- Mr Plane Guy
- 6 days ago
- 5 min read
This Week's Plane News
04 January 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 buying overpriced lattes at the airport). Thanks for your support! Note: I’m also 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.
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!
This week in Plane News:
EgyptAir is increasing flights on its Cairo – Manchester route
FINAL BOARDING CALL for this amazing American Express introductory deal!
Stansted Wasn’t Great for Lounges, It’s About to Get Worse
London City Airport Joins the Drop-Off Fee Club
This Week's PLANE FLIGHT DEAL OF THE WEEK New York £250 to £280 Return!
New customers investing £500+ with J.P. Morgan Personal Investing can earn 10,000 Avios!!
✉️ Subscribe to Plane News Weekly for exclusive flight deals, loyalty tips, and aviation updates every Sunday. Sign up here.
Boarding Announcements, New Routes & Airline Updates
It’s been a quiet week for airline news, thanks to the Christmas and New Year slowdown, but there is one notable update worth flagging.
EgyptAir is increasing flights on its Cairo – Manchester route, boosting frequency from 7 to 10 flights per week from 11 July 2026.
The increase adds extra capacity on a key leisure and VFR route from the North of England, with improved flexibility for summer travel to Egypt and onward connections beyond Cairo.
More route announcements are expected once airlines fully return from the holiday lull.
Important: This isn’t financial advice. Credit cards are subject to status, terms and conditions, and affordability checks. Please consider your own financial situation before applying.
FINAL BOARDING CALL for this amazing introductory deal!
American Express has quietly dropped one of the biggest referral bonuses I’ve ever seen on the Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card:
If you use my referral link:
You’ll earn: 45000 Membership Rewards Points (usually 22000!) when you get approved and spend £5000 in 6 months.
That’s enough for:
A return to Europe, A one-way long-haul in Premium, Or a big chunk towards a Business Class Avios upgrade.
Offer ends 13 January 2026. Very limited and genuinely one of the best Amex Gold boosts in years.
Pre-Flight, Lounge & Airport Experience
Stansted Wasn’t Great for Lounges, It’s About to Get Worse
The Escape Lounge at London Stansted Airport will permanently close on 28 February 2026, with no replacement lounge confirmed. From that point, Priority Pass users will be limited to an £18 food and drink credit at The Camden Bar & Kitchen, counted as a lounge visit per person. More terminal space is coming as part of Stansted’s £600m expansion, but for now, lounge access is being replaced by a bar tab.
🚗 London City Airport Drop-Off Charge!
London City Airport Joins the Drop-Off Fee Club
The last major UK airport still offering free terminal drop-off has finally fallen. From 6 January 2026, London City Airport will charge £8 for up to 5 minutes at the forecourt, with Blue Badge holders remaining exempt. It marks the end of an era for one of the UK’s most convenient airports and adds another cost for quick goodbyes and business drop-offs. I’ve broken down what’s changing, how it compares to other UK airports, and the smartest ways to avoid paying it.
Frequent Flyer Briefing, Loyalty Offers & Points
Want to Land 2000 Virgin Points in 2 minutes?
Sign up with my affiliate link and get a 2000 Virgin Points welcome bonus! (Very limited time offer be quick!)
Avios Tip of the Week:
If you’re starting 2026 with travel (and financial) goals, this is one of the strongest Avios offers I’ve seen in a while. New customers investing £500+ with J.P. Morgan Personal Investing can earn 10,000 Avios, double the usual bonus, when signing up by 30 January 2026. It’s not about spending more, it’s about organising money you already have (capital at risk), and getting a very tidy Avios boost for doing so.
Reward Flight Finder
If you’re serious about using Avios properly, this is one of the tools you need.
Reward Flight Finder shows you up to 355 days of British Airways reward availability on one simple page.
Once you’ve got the Avios, find seats before they vanish with Reward Flight Finder or grab Jack’s Flight Club for £1 and bag ridiculous flight deals when cash beats points.
Takeoff, Travel Deals & Flight Opportunities
This Week's PLANE FLIGHT DEAL OF THE WEEK
New York £250 to £280 Return!
London Gatwick to JFK
Flight Details
TRAVEL DATES
January-March (example trips below)
AIRLINE
Norse Atlantic Airways
STANDARD FARE
From £400 (non-stop)
BAGS & FEES
Personal item and full-sized cabin bag included. Checked bag upgrade is £67 rtn.
Example trips:
Tue 27th Jan - Wed 4th Feb
Tue 10th - Mon 16th Feb
Mon 23rd Feb - Tue 3rd Mar
Tue 24th Feb - Wed 4th Mar
Mon 9th - Tue 17th Mar
Tue 10th - Wed 18th Mar
More details here about how to
Plane Talk, Insider Insight & Reader Engagement
I Hope British Airways Are Reading: We Want Sausage!
We regret to inform you that the Club Europe sausage has officially been grounded. From 7 January 2026, British Airways is removing hot breakfasts from Club Europe on key short-haul routes, swapping eggs and bacon for fruit, yoghurt, and a lone, slightly sad pastry. BA says it’s about “engaging with customers”. I say it’s about efficiency cost cutting and we want sausage.( Vegetarian for me)
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 and real-time airline news from my journeys.
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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Happy Plane New Year 🎄✈️
Thank you for reading Plane News this year, for the messages, the DMs, the lounge chats, and the shared love of flying smarter (and occasionally drinking prosecco at 7am). Here's to a dry, vegan, grey-skies, sausageless BA flights January! Oh and look out for me in The Telegraph this week!
Mr Plane Guy
Plane News This Week, 04 January 2026.
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