In this post:
Virgin Atlantic Starlink plans
I previously wrote about Virgin Atlantic’s raft of improvements in this article. Now, more details have been revealed about introducing Starlink on the airline. Last week I wrote about the demo I saw of Starlink at Qatar Airway’s media presentation. I have used Starlink on JSX, the semi-private airline, but I did not try to do anything more than basic web searches and emails, etc. Seeing its full potential in Qatar makes it clear that the future of travel is changing in terms of internet access. Soon, the days of sloooow and unstable connections will be gone, with most major airlines announcing their intentions to use Starlink (with BA currently notably absent).
Virgin Atlantic is set to become the first U.K. airline customer for Starlink Aviation. However, we will have to wait a bit to experience it on board with installations on its fleet of B787s, A350s and A330neos not starting until Q3 in 2026 and expected to be completed by the end of 2027. Boeing has been made responsible for the 787 modifications, which will include installing new antennas.
“Partnering with Boeing to bring Starlink’s next-generation connectivity to our 787 fleet is another important step in creating a ‘home away from home’ experience for every customer,” said Corneel Koster, Virgin Atlantic’s new CEO. “Together, we are transforming how our customers stay connected in the skies – with low latency, super high-speed Wi-Fi, better than what most customers experience on the ground to make flying on Virgin Atlantic even more of a joy.”
Unlike the current Wi-Fi onboard, with the new Starlink service, Flying Club members will receive complimentary access. Streaming will also be enabled on A330-300 and A350-1000 which is currently not allowed.
New Accor sale with up to 25% off
Accor has launched its new sale for ALL Accor members only. It’s free to join, so anyone can take advantage. The private sale is only available until 26 October for stays between 24 October 2025 and 31 March 2026. The good news is that the sale is worldwide.
The catch is that you have to book a stay of at least 2 nights to get the discount. The discount varies between 20-25% and the stay dates vary by brand and country, with Fairmont, Raffles, Mama Shelter, The Hoxton, Morgans Originals, 21C all being available for the entire period. Cancellation varies according to each hotel, so make sure you check before you buy. You can also combine this offer with your Members Rate of up to 10% off.
You can find the offer page here.
New IHG buy bonus flash sale
The IHG sales seem to be almost continuous at the moment with varying rates of bonus between 80-100%. So the moral is, don’t buy points unless there is a sale on. It is always worth looking at buying points versus paying cash for expensive hotels, as there can sometimes be substantial savings to be made, but make sure the hotel is available on points and you book immediately after buying the points.
The new offer runs until 29 October and you receive a bonus of 100% of the points purchased when you purchase a minimum of 11,000 points.
They have also raised the limit on the amount you can purchase. Usually, you can only purchase a maximum of up to 200,000 points during a calendar year. So the number of points a member can purchase will depend on how many points the member has already purchased during the same calendar year. During the Offer Period, members may purchase a maximum of up to 300,000 points. So, or example, if you had previously purchased 50,000 points in 2025, then you could only purchase up to a maximum of 250,000 points.
If you purchased the maximum 300,000 points, giving a total of 600,000 points, it would cost $3000 (£2240).
You can find the buy points page here.
