News: Emirates blocks JetBlue Mint redemptions, Hilton opens its fourth Maldives resort

News in brief:

You can no longer redeem Emirates miles for JetBlue business class

Back in February, we showed you how you could use Emirates Skywards miles to book JetBlue’s ‘Mint’ business class.

This had become a very useful option, because JetBlue is now flying from both Heathrow and Gatwick to New York JFK and is about to launch routes to Boston. Feedback on their ‘Mint’ business class product has been hugely positive, given the restrictions of fitting into the single aisle A321LR aircraft being used.

According to reports, and indeed my experience trying to book via the Emirates website, this is no longer possible. Emirates has pulled the ability to redeem miles for JetBlue business class. This applies to all JetBlue routes, not just the transatlantic ones.

You can still redeem Emirates Skywards miles for economy class tickets on JetBlue. At 64,000 miles plus £163 of taxes and charges between Heathrow and New York JFK it is pretty poor value, however.

Hilton opens its fourth Maldives resort

We ran a three-part series of articles last week on Hilton’s luxury Conrad Maldives Rangali resort, which is one of the most aspirational Hilton Honors redemptions.

Last week, Hilton opened its fourth Maldives resort – Hilton Maldives Amingiri. The website is here. As well as the Conrad, Hilton has Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi and SAii Lagoon Maldives, Curio Collection.

Amingiri comprises 109 villas, split between beach and water villas. Each has a private pool. It is situated closer to Male than most resorts, which means that it can be accessed via speedboat rather than a seaplane transfer.

There isn’t a lot of information available so far, although it is worth looking at this Flyertalk thread.

Standard redemptions are priced at 110,000 Hilton Honors points per night, or 440,000 points for five nights if you have Hilton Honors elite status, compared to $1,000+ per cash.

Note that no rooms can sleep more than three people, including children, unless you book one of the two-bedroom villas.

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How to earn Hilton Honors points and status from UK credit cards (April 2025)

There are various ways of earning Hilton Honors points from UK credit and debit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.

There are two dedicated Hilton Honors debit cards. These are especially attractive when spending abroad due to the 0% or 0.5% FX fee, depending on card.

You also receive FREE Hilton Honors status for as long as you hold the debit cards – Gold status with the Plus card and Silver status with the basic card. This is a great reason to apply even if you rarely use it.

We reviewed the Hilton Honors Plus Debit Card here and the Hilton Honors Debit Card here.

You can apply for either card here.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 30th April 2025, the annual fee on the basic Hilton Honors debit card is halved from £60 to £30. The sign-up bonus is also easier to earn – you need to spend £1,000 either in the UK or abroad within three months. The usual bonus rule requires you to spend the full £1,000 outside the UK.

NEW: Hilton Honors Plus Debit

10,000 bonus points, Hilton Gold status and NO FX fees Read our full review

NEW: Hilton Honors Debit

2,500 bonus points, Hilton Silver status and 0.5% FX fees Read our full review

There is another way of getting Hilton Honors status, and earning Hilton Honors points, from a payment card.

Holders of The Platinum Card from American Express receive FREE Hilton Honors Gold status for as long as they hold the card.  It also comes with Marriott Bonvoy Gold, Radisson Rewards Premium and MeliaRewards Gold status.

We reviewed American Express Platinum in detail here and you can apply here.

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.

The Platinum Card from American Express

80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review

You can also earn Hilton Honors points indirectly with:

• American Express Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Rewards Credit Card (10,000 bonus Amex points)

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.

and for small business owners:

• American Express Business Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Business Platinum (50,000 bonus Amex points)

The conversion rate from American Express to Hilton Honors points is 1:2.

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which can be used to earn Hilton Honors points.