Club Eurostar: The 2025 Guide to Earning, Upgrading and Redeeming Points

The Basics

• Full Name: Club Eurostar
• Operator: Eurostar Group (merged with Thalys in 2023)
• Number of Members: 3.96 million+
• Loyalty Currency: Club Eurostar Points
• Booking System: Revenue-based earn / fixed-cost redemption
• Redemption Access: Any train with a cash seat
• UK Amex Transfer Partner: Yes (15:1 ratio)
• Points Expiry: 24 months of inactivity

Quick Refresher: What is Club Eurostar?

Club Eurostar is the loyalty programme for Eurostar, which now covers former Thalys routes after a 2023 merger. Members earn points based on spend, not distance, and can redeem those points for train tickets, upgrades, and discounts, with no taxes or blackout dates. The programme is especially handy for UK–Europe travellers, families, and anyone who values flexibility over complexity.

What’s Changed?

After Eurostar merged with Thalys, both loyalty schemes were flung onto the tracks and rebuilt as one: Club Eurostar. The result? A points programme where old-school Eurostar loyalists got short-changed a bit, while ex-Thalys members got a serious upgrade.

You now earn points based on your spending, but how do you redeem them? That’s still based on a flat-rate chart, and it’s surprisingly rewarding… if you know where to look.

Earning Club Eurostar Points

You earn:

• 1.2 points per £1 spent (or 1 point per €1)
• Status bonuses kick in as follows:
  • Avantage: +25%
  • Carte Blanche: +50%
  • Étoile: +75%

Bonus: You can transfer Amex Membership Rewards to Club Eurostar at 15:1. It’s not incredible value, but it can be decent if you’re topping up for a redemption or upgrade.

Redeeming Club Eurostar Points

Here’s where Club Eurostar shines: you can book ANY train, as long as there’s a cash seat. No blackout dates, no fare class restrictions, just straight-up availability.

Return Trip Pricing:

Anytime pricing kicks in when trains start filling up peak hours, holidays, or simply when Paris sounds too tempting.

Popular Routes You Can Redeem On:

• London ↔ Paris
• London ↔ Brussels
• London ↔ Amsterdam
• Paris ↔ Cologne (ex-Thalys)
• Brussels ↔ Düsseldorf
• Amsterdam ↔ Antwerp

You can also redeem points for discounts on cash tickets, but this is poor value:

• £5 off per 200 points = 2.5p per point
• Versus 10p value when used for full redemptions

Bottom line: save your stash for full tickets or upgrades.

Upgrading with Points

This is a sneaky good use of points:

• 600 points = Upgrade one-way from Standard to Eurostar Plus
• Must be available for cash to be upgradable, but it usually is
• No taxes, no surcharges, free means free

Thalys Routes & Limitations

Yes, you can now redeem points on former Thalys routes, such as Brussels to Cologne, Amsterdam, and Paris.

But:

• Redemptions are priced separately; you can’t combine Eurostar + Thalys in one 2,000-point return
• Book each leg as a separate reward ticket

Points Pooling

Club Eurostar doesn’t offer family accounts, but it does one better: Points Pooling.

• Transfer between 500–3,600 points per transaction
• Up to 7,500 points shared or received per calendar year
• Max 4 transfers per recipient per year
• Transfers don’t count toward status

Perfect for couples, friends, or dragging your partner’s points into your own upgrade fund.

Elite Tiers & Perks

Membership year runs from Oct 1 to Sept 30.

All tiers now come with an annual upgrade voucher; you get another if you move up a tier.

Points Expiry

Your points will expire after 24 months of inactivity.

What resets the clock?

• Earning via travel
• Amex or Accor transfers
• Points from service issues
• Incoming transfers from another member

Spending points do NOT reset expiry. Brutal but honest.

Amex & Accor Partnerships

American Express

• 15:1 transfer from Membership Rewards
• Value isn’t excellent: 0.67p per MR point (if redeemed for Eurostar Standard)
• Can make sense for upgrades, though e.g., 9,000 MR points → 600 Club Eurostar points → one-way upgrade worth £75–£90

Accor Live Limitless

• Eurostar → Accor: 500 points = 1,000 Accor (worth ~£16.50)
• Accor → Eurostar: 2,000 points = 300 Eurostar
• Not a great deal either way, but useful for topping up

Transfers don’t count toward elite status in either scheme.

Lounge Access with Amex Platinum

UK, French or Belgian Amex Platinum cardholders get free access to Eurostar Premier lounges, even on Standard tickets.

• No guests allowed, but supp cards work
• Staff may enable children to attend off-peak times
• Note: This does not include Amex Business Platinum

Who Club Eurostar Is For

Final Call: Is Club Eurostar Still Worth It?

Yes, despite the post-2023 devaluation, Club Eurostar still delivers real value. The sweet spot? Standard redemptions and upgrades, especially if you’re a semi-regular traveller who hits £400+ per year in spend and unlocks Avantage.

Throw in the ability to book any train, any time, with zero taxes or sneaky fees, and you’ve got a loyalty scheme that does what it says on the tin.

If you ride the rails a few times a year or even just like a good seat upgrade, it’s worth hopping on board.

Sign-Up Link

👉 Join Club Eurostar here

Cabin Binge: More Reads

• Review: American Express Business Platinum Card (UK 2025 Update)
• Accor Live Limitless: The Ultimate Guide to Earning, Burning, and Maximising Perks.
• Your Guide to Amex Platinum Lounge Benefits (UK Cardholders)