launch

EASYJET will launch a loyalty program in 2027, to reward repeat bookers of both its flights and holidays.

Customers will be able to accrue points based on how much they’ve spent, which they’ll then be able to use for discounts on future bookings.

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The airline said that it benefits from a “local customer base” with lots of “returning” flyers and essentially wants to reward them for it.

Not many details about the scheme have been announced, but talking to the Financial Times, easyJet CEO Kenton Jarvis said that it would have “broad appeal”.

He added: “Not only do we have commuters… but also people who book holidays accumulate value that they can redeem either on a flight or on holiday.”

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Reading between the lines, it doesn’t seem that easyJet will be replacing its easyJet Plus scheme, which is already in place and designed for frequent flyers.

easyJet Plus is available for an annual fee of £249, where passengers benefit from ‘Plus’ bag drop, speedy boarding, inclusive allocated seating and fast track security – and other ‘exclusive benefits’.

Many other airlines operate loyalty schemes, and recently British Airways made a change to the way its tier points count towards silver or gold membership.

As of April 2026, members of the British Airways Club started earning points based on the money they spend with the airline, rather than based on distance they have flown.

For every £1 they spend, they will earn one tier point, which makes it tougher for flyers to earn the top status.

According to the Financial Times, Virgin Atlantic said more than 10,000 BA members had switched to its programme after offering to match the status of any customers booking a flight. 

Earlier this year, easyJet announced it would be launching new routes from the UK – some of which are from Newcastle International Airport, its newest base which it opened in March.

In October, the airline will begin flights from Newcastle to Fuerteventura providing a winter sun escape to the Canary Island.

Anyone wanting to visit Reykjavik, Iceland, can travel from Newcastle from October 27 twice a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

May 21 (UPI) — SpaceX on Thursday scrubbed the planned first test flight for its redesigned Super Heavy megarocket, the largest rocket ever built, from its new Texas launch pad.

Following several delays of the countdown at 40 seconds remaining, SpaceX spokesman Dan Huot announced the launch would be delayed due to engineering issues which could not be immediately remedied.

“We are expecting to be able to make another flight attempt tomorrow, but obviously stay tuned to our social media,” he said.

In addition to trying out the redesigned Super Heavy propulsion system, the launch is meant to assess upgraded systems on Starship, including the deployment of 22 Starlink satellite simulators, intentionally stressing its new flight control flaps and attempting the “dynamic banking maneuver” that it eventually will use to land back on its pad.

When it takes off, the uncrewed mission will be the 12th flight for Starship as SpaceX develops what is expected to be a primary vehicle for NASA’s Artemis missions to the moon.

“The flight test’s primary goal will be to demonstrate each of these new pieces in the flight environment for the first time, with each element of the Starship architecture featuring significant redesigns to enable full and rapid reuse that incorporate learnings from years of development and testing,” SpaceX said on its website.

The V3, which is 408 feet tall and more powerful than previous Super Heavy rockets, includes 33 redesigned Raptor engines — Starship has six of its own — will take off from South Texas for a round of primary tests similar to previous launches.

The rocket, SpaceX said, is hoped to successfully launch, ascend, separate from the second stage — Starship — and then perform boostback and landing burns in the Gulf of Mexico.

“As this is the first flight test of a significantly redesigned vehicle, the booster will not attempt a return to the launch site for catch,” the company said.

During the hot-stage separation, Starship will light its engines to enter a sub-orbital path, performing tests and then splashing down in the Indian Ocean.

Tests of the space vessel are important as NASA’s Artemis III mission in 2028 is expected to test connecting the Orion crew capsule to both Starship and Blue Origin‘s Blue Moon, although Blue Moon has yet to be launched for its first test flight.

Starship also is expected to be the ship that delivers Americans back to the moon in the next several years.

Netflix subscribers will wake up to a video livestream of “The Breakfast Club” starting next month, marking the platform’s first daily live podcast.

