- Mr Plane Guy
- Oct 12
- 5 min read
Updated: 7 days ago
Plane News Weekly: UK Airline & Aviation Updates, 12 October 2025
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 buying overpriced airport lattes at the airport). Thanks for your support! Note: I’m also not a financial advisor just sharing my experience.
Welcome on board to this week’s Plane News Weekly, your Sunday dose of airline updates, loyalty deals, and travel hacks from the skies. Catch up on this week’s biggest airline stories, new routes, lounge openings and travel deals, all in one place.
Boarding Announcements, New Routes & Airline Updates
Riyadh Air officially launches flights on 26 October, with London and Dubai as the first two destinations. The airline promises a premium cabin experience, new service standards, and competitive fares that could shake up transatlantic and Middle East routes. Travellers looking to be among the first to try this airline should keep an eye on early promotions. It’s an exciting addition to UK airline news and offers a fresh option for frequent flyers. Here is Everything We Know About Riyadh Air.
British Airways is introducing a new route from London Heathrow to St Louis, expanding its US network. This route will offer convenient connections for business and leisure travellers, and passengers can expect BA’s typical in-flight service and loyalty points opportunities. Early bookings are already available, making this a great chance to plan a transatlantic trip.
United Airlines will operate a new 737 MAX service from Newark to Glasgow, providing another transatlantic option for UK travellers. This route adds capacity and flexibility for passengers looking to fly between the US and Scotland. Frequent flyers will benefit from additional miles and loyalty opportunities. The new service highlights the growing range of UK-US flights available in 2026.
Pre-Flight, Lounge & Airport Experiences
It’s been a busy week for UK airport lounges and traveller experience upgrades. If you’re planning a trip, check out the new Aspire Lounge at Liverpool Airport, it looks incredible (read more here).
And congratulations to London City Airport, which has just been named the UK’s best airport in the Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Choice Awards 2025
This week, I visited the new Clubrooms lounge at Heathrow Terminal 3 and look out for the review, it was certainly an experience!
Priority Pass with 30% off is the easiest way to access the lounge without worrying about availability or paying full price.
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Frequent Flyer Briefing, Loyalty Offers & Points
Loyalty programs continue to offer significant benefits for frequent travellers. You can earn 2,000 Virgin Flying Club points via the refer-a-friend program, a quick and easy way to boost your balance.
Sign up with my affiliate link and get a 2,000 Virgin Points welcome bonus! (Very limited time offer be quick!)
The Tesco Clubcard auto-convert offer gives you a free 5,000 points bonus if you enable it by 19 October. I turned it on this summer and, after a couple of readers used my referral link, I quickly earned 11,000 Virgin Points, enough for a free flight to New York! (I’m actually writing this from Manhattan right now.) Virgin Red full guide here.
Ends tonight! Buy Virgin points and get a 70% BONUS!
Are you just a few points shy of that magic number? Virgin are currently running a 70% bonus Virgin Points promotion. IT RUNS OUT TONIGHT AT 23:59!! Be quick, Cinderella!!
Takeoff, Travel Deals & Flight Opportunities
Looking for the best flight deals from the UK this week? My standout find is a return flight to Bratislava for just £32.
My £32 return flight to Bratislava was actually spotted by Jack’s Flight Club. They send out incredible deals like this every week! If you love finding bargain getaways, their £1 Premium trial is absolutely worth it and there’s even a chance to win a £500 prize.
With Christmas Market season approaching, now is the time to plan festive European trips check out my Christmas Market guides. Full details of Christmas Market dates for 2025, amazing deals, reviews and guides.
This week’s travel credit card offers are worth a look if you’re collecting points or planning your next trip. These are the best UK travel credit card offers available right now, perfect if you’re building points for your next big trip.
The Current American Express Bonus Offers (Until 14 October 2025)
⚠️ I’m not a financial expert. I may earn points if you take this offer.
Here’s what’s available right now:
Amex Gold Credit Card UK, Earn 40,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend £5,000 in the first six months. Normally, the bonus is 20,000 points, so that’s double the usual offer.
Amex Platinum Credit Card UK, earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend £10,000 in the first six months.
Business Cards, If you’re self-employed or run a business, the Amex Gold Business can get you up to 60,000 points, and the Amex Platinum Business up to 120,000 points, depending on spend.
👉 To take advantage, you need to be approved by 14 October 2025.
Maximise your points: Use my referral link to earn 45,000 Membership Rewards points.
💳 Grab the American Express® Preferred Rewards Gold Card – Earn 45,000 Points!
Apply Here → Here is the link.
Plane Talk, Insider Insight & Reader Engagement
Each week, I provide a plane honest perspective on UK airline news, routes, lounges, and loyalty programs. Next week, I’ll review a new airline cabin and test a VIP lounge, giving you practical tips and insights from someone who’s worked in the travel industry. Now I want to hear from you: What lounges, routes, or flight deals should I cover next? Share your tips or questions in the comments, they could feature in next week’s edition.
Have a lounge or route you’d like reviewed? Drop a comment or DM me on Instagram, your question might feature in next week’s edition! Follow me on Instagram for behind-the-scenes travel updates, flight tips, and real-time airline news from my journeys.
About Me
I’m Mr Plane Guy, sharing UK airline news, flight deals, and loyalty tips with a plane honest perspective and loyalty tips each week.
I test lounges, try new routes, and offer practical travel hacks so you can fly smarter, save money, and make the most of your points.
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Plane News This Week, 12th October 2025.
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