- Mr Plane Guy
- 20 hours ago
- 7 min read
This Week's Plane News
08 March 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 briefing on airline news, aviation chaos, loyalty deals, and the occasional travel hack that makes the journey a little smoother.
This week the aviation world has been watching the Middle East very closely.
The escalating conflict involving Iran and the United States has already caused one of the largest disruptions to global air travel since the pandemic. More than 30,000 flights in and out of the region have been cancelled, leaving over a million passengers stranded as major hubs like Dubai and Doha face airspace restrictions and operational shutdowns.
Dubai International Airport, normally the world’s busiest airport for international passengers, has been hit particularly hard. Airlines have been forced to reroute aircraft, suspend services, and operate longer, more expensive flight paths to avoid restricted airspace. And the ripple effects are global.
When Middle Eastern airspace closes, it doesn’t just affect travellers flying to Dubai or Doha. Those airports are major connecting hubs linking Europe, Asia and Australia. Aircraft and crew get stranded, routes get reshuffled, and suddenly flights thousands of miles away start running late.
Fuel prices have also surged dramatically, with jet fuel reportedly jumping around 60% since the strikes began, something airlines will inevitably pass on through higher ticket prices.
For an industry worth an estimated $11.7 trillion globally, this kind of disruption quickly turns into what aviation analysts are calling an “aviation quagmire.”
If you’ve got travel plans coming up this year, one piece of advice from someone who’s watched the industry through 9/11, the 2008 financial crisis, and multiple geopolitical conflicts:
✈️ Book decent travel insurance as soon as you book the trip.
Disruptions like this tend to cascade through the system for weeks.
On a lighter (and far more controlled) note…
Seatfrog has sent over an exclusive code for readers of Plane News Weekly and yes, it’s actually a decent one.
🚄 £3 off your first Seatfrog upgradeUse code PLANEGUY3 (new customers, valid until 30 June 2026). If you have no idea what Seatfrog is check out this review
If you’ve never used Seatfrog before, it’s the app that lets you bid or instantly upgrade to First Class on UK train routes, often for less than the price of a sandwich and coffee at the station. Because around here, we don’t do standard class if we can help it.
Back at Gatwick, I’ve also just visited the Clubrooms lounge in the North Terminal and it was superb, easily one of the most premium lounge experiences at Gatwick right now.
If you’re flying from the North Terminal soon, you can read my full review here.
If you want lounge access without paying £40-£60 walk-up prices, Priority Pass is usually the cheapest way to get in.
I’ve also been looking at easyJet’s Twilight Check-In service, which lets you drop your luggage the evening before early morning flights.
If you're not sure what the easyJet Twilight Check-In service is, you can read more here.
And that got me thinking about something that happens at airports all the time.
Airports typically tell you to head to the gate around 40 minutes before departure.
Airlines tell you that check-in closes around 30 minutes before departure.
Yet at airports like Gatwick, the walk to some gates can take 15–20 minutes.
Which raises the obvious question…
Why do they announce gates so late if passengers need that much time to reach them?
I had a recent reminder of this after getting slightly distracted by a champagne gin cocktail in the lounge and then having to make a brisk walk (borderline jog) to a gate that felt closer to Crawley town centre than the departure lounge.
I explain exactly how those timing rules work and why passengers miss flights more often than you think in this easyJet check in time guide.
This week in Plane News:
Virgin Atlantic Expands India Flights
More Flights Between Gatwick and Shanghai
'By'eck' Lounge Trouble at Leeds Bradford Airport
New Stansted Lounge Opens After Escape Lounge Closure
Pre-Flight, Lounge & Airport Experience,
Plane Avios Tip of the Week: Earn 30,000 Avios From an Estate Agent?!
PLANE FLIGHT DEAL OF THE WEEK, Osaka in Japan!
