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Dave

British Airways introduces plant-based meals in its lounges

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As part of its commitment to create a more premium experience for its customers, British Airways is set to offer a range of improvements, both on the ground and in the air.

The airline has worked with its expert catering providers to introduce new plant-based menus, including a burger.

British Airways is introducing new plant-based menus across its lounges

The new menus will initially roll out across the airline’s Heathrow lounges, before appearing on its US lounge menus. The airline says it is committed to improving choice, to offer something for everyone whilst championing local producers and businesses.

As part of its commitment to sustainability, across the airline’s Heathrow lounges customers will notice new water stations. Work also continues to remove single-use plastic across the airline, and all plastic water bottles in Heathrow lounges are being replaced with glass, which will be rolled out across the airline’s UK lounges over the next month.

Customers in lounges can also continue to order food using their mobile device directly to their table, an initiative introduced by British Airways during the Covid pandemic which it has decided to keep.

From next month the airline is set to move to the next phase of its dining experience; a service more akin to one that customers would have experienced pre-pandemic. Customers travelling in the airline’s Club Europe cabin can expect a more premium service with new menus with more options as it welcomes back its customers.

The airline is also working on the next phase of its long-haul catering proposition, with exciting changes afoot.

British Airways passengers will continue to be able to order food directly to their table in lounges

Elsewhere, British Airways will continue to explore how technology can enhance the customer journey. The airline will be introducing a new baggage tracing system, allowing customers to track their bag via their phone throughout their journey. From automated lounge entry to new digital signage across the airport, British Airways is focused on making the customer journey even more seamless and stress-free. 

Customers can also expect a few changes at check in with dedicated desks for World Traveller Plus customers and a reimagined Skyflyers programme for children travelling with the airline.

Tom Stevens, British Airways’ Director of Brand and Customer Experience, said:

We’re committed to ensuring we deliver a premium proposition for our customers throughout their journey with us and when we do so, we need to ensure that sustainability is at the heart of it.

We want to create an even better British Airways and know that we need to keep making changes to the customer experience with things like alternative menus, reducing plastics and introducing new technology to get us to where we want to be. In addition to these improvements, we are also moving ahead at speed with some of the larger initiatives that we promised to our customers, such as the roll out of our award-winning business class seat, Club Suite.

Dave

British Airways adds Nuremberg to short-haul network

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British Airways has announced that it will be introducing a new destination to its Heathrow short-haul network, Nuremberg, in Bavaria, Germany.

Flights to this European city will initially operate four times a week from 27 March. The schedule will then increase to six flights per week starting from 1 May 2022 and four times a week over the winter months. The airline has timed winter flights so that customers can connect to and from other destinations across British Airways’ route network, including services to the USA.

Nuremberg is Bavaria’s second largest city after Munich, and is well known for its cultural landmarks that draws visitors year round, so customers can stroll along the vibrant streets or cruise down the Danube river in the sunshine, as well as explore the spectacular Christmas markets during the festive season.

Neil Chernoff, British Airways’ Director of Networks and Alliances said:

After over 20 months of travel restrictions we know our customers are looking for new and exciting places to visit, so the addition of this route to our short-haul network ahead of the summer season is perfect timing for anyone who would like to plan their trips for the year ahead. Nuremburg offers something for everyone, ranging from sightseeing in the sunshine to exploring the German markets at Christmas, so we hope our customers take full advantage of this new destination to our network.

Customers travelling in the airline’s Euro Traveller (economy) cabin can pre-purchase items from the Speedbird Café, in advance of travel, or can order additional snacks and drinks on board the flight directly to their seat using their mobile device.

The airline’s customers travelling in Club Europe (business class) have access to priority check in, lounges and restaurant style complimentary dining, including items from the airline’s ‘Best of British’ menus.  

