In an incredible offer, British Airways is offering flights for just £2 to two popular sun-soaked destinations, but only some holidaymakers will be able to take advatnage of the flights
14:09, 13 Feb 2026Updated 14:46, 13 Feb 2026
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British Airways is offering £2 flights to two major sun-soaked destinations (Image: Getty Images)
To help beat the winter blues, British Airways is offering flights to two beautiful holiday hotspots for as little as £2.
Holidaymakers could jet off to the sun-soaked city of Madrid, Spain, with its famed landmarks and beautiful parks, or to the coastal city of Toulon in France, home to one of the most spectacular harbours in Europe, for just £2. However, not everyone will be able to take advantage of the British Airways offer, as the £2 flights are Avios-only and available only to members of The British Airways Club.
Yet, for members, it’s a deal worth noting with flights departing from London City Airport to Madrid and Toulon. Plus, with the promise of blue skies, blistering sunshine and picturesque vistas at either of these popular destinations is more than appealing amid the gloomy British weather, especially when it could cost less than a cup of coffee.
Seats are now available to book, with prices starting from just £2 plus 21,500 Avios for Toulon, and £2 plus 28,000 Avios for Madrid. What’s more, 23kg of checked baggage is included, making it even more affordable.
Toulon is a new destination for the British Airways fleet arriving this summer, making it the ideal opportunity to explore the picturesque French city and discover its fascinating harbour. Meanwhile, Madrid has long been a route for the UK airline, yet it remains just as popular with its art hub, thriving food scene and gorgeous architecture.
British Airways launched Avios-Only flights in 2023 and has since operated 48 Avios-Only flights to 16 destinations across Europe, the Caribbean, Africa and the Middle East, including Cape Town, Barbados, Sharm El Sheikh, Málaga and Marrakesh. The return flight from Madrid to London will mark its 50th dedicated Avios-Only flight.
Colm Lacy, British Airways’ Chief Commercial Officer, said: “We’re excited to release these latest Avios-Only flights to two top leisure destinations for summer. These flights are always incredibly popular, and we’re delighted to give our loyal customers even more opportunities to enjoy the benefits of The British Airways Club.”
Adam Daniels, IAG Loyalty’s CEO, said: “While it’s not been too long since our last Avios-Only flight, we are excited to be starting the year by announcing another two flights on London City Airport’s hottest new routes to Toulon and Madrid. With all seats onboard only available to book with Avios, the initiative shows the continued power of loyalty and opens up greater redemption opportunities for customers during the peak summer months.”
British Airways confirmed that the flights for the Madrid Avios-Only flight are as follows:
22 May 2026, BA3272, Depart London City 09:50, Arrive Madrid 13:10
25 May 2026, BA3273, Depart Madrid 13:55, Arrive London City 15:15
Meanwhile, the Avios-Only flight to Toulon, which also offers the chance to explore St-Tropez, will take place on:
13 June 2026, BA8747, Depart London City 07:00, Arrive Toulon 10:00
20 June 2026, BA8748, Depart Toulon 10:45, Arrive London City 11:50
For more information or to book your seat, you can visit the British Airways website.
Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com
HomeNewsSpaceX IPO Would Set Record As First Trillion‑Dollar Offering As More Giants Line Up
OpenAI, Anthropic, and Databricks lead a new class of super-sized private companies eyeing public markets.
The US IPO market has never seen a trillion-dollar debut. That may soon change as a wave of mega-valued private companies considers tapping public markets, which are eager for fresh stock.
Behind the headlines about the potential Elon Musk IPO from the newly merged SpaceX and xAI is a class of potential mega-sized deals currently valued in the hundreds of billions, supported by a thriving ecosystem for funding big companies in private markets.
SpaceX’s private market valuation is estimated at $1.25 trillion, placing it ninth in the S&P 500. That’s just below Tesla’s $1.5 trillion valuation and ahead of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway ($1.1 trillion) and Walmart ($1.05 trillion).
If Musk succeeds in taking SpaceX public this year, it will likely sell about 10% of its equity in the IPO, raising $125 billion. That figure would handily exceed Saudi Aramco’s IPO proceeds of $29.4 billion, the largest global IPO ever, and Alibaba’s IPO proceeds of $21.8 billion, still the largest ever in the US since its 2014 debut.
“There is no precedent for an IPO this large,” Morningstar passive strategies analyst Zachary Evens said in an email to Global Finance. “I am interested to see if index providers make exceptions for mega IPOs since they will instantly reshape the market.”
