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WHO says you have to fork out a fortune to go on your dream holiday?

For the price of just £79 you could be jetting off to see the big lights in New York city or sunbathe on a beach in Bali with Wowcher.

Throughout the year Wowcher runs its £99 Mystery Holiday sale – where you can bag yourself a trip to over 100 destinations around the world.

The package includes both a hotel stay and return flights.

Now, Wowcher has reduced the cost by £20 so you can get a trip abroad for £79.

It’s not just short-haul trips either, potentially you could be heading to the Maldives, New York or Thailand.

CHRIMBO WIN

Enter these travel comps before Xmas to win £2k holidays, ski trips & spa stays

SNOW WAY

All the best Xmas days out under £10 including FREE ice skating & Santa’s grotto

All you have to do is head to the Wowcher website, and and buy the holiday. Then enter your details and voucher codes into the site.

It’ll instantly reveal where you’re heading off to – so you can get packing straight away.

Trips on offer can be as short as two nights, or as long as seven.

You’re guaranteed to stay somewhere lovely as all accommodation is rated three stars or higher – and you stay in a private room with ensuite.

If you want to take advantage of the offer make sure to do it in the next few days as it closes on December 1, 2025.

The holidays are broken up into three tiers with six Tier 1 packages, 12 packages in Tier 2 and 1,982 in Tier 3 – which are randomly assigned.

Holidays in Tier 1 could be seven nights in places like the Maldives, the Dominican Republic, Bali or St Lucia – or three nights in New York City.

Tier 2 holiday packages include a four night Lisbon and Barcelona break, a three night all-inclusive to Crete and a three night Disneyland Paris holiday with park tickets.

Meanwhile Tier 3 breaks include two nights in destinations like Madeira, Dublin, Monaco, Rome, and Warsaw.

Each package is based on two adults travelling together and destinations are based on your chosen travel dates during redemption.

If you don’t like the destination you’ve been given, you can choose an alternative one for £20pp (depending on availability).

There are a few small catches. For example when it comes to which airport you depart from you only get to select a region, not a specific one.

These range from London, to Scotland, North East, North West, Yorkshire, Midlands, Wales, South West and Northern Ireland.

If you choose to fly from a regional airport outside of London, there’s a £40 per person supplement.

And of course the better holiday destinations are a lot less common with European breaks often the suprise destination.

After you redeem your voucher, you’ll receive an email to confirm your booking details, and you’ll need to reply within 24 hours to lock everything in.

Vouchers are valid for 28 days from the date of purchase, and an admin fee will be added based on your checkout basket total.

For more details and to take advantage of the deal, head to Wowcher.

One woman who spent £99 on ‘insane’ Wowcher Mystery Holiday was left stunned after heading on a three-day trip to Majorca.

For more ways to save hundreds on a holiday, hear from a travel blogger for the best websites, vouchers and discount cards.

The island’s microclimate means daytime highs hover around 19C in January, making it a great winter sun destination, and those seeking winter sun can find cheap flights if they visit in January

Budget airline easyJet has launched a Black Friday sale, offering dozens of routes at bargain prices. For those seeking a winter sun getaway, one particular destination is likely to pique your interest, with flights in January starting from just £15.99 each way.

Madeira, situated just north of the Canary Islands, is gaining popularity during the winter months due to its microclimate that provides mild weather. January is an especially pleasant time to visit, with daytime temperatures averaging around 19C. The month of January 2025 was particularly warm, with historical data indicating temperatures soared up to 23C.

Often referred to as ‘Europe’s Hawaii’, Madeira shares similar volcanic terrain and lush greenery with the islands. Like Hawaii, the Portuguese island of Madeira also boasts some breathtaking beaches to discover.

Many of Madeira’s beaches are pebble or black sand, a result of its volcanic nature, so don’t forget to pack your flip flops. However, there are some manmade sandy beaches such as Praia da Calheta, a popular spot with crystal clear seas and piers that create tranquil swimming zones, reports the Express.

If you’re looking to swim and unwind by the sea, another option is to visit the stunning Complexo Balnear do Lido – a lido complex in Funchal. Made up of two seawater pools that overlook the ocean, you can either take a dip or simply grab a sun lounger and bask in the weather.

Madeira is a top choice for hiking enthusiasts, particularly during the winter months when the trails are less crowded and the weather is pleasantly mild.

One of the favourite hikes is along the cliffs of Ponta de São Lourenço at the easternmost point of the island. This trek spans just under four miles in total, taking roughly 2.5 hours to complete on some uneven paths.

But stick with it and you’ll be rewarded with breathtaking views of both the north and south sides of Madeira.

The trail at Pico do Arieiro takes you to one of the island’s highest points, standing at an altitude of 1,818 metres. There’s a challenging seven-hour trail for experienced hikers, offering ample time to soak up the lush green mountain landscape.

If you’re after a hike that’s a bit easier on the knees, you can choose to walk one way and catch a shuttle bus back.

When it comes to accommodation, there’s plenty of choice. The capital, Funchal, is a popular pick, especially around the historic Zona Velha with its narrow cobbled streets, traditional Portuguese houses, and independent shops.