Dave

British Airways and Loganair expand codeshare agreement

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British Airways and Loganair have announced a major expansion of their codeshare agreement, offering more choice and connectivity for customers travelling across the UK

The expansion to eighteen new routes will now give British Airways’ customers access to 38 of Loganair’s UK routes, meaning that customers can book onward connections from destinations across the airline’s route network, or point-to-point travel in the UK more easily.

Routes now available to book include:

  • Aberdeen to Belfast City, Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester, and Southampton
  • City of Derry to London and Liverpool
  • Cornwall Airport Newquay to Manchester
  • Exeter to Edinburgh, Glasgow and Newcastle
  • Isle of Man to Birmingham, Edinburgh and Manchester
  • Inverness to Birmingham
  • Norwich to Aberdeen and Edinburgh
  • Teesside to Southampton

British Airways customers travelling from Aberdeen or the Isle of Man to Manchester will also now be able to connect onto the airline’s code share flights on other carriers, including oneworld partners, from the north-west hub.

Destinations include New York, Barbados and Orlando, allowing customers to book a single ticket with assured connections. 

The news of a codeshare expansion between the two carriers comes as Loganair celebrates its 60th birthday, making it the oldest UK airline still operating under its original name.

Loganair’s Chief Executive Jonathan Hinkles said:

We’re delighted to mark Loganair’s 60th anniversary with the expansion of our partnership with British Airways.  

The addition of no fewer than eighteen routes is great news for connectivity to and from the UK regions, and we’re confident that the ability to enjoy Executive Club benefits and a new range of seamless flight connections when flying on selected Loganair routes will bring welcome new choice for British Airways customers when flying in the UK regions. 

The development cements what we believe to be the longest-running relationship between two UK airlines, and it’s a partnership which will continue to deliver for customers throughout the UK.

Neil Chernoff, British Airways’ Director of Network and Alliances, said:

It is great news to be expanding our longstanding codeshare agreement with Loganair.

This will create better connectivity and offer more choice for our customers between UK regions and destinations all over the world thanks to our expansive global route network and Loganair’s extensive regional services.

Dave

British Airways and American Airlines unveil plans for enhancements to JFK

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British Airways and American Airlines announced more details regarding plans to co-locate operations at John F. Kennedy International Airport’s Terminal 8 beginning 1 December 2022.

Enabled by a $400 million investment to redevelop, expand and enhance the terminal, the move will bring the Atlantic Joint Business partners closer together. Jointly, the terminal investments and co-location will offer a more seamless customer experience while supporting the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s ambitious plan to transform JFK into a leading global airport.

American is eager to welcome British Airways to their new home at JFK. Their move to Terminal 8 further deepens our longstanding partnership and makes it easier than ever for customers traveling between New York and London or onward across our global networks.

Alison Taylor, American’s Chief Customer Officer

British Airways and American were the first carriers to begin redevelopment efforts at JFK, breaking ground in January 2020 on five new widebody gates, four new widebody hardstand parking positions, an enhanced baggage handling system, new customer amenities and expanded premium guest offerings — including approximately 130,000 square feet of new and renovated terminal space.

New York holds a special place in our heart as one of our most well-loved and important destinations. Our move to the redeveloped and expanded Terminal 8 will bring a range of benefits for our customers, including a better transfer experience, enabling them to travel to more than 30 destinations across the U.S., Caribbean and Latin America with American Airlines.

British Airways will remain in Terminal 7 until 1 December, and we have continued to invest in the experience for our customers, including our check-in area, concessions and lounges.

Tom Stevens, British Airways’ Director of Brand and Customer Experience

When complete later this year, premium customers traveling on both airlines and other oneworld partners will have access to a reimagined journey through JFK depicted by newly released artist illustrations.

As customers arrive at Terminal 8, a co-branded premium check-in area providing personalised, concierge-style service for top-tier guests will replace American’s former Flagship First Check-In space. Thoughtfully designed architectural elements will also define an exclusive new check-in space for eligible business customers.