✉️ 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 Plane News Weekly
Virgin Atlantic Expands India Flights
Virgin Atlantic has confirmed it will retain its increased schedule on the London Heathrow – Bengaluru route, with 10 weekly flights operating from 31 August 2026. The route has proven particularly strong for both business and visiting-friends-and-relatives travel, and the extra frequencies give passengers more flexibility between the UK and India’s tech capital. If you’re considering flying Virgin on this route, you can see what the onboard experience is actually like in my Virgin Premium review and my full Virgin Atlantic Upper Class review, where I break down the seats, food, and whether the upgrade is worth the miles.
🇨🇳 More Flights Between Gatwick and Shanghai
China Eastern Airlines is planning to increase its Shanghai Pudong – London Gatwick service from two to three daily flights during peak Summer 2026, with tickets expected to go on sale soon. That’s a significant boost in capacity on a route that’s already the largest UK–China connection by seats and flights in 2026. The increase highlights Gatwick’s growing importance for long-haul traffic to Asia, particularly as travel demand between China and the UK continues to rebound.
If you’re flying from Gatwick soon, it’s also worth checking my guides to Gatwick airport lounges and how to save on Gatwick airport parking before you travel.
Pre-Flight, Lounge & Airport Experience
'By'eck' Lounge Trouble at Leeds Bradford Airport
Leeds Bradford Airport’s new Avro Lounge, opened last summer as part of the terminal extension, appears to be closing after less than a year.
The lounge was designed as a quieter, lower-cost option, but passenger feedback criticised the limited food, restricted drinks and lack of staff. The airport now says the lounge will operate only until 31 March.
Current plans suggest the space will likely be merged into the neighbouring Six Eight One lounge and converted into a quieter seating area instead.
New Stansted Lounge Opens After Escape Lounge Closure
London Stansted has opened a new Essence by Escape lounge after the previous Escape Lounge closed last week, briefly leaving travellers with very few lounge options at the airport. The new concept is located on Pier 1 and offers light bites, drinks and lounge seating before departure. Entry starts from about £25.99 if pre-booked or £35 walk-up, with access also available via Priority Pass, DragonPass and Lounge Key.
If you’re flying from Stansted and wondering whether it’s actually worth using, I’ve broken down everything you need to know here.
Plane Points & Miles News:
Plane Avios Tip of the Week: Earn 30,000 Avios From an Estate Agent?!
London landlords, this one’s niche but big. Foxtons is offering up to 30,000 Avios per property when you link your British Airways Executive Club account in My Foxtons. Avios are paid over 12 months and yes, that’s potentially a European Club Europe return just for choosing the right agent.
You can earn:
✈️ 30,000 Avios – Sole letting agent instruction
✈️ 20,000 Avios – Convert to fully managed
✈️ 20,000 Avios – Instruct to sell before 31 March 2026
Plane Honest take: don’t choose an agent purely for points… but if you’re already selling or renting in London, this is one of the highest non-flight Avios earn rates I’ve seen recently.
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.
Takeoff, Travel Deals & Flight Opportunities
This Week's PLANE FLIGHT DEAL OF THE WEEK
Return trips from London Gatwick & London Heathrow
Osaka in £400s-£430s rtn (KIX)
TRAVEL DATES
June (example trips below)
AIRLINE
China Eastern
STANDARD FARE
From £1000 (incl. bag)
BAGS & FEES
Full-sized cabin bag and two checked bags included.
BOOK BY
A day or two.
More details here about how to
Plane Talk, Insider Insight & Reader Engagement
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.
✈️ Plane Extras Express
The PLANE Smart Way to Take Off
🅿️ Airport Parking Compare prices and save up to 75% at airports across the UK from Heathrow and Gatwick to Manchester, Birmingham and beyond with
🍸 Lounge Access Start your journey with a prosecco instead of a queue.
Get 30% off Priority Pass membership and relax in 1800+ lounges worldwide.
🌍 Travel Insurance Cover every trip for less with Coverwise (by AXA) annual European cover from £10.20.
Plane Honest Take: That’s it for this week’s Plane News Weekly. As always, thanks for reading, supporting the site, and flying smarter with me.
Same time next Sunday. ✈️
Mr Plane Guy
Plane News This Week, 08 March 2026
Comments