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Earn up to 12 Virgin Points per £1 spent with Booking.com – Enough for an Upper Class Flight?
Virgin Red has announced a flash bonus on Booking.com stays. You can now earn up to 12 Virgin Points per £1 spent on Booking.com stays across the UK and Europe (up from the usual 8 points per £1).
The offer ends on Monday, 21st July and is valid for any stay date.
Excellent Value
This is a great offer, and points really add up. For example, if you book a 1-week stay at £200 per night (after taxes and fees), you will earn 16,800 Virgin Points (12 per £1) compared to the regular rate (8 per £1), where you would earn 11,200 points – an extra 5,600 points just for booking before 21st July.
Looking at 11th May 2026, you can book an Upper Class redemption seat from LHR to JFK for 29,000 Virgin Points plus £526 in taxes.
To earn 29,000 points with this offer, you would need to spend £2,416.67 (after taxes) on Booking.com. Not only will you get the stay itself, but you’ll also earn enough points to redeem an Upper Class flight – great value!
Other earning rates include 1 point per £1 on stays in the USA, South Africa & Caribbean, and 5 points per £1 on stays in the rest of the world.
How to Earn the Points
You can’t go directly to booking.com; you must click through via Virgin Red via the ‘Earn’ button on the Virgin Red website or app and complete your booking in the same browsing session. Once you’ve been redirected to Booking.com, you can book as you normally would.
Points are awarded on room charges only (taxes, extras, and add-ons don’t count) and will be credited within 120 days of a completed stay.
You can easily transfer points from Virgin Red to Virgin Atlantic and vice versa. There are plenty of ways you can spend Virgin Points. Read our How to Spend Virgin Points guide for detailed info.
View the Virgin Red website here >>>
Radisson: Save Up to 35% with the New Resort Escapes Offer
Following Radisson’s Great Escapes sale in the Middle East and Southeast Asia Pacific, a new Resort Escapes offer has been announced. You can get up to 35% off your stay at participating resorts in the Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa – a fantastic deal.
The discount depends on your length of stay:
- 25% off for stays of 3 or 4 nights
- 30% off for 4 nights
- 35% off for stays of 5+ nights
To be eligible for the discount, you must book your stay between 17th July and 11th August. The offer only applies to Bed and Breakfast pre-paid rates.
Stay dates must be between 27th October 2025 and 28th February 2026. You must use the code RESORTW2.
You will also earn 2,000 bonus points for your stay. This is a bonus, though much less valuable than the 35% off part of the offer. Going on the idea that Radisson Points are worth 0.15p per point (going on the amount you get off a stay using points), 2,000 points are worth just £3.
Not all resorts are participating in the offer, but there’s plenty to choose from. The offer page is still being finalised, but we can see a good number of destinations featured, although it’s not yet clear which exact resorts are participating.
When you’re searching for a deal, just keep in mind that blackout dates and limited offer availability may apply. It’s best to set a date for Thursday if you’re planning to book a stay.
Your points will be credited 60 days after your stay, and you won’t get points on taxes, resort fees and extras.
Etihad to Add Seven New Destinations – Including Bucharest
Etihad has just announced seven new routes across the Gulf, the Caucasus, Central Asia and Europe as part of a push to drive more traffic to Abu Dhabi. Etihad has already celebrated the launch of new routes this year, including Prague, Warsaw, Sochi, and Atlanta, and is set to add another 13 routes before the end of the year.
This move capitalises on Wizz Air’s recently announced exit from Abu Dhabi on 1st September 2025, with Etihad stepping in to take over several soon-to-be-discontinued routes. All new destinations, except Tbilisi, are currently served by Wizz Air.
Destinations include:
| Destination | Launch Date | Flights Per Week |
|---|---|---|
| Bucharest, Romania | 16th March 2026 | 4 |
| Medina, Saudi Arabia | 9th November 2025 | 6 |
| Baku, Azerbaijan | 2nd March 2026 | 10 |
| Yerevan, Armenia | 10th March 2026 | 10 |
| Tbilisi, Georgia | 13th March 2026 | 10 |
| Almaty, Kazakhstan | 16th March 2026 | 8 |
| Tashkent, Uzbekistan | 17th March 2026 | 6 |
- Bucharest: Hopefully, this route will mean we’ll see some fantastic fares to Europe. We often see great Etihad fares for European routes. It’s also an excuse to visit Romania’s capital, where you can enjoy the culture, architecture, and upbeat streets.
- Medina: A spiritual city, Medina has a calming atmosphere, an abundance of interesting architecture, and long-standing Islamic heritage, home to the Prophet’s Mosque, which welcomes pilgrims from around the world.
- Baku: Spectacular architecture, a seaside promenade, and creative energy make this traditional city innovative, where ancient palaces sit alongside new developments.
- Yerevan: Grand squares, pink stone buildings and panoramic mountain backdrops give Yerevan the wow factor. You’ll find a relaxed café culture, highly rated museums and a growing art scene – well worth a look if you’re after somewhere a little different.
- Tbilisi: Located between hills along the Kura River, you can spot colourful balconies, spend time in lively cafés, enjoy the historic baths and explore the creative scene.
- Almaty: Tree-lined avenues, beautiful alpine scenery, and a cosmopolitan buzz, Almaty offers easy access to ski resorts, mountain trails, and ample green spaces. There are also numerous places to eat well and many cultural venues to explore.
- Tashkent: Another city with impressive architecture, you can also explore the colourful bazaars and deep-rooted history. Tashkent is a rapidly developing city and a great starting point for exploring Uzbekistan.
Tickets will go on sale in the next few days for March 2026 and Medina for November 2025.
These new routes open up even more redemption options, especially with cities such as Tbilisi, Baku, and Almaty rising in popularity as off-the-beaten-track destinations. You can also make the most of Etihad’s stopover programme as a layover en route to lesser-served corners of the map. Etihad will give you a complimentary stay of up to 2 nights. You’ll also receive a stopover pass, which offers discounts on select attractions and tours.
If one of these destinations sounds like a good fit for your next trip and you plan to redeem, book as soon as possible (once they’re released) before availability runs out.
