New Lloyds TSB AIRMILES Duo Credit Card

Lloyds TSB and AIRMILES have combined to come up with a Lloyds TSB AIRMILES Duo Credit Card Account, making it easy for people to collect Airmiles every time they spend.

The Duo card provides a ‘two in one’ account: it has a single APR (15.9%), a single monthly statement, a single PIN, but two credit cards: American Express and Mastercard. This gives a better chance of gaining Airmiles on your account.

There is no annual fee, and no minimum spend, and the Airmiles are double those on offer with the previous NatWest card. Now you earn one mile for every £10 spent.

You can use Airmiles to fly, travel on Eurostar, on the Orient Express, or to book cruises, ferries, or even UK country cottages and days out. This included cheap short and long haul flights with British Airways and 110 other scheduled airlines. You can use miles for Premium travel, for example to buy a flight to New York on the luxurious BA Club World for 11,600 Airmiles plus taxes. Days out include the London Eye, Legoland, hot air balloon trips, the British Grand Prix, Ferrari drive days, surfing lessons in Newquay amongst others.

AIRMILES also offers a wide range of travel rewards with 25,000 world-wide hotels, cruises, travel insurance, car hire, package holidays and UK. AIRMILES guarantees to match prices in its brochure holidays. In addition, customers booking with AIRMILES will have no credit card charges or booking fees.

Morgan Stanley’s buy and fly! card is a closely comparable card. It also offers one ‘travel point’ for every £10 spent – and that is increased when spending with card partners. There is no annual fee, and an APR of 16.9%. You also get 200 free travel points with your first purchase, and double points in the first six months of your card ownership. The card also offers 0% on balance transfers for nine months, with a 2% balance transfer fee. You can redeem your points at UK travel operators and with some of the world’s leading airlines. There is also free travel assistance and accident insurance with the card.

The new card seems to have a wider variety of redemption offers that the Morgan Stanley card, and with the American Express brand, the balance may just be tipped in favour of the new Duo card. However, if you want zero percent balances transfer with travel offerings, the Morgan Stanley card is better.

On the new Airmiles card it is estimated that to make a return flight to Paris, you would need to spend £4,000. On NatWest YourPoints it would be £4,100; on Nectar Credit Card it could be as low as £1,500 if you use the right Nectar outlets. On BA American Express card it’s as high as a £9,000 spend.

For a return flight to New York, the spend on the Lloyds TSB Airmiles Duo would be £37,000. On NatWest Your Points it’s £50,700; £10,900 at the right Nectar outlets; and £50,000 on the BA American Express card.

Airmiles has been running for over 18 years, the UK’s longest running loyalty scheme. Collection partners include Shell, Tesco, House of Fraser and Southern Electric, and online at Currys, JohnLeiws.com, CD Wow and Carphone Warehouse.

Tom Smith
15th June 2007