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IF you’re looking for winter sun, but don’t want to spend a fortune on flights, check out these destinations from Spanish cities to Greek islands.

Skyscanner has found the cheapest spots to jet off to between October and February next year – some of which have return flights from £30.

Starting off with the best value destinations for autumn and winter flights, Skyscanner have found it’s Tangier.

The Moroccan city is just over two hours away from the UK – it’s quicker than heading to southern Spain and in October can see highs of 30C.

According to Skyscanner, return flights on average cost £105 – but from the UK to Tangier in November and December these can be as little as £30.

The city itself has plenty to see, from a whitewashed medina to its busy souk, and landmarks like the Kasbah and the Caves of Hercules.

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In fact, it’s believed that Tangier was created by the son of Hercules, with the god himself staying in one of the caves.

It has a vibrant café culture thanks to its French influence, tapas culture from Spain – and a mix of languages too.

Thanks to its position in the north of the country, it has long, sandy beaches too like Plage de Tanger and Achakkar Beach.

The second cheapest for return flights is Seville which has an average price of £151.

Seville is Spain’s fourth-largest city – and is one of the hottest during the autumn, winter season.

During October, Seville can still reach highs of 26C and even in January can see highs of 16C.

Here’s the list of the best value destinations for travel from Oct 2026 – Feb 2027…

These are the destinations and the average economy return flight price, according to Skyscanner…

• Rhodes, Greece: Average price £218 (-21% YoY)
• Montego Bay, Jamaica: Average price £764 (-13% YoY)
• Tangier Morocco: Average price £105 (-13% YoY)
• Seville, Spain: Average price £151 (-12% YoY)
• Valencia, Spain: Average price £122 (-11% YoY)
• Valletta, Malta: Average price £164 (-11% YoY)
• Perth, Australia: Average price £1,425 (-6% YoY)

Some of the top attractions include the Royal Alcázar of Seville, Seville Cathedral and Plaza de Espana.

Rhodes in Greece has seen the biggest drop in flight prices year-on-year – it’s down 21 per cent.

The average return flight price is £218 – but in October, we found return flights for less than £60 with Ryanair.

The island is the fourth-largest in Greece, the biggest in the Dodecanese – and it’s considered quieter and cheaper than the likes of Santorini and Mykonos.

Lindos is a popular spot for visitors, the coastal village sits on the eastern coast with a clifftop Acropolis, whitewashed alleys, and sandy beaches.

Greece has incredible summers, but also mild winters with highs of 15C in January and February.

Further afield, long-haul journeys that have cheap return flight include Montego Bay in Jamaica which from the UK has an average price £764.

Montego Bay on north-west coast of Jamaica is the capital of the parish of Saint James and is one of the most popular tourist spots on the island.

Of course Brits flock there for its great weather and beautiful bays like Doctor’s Cave Beach which is considered one of the most beautiful in the country with white sand and bright turquoise waters.

Aside from sunbathing and paddling, snorkelling is popular too as swimmers are likely to spot parrotfish, turtles, and small sharks.

Looking on Skyscanner, October is the cheapest month for flights with returns from £364.

Brussels is an ideal destination for a short city break, thanks to its impressive medieval architecture, relaxed atmosphere and more than 100 museums

A European city with a lot of history and beauty at odds with its negative reputation is quicker to get to from the UK via train than by plane.

New research from global travel booking site Omio has identified 25 European routes where travelling by train is actually faster than flying once airport transfers, security queues and boarding times are taken into account. While many holidaymakers automatically book flights for a weekend escape, the findings suggest they’re often overlooking rail journeys that are not only quicker, but also less stressful.

They’re also much less environmentally damaging, with the emissions per plane passenger typically several times higher than those of train passengers.

A trip from London to Brussels is one of the biggest examples of where rail beats air. The Eurostar takes just 125 minutes, making it 83 minutes faster than flying once airport transfers, security checks and boarding times are factored in. Tickets start from around £148, with passengers arriving directly in the heart of the Belgian capital.

Whether or not the city is worth a visit is a different matter. Brussels is, according to some people, a boring city.

“As much as I tried, I still could not shake the feeling that Brussels was undeniably boring,” one travel blogger recently wrote of Brussels following a trip there. Back in 2008, it was awarded the title of the world’s dullest city in a survey of international travelers, who judged it duller than Zurich and Warsaw.