Nasdaq is considering a special “fast entry” rule that would allow a company to join its flagship index after its first 15 trading days, he said.
Meanwhile, OpenAI is currently valued at about $500 billion. That’s roughly double Alibaba’s $236 billion enterprise value, the current record holder for a US IPO, when it went public in 2014.
Anthropic, the company behind the Claude AI service, is valued at about $374 billion — also bigger than Alibaba — and business software specialist Databricks tips the scales at $134 billion.
These companies also dwarf the $81 billion valuation of Facebook at its 2012 IPO or the $75.5 billion market cap of Uber Technologies at its 2019 IPO.
To be sure, it’s possible that the sky-high valuations of these private companies could take a big hit amid uncertainty on Wall Street about whether unprecedented spending on AI will pay off. The window to take companies public slammed shut in April of last year after the launch of the US’s Liberation Day tariff regime. And it could do so again if the recent tech selloff driven by AI jitters continues.
While the companies are part of an ecosystem that developed and grew in the years following the Financial Crisis, they’ve never experienced a severe recession or a bubble burst, such as the dot-com meltdown of 2000-2001.
Still, after a sluggish IPO market in recent years and the dwindling number of listed companies due to take-private and other merger deals in the marketplace, brokers remain hungry for more public stock, said Mark Lehmann, vice chair of the commercial bank at Citizens Financial Group.
“There’s a whole host of people who will want exposure to these companies,” he said, including institutions, wealthy individuals, and retail investors.
Kaush Amin, managing director and head of private market investing at US Bank, said that valuations of some AI companies assume widespread use of their products within five to ten years. That’s much faster than the 70 years it took for the Industrial Revolution to diffuse across the U.K. and the 25 years it took for the internet to take hold across the economy.
Some pockets of the tech sector are very overvalued because the numbers may not reflect the infrastructure support AI needs and how long it may take to build and be adopted across the economy. There’s a need for capex funding, data centers, chip purchases, and power purchases. This all takes time and money.
Other than Nvidia or other large strategic players – maybe Softbank, for example – there aren’t many players out there that can write big enough checks, Amin said.
While the debate continues over how these and other unicorns will fare after going public, the private capital ecosystem continues to grow.
Morgan Stanley acquired EquityZen, a private markets brokerage, and folded the business into its investment portfolio for its wealthy clients. The deal will also enable the bank to help sell private stock earned as part of a client’s compensation package. Charles Schwab has similar plans with its acquisition of Forge Global.
David Shapiro, co-founder and CEO of OpenVC, which helped create the NYSE OPEN Venture Capital Unicorn Index, said investors are eager to secure stakes in companies before they go public – but they should be aware that fees may be much higher in some cases and that once an IPO debuts, it may fall flat.
“Sometimes, by the time these companies go public, all the juice has already been squeezed for investors,” said Shapiro. This is a reason to invest in companies before they go public — to realize bigger gains. The companies in the index alone add up to an addressable market of about $2 trillion or more, at last check.
A Premier Inn Non-Flex booking means that you pay now and no amendments or refunds are allowed.
It is the hotel chain’s least flexible rate, but often is cheaper than other rates.
Breakfast at a Premier Inn hotel usually costs £10.99 and up to two kids eat for free when an adult purchases a breakfast.
If you don’t want the cooked breakfast though, you could opt for the continental breakfast with fruit, pastries and lighter options, as well as tea and coffee, for £8.99 per person.
In May last year, Premier Inn revealed plans to transform a vacant office block in south east London into a 400-bedroom hub by Premier Inn hotel.
Hub by Premier Inn hotels are designed to be great value stays in central destinations, with a space efficient design and modern amenities.
The planned 400-room Hub by Premier Inn hotel is set to be the first one south of the River Thames.
There are plans to transform a former office building at 35 Red Lion Square in Holborn into a 165-room hub by Premier Inn and Phoenix House in Vauxhall to a 180-bed Premier Inn as well.
There are over 800 Premier Inn hotels across the UK, so there are plenty to choose from.
Rooms can cost as little as £35 per night.
The breakfast included both continental and cooked mealsCredit: Premier Inn
For example, you could head to Premier Inn Bournemouth Central hotel on February 15 for one night for £49.
Alternatively, on the same date, head to Premier Inn Chipping Norton for £59.
In other hotel news, there is an affordable hotel with ‘compact luxury’ rooms in the middle of London – and it has free cheese and wine hours.
