Virgin

VIRGIN will soon be flying to a Thai destination for the first time ever.

From October 18, 2026, Virgin Atlantic will launch flights to Phuket in Thailand three times a week.

The flight will be the only direct service between London Heathrow and Thailand‘s largest island.

The flights will operate seasonally in the winter, on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays from London Heathrow and Thursdays, Saturdays and Mondays from Phuket.

Tickets for the flights will go on sale on November 26.

The aircraft used will be a Boeing 787-9 and onboard passengers will get complimentary food and drink, entertainment including movies and TV series and WiFi available for purchase.

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There will be 31 Upper Class seats, 35 Premium, and 192 Economy.

If you can’t wait until November 26 to book flights, then package holidays will be available to book from today, with prices starting from £999 per person.

For example, you could spend seven nights at the four-star Sugar Marina Hotel Fashion – Kata Beach in a deluxe double room on a bed and breakfast basis, with return economy flights from Heathrow for £999 per person.

If you fancied something a little more luxurious, then you could stay at the five-star The Sands Khao Lak by Katatthani in a ‘Sands’ double room on an all inclusive basis for £1,599 per person.

Virgin Atlantic Holidays offers more than 230 accommodation options in Phuket, and over 80 throughout Thailand.

In addition, through the airline’s partnership with Bangkok Airways, travellers can head to a number of other destinations such as Koh Samui.

Juha Jarvinen, chief commercial officer for Virgin Atlantic, said: “We’re thrilled to introduce our new direct service to Phuket, giving our customers a flavour of one of Southeast Asia’s most captivating destinations.

“As well as making the trip more convenient, they can enjoy exploring Thailand’s unique heritage, natural beauty and delicious cuisine.

“We can’t wait for our customers to experience our trademark hospitality on their next unforgettable journey.”

In 2024,  Bounce – a luggage storage company – announced that Phuket was the world’s most popular island holiday destination.

Phuket is known for having stunning beaches and a rich food scene.

For example, there is Patong Beach which is known for having a vibrant nightlife.

For families, Karon and Kata Beaches are then popular spots, with white sand and crystal clear waters.

Cultural attractions include the Big Buddha perched at the top of Nakkerd Hill – it is 45 metres tall and at the site, visitors can get 360-degree panoramic views of the landscape.

Phuket’s old town is also a famous spot to explore, with lots of history and pretty architecture.

For Phuket, island hopping is great day out as well, with the famous Phi Phi Islands and James Bond Island (Phang Nga Bay) nearby.

Khao Phra Thaeo National Park is then home to the island’s only remaining evergreen rainforest.

There are numerous walking trails through the rainforest, and on some, hikers can see waterfalls such as Bang Pae Waterfall.

Phuket benefits from warm temperatures year round, with the lowest temperature being around 25C and the highest 35C.

September is the wettest month to visit and February is the driest, with around two days of rainfall.

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In other news about Thailand, strict rules are in place for Brits across the next two months.

Plus, from kayaking and hiking to cooking classes and zip-lining – the Thai city that is top place to visit.

TUI, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have all cancelled or delayed flights and holidays across Jamaica following the devastating hurricane.

Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 hurricane, made landfall yesterday on the island with speeds up to 160mph.

New images coming from Jamaica show widespread destruction, with most of the island left without power.

As many as 8,000 Brits are thought to be on holiday in the country, with many taking shelter in hotels.

And tour operators and airlines have since been cancelling holidays in response.

TUI has cancelled all flights to Jamaica until October 31, although this may be extended.

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And all package holidays to Jamaica have been cancelled until at least the end of the week (November 2).

They said in a statement: “We’re working hard to assess the full impact of Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica and the extent of damage to local infrastructure including resorts, roads and airports. 

“We want to reassure our customers that their safety and wellbeing remains our absolute top priority. 

“We understand this is an unsettling time and ask that customers currently in Jamaica continue to follow the advice of local authorities and their resort teams. ”

Virgin Atlantic has only cancelled flights up until tomorrow although this is very likely to be extended.

Flights VS165 and VS165 have been cancelled tomorrow (October 30).

And British Airways has also cancelled a number of upcoming flights, with passengers told to contact the airline.

Both Norman Manley International Airport and Sangster International Airport remain closed.

Just remember that you must not cancel your holiday ahead of the your tour operator or you will be left out of pocket.

This is because the Foreign Office has not warned again travel to Jamaica – it is only when it is advised against, that you can cancel a holiday for a full refund.

Instead it is better to contact the tour operator and see if you can push back your flight if you are wary of travelling.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “The FCDO stands ready to help British nationals 24/7.