Having made a short visit to the city in recent years, the criticism does seem a little just. Brussels does have a functional, workman-like feel to it, thanks to the huge number of governmental buildings. And yes, it does look like an AI picture generator’s attempt to ‘simulate a standard European capital’, as one online commenter complained.

However, there are plenty of redeemable qualities of Brussels. The atmosphere is pleasant enough, many of the buildings are beautiful, and it is home to two of the Continent’s great contributions to culinary culture – waffles and chips – even if there is a distinct Sunday afternoon feel to the place.

“Brussels is an ideal destination for a short city break, thanks to its impressive medieval architecture, relaxed atmosphere and more than 100 museums. Visitors can spend the day wandering the city’s historic streets before stopping for Belgian beer and world-famous chocolate. With average July temperatures of 23°C, it’s also an ideal city to explore on foot,” writes Omio.

Given Brussels’s closeness to the UK, a day trip is well on the cards. If you do go down that route, I suggest the following one-hour tour of the city:

Starting at the famed Manneken Pis statue depicting a urinating child (who had been dressed up in a miniature gown and hat to celebrate the city’s graduating students when I was there), dash to the Monument a Everard t’Serclaes, helping the reclining lady’s leg become even shinier with a quick, traditional good luck rub.

Pausing in the central Grand Place square for a moment, take in the opulent Baroque guildhalls and the neo-Gothic King’s House. Not wanting to waste any more time or spend six euros, read the first paragraph of the Grand City Museum’s Wikipedia entry while looking at its exterior.

Culturally enriched, next up was a portion of mayonnaise-covered frites eaten while looking at a René Magritte painting on the side of a house, before a crispy waffle powers you up the hill towards the Royal Palace. Glance back at the impressive view of the city’s rooftops as you barrel onto a coach and out of there, catching a glimpse of one of Auguste Rodin’s Thinkers through the window before quickly stopping to stand in front of ‘Belgium’s Eiffel Tower’, the futuristic Atomium statue.

FAMILIES can save even more on holidays this month with a new deal that lets kids fly for FREE.

Turkish Airlines Holidays, the holiday brand of Turkish Airlines, has launched an offer that allows children under 11-years-old to fly for free.

The offer is available on specific holiday packages booked up to September 29.

And it includes some exciting holiday destinations such as Turkey, Mauritius, the Maldives and Dubai.

The offer is for any holiday departing between now and March 30, 2027.

Other offers include 15 per cent off Economy Class basic fares or 20 per cent off Business Class fares.

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You’ll also get complimentary seat selection as well on eligible flights.

For example, you could head to Istanbul in Turkey from £249 per person for two nights.

You’d stay at the four-star Darkhill Hotel, close to all the city’s main attractions.

The hotel also has its own rooftop bar with views across the city.

Alternatively, you could head to Dubai for three nights, costing from £769 per person.

You’d stay at the five-star Paramount Hotel Midtown, with breakfast included.

In the hotel there are a number of restaurants and bars including a rooftop terrace with a huge screen and views across the city skyline.

Want to splash out? Well, you could travel to Mauritius and stay at the five-star Maritim Resort & Spa for five nights, from £1,369 per person.

The new offer brings Turkish Airlines Holidays in line with other tour operator such as TUI and easyJet holidays.

SACRAMENTO — The state Legislature on Monday passed a pair of bills to address industrial accidents in the wake of a massive blaze at a cold storage facility in Los Angeles’ Boyle Heights neighborhood.

Assembly Bill 817 by Assemblymember Mark González (D-Los Angeles) would prohibit the approval of a building permit for a cold storage facility unless the owner or operator of the facility establishes and maintains a contingency fund.

González sought the creation of the fund for air purifiers, masks and other health essentials for neighbors in the wake of an accident.

The bill would apply to Boyle Heights in the short term and would go into effect statewide July 1, 2028.

The bill also would ensure that anyone who sues over the fire doesn’t have to pay state taxes on any settlement.

A June 17 fire at cold storage operator Lineage’s 500,000-square-foot food warehouse left the community with noxious smoke and an influx of rats and flies attracted to rotting meat.