STRESSED about your half-term family getaway stretching your bank account? Well, many hotels offer free stays for kids.
Whether you are heading out of the country and need a hotel near an airport or are just heading on a staycation, hotels can be expensive when you add on the kids.
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Down Hall, Bishop’s Stortford, is just 15 minutes from Stansted AirportCredit: Booking.com
But there are a number of hotels all over the UK that offer free kids stays making it more affordable.
Some even offer free meals and other perks too…
Down Hall, Bishop’s Stortford
Named AA Hotel of the Year, Down Hall nestled in the English countryside is just 45 minutes from central London and 15 minutes from Stansted Airport.
The hotel is an Italianate mansion with a historydating back to the 11th century.
Inside, there are 98 individually designed bedrooms, including ones with views of the garden.
There is also an on-site restaurant called The Garden Room, which uses ingredients from its own vegetable garden.
Visitors can head to the Eden Spa too, a 24-hour gym, tenniscourts and 11 acres of woodland.
Kids stay free between February 14 and 22, based on two adults and two children under 12 years old sharing.
It is worth noting though that the spa facilities are not included.
From £212 per room.
Mallory Court, Leamington Spa
Surrounded by gardens, Mallory Court Hotel is pretty to just look at.
Then, once inside, there are 42 individually styled bedrooms with a traditional country house feel.
There is a spa as well with a pool and gym.
For a bite to eat, you can head to The Warwick which is run by MasterChef winner Stu Deeley.
Over February half-term, children under the age of 10 can stay for free when sharing a room with an adult.
And included in the stay is bed and breakfast accommodation and designated family pool times.
To benefit from the offer, you must call to book.
Mallory Court Hotel has a restaurant run by MasterChef winner Stu DeeleyCredit: Booking.com
Langstone Cliff Hotel, Dawlish, Devon
Set in 19 acres of woodlands, the Langstone Cliff Hotel in Dawlish, Devon boasts spectacular views of the sea.
Nearby there are sandy beaches to explore, which can be reached via a short walk.
There’s lots to do at the hotel as well, including an indoor and an outdoor pool, and both indoor and outdoor play areas for children.
During the half-term break, kids under 10-years-old stay free when sharing with two adults.
Rooms start from around £123 per night.
The Langstone Cliff Hotel in Dawlish overlooks the seaCredit: Langstone Cliff Hotel
The Grove, Watford
If you fancy something a little more luxury, The Grove is a great option.
The five-star hotel is just 18 miles from London and used to be the home of the Earls of Clarendon.
In total, there are 214 rooms and suites, an 18-hole golf course, a spa and a number of restaurants.
Over half term, kids stay free when sharing with parents and get breakfast at The Glasshouse, two hours of free childcare for kids aged two to nine, use of the Sequoia Spa and use of Asher’s Woodland Trails.
The offer runs from February 13 to 22 and costs from £550 per room.
For something more luxury, head to The Grove where you will get two hours of free childcareCredit: The Grove
The Fish Hotel, Broadway, The Cotswolds
This back-to-nature retreat looks over the village of Broadway in the Cotswolds.
The hotel has 500 acres to explore, as well as a number of activities and well-being classes.
There are a range of rooms to choose from too, such as treehouses, suites and huts.
When it comes to having something to eat there are a couple of options on site, including a bar and lounge and Hook – a seafood-focused restaurant.
Kids stay for free between February 13 and 22 with rooms costing from £340 based on two adults and a child sharing.
The Fish Hotel overlooks the picturesque village of Broadway in the CotswoldsCredit: The Fish Hotel
Britannia Hotels, various locations
Britannia Hotels has locations across the country and between February 13 and 22, kids under 14-years old stay for free when sharing a room with two adults.
Breakfast is included and so are kids meals.
Though if you stay on a Saturday night at Royal Court Hotel; Prince of Wales Hotel Southport; Britannia Airport Hotel Manchester; Norbreck; Castle Hotel Blackpool; Grand Hotel Scarborough; Grand Hotel Llandudno; Carrington House Hotel Bournemouth or Grand Hotel Blackpool – there will be a £10 supplement.
Otherwise, rooms cost from £59 per night.
Britannia Hotels have locations across the UK with prices starting from £59 a nightCredit: Britannia Hotels
The Swan at Lavenham, Sudbury
Inside a 15th century building, The Swan at Lavenham is a cosy hotel with traditional oak beams and large fireplaces.
There are 46 rooms to choose from, with period features in each.
Inside, there are classic rooms and executive suites, as well as a bar, restaurant and terrace.
