News: IHG’s voco Belfast hotel opens, SWISS and Airportr partner
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News in brief:
IHG’s new voco Belfast hotel is open
IHG has a new hotel in Belfast to sit alongside the existing Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Crowne Plaza – voco Belfast.
voco is IHG’s new ‘conversion’ brand, which allows good quality hotels – but which don’t tick all the ‘brand standards’ boxes to fit into one of the existing brands – to join the IHG system.
voco Belfast was previously known as The Gasworks Hotel and was a Radisson before that.
It has just completed a full refurbishment (‘long overdue’ said a reader in an email) and can be booked here.
Earn Miles & More miles with Airportr when flying SWISS
We haven’t covered Airportr, the luggage delivery and collection service, for a while but the business is now well established.
It’s a handy service for anyone who would prefer to turn up at the airport without baggage – perhaps, for example, you need to go to work and then head to the airport, or need to leave your hotel and don’t want to take bags to a client meeting.
We reviewed it back in 2017 and should do it again at some point.
Airportr has just launched its first airline loyalty partnership.
Members of Lufthansa’s Miles & More programme will earn 1 mile for every £1 / €1 / CHF1 spent with Airportr when flying on SWISS.
Until 31st August, there is a special rate of 5 miles per £1 / €1 / CHF1.
You can also redeem Miles & More miles to part-pay for Airportr luggage services when flying with SWISS.
You can find out more on this page of the Airportr website.
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How to earn Star Alliance miles from UK credit cards (April 2025)
None of the Star Alliance airlines currently have a UK credit card.
There is, however, still a way to earn Star Alliance miles from a UK credit card.
The route is via Marriott Bonvoy. Marriott Bonvoy hotel loyalty points convert to over 40 airlines at the rate of 3:1.
The best way to earn Marriott Bonvoy points is via the official Marriott Bonvoy American Express card. It comes with 20,000 points for signing up and 2 points for every £1 you spend. At 2 Bonvoy points per £1, you are earning (at 3:1) 0.66 airline miles per £1 spent on the card.
There is a preferential conversion rate to United Airlines – which is a Star Alliance member – of 2 : 1 if you convert 60,000 Bonvoy points at once.
The Star Alliance members which are Marriott Bonvoy transfer partners are: Aegean, Air Canada, Air China, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Avianca, Copa Airlines, Singapore Airlines, TAP Air Portugal, Thai Airways, Turkish Airlines and United Airlines.
You can apply here.
Marriott Bonvoy American Express
20,000 points for signing up and 15 elite night credits each year Read our full review