Senate Bill 716 by Sen. María Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles), also passed Monday, would raise the amount of fines that can be levied by local agencies against companies who pose a threat to health and safety. Under the legislation, companies could face fines of up to $50,000 per violation.

Durazo said current rules limit the fines to just a few hundred or thousand dollars.

“The fines are too small to matter,” said Durazo, describing the “massive fly and rat infestation” and “stench of rotting food” at the Lineage site.

The law would apply only to Los Angeles County and expand statewide starting July 1, 2028. It includes several exemptions for business categories, including institutional and educational.

Scores of business groups, including those representing agriculture, opposed the bills.

Some Republican legislators expressed sympathy for the Boyle Heights community, but questioned the financial ramifications for businesses.

“One terrible incident should not automatically translate into a new statewide financial burden on every similarly situated facility,” said state Sen. Suzette Martinez Valladares (R-Acton) during a Monday discussion of Assembly Bill 817. “Especially when those costs can ultimately ripple through our food supply chain and contribute to higher costs for families.”

The bills now head to Gov. Gavin Newsom for consideration.

WHAT’S your rainy day activity checklist with kids? Soft play, museum, cinema… how about flying?

No, not the kind where you go up in a plane – the real flying.

Reaching the tail end of the school summer holidays and fresh out of ideas for what to do with my seven year old, I decided to think outside the box with a trip to iFly Indoor Skydiving.

With five venues in Milton Keynes, Manchester, Birmingham, Basingstoke and London, we opted for the one at the O2 Arena in London’s Docklands.

And you can get half price iFly tickets with Sun Club. 

Sun Club members can get 50% off tickets on first time flyer packages if they book between August 31 and September 29. 

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But while your tickets must be booked by September 29, you can buy tickets to fly right up until January 1, 2027, so plenty of rainy day activity options for October half term and the Christmas school holidays. 

Sign up to Sun Club for £1.99 a month or just £12 for your first year, then £19.99 thereafter, then head to the Sun Club Offers hub and find the iFly offers page.

Plus, you’ll get unlimited access to our award-winning articles plus exclusive showbiz scoops, and a huge range of other offers and discounts too – from early access to book Hols From £9.50, free racing tickets to top UK racecourses and 2-4-1 tickets to theme parks.

The concept to iFly indoor skydiving is simple(ish) – decked out in a jumpsuit, helmet and goggles, you stand inside a huge, glass wind tunnel that sends air upwards at speeds of 120mph to 165mph, and attempt to do your best flying squirrel impression.

The activity was barely on my radar before this summer, because I’d always assumed it was something exclusively for daredevils that needed to train for real flying out of planes.

But in reality, you don’t actually have to be any good at all. Because anyone is welcome aged 3 upwards, and they have highly experienced instructors on hand at all times.

After watching the safety video, my son and I were understandably nervous, but the instructor was so kind and patient that by the time we got to the tunnel, my child was confident enough to volunteer to go first.

The wind is STRONG. So strong that you simply have to flop forwards as you enter the tunnel. And it’s also loud, which is why they provide you with ear plugs and communicate via hand signals.

But I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a big grin on his face as the moment he first flew off the ground, which only got wider when he opted for the special “High Flight” add-on, where the instructor took him on a spinning flight, 40 feet up towards the top of the tunnel.

Each session lasts around a minute, and everyone in our group got four sessions as part of their package (although that might change depending on group size), with the opportunity to add a High Flight to each of their goes in the wind tunnel, which cost £15 a pop.

It’s well worth doing the add-on at least once if you can afford the extra cost, as unless you’re planning on jumping out of a plane anytime soon, this is the closest you’ll ever come to flying high above the ground.

If you’re not feeling confident (or flush) though, there is still plenty of tunnel time six feet off the ground, where the instructor helps you to steer around the tunnel, using hand signals to instruct you to bend or straighten your legs and arms.

My son has become obsessed with ‘once in a lifetime’ experiences, which apply as a justification for everything from eating an ice cream at the park on a sunny day, to buying the latest Lego magazine.

But when he declared at the end of our iFly experience that it was ‘truly the best once in a lifetime experience ever,’ I had to agree with him.

Forget pigs flying, this middle-aged mum never thought it would happen to her either.

