Mr Plane Guy
1 day ago
5 min read

Plane News Weekly

31 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 funds my ongoing airport lounge “research.” Thanks for your support!

Note: I’m not a financial advisor, just sharing my personal experiences and travel tips.

Welcome aboard this week’s Plane News Weekly, your Sunday roundup of airline news, airport chaos, loyalty updates, flight deals and “luxury for less” travel hacks.

And honestly?

This week I may have accidentally fallen deeper into the Hilton Honors rabbit hole.

Because I’ve just booked a 5-star Hilton resort in Sardinia that should have cost well over £2,000…for roughly HALF the price.

No scam. No weird timeshare presentation. No “attend this 4-hour hotel breakfast seminar.” Just Hilton Honors points, a points bonus sale, and some surprisingly decent travel maths.

Boarding Announcements, Airline Updates & Loyalty News

I Just Booked A 5-Star Hilton Resort For Nearly 50% Less

One of the biggest travel hacks I’ve used recently? Hilton Honors points.

I’ve just booked a luxury Hilton resort in Sardinia for my summer holiday, and instead of paying the full cash price of over £2,000, I managed to reduce the cost dramatically using Hilton Honors points purchased during Hilton’s recent 50% bonus sale.

THIS is why I’ve suddenly started paying much more attention to Hilton Honors.

Because when the travel maths works properly, the savings can become genuinely huge.

Especially for:

Luxury resorts
Expensive summer destinations
Peak-season travel
Airport hotels

The bonus sale has unfortunately just ended (sorry about that 😭) BUT Hilton runs these promotions surprisingly often throughout the year.

So don’t worry…I’ll absolutely keep reporting on future Hilton Honors bonus sales when they appear. Even better?

Because I currently have Hilton Gold status through the Hilton Honors Debit Card, I’ll also get:

Free breakfast
5th night free on reward stays
Room upgrades subject to availability
Bonus Hilton points

This is EXACTLY the kind of “luxury for less” travel strategy I love.

I’ll report back with a full resort review soon, so definitely follow my Instagram stories because I suspect this hotel is going to be VERY Mr Plane Guy.

👉 Read my Hilton Honors Debit Card review here and you too can become Hilton Gold card holder instantly!

American Express Gold Card Offer: 35,000 Bonus Points

One genuinely strong travel deal right now? American Express has boosted the welcome offer on the Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card.

Using my referral link, eligible new cardholders can currently earn:

👉 35,000 Membership Rewards bonus points

…when spending £3,000 within the first three months.

That’s a LOT of points.

Especially because American Express Membership Rewards points can transfer into:

Avios
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
and Hilton Honors

In fact: 1 American Express point can often become 2 Hilton Honors points. Which suddenly becomes VERY interesting for luxury hotel stays.

I actually used American Express points myself to help fly Qatar Airways business class previously, so I’ve personally found Membership Rewards surprisingly useful for “luxury for less” travel. I flew business class with Qatar with mine.

You’ll also get:

4 free Priority Pass lounge visits per year
Bonus points on travel spending
Travel rewards and offers

👉 If you’re going to get this card anyway, using my link gets you more points than the standard public offer. Check your eligibility.

⚠️ Important: I’m not a financial advisor. This is a credit product, so please do your own research and make sure it’s right for your situation before applying. Terms apply, 18+, subject to status.

easyJet Flight Diverts To Rome Over Power Bank In Checked Luggage

One VERY important airline story this week involved an easyJet flight from Egypt to London Luton being diverted to Rome after a passenger informed crew that a power bank was charging inside checked luggage.

This is exactly why airlines have become much stricter with lithium battery rules recently.

The easyJet Airbus was cruising at 36,000 feet before making a sharp diversion into Rome Fiumicino Airport as a precaution. Thankfully there was no fire onboard, but lithium-ion battery incidents are becoming an increasingly serious concern globally.

easyJet’s current rules state:

Power banks must travel in cabin baggage only
They must not be used to charge devices during key flight phases
They should never be packed into checked luggage

So if you’re travelling soon: please check your airline’s battery rules before flying.

Because nobody wants “cabin crew prepare for Rome diversion" energy on the way to a well deserved holiday.

👉 Read my easyJet baggage & travel guides here

European Airport Queues Are Getting WORSE

One warning this week came from Wizz Air’s UK boss, who advised passengers to arrive THREE HOURS early for flights home from Europe because of worsening airport exit check points, linked to the EU’s Entry Exit System (EES).

Popular holiday hotspots are already starting to feel absolutely overloaded again.

Especially:

Malaga
Alicante
Barcelona
Paris
Nice
Lisbon

Personally? If I was booking Europe this summer, I’d seriously consider smaller cities instead.

Think:

Valencia
Murcia
Seville
Marseille

Same sunshine, slightly less,“queueing for 90 minutes while emotionally melting.”

And honestly? I’m VERY thankful I still have my European residence rights because this summer airport chaos feels like it’s building quickly again.

VietJet Launches Its First EVER European Route

One route announcement I genuinely LOVE this week? Vietnamese low-cost airline VietJet is launching its first European route between Hanoi and Prague from October 2026. The flights will operate twice weekly using Airbus A330 aircraft and could become one of the cheapest ways to reach Vietnam from Europe. Even more interesting?

The airline says future expansion into Europe is already planned.

Which potentially means:

cheaper Asia fares
more competition
and more “luxury for less” long-haul opportunities

I LOVE seeing low-cost airlines trying ambitious long-haul routes.

Because even if you never fly them personally, increased competition almost always helps reduce prices overall.

Virgin Atlantic Literally Hosted A Sugababes Concert At 35,000 Feet

Virgin hosted a live Sugababes performance onboard one of its Airbus A350 aircraft this week using Starlink Wi-Fi to livestream the event globally from 35,000 feet. This is exactly why Virgin Atlantic still feels more FUN than many airlines.

The performance took place inside “The Loft” social area onboard the A350 and showcased Virgin’s rollout of Starlink high-speed internet across its fleet. Meanwhile some airlines still struggle to get the seatback screen working.

And with: