Strike brewing at Edinburgh Airport

Unite, the union behind the Heathrow T5 strikes, are now threatening to cause “chaos” at Edinburgh airport after members voted for strike action. No dates for a strike have been set yet. Edinburgh Airport said it had offered an 11% pay rise along with a £1,000 cost-of-living payment and has also now made an improved offer.

The Union are saying it is not enough as Gatwick were recently given 12%. The staff involved include those in airport security and passenger support so it could have a substantial impact on travellers if the strike goes ahead without enough contingency.

Lufthansa’s Purchase Of ITA Airways Imminent

It has been rumoured for a long time that Lufthansa would be a substantial stake in the Italian airline ITA which is the rebirth of Alitalia. It has now been announced that Lufthansa and the Italian government have secured an agreement for the German airline to take over ITA, with formal confirmation imminent.

The Lufthansa Group is anticipated to invest 300 million euros in ITA Airways, resulting in the acquisition of a 40% interest that would subsequently expand to 90% upon the payment of an additional 500 million euros. The Italian government intends to retain a 5% to 10% ownership stake in the airline. ITA recently took delivery of its first A330neo.

ITA is currently part of Skyteam and was offering status matches which allowed many people to get status when they first started. However, the status has rarely worked properly and is often not recognised by other members. If Lufthansa were to take over, it would be interesting to see if ITA moved to Star Alliance like the rest of the Lufthansa group. You can read our review of ITA here.

The purchase of such a substantial stake seems a very risky move from Lufthansa, given that the various iterations of the airline have been unprofitable for many years and did not serve Etihad well when they had a stake in the airline.

Virgin Atlantic Holidays discount

Virgin Atlantic Holidays have a new Spring Bank Holiday Sale that applies to new package holidays where the price includes flight and accommodation or flight and car, that is booked between 00:01 Friday 26th May 2023 and 23:59 Tuesday 30th May 2023.

The savings are as follows:

• Save 5% for departures 1st June 2023 to 31st December 2023. 
• Save 10% for departures 1st January 2024 – 30th June 2024

You can find more details and book here.

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Not long ago BA released the first batch of flights that were all Avios seats. These sold out in less than 24 hours, so if these new ones are of interest, run don’t walk to buy them! 

British Airways unveiled its next Avios-Only flights today, opening up hundreds of additional reward seats over the 2024 Easter period.

The first Avios-Only flights were revealed last month, on which 100% of the seats are exclusively available to Executive Club Members as Reward Seats. The first two were to Sharm El Sheikh in November 2023 and Geneva in February 2024.

Following the success, British Airways has opened five more return journeys that will operate as Avios-Only flights in 2023 and 2024. Members will have the opportunity to travel on both Avios-Only flights or combine them with other available travel dates.

Reward Seats are those that can be purchased using Avios at static rates. British Airways guarantees a minimum of 12 and 14 Reward Seats on all other short and long-haul flights respectively as standard, whereas Avios-Only flights mean that every seat is available to purchase using Avios. Members booking the Avios-Only flight can do so in any cabin as they normally would through ba.com.

Customers with British Airways American Express Credit Cards will also be able to use their Companion Vouchers on the Avios-Only flights, entitling them to a second seat for just the taxes and charges, or half the amount of Avios.

To book, log into your Executive Club account on www.ba.com as book as usual  

Avios-Only flight costs

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Twilight bag-drop service

British Airways and Ryanair passengers can now use the Twilight bag-drop service at Edinburgh Airport in Scotland. As a result, travellers on early-morning flights can arrive at the airport the night before to check their bags, allowing them to skip the morning queues. The BA bag drop is open Monday to Friday, between 4pm and 7pm, for flights departing before noon the following day. One person can check in all the luggage but they must have everyone’s passports with them.

Passengers can also use this service through Jet2.com and EasyJet. The bag-drop timeframes vary slightly across the various airlines.

Adam Wilson, chief operating officer at Edinburgh Airport, said, “Extending the Twilight bag-drop service to passengers using all four of our busiest airlines is something we’ve been working on to help make the journey through the airport as smooth and efficient as possible. By checking-in bags the night before, passengers will be able to head straight to security and into the departures lounge. We’re glad to see this work with our airlines come to fruition and we hope passengers will take the chance to start their holiday off in a bit more of a relaxed fashion.”

IHG One Rewards “You Choose” Bonus Promotion

Finally there is a new points bonus offer from IHG. The “You Choose” summer deal from IHG is now available for registration for stays taken between 6 June and 31 August 2023.

There is a choice of two offers. Earn 2,000 bonus points every two nights (1,000 bonus points each night) OR 10,000 bonus points every four nights (2,500 bonus points each night) with IHG One Rewards.

You can access this offer on IHG’s website here.

However, your decision between these two offers cannot be changed after you’ve made it.

Even though Award & Points + Cash Nights count toward elite status, they are not eligible for this offer to get extra points.

Emirates offer free hotel stays in Dubai

Travel in First Class or Business Class with Emirates and get two nights at 25hours Hotel Dubai One Central for free. As usual you will also get the Chauffeur‑drive service to and from the airport and airport lounge access.

If you fly in Premium Economy or Economy Class, you get a complimentary night’s stay at the Novotel Trade Centre hotel.

If you are stopping over for at least 24 hours in Dubai, remember to keep a copy of your Emirates boarding pass to make the most of exciting offers and special discounts in the city and across the UAE. 

Once you’ve booked your flight online, through the call centre or your travel agent, send an email to EmiratesOffer@emirates.com with your booking reference, date of arrival in Dubai, passenger names, contact phone number and email address to receive your hotel confirmation.

Offer validity

Booking period: 22 May 2023 – 11 June 2023

Travel period: 26 May 2023 – 31 August 2023

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British Airways to open Concorde Room at T3

Rumours have been circulating for a while about big changes at Heathrow T3’s British Airways lounge. For those travelling in First from T3 or who are Gold Guest List, the BA experience is pretty substandard. However, with the Cathay First lounge and the Qantas Business and First lounges as better substitutes, savvy travellers have simply been foregoing the BA lounges. Whether the rumored improvement are to stop the no doubt large bills from BA travellers lounge hopping or just a desire to fit in with their vision to be a more premium airline, I’m not sure. 

Travellers are now reporting there will be a new Concorde Room at T3, where the current dining area is. This will obviously be a smaller version of the T5 Concorde room, but will have a cocktail bar and dining area. I have now heard this from numerous sources, so I am assuming it to be true. It is due to open by July. This is welcome news, and hopefully, they have the same Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle champagne as they do at T5. However, I personally think the Concorde Room dining menu is still in need of improvement compared to other lounges such as Cathay and Qantas. So I wouldn’t be surprised if people still carry on with their lounge tours!

You can see everything you need to know about flying First class with British Airways in this article. 

Skyteam deal extends to UK with return business class to US from £1066

I recently wrote about a new Skyteam deal from Europe to the US. This has now extended to include the UK but seems to be mainly to New York, Boston and Washington. There are some very good prices, and it shows that, at least for the US, the ridiculous pricing period is over for the time being. If only this could also apply to BA’s European flights, which show no signs of reducing from the current eye-wateringly high prices.

You need to book on/before 30 May, and you can travel from January to March 2024. 

These are the included airlines:

• Air France
• Delta
• KLM
• Virgin Atlantic

Here are the departure points and prices to New York in business class return:

• Birmingham £1,228
• Edinburgh £1,242
• Glasgow £1,233
• Inverness £1,066
• London £1,333
• Manchester £1,301

Thanks to Luxury Flight Club for the fares.

Emirates free wifi for all passengers

The trend of airlines offering free wifi for passengers is continuing with Emirates being the latest airline to announce their

All Emirates Skywards members in every class of travel can now enjoy some form of free connectivity. Skywards members, whether Blue, Silver, Gold, or Platinum tier, travelling in any class, whether Economy, Premium Economy, Business or First Class will enjoy free app messaging. Additionally, First Class passengers will have unlimited free internet if they are Skywards members, as will Silver, Gold and Platinum Skywards members travelling in Business Class. Platinum Skywards members have complimentary internet access in all classes.

Patrick Brannelly, SVP Retail, IFE & Connectivity commented: “Emirates has persistently worked with our service providers to optimise and improve the connectivity experience. In March we delivered about 55% more data per customer session compared to early 2022 despite the number of sessions increasing by 68% in the same period. We will continue to work to invest in upgrades and enhancements, and our A350 aircraft will arrive with the next generation of satellite connectivity already equipped.”

Emirates also announced that it will offer new high-speed, inflight broadband powered by Inmarsat’s GX Aviation, onboard 50 new Airbus A350 aircraft – scheduled to enter service in 2024. The new agreement will significantly improve the passenger experience with enhanced connectivity and greater global coverage, even on flights over the Arctic

Emirates also confirmed an investment of over US$ 350 million to equip a 50-strong fleet of A350s coming in 2024 with enhanced passenger connectivity via Thales’ AVANT Up system and Optiq – the first smart display in the industry to offer two Bluetooth connections, built-in Wi-Fi for passengers to pair multiple devices including phones, tablets, headphones or even game controllers, while supporting up to 60 watts USB-C to fast-charge personal devices.

So if you are flying Emirates, make sure you join Emirates Skywards before your flight to make it easy to get the free wifi. 

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Clarification for BA and oneworld status holders on Finnair new policies

I wrote previously about big changes being introduced by Finnair on 1 June. These include a new Super Light fare as the basic economy class fare on short haul. This new fare only includes one small carry-on bag meaning that you will only be able to take a bag that fits under the seat in front, meaning that most wheelie bags will have to be paid for. There were also changes in the business class luggage allowances and seat booking policies. You can read the full article here.

It wasn’t 100% clear what those with BA or oneworld status would be entitled too, so I wanted to clarify with Finnair before I went into more detail. Here are the official rules from 1 June. 

As a new Finnair Plus benefit, oneworld Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald members can also take one complimentary carry-on bag on flights within Europe when travelling with a Superlight ticket that otherwise includes only a small bag. You will also get checked luggage:

Total allowance when travelling with Economy Superlight:

• oneworld Ruby: small bag, carry-on bag
• oneworld Sapphire: small bag, carry-on bag, checked bag 23 kg
• oneworld Emerald: small bag, carry-on bag, checked bag 23 kg

However, there is more bad news. Starting from 1 June 2023, oneworld Emerald members can no longer take heavy or oversized bags with them free of charge. If your bag weighs 23-32kg or exceeds the standard size of 90cm x 75xm x 45cm, you will need to pay a heavy or oversized bag charge.  Personally, I think this is pretty poor as there are very few airlines that I know of that have such a small business class baggage allowance, and even fewer still that would not give more to status holders. It would definitely put me off using them on a long-haul trip where I would take over 23kg in one case, which is not unusual. You do still get an extra bag which helps soften the blow as oneworld emerald. 

Finnair Plus (oneworld) members continue to have their current advance seat reservation benefit:

• Finnair Plus Silver members: You’ll get a 50% discount from advance seat reservations for Finnair flights (excluding Comfort seats and seats with extra legroom).
• Finnair Plus Gold members: You can pre-select a seat through Manage booking for Finnair flights. This also includes the option of reserving a Comfort seat. Please note that reserving an Extra Legroom seat is not included as an option.
• Finnair Plus Platinum and Platinum Lumo members: You can pre-select a seat through Manage booking for Finnair flights free of charge. This also includes the option of reserving a Comfort seat and seats with extra legroom.

Business class EU to US and beyond offers

This offer is brought to you by our partners Luxury Flight Club.

Although BA has some good fares in their current sale, these are definitely a bit cheaper for the West Coast in particular. You can fly on Air France, KLM or Delta. If you live outside London, it can make more sense to fly Air France or KLM rather than connecting through Heathrow. I used KLM and Air France to fly long haul with recently and found both connections very painless. I was particularly impressed with Air France’s business class food and service, which was among the best I have had. 

Flying through Dublin has the advantage of US pre-clearance, which means you clear customs and immigration in Dublin so you arrive in the US like a domestic passenger. The fare is available to travel between November and April 2024. There is a minimum 5 day stay, but you can do a stopover in Europe for €75 and in the US for €600. 

From Barcelona (BCN)

• Toronto (YYZ) £1202 ​
• Montreal (YUL) £1295
• Dallas (DFW) £1356
• Chicago (ORD) £1379
• San Francisco (SFO) £1397
• Vancouver (YVR) £1436

From Dublin (DUB)

• Las Vegas (LAS) £1335 ​
• Austin (AUS) £1335
• Chicago (ORD) £1335
• Nashville (BNA) £1335
• Charlotte (CLT) £1335
• Toronto (YYZ) £1355
• Portland (PDX) £1357
• Los Angeles (LAX) £1367
• Vancouver (YVR) £1375
• San Francisco (SFO) £1377
• Cancun (CUN) £1379
• Montreal (YUL) £1405
• Mexico City (MEX) £1409
• New York (JFK) £1475

From Madrid (MAD)

• Toronto (YYZ) £1,426 ​
• Montreal (YUL) £1240
• Calgary (YYC) £1368
• San Francisco (SFO) £1381
• Houston (IAH) £1388
• Chicago (ORD) £1396
• Los Angeles (LAX) £1404
• Havana (HAV) £1455

You can check prices with KLM here, Air France here and Delta here.

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European Strikes update

Strikes in France are ongoing over the proposed rise in retirement age. The next major strike is scheduled for 6 June when there is due to be a national strike which is likely to affect all forms of public transport in France as well as overflights due to the air traffic controllers being on strike. Usually, a small proportion of flights to France are cancelled in plenty of time. Those flying elsewhere in Europe are likely to find delays and possibly even the odd cancellation due to knock-on delays. 

In Spain, the Spanish pilots union have voted for strikes which will affect Iberia, Ryanair, easyJet, Jet2, Norwegian,  Air Nostrum, Air Europa, Eurowings and Vueling. Strikes have been announced at all Spanish airports on  22, 23, 25, 26, 29 and 30 May, and 1 and 2 June. Spain has a law that requires pilots to crew 90% of flights even when taking industrial action, which is ironically what they are striking about. The pilots union is also trying to persuade air traffic controllers and cabin crew to join the strikes, which would have a more substantial impact. 

A nationwide general strike is due to take place on 26 May in Italy. It will definitely affect buses, tram and metro lines, but it is not certain if trains will be disrupted. There will be a minimum level of service as this is required by law, but it does mean public transport will be crowded. 

Grand Hyatt La Manga Club Golf & Spa

The first Grand Hyatt hotel to open in Spain, the Grand Hyatt La Manga Club Golf & Spa has now opened near Murcia in southeast Spain. The property has undergone extensive refurbishment and now has 192 Mediterranean-inspired Guestrooms including seven signature suites, and spa-inspired marble bathrooms.

One of the key elements of the hotel transformation is the new 18,298-square-foot (1,700-square-meter) world-class wellness centre. The Arabian-inspired Alma’ Spa – with ‘alma’ meaning water in Arabic and soul in Spanish has water as a key influence throughout the spa. Treatments and beauty therapies use high-end Natura Bissé skincare products in six treatment rooms, and the spa features a hydrotherapy pool and multi-sensory circuit.

Other hotel facilities also include an adult-only infinity pool with views across the golf course towards the coast, plus an outdoor family pool and fitness center. The Grand Hyatt La Manga Club Golf & Spa is also home to three of the best 18-hole golf courses in Europe and has a Golf Academy and Practice Center. 

As well as golf, there is a newly refurbished Racquets Center with 28 tennis and seven flood-lit paddle courts, cricket facilities including two artificial pitches, five artificial net lanes and a fielding practice area. The professional La Manga Club Football Center also features eight natural grass FIFA-sized pitches and a 750-capacity stadium that make it the ideal official training ground for FC Cartagena.

The hotel has 11 different dining options, from an Italian trattoria to a Japanese izakaya sushi bar, and the beautiful beachfront setting of La Cala restaurant.

If you fancy a stay, don’t forget if you book through a Hyatt Privé agent such as GTC you get extra privileges:

• Early check-in priority, based on availability
• Room upgrade priority on availability (excludes non-suites to suites)
• Daily full breakfast credit for two
• Connecting room priority, based on availability
• Welcome amenity – $50 – $100 property credit 
• Late check-out priority, subject to availability

You can see the hotel website here. 

New Etihad route

Etihad Airways has announced a new route to Osaka in Japan, flying five times per week beginning 1 October 2023. 

Known as the ‘Kitchen of Japan’, Osaka boasts a world-class culinary scene, with Michelin-starred restaurants and eclectic eateries offering delicacies such as takoyaki (octopus balls), okonomiyaki (savoury pancakes) and sushi.

In the city itself, you can visit Osaka Castle to experience the samurai-era, visit the vibrant Dontonbori district, with its neon-lit streets and countless entertainment options, or indulge in retail therapy in one of the many shopping districts dotted across the city. Osaka is also well connected from the airport by train and is a good airport to fly into to visit Kyoto, which I think no visit to Japan would be complete without. It is also relatively close to Hiroshima, which makes a fascinating but sobering place to visit. 

Etihad will be flying its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on the new route which features its Busines Class Studio seats. 

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Accor Offers 25% Off Flexible Rate 

Accor is launching a brand-new offer this summer with a 25% discount on all flexible rate bookings of a minimum of three nights at more than 1500 participating hotels across Europe and North Africa.

The offer will be valid for two weeks, for bookings made between 16th May – 1st June 2023, for stays between 8th July to 3rd September 2023. Members of Accor’s global loyalty scheme ALL: Accor Live Limitless will have exclusive access to the first day of the sale on 16 May. Members’ rates will also give an extra 10% off for members only.

For more information and to book, click here.

1000 Avios bonus or 500 points with Accor

You can get a special bonus by simply linking your Qatar Airways Privilege Club and ALL – Accor Live Limitless accounts and making a purchase.  You could then transfer the Avios over to your BA account instantly if you wanted. 

There are then two different bonuses once the accounts are linked. Book a stay at any participating ALL Accor hotels and resorts before 10 June for stays until 31 August and earn 500 bonus Reward points from ALL.

To get the Avios bonus, you need to book a flight with Qatar Airways before 10 June for flights until 31 August to earn 1,000 Avios from Qatar Airways Privilege Club.

If you collect Avios and stay at Accor it is a no-brainer to link your accounts, as you will earn 1 Avios per £1 spent at Accor on top of your usual Accor points. If you collect Avios in BA, it is probably not worth using your Qatar account for flights just to get a few extra Accor points on Qatar flights if you need tier points. If you mainly use Privilege Club, then it’s worth it for the 1 Accor hotel point per $2 spent on Qatar Airways. 

You can find the offer page here.

Marriott extend massive 40,000 point bonus on Homes and Villas

Marriott’s biggest promotion of the year has been extended! Marriott Bonvoy Members who book a private home rental between May 15 – May 19, 2023 will earn 40,000 bonus points for 4+ night stays until 9 September 2023. This will be the last chance for this promotion. The catch is that there is a minimum spend of $1500. 

When:

• Booking Window: May 15, 2023 (12:01 AM EDT) – May 19, 2023 (11:59 PM EDT)
• Stay Window: May 15, 2023 – September 9, 2023

How:

Marriott Bonvoy members can sign into their account on homes-and-villas.marriott.com and book a home between May 15 – 19, 2023 for 4+ nights during the stay window from May 15 – September 9. Once their stay is complete, they will earn their base points, plus a 40,000 points bonus per eligible paid stay.

Provided that the correct Marriott Bonvoy membership account number is added as part of the booking process, Points will automatically appear in the member’s account 21-42 days following the completion of their stay. The minimum spend for the stay is $1,500 USD (or foreign exchange equivalent).