And yet, I’ve got a school of flight certificate with full marks for my ‘stable belly flying’ to prove it.

18+ England, Scotland and Wales residents only. Sun Savers multiple code collect 29/08/26-05/09/26 or subscription to Sun Club or digital subscription required. Online access required. Booking closes 23:59pm on 29/09/26. Non-transferable & non-refundable. Offer valid on a first time flyer experience only at all IFLY locations across England. Flights must be booked between August 29- September 29 and must take place before Friday January 1, 2027. Subject to availability. Not valid on voucher purchases. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other other offer, discount, voucher or promotion.  T&Cs apply, see sunsavers.co.uk or club.thesun.co.uk/sun-club. Sun Club new customer offer: £1.99 per month or £9.99 for the first year, then £19.99 thereafter unless you cancel at least seven days before your next billing date. Full T&Cs apply, see thesun.co.uk/club.

The U.S. Air Force has stood up a new squadron at Andrews Air Force Base to manage the arrival of HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopters to replace aging UH-1N Twin Hueys. Originally designed for combat search and rescue (CSAR) missions, the HH-60Ws assigned to the 5th Helicopter Squadron will be in a specialized configuration to take on the tasks of ferrying VIPs around the nation’s capital and supporting continuity of government plans. Questions have been raised about using Jolly Green IIs in these roles, and how this may impact the ability of the overall fleet of these helicopters to meet CSAR demands.

The Air Force held a ceremony at Andrews yesterday to mark the formal activation of the 5th Helicopter Squadron, also sometimes abbreviated as 5 HS. The 1st Helicopter Squadron (1 HS), with its UH-1Ns, will continue to operate throughout the transition to the HH-60W, which is expected to be completed in 2030, to avoid any gaps in capacity to meet critical operational requirements. A total of 26 Jolly Green IIs are set to be based at the facility, which is situated just outside Washington, D.C., a one-for-one replacement for the Twin Hueys that are there now. The arrival of the new helicopters will also lead to a small increase in total personnel, 60 in total, at Andrews.

The Air Force originally planned to supplant all of its UH-1Ns worldwide with new MH-139 Grey Wolf helicopters, which is a more direct replacement in terms of size and capability. The service is still acquiring MH-139s to supplant UH-1Ns elsewhere, including ones assigned to Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) units that help provide security around Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) silos. We will come back to this later on.

“The HH-60W’s increased speed, range and carrying capacity will better deliver safe operations for U.S. senior leaders, service members, and the communities around the region,” the Air Force said in a press release regarding the 5th Helicopter Squadron’s activation.

The Jolly Green II also has in-flight refueling capability, something that is not found on the UH-1N or MH-139, and could be very valuable for missions around Washington, D.C. The HH-60Ws heading to Andrews are set to receive additional modifications, including to the main cabin seating arrangement, communications suite, and defensive capabilities, as you can read more about here.

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“In the next few years, the 5 HS will train aircrew and maintainers, establish operational and maintenance processes, and receive new aircraft as it prepares to execute the national security mission within the National Capital Region,” the release yesterday added.

National Capital Region (NCR) refers to a larger area that surrounds Washington, D.C., proper. Air Force operations in and around the NCR are primarily managed through a unit called the Air Force District of Washington (AFDW).

The HH-60Ws will be taking over an AFDW mission set from the UH-1Ns that currently includes daily airlift sorties transporting U.S. and foreign VIPs around the nation’s capital. The helicopters will also be in position to swing into action as part of continuity of government plans. In such a scenario, the Jolly Green IIs would be tasked to help rush senior officials and lawmakers to safety to ensure the continued functioning of federal authorities following an attack or a similarly serious contingency. 1st Helicopter Squadron’s role in responding to the terrorist attack on the Pentagon on 9/11 was highlighted during the activation ceremony at Andrews yesterday.

The NCR presents particular challenges for crisis response missions and routine day-to-day flight operations. The airspace around Washington, D.C., is most densely defended and heavily monitored anywhere in the United States, and packed full of military and civilian air traffic every day. Where and when military helicopters can operate over the nation’s capital has been a hot topic of debate since a fatal mid-air collision involving an Army UH-60 Black Hawk and a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet in January 2025. The Black Hawk was conducting a continuity of government training flight at the time. This has been more recently highlighted by an incident involving a Marine One helicopter carrying President Donald Trump earlier this month. A subsequent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigation has highlighted communication issues and factors tied to the construction of a new helipad at the White House.