It’s also a vibrant spot to visit in the evening, boasting a variety of bars and restaurants, many featuring outdoor terraces where you can watch the sunset.

Machico, located on the southeast of the island, is another fantastic spot to consider for your stay. It boasts a sandy beach with breathtaking mountain views, popular coastal and inland hiking trails, and a popular golf club.

READ MORE: 3-night winter stay on beautiful private island perfect for Christmas escape now just £20READ MORE: Eurocamp currently has £42-a-night Spain breaks including school holiday dates

From Machico, you can also embark on numerous tours for whale and dolphin watching. While summer is the prime time for spotting these magnificent creatures, visitors earlier in the year have reported sightings too.

Check out easyJet ‘s Black Friday flight deals here. The £15.99 price applies to departures on selected dates in January from London Gatwick, or you can jet off from Bristol for just £18.99 one way.

Have a story you want to share? Email us at [email protected].

Boeing, Saab, and BAE Systems have teamed up to offer the T-7A Red Hawk advanced jet trainer to the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force. With a plan to build the jets in the United Kingdom, the partnership aims to deliver a successor to the Royal Air Force’s current fleet of BAE Systems Hawks from 2030. Saab was already deeply involved with the T-7A as an original partner to Boeing.

The three companies announced today that they had signed a letter of intent to work together on the British requirement for a new advanced jet trainer. The proposal puts the T-7A — developed for the U.S. Air Force — at the center of a training system that will employ synthetic training alongside live flying.

Synthetic work is an increasingly important part of flying training, with the latest training systems offering a blend of live, virtual, and constructive (LVC) elements. This approach reduces costs while allowing students to practice tactics and capabilities that would otherwise be impossible using an exclusively live environment, as you can read more about here.

The proposal is pitching the training system to prepare pilots for fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-generation fighters — the Royal Air Force’s Typhoon, F-35, and forthcoming Tempest, respectively.

“The strong partnership between Boeing and Saab developed the T-7 to be the world’s best solution for future pilot training,” said Lars Tossman, head of Saab’s Aeronautics Business Area. “By working with BAE Systems, Saab believes the U.K. can gain a worthy successor to the Hawk that is the right choice for pilots for decades to come.”

If selected for the Royal Air Force requirement, the T-7As will undergo final assembly in the United Kingdom, in an effort led by BAE Systems. This would ensure the company remains involved in the production of jet trainers in the future, after the Hawk production line ended in 2020.

If chosen as the Royal Air Force’s next jet trainer, the T-7A would replace the Hawk T2, which is due to be retired by 2040. It would almost certainly also be the frontrunner to replace the service’s aging Hawk T1s, which continue to serve with the Red Arrows aerobatic display team, and are set to do so until withdrawn around 2030.

The partnership is also looking to use the same approach to “support future international pilot training opportunities,” which could help the T-7A secure export orders that have so far proven elusive.

“Our new collaboration with Boeing and Saab will enable us to present a compelling offer to the U.K. Royal Air Force and our global customers, leveraging the latest tech innovation in training systems and a world-class jet trainer aircraft,” said Simon Barnes, the group managing director of BAE Systems’ Air sector. “We’re committed to ensuring this solution offers the best overall outcome for the nation to support the U.K.’s combat air readiness and deliver economic benefit.”

The requirement for a new advanced jet trainer was set out in the U.K.’s 2025 Strategic Defense Review.

This document stated that the Hawk T1 and Hawk T2 “should be replaced with a cost-effective fast jet trainer. The current flying training arrangements for fast jets must be urgently revised to optimize capacity, building in maximum use of contractors and provision for training overseas students.”

U.K. military flying training is undertaken in three phases. Phase one involves initial recruitment and selection and basic military training, and is carried out within individual service commands. Phase two is known as the Military Flying Training System (MFTS), part of which is overseen by a private contractor, Ascent Flight Training Management. This phase takes pilots from introductory instruction and progresses them into specialized streams, including fast jet and rotary.

Finally, phase three involves pilots training on specific frontline aircraft such as Typhoon or F-35 within an Operational Conversion Unit (OCU).

As part of phase two, the Royal Air Force operates 28 Hawk T2 jets that train both its own and Royal Navy fast-jet pilots at RAF Valley in Wales, before they progress to an OCU.

While the ‘second-generation’ Hawk T2 only entered service in 2009, the Hawk T1, now used exclusively by the Red Arrows, is much older, having first entered service in 1976.

Other contenders to replace the Royal Air Force Hawk include the TF-50, a version of the Korea Aerospace Industries T-50 offered by Lockheed Martin. At the Defense and Security Equipment International (DSEI) exhibition held in London in September of this year, Lockheed Martin displayed a model of the TF-50 in Red Arrows colors.

Competition is also likely to be provided by the Leonardo M-346 and the Turkish Aerospace Hürjet. At one point, BAE Systems had been seen as a possible partner for Leonardo in the British advanced jet trainer bid.

