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Hilton’s changes to free upgrades
While you may have noticed being offered a paid upgrade prior to your Hilton stay, they are now automating free upgrades too.
Hilton Honours’ new “Upgrade at Digital Check-In” gives Gold, Diamond, and Diamond Reserve Members another complimentary upgrade opportunity, directly within the Hilton Honours app during the digital check-in experience. For the first time, eligible members can view both complimentary and paid upgrade options during digital check-in, rather than waiting to see or having to ask at the front desk.
This experience builds on automated prearrival upgrades by clearly showing what’s available at the time of check-in and will help streamline the process for hotel staff. The program will continue to evolve as Hilton Honors gathers member feedback.
Hilton Honors also recently introduced Confirmable Upgrade Rewards (CUR),a new 2026 benefit designed for its most elite members, Diamond Reserve. With a Confirmable Upgrade Reward, eligible members can lock in a guaranteed upgrade of up to a one-bedroom suite at booking, for stays of up to seven nights.
If you see this on your check-in, let us know what you think!
Hilton Honors points 100% bonus
Hilton Honors has launched a global promotion running from 10 June to 24 July 2026, offering members a 100% bonus on purchases of 5,000 points or more. The annual purchase limit has been doubled to 240,000 points, allowing members to acquire up to 480,000 points, including the bonuses.
I have bought points a couple of times recently, and on one very expensive stay, if you include the 5-for-4 on points nights, I saved at least £6,400 on a 5-night stay, based on the lowest room rate. At other times, it could have been over £10,000 saved. Another example of when buying points can work well is if you are staying at a hotel near an event. For example, the Hilton Wembley will hike its prices to over £600 a night when events are on, but often you can find points rooms for around 60,000 points. Currently, you could buy 60,000 points (30,000 + 30,000 bonus) for £247.56.
If you were to buy the maximum 240,000 points, it would cost £1980.48 for a total of 480,000 points. I would only ever advise you to buy points when you have something specific in mind and are ready to book.
You can find the buy points page here.
BA’s CEO, Sean Doyle, on why BA fares will rise
British Airways’ CEO spoke to the Financial Times this week with further bad news for those hoping for a return to reasonably priced long-haul air fares. Sadly, since the pandemic, air fares have remained stubbornly high and look set to rise further.
BA recently announced that its airfares would rise in response to the doubling of jet fuel prices due to the war in Iran. In the article, Sean Doyle revealed that BA plans to apply steeper fare increases on its long‑haul network than on short‑haul routes, working on the assumption that corporate travellers can absorb higher prices more easily than leisure passengers flying within Europe. Doyle explained that when someone is travelling for commercial reasons, the extra cost tends to be a minor factor compared with the purpose of the trip. He added that a carrier with BA’s profile which is heavily weighted toward long‑distance, premium and corporate traffic, is likely to be able to pass on more of its rising costs than airlines focused mainly on short‑haul holidaymakers. He also said that if fuel prices remain high, there will be further increases in ticket prices.
Even with recent rises, Doyle argued that ticket prices have not kept up with inflation. Many fares, he said, are still close to what they were decades ago. He pointed out that a one‑way ticket to Barcelona in the mid‑1990s cost around £60, and that off‑peak prices today are not dramatically higher. In his view, flights still make up a relatively small share of what people spend on a holiday overall. This may be true on short haul, but I’d argue it is untrue for business class travellers on long haul or those travelling short haul at peak times.
BA has also redeployed aircraft that previously served Gulf destinations to strengthen capacity on other routes, including Bengaluru. The airline intends to restore its Middle East services as soon as practical, but flights to Dubai will not return until October, the start of BA’s winter timetable. Doyle noted that Dubai has traditionally been the airline’s biggest winter market and believes the route will recover, though it may take a year or two to fully rebuild.
He also urged the UK government to reduce the tax burden on visitors, warning that Britain is losing ground to countries such as Japan that actively prioritise tourism. He said France and Spain have surged ahead, largely because they are more cost‑competitive. If the UK wants to increase annual visitor numbers from roughly 40 million to 50 million and capture the associated economic benefits, he argued that the country must make itself more affordable for travellers.
The government has recently increased air passenger duty, which ultimately affects ticket prices. Doyle said this creates a significant financial hurdle for families visiting the UK, especially compared with the lower charges applied across much of Europe.
