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Hurry, Fantastic £1700 business class Virgin to Cape Town
If the doom and gloom of the British winter is already getting you down, you may want to consider a last-minute trip to Cape Town, one of my favourite places in the world. You can expect much warmer weather as they are in the middle of Spring, very reasonable prices for dining out, and stunning scenery, too! Luxury Flight Club has found a Virgin last-minute offer for flights in November up to the first week of December for £1700 return in Upper Class class from the UK. These flights are generally close to £3000 or more, so it’s a great deal.
At the time of writing, I can see availability every day in November. Technically, the flights are available until 10 December, but I can’t see much in the first week of December. There is no specific end date, but I would expect this offer to disappear very quickly, so don’t hang around. The minimum stay is 4 days, so you could even go for a long weekend as there is not much of a time difference.
The flights are on Virgin’s B787 which you can read our review of here.
You can check availability with Virgin Atlantic here.
Hyatt to include Bahia Principe
It is often said that Hyatt is the best hotel loyalty scheme going, and certainly, as a top-tier member, the benefits are among the best. However, if you live in the UK or Europe, their footprint is smaller than those of the other major hotel chains. Hyatt is working hard to expand and yesterday announced plans for Hyatt and Grupo Piñero, who own Bahia Principe, to enter into a joint venture. The new venture will manage Bahia Principe-branded hotels and resorts and own the Bahia Principe brand. This is expected to expand Hyatt’s all-inclusive room portfolio by approximately 30%.
The deal will include 23 resorts, totaling over 12,000 rooms, with 22 resorts under the Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts brand located across the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Jamaica, and Spain, as well as the exclusive Cayo Levantado Resort in the Dominican Republic will be added to Hyatt’s Inclusive Collection. Bahia Principe has a range of options with some more luxurious properties, such as the Bahia Principe Sian Khan in Mexico, where I stayed. They often have amazing sales with up to 50% off, so let’s hope we continue to see the great value from the hotels once they are working with Hyatt.
Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts is expected to join the World of Hyatt loyalty program at a later date.
The Gateway at Gatwick North rebranded as Mylounge + 15% discount
MyLounge is part of No 1 Lounges and has modern-style lounges at both Gatwick terminals and Luton. These lounges are generally sold as “laid-back” and better value than some of No 1’s other lounges. The one at Gatwick South even has an outdoor terrace, which is very unusual.
There used to be a MyLounge at Gatwick North that then became The Gateway, which was available for Easyjet passengers for a fee as well as everyone else. However, Easyjet passengers got priority access. Now, The Gateway has been rebranded as the Gatwick North MyLounge and will be open daily from 4am to 8pm until 31 October and open 5am to 5pm from 1 November. Entry prices are very reasonable, starting from £28, but you can also use Priority Pass, Lounge Key and Dragon Pass. EasyJet passengers still get priority, and EasyJet flexi ticket holders get free entry.
The new North lounge has video games, a foosball table and board games as well as help yourself draft beer and make your own cocktails with recipes. It is situated next to the No 1 Lounge
To celebrate the re-opening, you can get 15% off your next My Lounge visit, which would bring the price down to £23.80. To get the discount, book direct with No 1 Lounges and enter the discount code MYL-LGWNORTH-15 at checkout. The offer is available until Saturday, 30 November 2024, and it applies to My Lounge bookings at Gatwick North, Gatwick South, and Luton Airport.