It is also worth noting here that Marine Helicopter Squadron One (HMX-1), the primary unit responsible for the Marine One presidential helicopter mission, would play a role in any continuity of government scenario in the NCR. Helicopters from the U.S. Park Police, as well as ones belonging to other law enforcement and civilian agencies, would be utilized, too.

Military and police helicopters land at the US Capitol this evening.

As mentioned, there are significant questions about the impacts of basing HH-60Ws at Andrews will have on the rest of the Air Force’s Jolly Green II fleet. This is something TWZ highlighted when the Air Force confirmed it was moving ahead with the AFDW HH-60W plan with the release of its 2027 Fiscal Year budget request earlier this year.

A particular issue is the Air Force’s decision years ago to scale back total purchases of HH-60Ws, from 113 helicopters down to 91. If the service does not order more Jolly Green IIs in the coming years, this will mean that roughly a third of the entire fleet will be assigned to the AFDW mission.

Up close with the HH-60W Combat Rescue Helicopter at Nellis AFB for The War Zone.

The Air Force previously confirmed the plan will involve taking HH-60Ws out of “back up inventory.” In the past, the service has defended this decision as being “more cost effective” than a move to “procure additional MH-139A aircraft” to meet AFDW requirements. Whether or not there were other specific operational considerations that factored into the decision to use Jolly Green IIs to meet these needs instead is unknown. The acquisition plan for the Grey Wolf has also been significantly truncated, with the Air Force now planning to buy just 56 of these helicopters instead of 80.

“The MH-139A Grey Wolf was competitively selected to replace the UH-1N for intercontinental ballistic missile security and National Capital Region missions, including continuity of government and transport of United States government officials and security forces,” members of the House Armed Services Committee wrote in a report accompanying a draft of the annual policy bill, or National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), for the 2027 Fiscal Year, back in May. “The committee remains concerned regarding the justification for transitioning these missions to an alternate rotary-wing platform and seeks additional details on cost and operational implications.”

At that time, the House Armed Services Committee explicitly directed “the Secretary of the Air Force to submit a report to the congressional defense committees not later than December 1, 2026, assessing operational, cost, infrastructure, and readiness impacts of assigning any non-MH-139A rotary-wing aircraft to continuity of government and transport of United States government officials and security forces in the National Capital Region.” The lawmakers stressed that the report had to include “a comparison of procurement cost, cost per flight hour, infrastructure and aircraft modification requirements, and training and manpower impacts” and an assessment of the cost, schedule, and operational disruption associated with required upgrades to Joint Base Andrews facilities for each aircraft type.”

Separate questions have been raised in recent years about the utility of traditional CSAR helicopters in future operations, especially in the context of a high-end fight, such as one between the United States and China in the Pacific. Air Force officials openly talked about exploring alternatives for rescuing aircrew downed deep inside contested environments, but details about those plans remained limited.

At the same time, demand for traditional CSAR capabilities has certainly not gone away entirely. This was underscored by the operation to retrieve the crew of an F-15E Strike Eagle that went down inside Iran in April. HH-60Ws were part of the larger force package sent into Iranian airspace to help recover those aviators.

In the meantime, the Air Force’s UH-1Ns, a type the service first began operating in the early 1970s. are only getting older and harder to sustain, too. Three of the UH-1Ns currently assigned to 1st Helicopter Squadron saw combat during the Vietnam War. Just last week, one of the unit’s Twin Hueys made a precautionary landing in an open field in Maryland “after experiencing unusual mechanical noise” while on a training flight. This is hardly the first time such an incident has occurred.

There is a possibility that Congress could more directly intervene in the Air Force’s move to start flying HH-60Ws around Washington, D.C. With the expectation that UH-1Ns will remain in service at Andrews for another four years, there is time for the service’s own plans to evolve further.

With the activation of 5th Helicopter Squadron, the Air Force has now taken an important step toward an all-new helicopter force in the nation’s capital.

Contact the author: joe@twz.com