You can find the offer page here. 

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Virgin Atlantic sale

As well as the decent British Airways sale that has just launched, Virgin Atlantic has also launched a sale today which is on until 30th May 2023.

The fares are very good for Virgin Atlantic in current times, so it feels like we are finally seeing some downward movement from the sky-high prices of the last year. Like BA, the best bargains are for 2024. This may be driven by the current Jet Blue fare I wrote about for £1350 return in a business class suite. 

You can read about the new Virgin Atlantic A330neo with the latest seats in this review. 

Here are some of the sale fares:

• Antigua (ANU) £2,363
• Atlanta (ATL) £1,670
• Austin (AUS) £1,662
• Bangalore (BLR) £2,600
• Barbados (BGI) £2,108
• Boston (BOS) £1,494
• Chennai (MAA) £2,590
• Delhi (DEL) £1,681
• Hyderabad (HYD) £2,600
• Lagos (LOS) £2,188
• Las Vegas (LAS) £2,037
• Los Angeles (LAX) £1,814
• New York (JFK) £1,335
• Orlando (MCO) £1,885
• San Francisco (SFO) £1,714
• Seattle (SEA) £1,662
• Tampa (TPA) £1,885
• Tel Aviv (TLV) £1,129

You can find the sale page here. 

Emirates starts to go paperless

Another trend in the airline industry that is just kicking off is the trend for going completely paperless. Obviously, this is great for the environment. However, it personally makes me nervous not having a paper boarding card in case my phone failed as I have been subject to the screen of death a couple of times where you can’t fix it without visiting an Apple store.

I also prefer to have paper boarding cards for claiming the miles/points back which I seem to have to do quite frequently on partners with BA. While obviously, you can store them in your Apple Wallet, again if there was an issue with your phone, it could make it tricky to retrieve them.

However, I do like the fact that they email you the baggage receipt. I would welcome this from every airline as it is easy to misplace them when they are stuck on passports or loose. 

Emirates will require most passengers departing Dubai to use a mobile boarding pass instead of a printed paper version, from 15 May onwards.

Passengers checking in at Terminal 3 will receive their mobile boarding pass via email or SMS. Passengers who check in online can load their boarding pass into their Apple Wallet or Google Wallet, or retrieve their boarding pass on the Emirates App. The checked-in baggage receipt is also emailed directly to passengers, or available in the Emirates App.

The idea is to reduce paper waste significantly and to reduce the risk of lost or misplaced boarding passes.

Some passengers may still require a physical boarding pass to be printed – for instance, when travelling with infants, unaccompanied minors, passengers requiring special assistance, passengers with onward flights on other airlines, and all passengers travelling on flights to the US.

You can request a paper boarding pass at check-in counters for passengers who do not have a mobile device or if they are unable to access the information on their devices for reasons such as: running out of battery power, a system breakdown or glitch, message delivery delay, or inability to access WIFI, network or a data package. I’m glad to see this as few UK mobile phone companies offer coverage in the UAE included on their packages.

Biometric journeys in Dubai

Registered passengers can now use biometric machines or smart gates to go through various airport stations. UAE Residents can register to use the Smart Gates at Emirates Terminal 3 and speed through Immigration every time they return to Dubai. UAE citizens and residents can use their passport, boarding pass, or a valid UAE ID, while GCC nationals or visitors eligible for visa on arrival can pass through the Smart Gates with a biometric passport.

And finally…Finnair celebrates Eurovision with their own singers

Finnair has launched an exclusive new music video to celebrate its centenary later this year which is well timed for the Eurovision Song Contest final this weekend. The new song, performed by the Finnair Singers, brings the fun of flying  as listeners can get set for take-off with the sights and sounds from a Finnair flight.

Inspired by the airline’s long-haul experience, the Finnair Singers which is now an exclusively female choir, sing as they go about their jobs on their aircraft. You can also see Finnair’s innovative new seats in the video. Filmed at the flag carrier’s home hub in Helsinki, you get a behind-the-scenes look at Finnair’s operation and the role of its employees.