Once through security, three distinctive custom lounges combining the best of both brands will provide a refined, welcoming preflight experience for select guests based on cabin of travel and loyalty program status. The expanded premium lounge offerings will incorporate seating for approximately 1,000 of American and British Airways’ most loyal customers.  Each lounge has been designed with original high-end finishes — evoking a unique sense of space while elevating the experience and service offered to every guest.

The most exclusive lounge will have an all-new champagne bar, fireside lounge and a la carte dining room, which ‘reimagines American’s Flagship First Dining into a fully immersive experience’.
Adjacent, another premium lounge — with sweeping airside views, a wine bar, cocktail lounge, library and buffet — will offer ‘an elevated, lively experience’.

American’s Flagship Lounge and Concourse B Admirals Club will be repurposed into a contiguous lounge for eligible business class customers.

While disruptions to the customer journey remain limited, American’s Flagship First Check-in at JFK is expected to close from 1 February for construction. Premium customers traveling on eligible itineraries will be directed to temporary check-in counters located nearby. All lounge spaces will remain open and operational through the duration of the redevelopment project. Following completion, the Concourse B Admirals Club will close. The Concourse C Admirals Club will continue to serve members, qualifying elite customers and those traveling on eligible itineraries.

As Atlantic Joint Business partners, American and British Airways offer the most flights and the most competitive schedule for customers traveling between New York and London compared to any other partnership — with up to fourteen peak daily departures scheduled to operate between JFK and London Heathrow Airport this summer.

When co-located, American and British Airways customers will be able to realize even more value from established reciprocal benefits while enjoying unprecedented flexibility and a truly seamless connecting experience when traveling across airlines. Until operations are fully transitioned to Terminal 8 in December, British Airways will continue to provide a world-class experience for their customers at JFK’s Terminal 7.


Dave

London City Airport predicts strong passenger recovery in 2022

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London City Airport expects pent up passenger demand to fuel a surge in growth in 2022, with the introduction of new routes and the return of top-selling destinations, resulting in more than three quarters of 2019 routes operating at the airport this year.

The prediction follows the announcement of a busy summer schedule for British Airways, the airport’s biggest customer, and the easing of Covid restrictions, which is helping to fuel a return to business and leisure travel.

Flights to Milan, one of the airport’s top performing routes, and which alone carried 275,000 passengers from the centre of London to the centre of Milan in 2019, will be reinstated this year.

Barcelona will return to the London City network for the first time in almost a decade, while new routes such as Thessaloniki join established summer favourites like Split, Mykonos and Faro.

The upturn in confidence at the airport reflects the easing of travel restrictions and the proactive role London City Airport has played to work with and support its airline partners as the industry looks to bounce back from the worst of the pandemic.

Business traffic will be further strengthened in 2022 with British Airways moving the majority of its Luxembourg traffic to London City Airport, to complement the five daily flights soon to be offered by Luxair.

The impact of Covid-19 can be seen in the airport’s 2021 results. 714,000 passengers used London City, down 21% on 2020 and 86% on 2019. However, in the first six months of the year, when extensive global travel restrictions were in place, the airport handled only 75,184 passengers. In the last six months, as restrictions were eased, 638,785 passengers used the airport and very strong month on month growth was achieved.

Business travel returned strongly on all domestic routes in 2021, with Edinburgh the best performer. Internationally, Amsterdam was the airport’s busiest route, with KLM growing to four rotations per day in the autumn, with high passenger load factors. Other key business routes have included Zurich and Geneva, operated by SWISS and Frankfurt, operated by Lufthansa.

In October and November last year, business travel accounted for over 46% of all London City Airport journeys, which was the total year average in 2019. Between late September and late November, over 30,000 passengers used the airport each week, peaking at 37,000 in late October.

The announcement of additional testing and self-isolation requirements by Government to combat the Omicron variant saw passenger demand fall by 40% in December.

Commenting on the year ahead and on the 2021 passenger figures, airport CEO Robert Sinclair said:

At the start of the pandemic we made a conscious decision to work with and support our airlines, as we recognised they were facing the same challenges as we were. Investing in these relationships in the hard times has facilitated what we believe will be a strong bounce back starting with a really exciting summer schedule from London City.

