Business

A flight attendant says one easy purchase could unlock free drinks and upgrades on board. Scoring a complimentary upgrade remains one of air travel's great mysteries, but cabin crew insiders insist the answer is simpler than most passengers think.With travellers returning from long-haul winter sun getaways, interest in beating the system has spiked. Experts at AI SEO found that the term "how to get a free flight upgrade" has increased by 310% compared to last month, indicating that savvy UK travellers are actively seeking "hidden hacks" to maximise their comfort as they return from long-haul winter sun destinations. A TikTok creator and flight attendant (@cierra_mistt) has lifted the lid on the question. In a clip that's racked up thousands of views, she explained there's one reliable a...

Martin Lewis has spoken to energy minister Ed Miliband today (Image: ITVX)Money expert Martin Lewis spent part of his Saturday on the phone to Energy Minister Ed Miliband after raising a big concern over the rocketing price of one type of heating.Martin explained in a tweet to his millions of followers this afternoon that heating oil prices have rocketed following the Middle East chaos.Normally relied upon by rural communities, some reports suggest prices have ‘doubled’ in a week.Now Martin is urging the Government to do something to help people with his ‘biggest concerns’ around heating oil.He said: “Just got off the phone after @Ed_Miliband called to discuss in detail the problems people are facing with domestic energy bills and heating oil. Here's what I fed through - your feedback w...

People with as little as £4,000 or more in fixed savings accounts could trigger an unexpected tax bill letter from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).That's because HMRC is able to automatically detect interest on savings generated by your bank account and if you tip over a certain threshold, you will automatically be sent a notice of an extra tax bill. With the tax year 2025-2026 entering its final weeks, the taxman will be busy sending out letters with new tax codes for those who earned too much interest from savings and will owe tax.HMRC is assessing people’s final financial situations and issuing tax bills to those who it finds owe money in tax on savings accounts. Such information is automatically reported to the taxman by your bank unless it is under the deposit limit in a Cash ISA, wh...

Older state pensioners are being handed a financial boost from April worth up to £440. The state pension is guaranteed to increase every year based on one of three metrics - inflation, wage growth or a flat 2.5%, and this is enshrined in law for both the new post-2016 state pension and the older, basic state pension.And it has been confirmed that the Triple Lock is set to produce an approximate £440 increase for older state pensioners from April. That’s because the key average earnings figure has been confirmed at 4.8%, which is higher than inflation and, of course, higher than the 2.5% minimum floor for increases.Older state pensioners, who hit state pension age before 2016, will get the 4.8% boost to their basic state pension, but the basic pension is set at a lower weekly amount than...

Petrol prices are set to rise when the fuel duty freeze eventually ends (Image: Getty)It's been a tumultuous week for petrol and diesel drivers, with fears of rocketing prices due to the conflict in Iran.Despite warnings not to panic buy from the likes of the AA, queues of cars were still seen at various fuelling stations earlier this week as motorists rushed to get ahead of an 'inevitable' increase in the price per litre, thanks to the war.New rules are now in effect, which means all petrol stations have to report prices to a centralised Fuel Finder map, which shows drivers the cheapest forecourts wherever they live.The scheme, pushed through by the Competition and Markets Authority, is aiming to drive down petrol and diesel prices through increased competitiveness between rival fillin...

A major fashion retailer is set to close a store in a busy UK city. A number of signs have been put on the window of the shop, with a 50% off sale also confirmed.Quiz Clothing, based at Meadowhall Shopping Centre in Sheffield, will shut for good after the company entered administration in February. Bosses confirmed at the time that 40 stores across the country would be at risk. Hoardings have now been spotted at the unit in Sheffield, announcing that the branch is one of those affected.As reported by Yorkshire Live, the signs at the Quiz shop read: "Store closing. Save up to 50 per cent - off original price."Quiz, which was founded in 1993, collapsed into administration on February 5. The online store has since closed, and around 100 people have lost their jobs across the head office an...

HMRC has increased the tax-free personal allowance (Image: Getty)The tax-free Personal Allowance has been the centre of attention again in recent months, following yet another freeze on the limit that's been stuck since 2021.The Government has extended the freeze on income tax bands for three more long years and with it, the amount you can earn without paying any tax will also be held at the same level for that time too, despite inflation and wage growth pushing more and more people into higher earnings and thus higher tax bills.But people can take advantage of a little-known rule that will boost their tax-free Personal Allowance all the way up to £20,070, far beyond the normal £12,570 that's been frozen solid since 2021 and will now remain stuck in place until 2031.When bands are froze...

A steakhouse has suddenly shut down after less than a year in business. Boka at The Palms Hotel, Hornchurch, has now ceased trading, reportedly confirming the closure on Monday, March 2. Staff at the restaurant say they have been left “in limbo”.The Palms Hotel has distanced itself from Boka, saying that the hotel and restaurant operated separately, with Boka having its “own independent management structure.” A spokesperson for The Palms said: “We must clarify that Palms Hotel London Ltd was not the employer of any staff employed by Boka Restaurant and had no involvement in employment matters or the decision to cease trading."The reason behind the closure remains unconfirmed, with The Palms Hotel claiming the circumstances surrounding it are “now the subject of legal proceedings.”The Pa...

The cold and wet weather is finally starting to ease now that meteorological spring has arrived, marking the beginning of warmer temperatures and brighter days.It means attention can start to turn to gardens as they wake up from the long winter, with plenty of pruning, tidying and weeding to do ready for the new season. As such, it means that lawn mowers can be brought out of their winter retirement and put to work this month for the first mow of the year. According to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), garden lawns should generally be mown weekly or fortnightly between March and October to keep them in good condition.And with the Met Office forecasting largely dry and bright conditions across the UK this weekend, now is a good time to get started on getting your garden in shape for...

You make your own luck in life, so it’s hardly surprising Rachel Reeves has been so short of it. When you go to the country pledging no new taxes on “working people”, then hit them with £75billion in just 18 months, you don’t deserve much sympathy. If you try to snatch the winter fuel payment from single pensioners on as little as £11,350 a year, no amount of luck can save you. If you drive up unemployment by slapping crippling taxes on jobs, you’re on your own. And if you deliver a Budget that plunges the economy into panic and stagnation, luck walks out the door.Yet for a moment it seemed her luck had turned. Reeves and Keir Starmer always knew the first couple of years in power would be painful, as voters discovered what Labour really had in store for them after all those soothing pr...