Meanwhile, British aerospace startup Aeralis is offering a clean-sheet modular jet trainer, which it plans to build in Scotland. While Aeralis has yet to win any orders for its products, it has been provided with funding from the Royal Air Force’s Rapid Capabilities Office. The service’s Chief of the Air Staff has also said in the past that the company’s approach was something the RAF was “very interested in.”

That the Hawk T2 needs replacement has been clear for some time now, with the relatively young fleet already suffering from well-documented availability issues, which have had an adverse effect on the training pipeline.

In 2022, a fault was reported within the Hawk T2’s Adour powerplant, reducing the planned design life of each engine from 4,000 to 1,700 hours, leading to an average of just eight serviceable aircraft being made available each day throughout fiscal years 2022 and 2023.

In 2023, the entire Hawk T2 fleet was temporarily grounded after an engine-related incident on the runway.

Among others, these issues have resulted in a need to train British pilots overseas to make up the shortfall, at a considerable cost. This has included buying training slots in Italy, Qatar, and with the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program (ENJJPT) in the United States.

Meanwhile, an update on the T-7A’s progress was provided by Steve Parker, president and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space and Security, at a pre-show media roundtable ahead of the 2025 Dubai Airshow in the United Arab Emirates that TWZ attended.

Parker identified “really good performance this year” for the T-7A, which should see the first operational example delivered to the U.S. Air Force at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, next month. Parker added: “We’ve got the first ground-based training simulators already stationed at the base and operational, and the program is doing well in its flight test; we are really seeing some good progress there.”

“We’re about 78 percent through test points at Edwards Air Force Base, so making good progress,” including having started high-angle-of-attack testing, Parker added. “The feedback from the United States Air Force has been great, both the testers as well as folks who’ve flown it from the Air Force […] We think it’s going to be a game-changer. Once we get it into the air with our main user, it’s going to sell itself.”

However, full entry into service is now not expected until 2027, a delay of over four years. Earlier this year, we reported on information that emerged about serious and potentially dangerous deficiencies with the emergency ejection system on the T-7A. This followed environmental testing of the aircraft, which also exposed new problems. More generally, the U.S. Air Force has been working with Boeing to fix or otherwise mitigate a host of issues with the T-7A, which, as well as delays, prompted a shakeup of the overall plans for the program. You can read more about what has been disclosed in the past about T-7A testing in this previous TWZ feature.

When asked about export prospects for the T-7A, Bernd Peters, vice president of business development and strategy for Boeing Defense, Space and Security, confirmed that the current focus is on delivering the 351 jets on order for the U.S. Air Force. However, he noted that “customers around the world are watching and seeing the program and the potential that it has, particularly when you think about the [Middle East] region.”

Peters said that Boeing is “definitely having conversations” with potential T-7A customers in the Middle East and identified what he said was “significant potential” for the trainer with “just about any operator that flies an F-15, an F-16, or an F-35 around the world.”

“We do think that there is a significant opportunity, particularly as we begin to ramp up deliveries to the United States Air Force and some of those other nations begin to think through how they want to recapitalize their trainer fleet and close the gap on pilot shortage,” Peters added.

Other export prospects could lie in a light fighter development of the T-7A, something that we have discussed in detail in the past. Previously, the U.S. Air Force looked at the possibility of an ‘F-7’ light fighter variant or derivative of the Red Hawk as one option to supplant at least a portion of its F-16C/D fleet. Some kind of missionized or light combat aircraft version of the T-7A could fare better when offered for export.

While details of the partnership between Boeing, Saab, and BAE Systems were not provided at the pre-show media roundtable, Peters also said that Europe was earmarked for T-7A sales, especially in the 2030 to 2035 timeframe. “Europe is one where I view that there’s a significant opportunity for us to be able to address not just existing Hawk fleets, but other fleets that might be out there,” Peters said.

As to the question of whether Boeing’s manufacturing capacity will be able to cover aircraft for both the U.S. Air Force and potential export customers, Parker struck an optimistic note.

Pointing to the company’s full-size determinant assembly (FSDA) approach, which reduces build time by moving drilling to the component fabrication process, making it more controlled and efficient, Parker said it would be possible to “scale up to very large volumes” for the T-7A.

“We’re going to go well above, potentially 100 aircraft a year, and we’ll be able to scale that up further if we need to go there,” Parker said. “Right now, we’ve got good capacity that will satisfy the United States Air Force, as well as other customers, right through into the early 2030s without having to put any more capital sort of into the system for that.”

A version of the T-7 is also in the running for the U.S. Navy’s Undergraduate Jet Training System (UJTS) competition, which seeks to replace the aging T-45 Goshawk — a type that was also developed from the BAE Systems Hawk.

Of course, should the United Kingdom choose the T-7A to replace its Hawks, the prospect of an additional final assembly line would allow production to be ramped up even further, to help fulfill more export orders.

For now, however, the U.K. government hasn’t allocated funds for its new advanced jet trainer, but with the Red Arrows’ Hawks requiring a successor by 2030, time for a decision is fast running out.

Contact the author: [email protected]