2021 was certainly tough for everyone. However, despite predictions from some to the contrary, we did see the emergence of positive business travel trends, which we believe will continue in 2022 and will be so critical for the economic recovery of London and the UK more widely.

I am optimistic that the restrictions that remain today, particularly for vaccinated passengers, will be eased and in time, removed altogether so we can return to the simple and affordable ways of flying before the pandemic.

London City will be a huge asset for London in the years ahead and we look forward to welcoming more passengers and building relationships with new airlines so we can connect the capital to more destinations and opportunities across the world.

Dave

British Airways launches new routes from London

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British Airways is launching four new routes across Europe. 

Operating from London City Airport, customers can now book to fly to Barcelona, Luxembourg, Milan and Thessaloniki – adding to BA CityFlyer’s already extensive network.

Flights to all destinations will operate on BA CityFlyer’s Embraer E190 aircraft. 

Luxembourg and Milan will take flight on 27 March and both will operate every day of the week.  From 19 June, Barcelona will operate six times a week – every day apart from Saturday.

Routes to Jersey and Guernsey are also returning: flights will operate on Monday and Friday from 20 June to 2 September.

Tom Stoddart, Managing Director of BA CityFlyer, which will operate the new services, said:

We wanted to offer new routes to some of the most popular European destinations.  Conveniently accessible from London City airport, they are a great addition to our extensive network.

Dave

British Airways relaunches short-haul flights from Gatwick

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British Airways has revealed the initial destinations for its new Gatwick subsidiary, which will start flying from March 2022.

The airline announced its intention to create a short-haul standalone business at Gatwick in August, similar to its operation from London City Airport, which operates under the British Airways name but exists as an entirely separate entity. The offshoot will launch later in 2022, with short-haul services at Gatwick being operated by mainline BA until the new entity’s Air Operators Certificate is issued.

British Airways Airbus A320
Tickets for BA short-haul European flights from Gatwick are available from GTM now

BA short-haul flights will start operating from Gatwick at the end of March, with three Airbus short-haul aircraft initially, ramping ramp up to 18 aircraft by the end of May.

The subsidiary will herald the airline’s return to short-haul flying from the London airport, which had been suspended as a result of Covid-19 in Spring 2020. During the pandemic, several routes were moved to Heathrow, some of which will return to Gatwick, as well as being maintained at Heathrow to give customers choice, including Faro, Ibiza, Malaga, Marrakech and Tenerife. In addition, other new routes will be added at Gatwick including Athens, Berlin, Madrid, Milan Malpensa and Santorini.

The new services will be branded and known as British Airways. Customers will receive the same high level of service they expect of British Airways as well as enjoying the benefits of travelling with the UK’s flag carrier including a generous baggage allowance, free water and snacks, free seat selection and frequent flyer benefits which include lounge access.

Club Europe customers will also receive complimentary food and drink and Euro Traveller customers who want to order additional food will benefit from access to the airline’s ‘Speedbird Café’, which features a selection of products from a range of carefully selected British brands.

Sean Doyle, British Airways’ Chairman and CEO, said:

[This] is a landmark moment for British Airways. The creation of a new British Airways short-haul organisation means Gatwick customers will benefit from access to a premium service from the UK’s flag carrier at competitive prices. We are looking forward to bringing a short-haul network back to Gatwick, with a fantastic flying team in place, to serve our customers from London’s second hub airport, which we feel sure will be a success.

Stewart Wingate, CEO, Gatwick Airport, said:

This significant news will be very welcome for many people connected to the airport.  Despite the ongoing public health situation, today’s announcement is a positive signal that consumer confidence is returning as people start thinking about making travel plans for next summer. Given the difficult period we have all just been through, we expect BA’s new and extensive network of services from Gatwick to destinations across Europe to be in high demand and our staff, retailers, restaurants, cafes and bars are all looking forward to welcoming BA passengers back in larger numbers from April next year.