The deal is part of the streaming platform’s ongoing focus on live programming, and the latest video podcast offering through its partnership with iHeartRadio, the company said on Thursday. The nearly three-hour show will include a live video feed exclusive to Netflix and will air every weekday morning.

“Taking this show live every day to a global audience on Netflix is a powerful example of how we’re expanding the reach of our biggest brands while giving audiences entirely new ways to experience them,” Bob Pittman, iHeartMedia’s chairman and chief executive, said in a statement. “Whether it’s morning in NYC or the afternoon in London, the conversation is live and reaching the world in real time.”

“The Breakfast Club” will air simultaneously on Netflix, the iHeartRadio app and it will continue to be syndicated by Premiere Networks on more than 100 broadcast radio stations nationwide. Netflix’s video feed is meant to provide more behind-the-scenes content, as radio formats will still need to include commercial breaks. Instead of pausing the program, Netflix watchers will get an uninterrupted stream, where those traditional breaks will be filled with exclusive segments and extended discussions.

“The media landscape will always evolve, but one thing consistently cuts through: live programming,” Charlamagne tha God said in a statement. “That’s a big reason ‘The Breakfast Club’ has sustained its reign for so long. We’re building something powerful — real‑time conversation, real community, on a global scale. The future belongs to those who can see what’s possible — and trust me, the vision for ‘The Breakfast Club’ and Netflix is crystal clear.”

The radio program first got its start in 2010 on WWPR-FM in New York. Over the years, it has become one of the most popular morning shows, rooted in Hip-Hop and R&B culture and known for its lively interviews and entertaining commentary from hosts Charlamagne Tha God, DJ Envy and Jess Hilarious. The show has welcomed guests like former President Barack Obama, and artists like Kendrick Lamar and Cardi B. In 2020, the talk show was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame.

Netflix has heavily invested in its live programming in the worlds of sports, comedy and podcasting in recent years. In the past month, the Los Gatos-based company livestreamed “The Roast of Kevin Hart” and its latest fight between MMA fighters Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano. This weekend, the F1 Canadian Grand Prix is also set to air on Netflix. These tentpole events are in addition to some of the weekly live programming Netflix offers, including “The Bill Simmons Podcast,” which airs every Sunday.

JET2 has added nearly 20 new routes to its 2027 roster, in case you’re an early bird who likes to catch a holiday well ahead of time.

The airline is heading to the Greek islands, a pretty French town, and a Channel Island that ‘looks like the Caribbean‘.

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Jet2 is adding shorter and ‘more convenient’ trips to its rota for 2027 in order to meet demand – and Birmingham Airport will have three new routes.

One is to Bergerac, a pretty medieval town in France‘s Dordogne – a region known for having magnificent castles and tasty food.

The town was previously one of the routes cut by Ryanair – but was later brought back for the summer season.

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Jet2 will begin flying to Bergerac from May 22, 2026 with one weekly service.

A Bergerac route is also being introduced from Manchester Airport starting on May 22.

Birmingham Airport, along with Bristol and Manchester is adding routes to Jersey, the Channel Island that during the summertime has been compared to the Caribbean.

When Head of Sun Travel (Digital) Caroline McGuire visited she said: “When my family and I visited, every beach was outstanding, the weather glorious, the food a fantastic hybrid of French and English tastes.

“Jersey has many epic beaches, often next to free car parks and regularly featuring fabulous cafes serving both generous portions of food and cold beers.”

Jet2 will also begin flights to the Greek destination of Kavala which is nicknamed the ‘Blue City’.

It earned its name from its turquoise waters of the Aegean Sea – and for holidaymakers it has long stretches of beach and plenty of clubs and bars.

Brits will also be able to fly to Kavala from Birmingham, London Stansted and Manchester Airport.

Bournemouth Airport is adding a one-weekly service to Spain’s Reus from May 2, 2027.

Found in Catalonia, the city has little alleyways filled with cafes and small boutiques.

