Plane News Weekly

Mr Plane Guy
3 days ago
6 min read

This Week's Plane News

18 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.

What a week in aviation. I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed the brief spat on X between Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary and Elon Musk, two men who never miss an opportunity to have the last word.

Speaking of X and social media, if you’ve noticed I’ve been a bit quieter on Instagram and TikTok lately, that’s intentional. Every January I take a short reset from socials… and for reasons I’m already questioning, I’ve also thrown in Dry January and Veganuary. Yes — thrilling stuff.

January is about resetting and planning, and before we go any further, I just want to say this: over 30,000 of you read MrPlaneGuy.com last month. I’m genuinely touched and incredibly grateful it still blows my mind that so many of you choose to spend your time here.

So let me ask you:

Where are you jetting off to this year?
What makes you anxious when you travel?
And how can I help make your trips feel a little more luxurious, without the luxury price tag?

If you’re looking for inspiration, I’ve pulled together my favourite real-world tricks in Plane Luxury Escapes: 10 Luxury Travel Hacks to Live First Class for Less, everything from lounges and stopovers to smart upgrades that actually work.

Right, let’s get into this week’s Plane News.

Heading to Brussels for the day! Oh la la

This week in Plane News:

BA Adds Heathrow–Orlando Flights After Manchester Cuts
Edelweiss Air Launches Zurich–Glasgow Summer Route
Flying Blue Offers Status Match to British Airways Club Members
Which Airline Has the Least Legroom in Economy?
10 Luxury Travel Hacks to Live First Class for Less
Plane Avios Tip of the Week: Do Avios Expire?
This Week's PLANE FLIGHT DEAL OF THE WEEK, Return from London Gatwick (LGW):CAPE TOWN £375

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Plane News Weekly: UK Airline & Aviation Updates

Boarding Announcements, New Routes & Airline Updates

BA Adds Heathrow–Orlando Flights After Manchester Cuts

British Airways will operate a temporary London Heathrow–Orlando direct route during the summer 2026 school holidays, following Aer Lingus cancelling Manchester–Orlando flights earlier this year.

BA already runs daily Orlando flights from London Gatwick, so this move gives travellers a second London departure point, though it does little for those in the regions.

Flights will operate from Heathrow Terminal 5 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, departing at 08:20 and returning overnight. With early summer departures, Terminal 5 lounge access could be worth considering, including Club Aspire Heathrow T5 and the Plaza Premium Lounge Heathrow.

For Gatwick flyers, BA’s Orlando services from the British Airways Gatwick terminal remain the main option outside peak dates and this route could also be a good opportunity to upgrade with Avios, especially if reward seats open closer to departure.

Plane Bottom line: BA is clearly stepping in where Aer Lingus stepped back adding Orlando capacity while keeping Florida firmly on its Gatwick and Heathrow network.

Edelweiss Air Launches Zurich–Glasgow Summer Route

Swiss leisure carrier Edelweiss Air will launch a seasonal Zurich–Glasgow service from 29 May 2026, giving Scotland a new direct link to Switzerland for summer travel. Flights will operate twice weekly,

with departures from Zurich on Mondays (11:40–13:00)

and Fridays (13:40–15:00), returning from Glasgow at 13:50 on Mondays and 15:50 on Fridays.

The route adds another European option for Glasgow Airport and strengthens Zurich’s role as a key leisure and onward-connection hub for summer 2026.

Flying Blue Offers Status Match to British Airways Club Members

Air France–KLM’s Flying Blue programme has launched a UK-focused status match for British Airways Club members, allowing BA Bronze, Silver and Gold flyers to convert their existing status into Flying Blue elite tiers for 12 months. The paid match (from £79) unlocks perks across Air France, KLM, SkyTeam and select Virgin Atlantic lounges, without giving up BA status or Avios, making it a smart hedge for frequent flyers.

Full details 👉 https://www.mrplaneguy.com/post/status-match-british-airways-club

Which Airline Has the Least Legroom in Economy?

A new comparison using Which? seat pitch data reveals big differences in economy legroom across UK and European airlines and the results may surprise you. Wizz Air comes out worst, with just 28 inches of seat pitch on many aircraft, while KLM and Aer Lingus quietly offer up to 33 inches, more than several legacy rivals. Ryanair, often criticised for comfort, actually fares better than expected. I break down what the numbers really mean (especially if you’re tall), plus real-world comfort hacks,

in the full article here 👉 https://www.mrplaneguy.com/post/airline-least-legroom

Pre-Flight, Lounge & Airport Experience

Luxury travel doesn’t start onboard, it starts before you even board. In my latest guide, I break down how to upgrade your pre-flight and airport experience for a fraction of the usual cost, from Priority Pass lounge access and champagne at Heathrow to smart loyalty tricks, free luxury stopovers and bidding for upgrades. These are the real-world hacks I actually use to travel first class for less, without paying premium prices.

Full guide here 👉 Plane Luxury Escapes: 10 Luxury Travel Hacks to Live First Class for Less

My readers get 30% off Priority Pass memberships here

Plane News This Week, Priority pass card

Do check out my many fabulous airport lounge reviews.

Frequent Flyer Briefing, Loyalty Offers & Points

Want to Land 2000 Virgin Points in 2 minutes?

Avios Tip of the Week:

Plane Avios Tip of the Week: Do Avios Expire?

Yes, Avios do expire, but only if your account is completely inactive for 36 months. One small action resets the clock for your entire balance: earning, spending, transferring, or even converting Nectar points to Avios is enough. There’s no warning from BA when they’re about to disappear, and Avios expiry is not the same as companion voucher expiry a common (and costly) mix-up. The good news? You don’t need to fly or spend big to keep them alive. Full guide here 👉 https://www.mrplaneguy.com/post/do-avios-expire

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.

👉 Try Reward Flight Finder free for 7 days here:

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.