Dave

Betty Buzz launched in BA’s US lounges

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Betty Buzz, a range of non-alcoholic sparkling mixers is set to be rolled out across British Airways’ US lounges, starting with JFK and San Francisco airports.

Betty Buzz is a range of non-alcoholic sparkling mixers launched in September this year by Blake Lively. Made with clean ingredients like real juice and with no artificial flavours, colours or sweeteners, they are ideal for serving with spirits or tasty enough to be enjoyed on their own.

Blake Lively, Betty Buzz Founder said:

Team Betty Buzz and I couldn’t be more excited to partner with Sean Doyle and the entire British Airways crew to bring Betty Buzz to all British Airways lounges in the US. 

British Airways is a brand who’s earned great respect for their standards of quality and experience. Betty Buzz shares the same values, while also bringing a bit of new life and energy.

I appreciate Sean and the British Airways team for championing a female-founded business in such a meaningful way. Can’t wait to fly with you all!

On Monday 8 November, British Airways marked the reopening of borders between the US and UK, with a one-off return of its prestigious BA001 flight number which was previously used for Concorde.  And, the Empire State Building was lit up in red, white and blue to honour this historic day.

Transatlantic take-off, synchronised
Read about BA001 – the first British Airways transatlantic flight since the US travel ban was lifted

Sean Doyle, British Airways’ Chairman and CEO said:

As the US lifts its travel restrictions after 19 months of separation, we are already seeing the benefits of doing face-to-face business.  Following the successful introduction of Betty Buzz at the Aviation Gin bar in our JFK lounge, we will be rolling it out across all our US lounges.

As more of our lounges re-open, we continue to excite our returning customers with exclusive partnerships like Betty Buzz.


Dave

Transatlantic take-off, synchronised

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British Airways and Virgin Atlantic made history today, when their first flights of the day took part in a fully-synchronised joint take-off from London’s Heathrow Airport.

British Airways Flight BA001 – a flight number previously reserved for Concorde – left Heathrow at 08:30 this morning, 8 November, in a first-ever synchronised take-off with Virgin Atlantic flight VS3.

The spectacular double take-off were the airlines’ first flights to the United States since the restrictions on UK and EU passengers were first imposed in March 2020.

British Airways flight BA001 and Virgin Atlantic VS3 performed a synchronised joint take-off from London’s Heathrow Airport this morning

The first British Airways flight to the United States since the lifting on that country’s restrictions used sustainable aviation fuel.

The British Airways A350 flight was directly powered by a 35% blend of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) provided by bp and made from used cooking oil. The airline claims it is believed to be the first commercial transatlantic flight ever to be operated with such a significant level of the fuel blended with traditional jet fuel.

In September, British Airways announced a collaboration with bp to source sustainable aviation fuel in
respect of all flights between London, Glasgow and Edinburgh during the UK COP26 conference.
British Airways’ parent company International Airlines Group recently committed to operating 10% of
its flights using SAF by 2030.

Shai Weiss, Virgin Atlantic Chief Executive thanked the UK government and the Biden administration for their work to remove the barriers to transatlantic travel

The lifting of US restrictions after more than 600 days means that fully vaccinated Britons are now able to travel freely between the two countries – something that has not happened since 16 March 2020.

The changes have enabled British Airways to re-start direct services to 17 US destinations. The airline is set to extend its services to 23 US airports this winter, with up to 246 flights a week. Flights to New York will increase from five to eight per day in December. There will also be double-daily services to Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, Dallas, Miami and Toronto, as well as daily services to Philadelphia, Phoenix, Seattle, Atlanta, Denver, Houston and Vancouver.

UK Ambassador to the United States, Dame Karen Pierce DCMG, said:

Today is an incredibly exciting and meaningful day for the UK-US relationship. We can all once again travel to each other’s countries to visit families, take holidays, and conduct transatlantic business. I am absolutely thrilled that safe and sustainable travel can fully resume between the UK and the United States.