Over the February half-term, kids under 12-years-old stay for free and also get a Cornish breakfast each morning of their stay.
There are two room types in the offer to choose from.
Firstly, the classic room which costs from £110 based on one adult and one child sharing.
Or, secondly, the executive suites, costing from £203 based on two adults and two children sharing.
The Alverton in Cornwall is a Grade-II listed hotel with a cosy feelCredit: Alamy
Holiday Inn, various locations
Holiday Inns are great for budget travel or if you are heading off on holiday but want to stay near the airport before your flight.
Perfect for half-term trips out of the country, kids under the age of 17-years-old stay for free during the school break when sharing a room with up to two adults.
Kids under 12-years-old also get free meals during their stay.
Prices vary depending on Location, but as an example you could stay at Holiday Inn London Bexley for £68 per night.
Holiday Inns are all over the country and provide a great cheaper stayCredit: John Kirkby – Commissioned by The Sun Glasgow
The Belfry, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands,
The four-star Belfry Hotel & Resort sits in 550 acres of countryside and is well-known for its world-class golf.
The hotel features over 300 rooms, as well as a Fire and Ice spa with a 12-room thermal journey, restaurants such as Ryder Grill and Sam’s Club House.
If you are heading on holiday from Birmingham Airport, the hotel is ideal to stay at the night before as it is less than 20 minutes away.
To get the offer, you will need to use the promo code ‘FAMILYPROMO’.
Rooms cost from £259 per night and include breakfast, buffet dinner, kids’ activities and access to the leisure club (but not spa).
The Belfry is a perfect choice if you are looking to stay near Birmingham AirportCredit: The Belfry
Carlyon Bay Hotel, Cornwall
With 86 luxury rooms, Carlyon Bay Hotel in Cornwall is a great spot for families as it has a large entertainment programme.
There’s magic shows and an appearance from Chloe the Clown…
For the adults, there is also a golf course and a large spa.
Kids under 15-years-old stay for free between February 14 and 22, with a room and breakfast costing from £85 per night.
Kids under 15-years-old also get to eat for free during their stay.
Included in your stay is access to the supervised Funzone, a complimentary round of golf and use of the spa and leisure facilities which features an indoor pool.
A room and breakfast costs from £85 per person per night (so from £170 per night for two adults and two children).
In other hotel news, here’s 12 of our favourite UK hotels to visit this year – from cosy farm retreats to £55 all-inclusives in London.
LIKE theatre, gigs and festivals but hate the price tags that go with them?
There are plenty of little-known sites that offer heavily discounted or even FREE tickets to top-name events to fill empty seats. This even includes recordings for TV shows that have audiences.
TodayTix is a great platform for finding discounted West End ticketsCredit: Getty
With London West End shows easily setting two people back £100, heading to the theatre may seem possible only once in a blue moon.
But thanks to the following sites, you could save hundreds on tickets – we’ve tested all of them, and got incredible tickets to some huge shows for a fraction of what everyone else is paying.
TodayTix
If you don’t already have the TodayTix app, you should download it now.
It is an app for booking theatre and stage shows, including the London West End performances.
It’s especially great for anyone looking for last-minute shows.
There is a feature called ‘Rush Tickets’, which offers a chance to get discounted tickets on the day of a performance.
Shows this offer is applied to include MJ The Musical (£30), The Producers (£30), Titanique (£30), Stranger Things The First Shadow (£25), Back to the Future (£29.50), Six (£25), The Book of Mormon (£25) and Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap (£25).
I recently watched The Mousetrap on a £25 Rush Ticket and managed to get the first row of the upper circle – a seat that usually costs considerably more than £25.
The app also has a ‘lottery’ feature for some shows, where you can enter a lottery for tickets from as little as £10.
Under this feature, you do have to be resilient, as the likelihood of getting lottery tickets is slim.
However, after a few months of entering the lottery every week, I managed to bag £40 tickets to both parts of Harry Potter and The Cursed Child – tickets which can usually set you back over £400 for the stalls or dress circle.
Other shows that have lottery offers include Hamilton, which, if you won, you’d only pay £10 for.
Some shows also have their own offers on the app, for example, Moulin Rouge offers Bohemian Seats, which are reduced tickets (£30) for same-day performances.
With TodayTix, I have managed to visit several shows – Rush Ticket offers include MJ The Musical tickets for £30Credit: Cyann Fielding
Applause Store
Applause Store claims to be the world’s best television audience company and gives out tickets to a range of shows.
