Latest news with #summergetaways
Khaleej Times
29-05-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Enjoy more value with CBD Credit Cards this summer
Summer is nearly here and that can only mean one thing — the start of a season bursting with exciting getaways, family visits and retail, dining and leisure promotions! Empowering you through the season are Commercial Bank of Dubai (CBD)'s credit cards, which offer a suite of tools and benefits that allow you to spend wisely and savour every moment with confidence. Before finalising your summer plans, discover how CBD credit cards can help you maximise your financial well-being. Here are four key benefits to consider: 1. Maximise rewards on purchases aligned with your priorities CBD credit cards reward you where it counts, offering a wide range of benefits tailored to your lifestyle. From travel bookings and dining out to everyday retail purchases, you can enjoy generous cashback opportunities, exclusive discounts at top retailers, and access to curated experiences. For immediate savings, consider cashback options such as the CBD One Card, which is free for life and offers up to AED 135 cashback every month. Frequent travelers will appreciate the CBD Visa Infinite Card, which provides complimentary access to over 1,000 airport lounges globally, multi-trip Travel Insurance, and exclusive discounts on accommodation bookings, making it the ideal companion for your next adventure. 2. Designed for every type of spender CBD understands that every customer is unique, which is why its credit cards are designed with flexible options to accommodate diverse spending habits and lifestyle preferences. For families and everyday savers, the CBD Super Saver Card offers up to 10 per cent cashback on essential categories like groceries, fuel, education, and utility bills, with no annual fee in the first year. Customers planning significant purchases can benefit from interest-free installments, ideal for managing school tuition or long-planned acquisitions. Meanwhile, experienced enthusiasts and frequent travellers will appreciate CBD's travel perks, flexible payments, and access to lifestyle rewards that elevate everyday moments. For instant gratification, the CBD Yes Rewards Card offers a welcome bonus of 20,000 Yes Rewards (worth Dh200) and savings of up to 15 per cent on fuel and more. 3. Full control at your fingertips Make smart financial decisions with the CBD Mobile App, a comprehensive platform designed to empower you with the services and information you need to manage your finances effectively. This all-in-one digital platform provides complete visibility over your credit card activity, allowing you to track expenses and review transaction history with ease. Make instant payments, manage multiple cards, and receive real-time alerts to stay on top of your financial habits. Moreover, you can transfer credit from other banks to a CBD credit card at preferential rates, simplifying your financial management. For added security, features like temporary card lock and permanent block-and-replace options are readily available, providing peace of mind in the event of a misplaced or compromised card. 4. Smarter ways to manage big purchases From booking a holiday to covering school fees, CBD's Easy Payment Plans (EPP) and Fixed Payment Plans (FPP) offer flexible solutions for managing larger expenses. These options allow you to split major purchases or balance transfers into manageable instalments, alleviating financial strain and making it easier to budget for your goals. Money made simple At CBD, we are committed to simplifying banking and empowering customers to take charge of their financial future. Through our 'Money Made Simple' initiative, we help individuals across the UAE build better financial habits with smarter tools, real-time visibility, and practical rewards that add real value to their lives. This summer, make your credit card work harder for you. From spontaneous getaways to essential family expenses, unlock the flexibility and rewards that CBD cards offer.
