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Virgin Atlantic Chair Peter Norris to Step Down After 14 Years
Virgin Atlantic’s long-serving chair, Peter Norris, will be stepping down on 31st May.
Virgin Group CEO Josh Bayliss is taking over from 1st June.
Norris has overseen many important periods in Virgin Atlantic’s history, including the growth of the transatlantic joint venture with Delta and Air France-KLM, entry into the SkyTeam alliance, and the survival and restructuring during the pandemic. He will continue in his roles as Chair of Virgin Group and Virgin Hotels.
As CEO of Virgin Group since 2011, Josh Bayliss has already been closely involved in the Virgin brand strategy and investment portfolio.
Josh Bayliss commented:
“Peter has been a remarkable leader who has left an indelible mark on the history of the airline. Virgin Atlantic enters its next chapter with real momentum, powered by an excellent team and an exceptional brand. I’m looking forward to working with the Board, Corneel and the leadership team, as well as the wonderful people at Virgin Atlantic who deliver the exceptional premium experiences our customers rightly expect from us.”
This comes after Virgin Atlantic has spent the last few years rebuilding the business, investing in new aircraft and upgraded Upper Class Suites, while continuing to grow Virgin Red.
The way Virgin put this information out is very reassuring, suggesting it’s a continuation of the current strategy rather than a change in direction. From the launch of new routes to more ways to earn Virgin Points and continued investment in the onboard experience, Virgin Atlantic is becoming a compelling option, especially if you’re looking to switch loyalty programmes.
Accor Launches Early Access Summer Sale With Up to 35% Off Worldwide
Accor has launched early access to the Summer Sale for ALL Accor loyalty programme members (free to join).
You can benefit from up to 25% off on flexible stays of 2 to 7 nights at participating hotels across Europe and around the world when you book before 17th May. You’ll also enjoy the members rate of 10% off and more flexible booking options. After 17th May, the sale will continue publicly.
Brands with participating properties include Mercure, all Ibis brands, Novotel, Pullman, Fairmont, Sofitel, and Orient Express. There’s a huge list of participating hotels which Accor has listed on this page.
Ennismore properties have a lower rate of 20% off stays of 2-14 nights (plus the 10% member discount). This includes a range of lifestyle brands, including Rixos, SLS and Delano.
Stay dates that qualify for the discount vary by hotel brand or where the hotel is located, including:
- Sofitel, MGallery & Emblems – Until 30th September 2026
- Fairmont & Raffles – Until 30th December 2026
- Ennismore, and Orient Express – 3rd July to 7th September 2026
If the hotel you’re looking at is not one of the brands above, the dates are as follows:
- Europe & North Africa, and the Americas – 3rd July to 7th September 2026
- Greater China – 22nd May to 30th September 2026
There are some fantastic discounts available. For example, this is the lowest room category at the Sofitel Singapore for a week’s stay, and you’re still saving over £663. At the highest room categories, savings are in the thousands, and this is the case across many participating hotels.
This is an excellent sale and well worth a look!
1,000 Bonus Accor Points When Linking With Qatar Privilege Club
Accor is currently awarding 1,000 bonus ALL Accor points when you link your ALL Accor and Qatar Airways Privilege Club accounts by 24th May 2026 and complete a stay at a participating hotel by 11th July 2026.
The main way to use Accor points is to get a discount on a future stay at a fixed rate, with bonus points worth €20.
Qatar is one of three account linking options, including Air France (Flying Blue) and Qantas. Linking your Accor account with your Privilege Club account will give you reciprocal earning opportunities and loyalty benefits.
You can link your account to only one of these programmes, so you’ll need to decide which is best for you before you commit. You can only swap every 12 months. This means you can’t take part in this offer if you’ve already linked to another programme during that time.
When you connect your Accor account to Qatar, you’ll earn:
The partnership also has a useful status match element after your first eligible activity, including:
- ALL Gold members – Qatar Airways Privilege Club Silver – Qatar flight credited to Qatar
- ALL Platinum/Diamond – Qatar Airways Privilege Club Gold
- Qatar Airways Privilege Club Gold – ALL Silver – A qualifying Accor stay booked direct
- Qatar Airways Privilege Club Platinum – ALL Gold
An eligible stay must be a cash booking made directly with Accor. Onefinestay bookings are excluded, and the 1,000 bonus points will be credited within six weeks of completing your stay.
There’s no reason not to link your account to one of these programmes. If Qatar is your preferred option, now is the best time to link!