I have been using Applause Store for about four years now, and in that time, I have seen a couple of shows, including QI.
The one major downside, though, is that you get tickets and then queue for a long time and don’t necessarily get in.
This has put me off using Applause Store as frequently, though it is great if there is a show you really want to see being filmed for TV.
For example, at the time of writing, Applause Store is booking tickets for the BAFTA Awards fan areas, something that I would love to see, and so I have applied for two tickets.
Tickets are free, but just because you get tickets doesn’t mean that you are guaranteed entry, so if you are desperate to see the show, make sure you get there early.
SRO Audiences
SRO Audiences is similar to Applause Store.
For SRO Audiences, you don’t need to sign up – simply head onto the website, look at the shows available and request tickets.
Similar to Applause Store, tickets do not guarantee entry, so it is best to get there early on the day.
Central Tickets
Central Tickets is primarily for London theatre events – and by this I don’t necessarily mean London West End shows.
You have to sign up, but it is free of charge to do this, and then you get access to heavily discounted or even free tickets to shows.
Before Christmas, I nabbed two free tickets with a £6.50 admin fee (so £13 total) to see Burlesque: Unwrapped instead of a minimum of £45 per person.
The festive-yet-saucy burlesque performance was, of course, adults only and featured performers twirling around and undressing to Christmas tunes – I’m talking Rudolph nipple tassels and lots of glitter.
It was no London West End show, but for £6.50, my friend and I had a great laugh and a fun evening out.
A lot of the events and shows will most likely be things you haven’t heard of before, but all have a description, meaning you can learn what the show is about before booking.
Sometimes there are some real gems, though; for example, at the time of writing, you could head to Phantom Peak’s immersive experience for £10 instead of £35, or you could head to Sabrage, “featuring international circus elites and theatrical misfits”, for £15 instead of a minimum of £30.
Some sites have discounted tickets to events, including comedy gigsCredit: Getty
Show Film First
Similar to Central Tickets, Show Film First offers heavily discounted tickets to shows and events.
You do have to sign up for an account, which is free, and their newsletter to get the offers.
Some of the current offers include seeing the London Lions basketball team playing against the Niners Chemnitz team, and you would only pay the access fee.
They have also had tickets to top London day festivals, featuring international popstars as headline acts – for an access fee of just £7.95 (but we won’t say who, to spare their blushes).
Other offers include travel conferences and comedy shows.
Age-bracketed tickets
When living in London, it is often easy to forget that theatres, cinemas, and so on offer age-related discounts, and it isn’t necessarily always for youngsters.
The Young Vic then offers £12 tickets for under 25s, and the Barbican and Almeida Theatre both offer £5 tickets for 25s and under.
A bit older than that? Well, if you are under 30, joining the mailing lists for the Royal Albert Hall and Donmar Warehouse allows you to grab £20 tickets.
At The Royal Albert Hall, past events have included Barbie: The Movie in Concert, Video Games in Concert and BBC Proms: The Traitors.
There is also Kids Week, which usually takes place in the summer, and allows children under the age of 18 to visit many West End shows for free with a paying adult.
In addition to offers, there are some ticket types that cost lessCredit: Cyann Fielding
Restricted view
One way to get cheaper tickets at pretty much any show is by opting for the restricted-view seats.
Sites like SeatPlan and A View From My Seat help to show what sort of view you would get, so you can always check a restricted seat’s view before actually booking it.
If you do book this kind of ticket, you can expect to save between 30 and 50 per cent compared to a seat with a non-restricted view.
Whilst this offer isn’t available at the moment, it will be in the summer again, every Friday at 11am when tickets are released for the following week.
And each ticket only costs £5.
Last summer I watched The Winter’s Tale on a standing ticket.
Half of the show was conducted inside, where I did stand but had a barrier to lean on, and then the other half was outside, and thanks to the show not being fully booked, I got a seat.
It is worth checking the length of the show and thinking whether you can stand for that long, though, before committing.
Like at the Globe theatre, you can stand for just £5Credit: Getty
Disney discounts
If you head to the ‘Disney Tickets’ website, you can grab tickets to Disney’s West End shows for less than usual.
For example, you can grab tickets to The Lion King and Disney‘s Hercules on Mondays at noon for that week’s performances for £29.50.
Known as Magical Mondays, it means you could see The Lion King for considerably less than the usual ticket price, which sits around the £70 to £110 range.
All you need to do is create a MyDisney account, which is free to do.
