Mr Plane Guy Plane Blog,
Flight Reviews, Airport Lounges & Travel Hacks.

🚨 20% off Priority Pass Standard Plus ends 28 February.If you’re lounge-curious, now’s the moment. I’ve just flown from Gatwick twice in one week (Amsterdam and Brussels runs), which means I’m close to reviewing almost every lounge there! Emirates, you’re next. My latest visit: British Airways Lounge Gatwick South (2026): The Plane Honest Review and yes, I’ve got opinions Clubrooms Gatwick North still holds serious private-members-club energy.

This week I was dispatched to the tropical island of… Jersey. Yes, I really do get sent to some exotic locations from time to time. I flew over on British Airways, sorry, “Euroflyer”in Club Europe from Gatwick. Thanks to fog, we enjoyed a cute little two-hour delay at Gatwick. Naturally, this occurred just as the screens suddenly flashed gate closed while I was mid second pink gin fizz. I ran. I survived. I did not review the bathrooms. You probably won’t notice.

If you’ve ever googled “how much are Avios points worth” or “avios points value”, here’s the Plane Honest answer: Most people use ~1p per Avios as a sensible baseline Your real value depends on what you’d actually pay in cash The best redemptions usually come from: peak cash prices + premium cabins + vouchers + good availability

This one slipped out quietly, but it’s a meaningful change if you collect Avios and occasionally fly Vueling. Vueling, IAG’s Barcelona-based low-cost carrier and sister airline to British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus, has confirmed changes to its Vueling Club loyalty programme. The headline change? For many travellers, Avios won’t be earned at all at least not straight away.

If you collect Avios points or you’re trying to build a balance fast for a specific trip, this is one of the strongest short-term plays British Airways has offered in a while. For a limited time, British Airways Club members can boost Avios by up to 500%, at a cost as low as 0.92p per Avios. Used correctly, this can materially change what you can book with British Airways Avios in 2026. Used badly, you’ll overpay. Here’s how it actually works.

If you’re looking for easy ways to earn British Airways Avios points without stepping on a plane, this is a genuinely useful new partnership, especially if you live in London or have a trip planned. Avios has launched a new earning partner with TodayTix, the popular West End theatre ticket app and website.

If you’re new to Avios and feel like everyone else knows something you don’t, this guide is for you. Avios are easy to earn. Using them well is the part most people struggle with. Between BA Avios, credit cards, Avios partners, shopping portals and bonuses, it’s never been easier to build up an Avios balance. But when it comes to actually booking BA reward flights, that’s where frustration usually kicks in.

You’ve probably heard the horror stories: someone logs into their British Airways Executive Club account, ready to book a cheeky reward flight… only to find their Avios balance has vanished. No warning. No apology. Just poof, gone. So, do Avios expire? Yes, but not in the way most people think. And this is the bit British Airways doesn’t exactly announce over the tannoy. Let’s clear it up properly.

If you’re setting new goals for 2026, travel goals, financial organisation, or simply being a bit more intentional, this is one of the cleanest Avios offers I’ve seen in a while. No shopping portals.No endless stacking.Just one action… and 10,000 Avios.

If you’re buying clothes, basics, or last-minute festive bits online anyway, this is one of the easiest Avios wins I’ve seen in a while. Right now, new customers shopping at SHEIN UK can earn up to 30 Avios per £1 spent and on top of that, Avios is running a 50% Christmas bonus across 1,000+ brands. That means your everyday online shopping can quietly turn into British Airways Avios, flight upgrades, or future reward flights.

Welcome aboard this week’s Plane News Weekly, your Sunday fix of UK airline updates, aviation news, loyalty deals, and travel hacks from the skies. This week like everyone else I have been running around buying things for Christmas, if you're still wondering what to get people then maybe you should get them a Priority Pass, who wouldn't love discounted airport lounge access all year round?

If you’re hosting, gifting, or simply stocking up for Christmas, this is one of the easiest Avios boosters of the season. Right now, you can earn: 5,000 Avios when you spend £150 2,500 Avios when you spend £100 on wine, Champagne, spirits and mixed cases across the Christmas shop.

British Airways has quietly launched a new way to upgrade your flight and for once, it gives passengers real control over what they pay. Instead of fixed upgrade prices at check-in, BA is now testing a bidding system that allows selected passengers to make an offer for a higher cabin before departure. If your bid is successful, you move up. If not, you stay put, no harm done. It’s rolled out slowly, and not every route or flight qualifies yet. But this is clearly part of BA

Trying to book BA reward flights using Avios can feel like a full-time job. Seats vanish quickly, availability changes by the minute, and searching manually on ba.com is slow and frustrating. This week’s Avios Tip of the Week is about making that process faster, smarter — and cheaper. Right now, Reward Flight Finder is offering 20% off Annual memberships for Black Friday, and if you’re serious about booking Avios reward flights, this is one of the most powerful tools you ca

Well this week I flew from Amsterdam to Manchester and when KLM offered me an upgrade to business class for £60 I thought you know what I will do it for my readers ( all 17 of them) and show em, check it out here. On the way home also in the name of BLOG research and 'aherm', work I tried and tested two lounges at Manchester Airport Terminal 2. Is the Escape Airport Lounge T2 Manchester Actually an Escape? My Honest Pre-Flight Verdict.

This week I was given an exciting opportunity to do some work in Paris so I hoped on the train and spent 3 wonderful days in the city! Whilst Iwas there I noticed American Express bring out an amzing sign up BONUS! I will put my referral below as you can also bag a few extra thousand points for using that!

Avios has launched its biggest shopping promotion of the year: 50% bonus Avios on over 1,000 retailers for Black Friday 2025. Whether you’re doing Christmas shopping, grabbing early sales or just topping up essentials, this is the easiest way to earn a huge stack of Avios fast. With boosted earning rates, double-dips and some brands offering massive first-time customer bonuses.

Pack your patience! The ongoing U.S. government shutdown has already caused over 1,000 flight cancellations and 5,000 delays at major airports like JFK, Chicago O’Hare, and Atlanta. The FAA warns cuts could rise to 4–10% if it continues and yes, it’s starting to affect some transatlantic flights from Europe too.

For travellers who collect Qatar Airways Avios, one of the more exciting partnerships in recent years is with JetBlue Airways. This collaboration means you can now redeem Avios for JetBlue flights, including the highly sought-after JetBlue Mint business class. In this guide, I’ll explain how the redemption works, what to expect in terms of Avios pricing, and whether using Avios on JetBlue is good value.

Finnair has just dropped a frosty deal that’s making Avios collectors melt up to 40% off when you buy Avios through Finnair Plus until 2 November 2025. That means you can stock up on Plane Points & Miles for as little as 1.26 euro cents each around 1.47p one of the best Avios prices we’ve seen this year (and cheaper than anything in the last BA sale).