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

A couple of years ago, Hotels.com took one of the simplest loyalty schemes in travel… and completely overcomplicated it. They rolled everything into One Key, tried to merge multiple brands together, and in the process made it worse for pretty much everyone. Less value. Less clarity. Less reason to use it. Now? They’ve reversed it and I’ll be honest, I didn’t think they would.

Qatar Airways QSuites is regularly ranked as one of the BEST business class experiences in the world. Private suites.Sliding doors.Lie-flat beds.Restaurant-style dining.And on some aircraft… even double beds in the middle seats. Honestly? It’s closer to first class than most business class products. The problem? Cash fares can easily cost: £3,000 £4,000 sometimes MUCH more But using Avios, you can sometimes fly the EXACT same Qatar Airways QSuite experience for far less than

British Airways is facing serious backlash from frequent flyers and if you’re a British Airways frequent flyer, this one matters. Over the past few days, reports have emerged of random loyalty status extensions being handed out… while others, including long-term loyal members, have lost their British Airways Silver or British Airways Gold status completely. And here’s the real issue: 👉 Those who lost status also lost lounge access, priority perks, and key travel benefits

If you collect Virgin Red points, fly with Virgin Atlantic or simply like getting more value from your supermarket shopping, this is one of the best Virgin Points offers I’ve seen in a while. Right now, Tesco Clubcard members can get 30% extra Virgin Points when manually converting Tesco Clubcard vouchers into Virgin Points before 30th June 2026. And honestly? If you already collect Virgin Points, this is a pretty easy win.

If you’re collecting points with Virgin Red or flying with Virgin Atlantic, this is one of the fastest ways to boost your balance right now and in 2026, the current offer is strong.

If you’re collecting British Airways Avios and flying through duty free Heathrow, this is one of the easiest “stacking” tricks most travellers completely miss. British Airways quietly partnered with Club Avolta in late 2025, and most travellers still don’t realise it exists. Club Avolta (formerly Dufry / Red by Dufry) is the loyalty programme behind World Duty Free and it now partners with British Airways and Iberia to let you earn and redeem Avios when shopping airside. It

You Deserve a Reward, Not a Headache Let’s be honest. Collecting Avios is the fun part. Spending them? That’s where the stress kicks in. Trying to find British Airways reward flights on BA.com can feel like a full-time job: Searching date by date Cabin by cabin Route by route Watching seats appear… then disappear It’s slow. It’s frustrating and it’s why so many people sit on huge Avios balances they never use. That’s exactly why tools like Reward Flight Fin

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

Emirates Skywards has quietly dropped one of its most useful UK-focused updates in a long time and if you collect Plane Points & Miles, this one’s genuinely worth paying attention to. Emirates’ loyalty programme has officially partnered with Jet2.com, the UK’s favourite leisure airline, meaning you can now redeem Emirates Skywards Miles on Jet2 flights to more than 75 destinations across Europe and beyond. Yes, thats Jet2 beach holidays, city breaks, ski trips… now payable

British Airways loyalists don’t usually look across the fence, but Flying Blue is now giving British Airways Club members a very good reason to do exactly that. Air France–KLM’s loyalty programme has launched a new status match aimed at BA elites in the UK, unlocking recognition across Air France, KLM, SkyTeam, and slightly awkwardly for BA, Virgin Atlantic.

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.

Welcome aboard this week’s Plane News Weekly, your Sunday fix of UK airline updates, aviation news, loyalty deals, and travel hacks. I hope you all had a great New Year’s Eve! I spent mine in Rotterdam, which was crazy! The Dutch do love a firework or two! Don't forget to follow me on Instagram for more up-to-date travels!

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.

Travel websites love shouting about “exclusive perks”. Most of them aren’t worth the effort. Lastminute PRO is different, mainly because it’s free, but does it actually save money? And is it worth using as a UK traveller booking city breaks and short holidays? Here’s the honest breakdown.

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?

The Smart Reality of Spending Avios after the Devaluation Avios isn’t “dead” but it has officially become a precision tool, not a blanket reward system. Smart Avios users will now: Target very specific routes Compare upgrade vs full redemption Use tools like Reward Flight Finder to avoid blind searching Spend Avios sooner, not later Because one rule always wins with airline currency:

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

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.