But, if you’re looking for beaches, Reus is a 20-minute drive and train journey to the beach city of Tarragona.

Tarragona considered a quiet alternative to Barcelona as it’s mostly visited by locals who want to escape the busy city centre.

The airline will start new routes to Paris too from East Midlands, London Stansted and Manchester Airport.

In most cases these services will take under an hour and a half offering a speedy gateway to the city full of landmarks, foodie spots, galleries and art museums.

If you want to avoid the tourist heavy landmarks, check out what Travel Reporter Alice Penwill did during a daytrip to the city from markets to Seine River walks.

Or take advice from Head of Sun Travel (Digital) Caroline McGuire to have lunch at Brasserie Lipp and spend time at 18th arrondissement – a less-touristy area.

Locals to Edinburgh Airport will be able to jet off to not one but two Greek Islands next summer.

The airline will begin one-weekly services to Chania on the beautiful island of Crete.

Crete is Greece’s biggest island offering ancient culture, tasty cuisine and incredible swimming spots in the Mediterranean Sea.

Chania itself is a Venetian port with lots of tavernas – the area is a hub of activity, with food, drink and shopping all overlooking the blue sea.

The second location is Skiathos, an island in the northwest Aegean Sea and part of the Sporades archipelago.

One Sun Writer who visited stayed at the Skiathos Palace Hotel, spending days on Koukounaries Beach which is renowned for watersports and diving.

One-weekly flights from Edinburgh Airport to Croatia’s city of Pula will begin on May 2.

The city is said to have the “perfect summer temperatures”, according to a group of travel experts – with highs of 27C in July and August.

Pula has its very own Colosseum, and it’s the only remaining Roman amphitheatre to have four side towers entirely preserved.

It’s even said to be more intact than its famous counterpart in Rome.

Of course, the seaside city has incredible beaches too like Galebove stijene and Jamica Beach.

From London Gatwick, the airline will fly to Mytilene (Lesvos) – a city found on the third largest Greek island.

In the city, visitors can explore Mytilene Castle, take a stroll around Ermou Street Market and enjoy seafood at the tavernas along the waterfront.

At London Stansted, the airline will start flying to Almeria once a week from May 1, 2027.

The city in southeast Spain has an abundance of tapas bars – thanks to its tapeo culture, if you order a drink then you usually get a free tapa dish too.

The city is very close to the Tabernas Desert which has been used as a filming location for famous Westerns, including The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, A Fistful of Dollars, and For a Few Dollars More, starring Clint Eastwood.

Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, said: “We are delighted to be significantly expanding our Jersey programme for Summer 2027, with a great choice of flights now departing from six UK airports as a result.

“Thanks to the addition of the new routes and the existing programme, we are offering fantastic choice to Jersey.”

SpaceX founder Elon Musk announced plans on Wednesday for one of the biggest stock sales ever, by taking a space company public that is currently losing billions of dollars a year.

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A filing shows that SpaceX lost $2.6 billion (€2.24bn) from operations last year on $18.7 billion in revenue, and the losses continued at the start of this year.

The prospectus did not put a dollar figure on the amount Musk hopes to raise, but various reports have estimated it at around $75bn (€64.5bn). An offering of that size would easily surpass the current title holder, Saudi Aramco, the oil giant that went public seven years ago and raised $26bn (€22.4bn).

SpaceX, formally known as Space Exploration Technologies Corp., said the money will help finance projects to put people on the Moon and Mars, as part of its goal to make humans an interplanetary species in the face of existential threats that could wipe out civilisation.

“We do not want humans to have the same fate as dinosaurs,” the filing states.

The prospectus reads, in part, like a Hollywood-style vision of the future, detailing in one section that part of Musk’s compensation will be granted only if he maintains “a permanent human colony on Mars with at least one million inhabitants.”