Daily Mail
20-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Martin Lewis reveals his top tricks for Brits travelling abroad this summer - including where NEVER to get your cash out
has warned Brits about the financial precautions to take before going abroad this summer. The money-saving expert, 53, was speaking on the summer special of his live money show on ITV this evening, which was filmed at Aerospace Bristol. During the episode, Martin revealed his top tricks for cutting the cost and hassle of summer getaways this year, including the 'things to do now to help when you go'. After receiving a question from the audience, the financial guru revealed the best practices to adopt when it comes to paying for items abroad. When getting out physical cash before going away, Martin advised to go on a UK travel cash comparison website to find out which of the bureaus will give you the best rate. However, he urged viewers to never get cash out at the airport - as this is where you'll get the worst deal. 'Never get it at the airport,' Martin emphasised. And as for getting cash out while actually on holiday, he said only to visit an overseas bureau de change if you know there's a good rate. Martin also addressed the age old debate of whether to pay in pounds or the local currency when paying via card machine while on holiday. After asking the audience for a show of hands, he confirmed that you should always select the local currency option as you 'get hideous rates abroad'. He said: 'If you pay, and you pay in pounds, it's the card machine or the ATM that's doing the conversion and their rates are pants!' Even though card machines will try to get you to pay in pounds, Martin said: 'The reason they're trying to force you and be so aggressive is because it makes them more money, it doesn't save you money.' As well as financial considerations, Martin emphasised the importance of checking your passport is in date before travelling. He also said 1.8 million EHIC cards are due to expire this year and those looking for a new one will now need a GHIC. These cards will give the holder access to health services abroad at the same price as a local. However, he said that these should be used in addition to travel insurance, and not as a replacement. GHIC cards can be obtained for free - though fraudulent websites will often try to flog 'fast-track' deals. Martin said: 'You can renew for free. You must never pay for your EHIC or GHIC card.' Often, finding the best deals for for holidays, especially as a family, will take a bit of effort. The MoneySavingExpert founder said cancelling (if free or cheap) and then rebooking may sometimes mean you can end up with a better-value deal. In addition, knowing your flight compensation rights before you go may help you win back hundreds of pounds if a payout is needed. Delays and cancellations that are the fault of the airline could see you getting money back into your pocket. Last week, Martin shared a little known tip that could protect tourists' health this summer - and in years to come. Speaking on his Martin Lewis Podcast, the financial whizz asked how many of us know if the sunscreen bottles we have in the back of our cupboards are still in date. POAs often appear as a tiny jar with a figure indicating the months the product will last Sun cream products applied to the skin are designed to protect us from the sun's harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays, both UVA and UVB - but they have a shelf life. With a bottle in hand, the broadcaster told his audience there's a very easy way of working out whether you should pack the sun protection you have in your case, or throw it in the bin. During the podcast, he said: 'Just a quick tip on sunscreen. When you get your sunscreen, turn the bottle around because on the back you'll see a POA number.' POA stands for 'period after opening' and is usually 12 or 24 months, he explained. It's also often found on makeup products too, and usually appears as 9M, 12M, 18M or 24M. Lewis said that a simple label could help prevent sunburn, or worse, a future skin cancer diagnosis. He said: '[When you open the bottle] Put a little note of the date, write that onto the sunscreen and you'll know if you try to use it in a year's time whether it's still valid or not.'
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Summer airfares are tumbling — and these hot destinations are among the most affected
Prices are cooling for hot summer getaways. The cost of plane tickets is dropping due to softening demand, with some prices plunging almost 25% when compared to the same last year. A new report from travel site Kayak found the average cost of a ticket to Sydney, Australia has tumbled 23%. The average airfare to the harbor city now stands at $1005, whereas fliers were forking out $1312 for the same route last summer. Given its location in the southern hemisphere, it's heading into winter in Sydney, but that actually may be more incentive for some American travelers to jet Down Under. Sydney boasts mild winters, meaning it may be more enjoyable there than in sweltering Europe, with its hordes of tourists and lack of air conditioning. The weak Aussie dollar means Americans currently get more bang for their buck, too. Meanwhile, Kayak reports that the cost of airfares to Hong Kong has dropped 16%, while ticket prices to Incheon, South Korea are down 15%. But for those still wanting to travel to Europe this summer, there are also bargains to be had. Plane tickets to Stockholm, Sweden and Oslo, Norway are down 17% and 16% respectively when compared to summertime last year. Kayak reports that the cost of a standard plane ticket to all European destinations has dropped 8% on average. For those looking to travel domestically, Kayak has named the best cities that offer bang for your buck. Flights to Orlando, Tampa and Raleigh can all be scored for less than $300 on average, with the cheapest times to fly revealed as being between May 19–June 8 and August 11–31. However, flying on public holidays is still cheaper than it was last year, too. July 4th flights are nearly 10% cheaper, while Memorial Day and Labor Day are also down on last year. The report comes less than a month after United Airlines announced it would slash its domestic flights by about 4% beginning this summer because of softer demand. The Chicago-based airline also forecast lower-than-expected profit for the current quarter and warned of downside risks to its full-year outlook if the US economy slips into a recession from the ongoing trade war. United said its financial forecast is dependent on the macro environment which, it added, is 'impossible to predict this year with any degree of confidence.'