Last month, the Nordic carrier also partnered with Finnish music producer and rising star Perttu to release a new and exclusive playlist, named “Journey”, on Spotify. 

Finnair’s new centenary music video is available to stream on YouTube and across the airline’s social channels.

You can watch it here:

To learn more about Finnair’s centenary celebrations, visit finnair.com/finnair100

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Qatar to restart Auckland flights

5000 bonus points for signing up to Qatar’s Privilege Club

Join Privilege Club by 31 December 2023 using the code PCAMER23 and travel by 30 June 2024 to earn bonus Avios. Collect 2,500 Avios in Economy Class and 5,000 Avios in Business or First Class, after your first flight as a member. You need to travel by 30 June 2024.

Even if you are a member of the BA Executive Club, it is worth considering joining Privilege Club so that you can book Qatar Avios flights at cheaper rates and transfer between the two programs seamlessly. The only issue with the offer is that you would have to credit the flights to your Qatar account, so you would miss out on the BA tier points. 

The offer page is here.

Etihad new discount code – save 10-20%

Use the code EARLYBIRD23 to save up to 20% on your next trip in Economy or up to 10% in Business class. You must book by 19 May for travel between 10 September and 15 November 2023.

The code is valid on return and one-way journeys on Etihad-operated flights booked on etihad.com using the promo code EARLYBIRD23 but not on flights to and from the UAE. 

You can book with Etihad here. 

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British Airways and British Airways Holidays launched their May Sale today, offering flight and holiday savings for travel throughout 2023 and 2024.  

Running from 11 – 30 May 2023, the sale features both short and long-haul destinations for flights and holidays. Don’t forget that BA’s double tier points offer on holidays runs until 31 December. You can see all the details here. 

As usual, the best bargains long haul are to the US and Canada, and unlike the last time the cheaper prices are generally available September to March with the cheapest being in early 2024. 

You can find the general BA sale page here.

Flight only 

If you were thinking of booking premium economy, customers who book World Traveller (long-haul economy) will have the option to upgrade to World Traveller Plus (premium economy) from an extra £149 return. World Traveller Plus gives wider seats and more legroom, two meals and a complimentary bar service, priority boarding, more luggage allowance and an amenity kit made from recycled plastic bottles. 

Executive Club members also have the option to save Avios on the usual part pay with Avios with examples including return flights to Orlando from £165 + 42,900 Avios and Dubai from £209 + 55,000 Avios. You can find the part pay offer page here.

Club World

US, Canada, South America and Mexico

• Cincinnati £1569
• Dallas £1996
• Denver £1691
• Dubai £1976
• Houston £1515
• Las Vegas £1953
• Los Angeles £1816
• Miami £1862
• Montreal £1347
• Nashville £1519
• New Orleans £1594
• New York £1295
• Orlando £1896
• Philadelphia £1389
• Phoenix £1803
• Pittsburgh £1494
• Portland £1403
• San Diego £1828
• San Francisco £1716
• Seattle £1410
• Tampa £1896
• Toronto £1308
• Vancouver £1996
• Buenos Aires from £2498
• Cancun from £1896
• Grand Cayman from £2098
• Mexico City from £1976
• Nassau from £2078

Asia and Middle East

• Bengaluru £2265
• Chennai £2589
• Hyderabad £2598
• Mumbai £2436
• New Delhi £2405
• Tel Aviv £1149

First class

Technically they are not in the sale, but there are a number of US destinations with excellent prices for first class starting from £2249 return per person. You find all of these by using BA’s low fare finder here. 

You can find the general BA sale page here.

The best way to search for the cheapest flights is by using BA’s low fare finder.

