- Mr Plane Guy
- 1 hour ago
- 4 min read
This Week’s Plane News
10 May 2026
By Mr Plane Guy, Travel Blogger, Flight Expert & Plane GEEK
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you click and buy, I might earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It helps keep this blog running (and fuels my habit of overpriced airport lattes). Thanks for your support!
Note: I’m not a financial advisor, just sharing my experience.
Welcome aboard this week’s Plane News Weekly, your Sunday fix of UK airline updates, aviation news, loyalty deals and travel hacks.
And honestly? In my world right now, travel is starting to feel a little… tense.
Politics, rising fuel prices, Middle East uncertainty, new virus outbreaks appearing again, and airlines tightening costs just before the busy Summer 2026 season. It genuinely feels like the industry is entering another tricky period.
Fuel is now creeping towards $150 a barrel, Spirit Airlines has already collapsed, and I suspect some airlines that haven’t made solid profits over the last few years may struggle badly if things continue this way.
Travel is absolutely still worth it. But I do think “travel smarter” is becoming more important than ever.
Meanwhile, I’m kicking off a new UK lounge tour over the next few weeks. Liverpool and Dublin are first up, followed by Birmingham, Newcastle and Glasgow. I’m also trying to get myself into the brand-new Air France Lounge at Heathrow once it finally opens.
So yes… lots of airport coffee and questionable breakfast buffets ahead ✈️
Boarding Announcements, Airline Updates & Loyalty News
Save £150 with Air France & KLM via American Express
A genuinely strong travel cash-back offer has appeared on selected American Express cards this week. You can receive:
£150 cashback when spending £1,500 with Air France or KLM
The interesting part? The Air France and KLM websites are effectively interchangeable, and they also sell Virgin Atlantic flights under AF/KLM flight numbers.
👉 this can effectively become a Virgin Atlantic cashback deal too.
You’ll still earn your normal Virgin Points and tier points if you add your Flying Club number to the booking.
Flights must depart from UK airports and you need to book by 17 June 2026.
If you’re considering Virgin Atlantic soon, here are my honest reviews:
Virgin Atlantic Drops Dubai & Seattle for Winter
Virgin Atlantic has confirmed it’s removing Dubai and Seattle from its Winter 2026/27 schedule.
Dubai was originally expected to return at the end of October, but the route will now remain suspended throughout winter. Virgin says Dubai may return for Winter 2027, depending on safety reviews and demand.
Seattle is also being paused from 25 October 2026, before resuming again on 27 March 2027.
Honestly, Seattle doesn’t massively surprise me.
By next year the route will face:
daily Alaska Airlines flights
daily Delta competition
British Airways operating up to 10 weekly services
That’s a LOT of competition on one route.
The good news?
Virgin is adding more South Africa flights instead, increasing Johannesburg to 10 weekly flights and Cape Town to 11 weekly flights during Winter 2026/27.
Singapore Airlines Expands UK Flights
Singapore Airlines is increasing UK capacity again, which is a pretty strong sign premium long-haul demand remains healthy.
Changes include:
Manchester increases from 5 weekly flights to daily from 13 July 2026
London Gatwick increases from 10 weekly flights to 14 weekly flights from 25 October 2026
Singapore Airlines continues to be one of my favourite airlines for long-haul comfort and consistency.
Tesco Clubcard 5,000 Virgin Points Offer Ends TONIGHT
Final reminder:
Tesco Clubcard’s 5,000 bonus Virgin Points offer for enabling Auto-Exchange ends tonight.
If you collect Virgin Points and haven’t activated this yet, I genuinely think it’s worth doing.
You need:
at least 250 Clubcard points
auto-exchange enabled by tonight
to remain opted in through the qualifying period
Don't have Virgin RED points? Sign up with my affiliate link and get a 2,000 Virgin Points welcome bonus!
Now combine this with Virgin Atlantic's Credit Card current introductory offer and you’ll suddenly have some serious points to play with.
💳 Virgin Atlantic Credit Card Boost
Virgin Atlantic is offering a strong bonus right now:
👉 36,000 points + extra 7,000 via my link
That’s a solid boost if you’re building towards a reward flight or upgrade.
⚠️ 18+, subject to status. This is a credit product, make sure it’s right for you.
✈ Cheap Flight Deals
Jack’s Flight Club, 30 Days Free!
If you’re serious about finding flight deals, this is one I genuinely rate.
What you get:
Economy, Premium & Business deals
Error fares
Personalised alerts
No ads + money-back guarantee
I use it and it’s one of the easiest ways to spot deals without doing the hard work yourself.
🧳 LEVEL8 Carry-On Suitcase
I’ve continued testing the LEVEL8 Carry-On during recent airport runs and honestly, it’s becoming one of my favourite travel upgrades this year.
Smooth wheels. Solid build. Actually fits airline sizing properly.
Which, these days, feels revolutionary.
About Me
I’m Mr Plane Guy, sharing UK airline news, flight deals and loyalty tips with a Plane Honest perspective.
I test lounges, review flights, and break down what’s actually worth your money, so you can fly smarter, spend less and make the most of your points.
✉️ Subscribe to Plane News Weekly for exclusive flight deals, loyalty tips, and aviation updates every Sunday. Sign up here.
Final Boarding Call
👉 Big theme this week?
Travel is becoming more complicated again. Fuel prices are rising. Airlines are adjusting schedules. Routes are disappearing. Costs are increasing and I honestly think Summer 2026 could become a difficult period for parts of the travel industry if conditions worsen.
But…
There are still opportunities if you stay flexible, use points smartly, and understand how the industry is shifting.
That’s where the real “luxury for less” game begins.
Same time next Sunday. Mr Plane Guy, Let’s make travel better.
