 10,000 Etihad Guest miles. This card is FREE for life.

Membership Rewards points convert at 1:1 into Etihad Guest miles which is an attractive rate.  The cards above all earn 1 Membership Rewards point per £1 spent on your card, which converts to 1 Etihad Guest mile.

The American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card earns double points (2 per £1) on all flights you charge to it, not just with Etihad but with any airline.