Club Europe sale prices

160 tier points routes (return) in bold

• Aberdeen £148
• Amsterdam £184
• Barcelona £286
• Basel £198
• Belfast £156
• Billund £192
• Bologna £210
• Brussels £212
• Dublin £176
• Dusseldorf £220
• Edinburgh £150
• Frankfurt £224
• Funchal £362
• Geneva £262
• Glasgow £144
• Gothenburg £214
• Hamburg £206
• Jersey £212
• Lisbon £268
• Luxembourg £148
• Lyon £226
• Madrid £284
• Manchester £158
• Marrakesh £314
• Marseille £264
• Milan £258
• Munich £266
• Newcastle £142
• Nice £232
• Nuremberg £200
• Oslo £246
• Paris £234
• Pisa £198
• Prague £206
• Sofia £212
• Tirana £300
• Toulouse £222
• Valencia £208
• Venice £206
• Vienna £232
• Warsaw £206
• Zagreb £204

You can find the general BA sale page here.

The best way to search for the cheapest flights is by using BA’s low fare finder.

BA Holidays

There are some pretty good offers on holidays when you look at the high prices of fligh- only. Often buying a trip as a holiday saves money as well as earning extra Avios at the rate of 1 Avios per £1 and the fact that you don’t need to pay up front for holidays more than 8 weeks in advance. You can just pay a small deposit. You can now also use your Avios as part payment on our holiday packages. Log into your Executive Club account and you can use your Avios as part payment on Flight + Hotel and Flight + Car holidays.

There is also an early bird extra discount:

Early booking offer – Book by 16 May to save up to an extra £300

Book a flight + hotel or flight + car holiday in the sale and make additional savings:  

• £300 extra discount with a minimum spend of £10,000 per booking (F+H only)  
• £200 extra discount with a minimum spend of £5,000 per booking (F+H only)  
• £100 extra discount with a minimum spend of £2,500 per booking  
• £50 extra discount with a minimum spend of £1,250 per booking  
• £25 extra discount with a minimum spend of £650 per booking (F+C only) 

Short haul holidays

All inclusive hotels + return Club Europe Flights with prices per person based on two sharing a room:

• Corfu flights + 7 nights hotel from £856 pp
• Crete flights + 7 nights hotel from £856 pp
• Antalya flights + 7 nights hotel from £745 pp
• Dalaman flights + 7 nights hotel from £761 pp
• Ibiza flights + 7 nights hotel from £669 pp
• Marrakech flights + 7 nights hotel from £669 pp

Room only or bed and breakfast minimum 4* hotels + return Club Europe Flights with prices per person based on two sharing a room:

• Malaga flights + 7 nights hotel from £459 pp
• Tenerife flights + 7 nights hotel from £674 pp
• Algarve flights + 7 nights hotel from £504 pp
• Madeira flights + 7 nights hotel from £599 pp
• Paphos flights + 7 nights hotel from £730 pp
• Larnaca flights + 7 nights hotel from £731 pp

City breaks – Room only or bed and breakfast minimum 4* hotels + return Club Europe Flights with prices per person based on two sharing a room:

• Madrid flights + 3 nights hotel from £376 pp
• Barcelona flights + 3 nights hotel from £388 pp
• Venice flights + 3 nights hotel from £319 pp
• Rome flights + 3 nights hotel from £355 pp
• Lisbon flights + 3 nights hotel from £358 pp
• Berlin flights + 3 nights hotel from £373 pp
• Istanbul flights + 3 nights hotel from £508 pp

Club World holidays

• New York flights + 4 nights hotel from £1466 pp
• Orlando flights + 7 nights hotel from £2059 pp
• Los Angeles flights + 5 nights hotel from £2048 pp
• Las Vegas flights + 4 nights hotel from £2209 pp
• Boston flights + 4 nights hotel from £1569 pp
• Miami flights + 4 nights hotel from £2258 pp
• Toronto flights + 4 nights hotel from £1478 pp
• Vancouver flights + 7 nights hotel from £2582 pp
• Dubai flights + 5 nights 5* hotel from £2026 pp
• Tel Aviv flights + 3 nights hotel from £1440 pp
• Mauritius flights + 7 nights hotel from £3276 pp
• Maldives flights + 7 nights hotel from £3999 pp

The easiest way to search for holidays is to use BA’s Holiday Finder. 

You can find the general BA sale page here.

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