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“We have set up a crisis centre in the Foreign Office, including with support from the (Ministry of Defence), and we are also positioning specialist rapid deployment teams to provide consular assistance to British nationals in the region.

“Any British nationals who are there should follow our travel advice and the advice of the Jamaican authorities.”

‘Fully loaded’ devices are being used to stream paid for content including football – full list of UK areas targets most recently

The Federation Against Copyright Theft has issued warnings that it is cracking down on people using ‘dodgy’ or ‘fully loaded’ Firesticks to illegally stream sport and paid for content. It carries out raids and also monitors digital sellers of the devices in order to target suppliers.

The practice is increasingly widespread – and the most recent raids carried out in the country by FACT have been across the UK. Working with police the clampdown spanned locations across the UK, including London, Cheshire, Kent, Sussex, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, Staffordshire, the East and West Midlands, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Northumbria, and North Yorkshire.

FACT, in collaboration with police services are intensifying efforts to disrupt and dismantle piracy operations across the country by targeting suppliers who are selling unauthorised access to premium content, including film, television and live sports.

The most recent reported two-week enforcement operation saw FACT and police targeting 30 suppliers of illegal IPTV services. These individuals were visited in person and issued cease-and-desist warnings by post, instructing them to cease illegal activities immediately or face potential criminal prosecution.

As part of the enforcement action, South Wales Police arrested a 42-year-old man from Newport who was suspected of involvement in illegal IPTV operations, including the sale of illicit Firesticks. FACT and South Wales Police seized several digital devices, including Firesticks, which are now undergoing forensic examination. Additionally, FACT issued a number of takedown requests to social media platforms and online marketplaces, further disrupting illegal IPTV activity.

FACT warned that courts are increasingly imposing severe penalties for illegal streaming operations, ‘particularly those who do not heed warnings’. It said private prosecution undertaken by the Premier League resulted a 29-year-old from Liverpool, receiving a three-year and four-month prison sentence for selling and using illicit Firesticks.

The body often targets the month of November because a lot of the Firesticks are sold at this time of year. Kieron Sharp, CEO FACT said: “Our cease-and-desist measures are not just warnings—they are the first step toward holding offenders accountable. Many who ignored these notices in the past are now facing arrest and criminal charges. We strongly advise anyone involved in these activities to stop immediately.

“If you’re supplying or using illicit streaming devices or illegal IPTV subscriptions, take this as a clear warning: you are breaking the law and risk facing serious consequences.

“We will continue working with police to track down and shut down these illegal operations. The police across the UK have been unstinting in their efforts to tackle this criminality and we are grateful for their assistance.

“To those using illegal streaming services, the message is that you’re not just committing a crime; you are putting yourself at risk. These services often expose users to malware, scams, and data theft, with no recourse when things go wrong. The safest, smartest and only choice is to stick to legitimate providers for your entertainment.”

FACT gets intelligence from Crimestoppers from anonymous reports from the public and works with sports rights holders and broadcast partners, including The Premier League, Sky, TNT Sports and Virgin Media, to investigate and prosecute those involved in intellectual property crimes. Digital piracy undermines the rights of broadcasters and content creators by providing users unauthorised access to premium content without proper compensation.

Illegal streaming exposes your home to criminals, granting them access to data stored on your network, including banking details and sensitive personal information. Additionally, it can introduce malware, which can further compromise your security. Learn more about the dangers of illegal streaming at BeStreamWise.

Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane has expressed interest in running trains between London and Paris with a stop in the southeastern county of Kent, meaning an extra direct train route to Europe

A new train service would provide a second direct route from the UK to Europe.

At the moment, if you want to get from the UK to Europe by train (and you aren’t in your own vehicle), the only option is to go on the Eurostar from St Pancras International in London.

Eurostar trains used to make stops in Kent, but service was halted in 2020. Services stopped operating at Ashford International and Ebbsfleet International because of the coronavirus pandemic, but they never returned when international travel did.

Earlier this year, Eurostar said just 4% of passengers travelled from Ashford, or Ebbsfleet, which is also in Kent. At peak times, it says there were 50 passengers from Ashford on each 900-seat train.

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That hasn’t stopped the Kentish people from expressing their dismay at the scrapped service. Around 80,000 of them have signed a petition to get their European link back. Jean-Claude Cothias, a Frenchman who moved to Ashford due to its connections with the Continent, has even considered leaving the town now that Eurostar doesn’t stop there.