Short of that, the stock sale alone could make Musk — the founder and a major shareholder of SpaceX — the world’s first trillionaire. Forbes currently estimates his net worth at $839bn (€722bn), roughly equivalent to Poland’s annual GDP.

Losses mount despite strong revenue and Starlink growth

In addition to making reusable rockets to send astronauts into orbit, SpaceX has other businesses, some successful and others struggling, with plenty of question marks.

The document shows that Starlink, the world’s largest satellite communications company, is a major source of cash, generating $4.4bn (€3.8bn) in operating income last year. The business uses 10,000 satellites in low orbit to provide internet service to 10 million people in 150 countries and territories.

Among the struggling businesses are two Musk ventures recently acquired by SpaceX — his social media platform X, formerly Twitter, and his artificial intelligence firm xAI. Those purchases were criticised by some SpaceX investors as bailouts, as both are significant loss-makers.

The prospectus said its AI business lost $6.4bn (€5.5bn) from operations last year.

The original SpaceX business — building rockets and conducting launches — has benefited from major government contracts, raising questions that could come back to affect the company. Given Musk’s close ties to the Trump administration, government ethics lawyers and watchdogs have questioned whether he received preferential treatment in securing taxpayer-funded contracts, and whether that support will continue once Donald Trump leaves office.

SpaceX has won contracts worth $6bn (€5.2bn) from NASA, the Defence Department and other government agencies over the past five years, according to USAspending.gov. The company noted in its filing that one-fifth of its revenue last year came from the federal government.

Musk was the biggest donor to Trump’s presidential campaign and remains a major backer, despite a sometimes rocky relationship following his role in the government cost-cutting effort known as DOGE early last year.

Musk’s pay tied to ambitious targets as he retains firm control

Like many corporate CEOs, Musk’s compensation goes far beyond his annual salary, which was $54,080 (€46,538.5)in 2025 and has remained unchanged since 2019, according to the filing.

The prospectus says stock grants for him will be divided into 15 nearly equal tranches — 67 million shares each — and will vest only as the company reaches preset market capitalisation targets. In addition to the Mars colony milestone, SpaceX’s market value would need to reach $7.5 trillion (€6.45tr) for him to receive the full award.

He would receive additional stock awards if SpaceX succeeds in deploying giant data centres the size of football fields in space.

The document shows Musk will retain significant control over the business.

It states that he and certain other shareholders will receive shares in a special class of stock that gives them 10 votes per share. These shareholders will be able, among other things, to elect a majority of the company’s board of directors.

“This will limit or preclude your ability to influence corporate matters and the election of our directors,” SpaceX said in a warning to prospective investors.

SpaceX will be able to market the offering to investors — in what is known on Wall Street as a “roadshow” — 15 days after making its prospectus public. In this case, that would be 4 June.

BRITS could soon be able to fly to a destination in Africa with winter highs of 30C, beautiful beaches and beers for 71p.

Air Tanzania has revealed it’s planning to launch direct flights, for the very first time, between the UK and Tanzania next year.

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The airline’s CEO Peter Ulanga announced the flights will operate from London Gatwick to Kilimanjaro International Airport and wants to start the route from July 2027.

Talking to Africa Travel & Tourism Association (ATTA), Peter Ulanga said there be a ‘minimum’ of three flights a week to Tanzania.

Not only that, but he also said they want to run flights to its well-known archipelago as well.

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He added: “We will also run direct flights to Zanzibar, expanding the tourism potential of that destination from the UK, too.”

Currently there are no direct routes to Tanzania or Zanzibar – and historically there haven’t been any from the UK.

Airlines from the UK currently have to stopover at the likes of Nairobi to get there.

The new route would make travel for Brits much easier and reduce flight time that is currently between 11 and 15 hours.

The most popular part of Tanzania for Brits is Zanzibar which lies just of the coast, thanks to its white-sand beaches, winter highs of 30C and pretty resorts.

Despite its luxury feel, Zanzibar is cheap too with meals costing around £3.54 and beer can be from 99p.

