Wizz Air has applied to the US Department of Transport to start operating flights "as soon as possible". Read that and all the day's consumer and personal finance news below. You can also watch our latest New Money video report that asks how travel influencers earn a living.
Monday 26 January 2026 17:23, UK
We start each Monday with our What it's really like to be a... feature that delves into different careers - and we're signing off today with a reminder that you can catch up with the entire series here...
A total of 3.3 million people still need to file their tax returns before the deadline on Saturday.
Some 8.6 million people have already filed their return for the 2024-25 tax year, HM Revenue and Customs said.
It is urging taxpayers who are yet to file to act now or risk missing the deadline and face an automatic £100 penalty.
The penalties for late tax returns are:
Last year, HMRC issued £325m in fines and interest charges to taxpayers who paid their self-assessment bills late last year, the national accounting firm UHY Hacker Young found.
At least 600,000 taxpayers failed to pay their self-assessment tax by the deadline last year, according to the firm.
HMRC estimates that £8.7bn of self-assessment tax went unpaid last year, 12.5% of the £69.6bn it expected to collect.
In total, £44bn in business and personal taxes are overdue, of which 86% or £37.8bn is now ready for debt collection processes.
If you are one of the people who still hasn't filed their return, read our 10-step checklist...
Cheaper flights from the UK to the US could be on the way after Wizz Air applied to the US Department of Transport to start operating flights between the two countries "as soon as possible".
In a filing to the government department, the budget airline said allowing it to launch flights would offer "increased travel choices, greater service options, and enhanced competition".
It made several arguments for why its request should be approved, including the chairman of WizzAir Holdings, William Franke, being a US citizen, and having a clean safety and tariff record for the past five years.
No potential destinations have been named in the filing, but it does note that its primary base for aircraft maintenance is London Luton Airport.
If Wizz Air were granted permission, it could mark the return of competition and low-cost flights to the US after Norwegian ceased transatlantic operations in 2021.
The airline hasn't released any information about the filing and has not provided a comment to Money, but it will be reporting its Q3 results later this week, so we could get more details then.
Ryanair expects its air fares to rise by more than expected this year, up by as much as 9%.
The budget airline said average fares rose 4% in its third quarter to the end of December.
Chief executive Michael O'Leary said: "While the fourth quarter doesn't benefit from Easter, fares are trending ahead of prior year and we now believe full-year fares will exceed the 7% growth previously guided by 1% or 2%."
Ryanair has also upped its annual outlook for passenger growth and said full-year profits should increase.
It flew 47.5 million passengers in the third quarter, up 6% year on year, and says it now expects 2025-26 passenger growth of 4% to almost 208 million. This is up from previous guidance for 207 million passengers.
It added it was "cautiously guiding" for full-year underlying profits after tax of €2.13bn to €2.23bn (£1.84bn to £1.93bn).
Heathrow Airport has scrapped the requirement for liquids stored in hand luggage to be 100ml.
Britain's busiest airport has completed a £1bn rollout of security scanners, which means passengers can now carry liquids up to two litres and large electronic devices in their hand luggage.
Heathrow said it was the biggest airport in the world to deploy the technology for all passengers.
It follows Birmingham, Bristol, Gatwick and Edinburgh airports in making the change.
Airport security rules over liquids were introduced in 2006 after a foiled terror plot to blow up planes flying from London to the US with homemade liquid bombs.
Liquids in hand luggage were limited to up to 100ml and had to be in plastic bags, and passengers had to remove large electrical devices such as tablets and laptops from their bags when going through security.
Travellers failing to adhere to the rules was one of the biggest causes of delays at airport security.
Heathrow estimated the scanners will save almost 16 million plastic bags a year.
The airport's chief executive, Thomas Woldbye, said: "Every Heathrow passenger can now leave their liquids and laptops in their bags at security as we become the largest airport in the world to roll out the latest security scanning technology.
"That means less time preparing for security and more time enjoying their journey - and millions fewer single-use plastic bags."
By James Sillars, business and economics reporter
Precious metal miners are pushing up the FTSE 100.
It's opened 0.2% higher at 10,169.
It's after global gold costs continue to set new highs. The spot price is now above $5,000 per ounce.
The gold rush is a consequence of risk appetite for other assets being harmed by continued US threats - the latest against Canada because it has dared to bolster its trading links with China.
Donald Trump is threatening 100% tariffs on all goods shipped to the US by Canada.
Gold has been the safe haven for cash since the start of Trump 2.0, with the president's second term being dominated by trade spats and disputes with other nations, many of them traditional allies.
Some analysts see gold costs crossing the $6,000 per ounce level this year.
Oil prices have also been creeping up during 2026 to date, largely on the back of expectations of US military action in Iran following its surprise intervention in Venezuela.
A barrel of Brent crude is more than $6 up so far at $66 though the value is being pegged back by supply exceeding current demand.
Upwards pressure on UK fuel costs, however, is being offset by a weakening of the oil-priced dollar against the pound.
On the money markets, a pound is currently worth $1.36. It's a big improvement on the $1.34 level seen last week and explained by a weaker dollar rather than any shift in sentiment around the UK.
At the exchanges, the strengthening for sterling means you should be getting more for your money if heading to the United States.
There has not been such a divergence between the pound and euro, which remains pretty flat at €1.15.
A batch of Aptamil baby formula has been recalled over concerns it could contain a toxin which can cause vomiting and stomach cramps.
The Food Standards Agency said only one batch sold in the UK was affected - but that other countries had been impacted.
The agency said the cereulide toxins, which are produced by food poisoning bacteria Bacillus cereus and can cause nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramps, has been found in the batch distributed in the UK.
The affected product is the Aptamil First Infant Formula 800g with the batch number 31-10-2026 and a best before date of 31 October 2026.
The FSA said the products should not be given to infants or young children.
Customers who still have product from this batch can return it to the shop where they bought it for a full refund, with or without a receipt.
The cost of living crisis has changed the way people go on holiday.
More and more people are looking for good deals on social media to get away on the cheap.
That is where someone like Chelsea Dickenson comes in. Her account Holiday Expert has hundreds of thousands of followers, all looking for top tips for cheap trips.
In this episode of New Money, we go behind the scenes with Chelsea as she makes her content, and get her opinion on the role of travel influencers in the cost of living crisis.
By James Sillars, business and economics reporter
The price of gold has surged past the record $5,000 per ounce level and shows little sign of easing back as investors continue to seek shelter from uncertainties connected to Donald Trump.
The commodity - a traditional safe haven for investors in troubled times - has been in high demand during the US president's second stint in the White House.
It's become seen as a valuable hedge against volatility caused by the likes of on-off trade wars and other threats. Gold recorded a 64% spike last year.
Read our full story here, and watch this handy explainer from lead presenter Wilfred Frost...
For months now, stories have been emerging about holidaymakers being turned away from their flights due to having invalid passports.
In this week's Money newsletter, we clear up the confusion around the 10-year rule and explain how to make sure your passport meets the correct requirements.
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