Shai Weiss, Virgin Atlantic Chief Executive said:

Today is a time for celebration, not rivalry.  Together with British Airways we are delighted to mark today’s important milestone, which finally allows consumers and businesses to book travel with confidence.  The US has been our heartland for more than 37 years and we are simply not Virgin without the Atlantic.  We’ve been steadily ramping up flying to destinations including Boston, New York, Orlando, Los Angeles and San Francisco, and we can’t wait to fly our customers safely to their favourite US cities to reconnect with loved ones and colleagues.

As the UK forges its recovery from the pandemic, the reopening of the transatlantic corridor and the lifting of Presidential Order 212F acknowledges the great progress both nations have made in rolling out successful vaccine programmes. The UK will now be able to strengthen ties with our most important economic partner, the US, through boosting trade and tourism. We are thankful to Prime Minister Johnson and the UK Government, the Biden administration and our industry partners for their support in removing these barriers and allowing free travel between our countries to resume.

Secretary of State, Grant Shapps said

Thanks to the work of industry and the US-UK Experts Working Group, these vitally important flight routes will help boost the economy, protect and create British jobs and through the work of the Jet Zero Council help to build back greener.

Dave

British Airways’ Club Suite rollout

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British Airways is extending the roll out of its newest business class seat, Club Suite, as it continues to retrofit the seat across its Boeing 777 fleet, with the deployment expected to be completed by the end of 2022.

The airline already has retrofitted a number of its Boeing 777 aircraft with the latest seat and will be working with Collins Aerospace to ensure the rest of the airline’s 777 aircraft are fitted with the new cabin.

The sophisticated Club Suite was initially fitted out in July 2019 on the first A350 and since then has been installed on the Boeing 787-10 aircraft.

The seat offers

  • direct-aisle access
  • a suite door for greater privacy
  • luxurious flat-bed seats
  • a 1-2-1 configuration
  • 40% more storage
  • a vanity unit and mirror
  • WiFi
  • 18.5-inch inflight entertainment screens
  • high definition, gate-to-gate programming
  • PC/USB power

As part of the airline’s commitment to the North Atlantic, all British Airways flights to New York JFK will be operated by aircraft that have the airline’s Club Suite product.

Sajida Ismail, Head of Inflight Product at British Airways, said:

When we launched our Club Suite product, it was a huge hit with our customers who loved the privacy the new seat offers. We are focused on the roll out of this product and other cabin enhancements to ensure we deliver on our commitment to provide the very best British quality, style and comfort for our customers.

Trevor Skelly, General Manager Integration Engineering for Collins Aerospace, said:

The upgraded Club World cabin raises British Airways’ already high standards and provides commonality across their fleet of aircraft. Our Integration Engineering team has worked closely with British Airways designers for several years to bring the latest in business class comfort, style and privacy from concept to reality.

As part of the upgrade, the airline’s Club Kitchen is also getting a makeover with new Club chillers and built-in storage for snacks, drinks and other refreshments, allowing customers in Club World to help themselves to refreshments at their leisure.

British Airways is continuing with the roll out of its newest business class seat, Club Suite, as it continues to retrofit the seat across its Boeing 777 fleet, with the roll out expected to be completed by the end of 2022.
Collins Aerospace is a leader in technologically advanced and intelligent solutions for the global aerospace and defence industry. Manufacturing of the new suite seat is being completed at the company’s facility in Kilkeel, Northern Ireland.

The latest generation of the First cabin including the introduction of the First suite door will also continue to be rolled out across the airline’s B777-300 aircraft. The First suites were meticulously designed based on British Airways customers’ feedback, the cabin puts comfort at the heart of the experience and makes the very best use of the generous space designed for just a few customers at a time.  The First suite includes a fixed 23-inch high definition inflight entertainment screen that can be controlled with an integrated handset.