Zanzibar has an incredible coastline, some of the best beaches include Nakupenda, Nungwi and Paje which have powder-like sand and are lined with palm trees.

One Sun Writer who visited enjoyed snorkelling, exploring Zanzibar’s capital, Stone Town, and taking a boat trip to Prison Island to see the giant tortoise sanctuary.

Even better news for Brits is that there’s barely any jet lag either as Zanzibar is just two hours ahead of the UK.

One of TUI’s resorts there called Riu Palace Zanzibar can be booked from £2,000pp which is a seven-night, all-inclusive stay including flights.

It has bright and airy rooms, five bars, four restaurants, three swimming pools and a gym.

Zanzibar is getting even more TUI hotels too – last year, it announced it would be expanding across destinations in Africa, including Tanzania.

JAZ Amaluna, an adults-only, five-star resort on the east coast at Uroa Beach, is set to open this year.

TUI described it as having a ‘village vibe’ with tropical gardens, authentic Africa decor and two swimming pools.

Meanwhile on the mainland, Tanzania’s capital is Dodoma and the country as a whole is known for being especially cheap.

According to Wise, Tanzania is even cheaper than Zanzibar with meals start from £1.99, coffee from £1.46, and beer as little as 71p.

Aside from its affordability, lots of the country’s appeal lies in its national parks.

Right next to the airport is Mount Kilimanjaro National Park which is where you’ll find the tallest mountain in Africa.

Tanzania is also home to the Serengeti National Park and a popular activity is to book a safari tour to see the Great Migration of wildebeest and zebras.

TUI is launching its first ever loyalty scheme for UK customers – and there are plenty of perks.

The Smiles Reward Club is set to be rolled out later this year and holidaymakers will be able to use it across flights, holidays and cruises.

Follow The Sun’s award-winning travel team on Instagram and Tiktok for top holiday tips and inspiration @thesuntravel.

TUI Group CEO Sebastian Ebel announced yesterday the TUI Smiles Rewards Club will be rolled out in the UK ‘this summer or autumn’.

This will be the first time ever that TUI will have a loyalty scheme for its customers.

The Smiles Rewards Club will be able to be used across all bookings including flights, hotels, packages, cruises, and experiences.

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As members make purchases, they will progress through three levels and each level increases the benefits like TUI treats, priority support and personalised rewards.

These rewards also include on-board and in-hotel added benefits.

For even more potential wins, there will also be a monthly game with ‘great prizes’ to be won.

For higher tier members, there will be better access to services like priority live chat and priority call support.

The scheme launched in Finland in March of this year and will be rolled out in the UK later this year.

Here’s another travel website which launched its own loyalty scheme this year.

EUROSTAR has taken the next step to launch trains to a new European country – for the first time ever.

A new agreement has been signed between the international train operator as well as Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) and French SNCF Voyageurs.

The agreement would allow direct trains between London and Switzerland, with “significant potential” for the route.

The journey would take about five hours from London to the city of Basel, with other cities slightly longer such as Geneva (5.5 hours) and Zurich (six hours).

London is currently the ‘no.1 flight destination’ for Switzerland, with airlines such as Swiss, British Airways and easyJet operating direct flights.

If the new direct trains go ahead, they are likely to launch by the 2030s, although a confirmed date is yet to be revealed.

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The current train route from the UK requires a change in Paris, with the whole journey taking around 7hr30.

It isn’t the only new route Eurostar is planning with other cities such as Frankfurt and Cologne in Germany.

Routes could even go as far as Milan in Italy.

Currently Eurostar operates trains to France (Paris and Lille) along with the Netherlands (Amsterdam and Rotterdam) and Brussels.

Virgin also confirmed last year that they would be launching rival trains to Europe, the first to do so alongside Eurostar.

Along with routes to the same destinations, they could also launch trains from Manchester and Birmingham, as well as restore routes from Ashford and Ebbsfleet.