“That connection, if it’s not there, it is hugely detrimental to the economic environment in the town and to its attractiveness,” he told the BBC.

It seems that their protests have worked. Italian operator Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane has expressed interest in running trains between London and Paris with a stop in the southeastern county.

The competitor is one of several train companies competing to run a cross-Channel route. Its plans include a £1 billion investment into the British economy, and the construction of an ‘innovation hub’ at Ashford station, according to the Times.

Virgin, German-owned organisation Deutsche Bahn, and startup Evolyn have been gearing up to make bids for access to the Channel Tunnel.

A Virgin Group spokesperson said: “Virgin is talking to Kent County Council and other stakeholders about stopping at both Ebbsfleet and Ashford as it set out in its ORR submission. Reopening the stations to be able to accommodate international services requires commitment and resources from all parties and potential competitors involved – but if the stations are opened, Virgin will stop in Kent.”

In January Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he was “keen” to see international services reinstated to Ashford “as soon as possible”, when responding to Ashford MP Sojan Joseph’s question in the House of Commons. Like Ashford and Ebbsfleet, Eurostar no longer stops at Calais’s international station – Calais Frethun.

Ashford Borough Council invested £25m for the infrastructure of the town’s international station, which opened in 1996. It also spent £8.5m more to upgrade signalling in 2020, so newer Eurostar trains could access the station.

Council leader Noel Ovenden has been a vocal critic of both Ashford International and Ebbsfleet stations lying unused by direct European services. “We want it open now, not in another five years. We need to keep banging the drum, louder and louder, and push hard to get this station reopened,” he told the BBC.

Josie North, who has a nut allergy, faced a “very scary situation” on a flight from Los Angeles, California, to Heathrow Airport and complained to the Virgin Atlantic team

A tourist with a severe nut allergy was left terrified after a pecan pie was primed to be served as a dessert on her flight.

Josie North alerted Virgin Atlantic attendants of her allergy and was assured no nuts would be served on the plane from Los Angeles to London Heathrow. However, just 15 minutes into the 10-hour journey Josie spotted the nutty dessert offering on the menu, and immediately called over an attendant.

The 28-year-old Brit, who is allergic to all types of nuts, said today: “I felt sick to my stomach. There was a chance I could die if that many people around me were eating nuts all at once.

“I told him [the attendant] there was just no way this pecan pie could be served. This was a very scary situation for me. If I was told they were serving actual nuts, and everyone around me is going to be eating nuts, I wouldn’t have got on the flight.”

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The issue has been topical in recent years following the death of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, 15, on a British Airways flight. She had eaten a baguette – albeit bought at Pret a Manger – which contained sesame seeds, to which the teen was allergic.

But Virgin Atlantic staff had spoken to Josie to assure her flight attendants would accommodate her needs ahead of the flight last month. Josie, who runs a party card games business, was told Virgin is a peanut-free airline only, and so she insisted on speaking to another member of staff on the plane.

“I was very adamant that this was a very, very dangerous situation for me, especially as we were already in the air at this point,” Josie, from London, said. Eventually, the captain was involved and agreed the pie should be removed from the menu and replaced with Oreos and KitKats.

But Josie wants to raise awareness of her experience, and remind large organisations of the dire dangers of allergies. When she boarded the flight, the entrepreneur asked the attendant to make an announcement to let other passengers know someone on board had a nut allergy. She claims the employee only announced someone had a peanut allergy – while Josie is allergic to all nuts.

A “persistent” Josie insisted they do a second announcement, which they did, but shortly afterwards, she was horrified to see the nut dish on the menu.

Josie said: “I understand it might not be easy to eliminate anything that may have been contaminated by or made in the same factory as nuts.

“But to actively include food items that contain nuts on a flight is extremely dangerous and unnecessary. I’m sure most people go hours and if not days without having a single nut on land so why is it so necessary to have nuts mid-air with no access to emergency hospital treatment?

“I’m sure people would be equally as happy with a chocolate brownie or an apple crumble for their dessert! And there may even be children on the flight who don’t even know if they have nut allergies yet ” so what is the point in serving such a common allergen?”

A Virgin Atlantic spokesperson said: “We’d like to apologise to Ms North for any incorrect information she may have received prior to her recent flight with us.

“We would like to reassure her that a full investigation is taking place. The health and safety of our customers is always our top priority and for any special requirements including allergies we ask that customers inform our Accessible Travel Services teams in advance of their flight.

“For the safety of any customers travelling with an allergy we would strongly encourage customers to take all necessary precautions including bringing their own subsistence on board and to prepare for the possibility of inadvertent exposure.”