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High Life moves online

British Airways’ familiar, award-winning on board magazine, High Life, is moving online.

Created with publishing house, Cedar, the online magazine will also include a new section for Business Life which will replace the current on-board paper versions of both publications. 

Each issue will include monthly audio stories, photo experiences and live panels so customers can experience the magic of travel on the go wherever they are in the world. The magazine will continue to feature first person stories from travel experts and carefully curated guides for exploring cities across the world.  

High Life was voted one of the most important magazines of the 20th century by Campaign magazine

As well as trusted travel content, High Life digital will keep customers updated with any changes to the airline’s customer experience and route network.

The magazine will be emailed to five million Executive Club customers every month and customers can download the magazine on board, using the airline’s in-flight WiFi free. High Life will also continue to offer British Airways’ partners and advertisers new opportunities to reach the airline’s customers with products and offers, through BA media*

Hamish McVey, British Airways’ Head of Brand and Marketing said: 

Our High Life magazine has been a source for travel inspiration for our customers for nearly half a century. When we trialled moving High Life online at the beginning of this year, it was a great success.

We know our customers value technology and a contactless journey, especially in the current climate, so we are delighted to now be able to provide over five million customers a month with digital High Life.  We hope this new digital magazine will help customers plan their holidays with our expert holiday guides, as well as provide the latest information as we make important changes to our customer experience.


Sir Paul McCartney and HRH The Prince of Wales have featured on the cover of High Life.

Clare Broadbent, Cedar’s CEO said:

High Life online is now here: online, on email, and on board through your personal device, bringing wonderful and trusted travel inspiration to bigger audiences than ever before. With High Life’s mix of expert writers, photographers and audio-visual storytellers sharing the latest travel ideas from around the world, we can’t wait to help travellers to dream, plan and take off in 2020 and beyond.

The airline’s on-board magazine, first took to the skies in 1973 and has provided British Airways’ customers with inspiration ever since.

The magazine has documented significant milestones in the airline’s history including the launch of Concorde and the A380, as well as featuring cover stars such as Sir Paul McCartney, Tracey Emin, Idris Elba and HRH The Prince of Wales.

British Airways and Aston Martin gear up for take-off


British Airways customers experienced flying eleven miles high at twice the speed of sound, with Concorde halving the time of transatlantic crossing and flying faster than a rifle bullet. And now, in its centenary year, and on the anniversary of Concorde’s final flight, British Airways has announced a partnership with Aston Martin, and will celebrate with a limited-edition sports car that honours the supersonic aircraft.

The luxury British car manufacturer has created the DBS Superleggera Concorde Edition. Launching in October 2020, each vehicle will feature titanium from compressor blades that were used across British Airways’ supersonic fleet.


The iconic Aston Martin brand fuses the latest technology, exceptional hand craftsmanship and timeless design to produce models including the Vantage, DB11, Rapide AMR and DBS Superleggera. 

Each model will have a unique Civil Aviation Authority approved registration number and British Airways’ iconic Chatham Flag tailfin has been incorporated into the striking design. The exterior features a bespoke painted livery in the airline’s red, white and blue colours, and a black tinted carbon fibre roof emblazoned with Concorde’s streamlined silhouette. The paddle shifters will be made from the original Concorde metal and a Mach Meter graphic will be embroidered on the driver’s sun side visor; some of the many carefully judged design features that have been incorporated to celebrate the remarkable achievements of this aircraft.

Strictly limited to just 10 examples and priced at £321,350, all will be available to purchase exclusively from Aston Martin Bristol.

On November 26, 2003, Alpha Foxtrot, the last ever Concorde to be built, touched down for the final time at RAF Filton, which is just three miles from where the cars will be sold and home to one of the 10 Concordes that were made in Britain.

Parts of the proceeds from the sale of each individual car will be donated to the Air League Trust, a not-for-profit organisation that teaches under privileged children how to fly and work in engineering. In June 2020, British Airways and Aston Martin Bristol, in partnership with the Air League Trust, will run a week-long scholarship programme for young people at Cranfield University – funded by proceeds from the cars.

Alex Cruz, British Airways’ Chairman and CEO, said:

Concorde was one of the most iconic designs of a generation and will always be a hugely important part of our heritage. In our centenary year we are thrilled to partner with Aston Martin, another British brand with an established history of exceptional design and engineering, and we hope to inspire another generation of aviators and engineers through this exciting partnership.

The bespoke inspection plaque will be signed by Alex Cruz and Aston Martin Lagonda’s CEO, Dr. Andy Palmer, before the limited-edition cars are handed over to their buyers next year.

The Aston Martin and British Airways Air League Scholarship programme will offer up to twenty 17 to 18-year-olds a five-day scholarship and up to 100 14 to 16-year-olds a one-day engineering experience.

British Airways spreads its wings with limited edition Marmite

British Airways and Marmite have teamed up to create a limited-edition jar to celebrate the airline’s centenary, launching today, 1 May.  As Marmite is the most confiscated brand at airport security, the centenary jar is conveniently sized to fit within the liquid allowance.

For Brits travelling abroad, it is clear they cannot go without the British spread that has divided the nation since 1902. Based on data from London City Airport, Marmite is the most confiscated branded food item at airport security. Other branded items that did not make it past security are Harrods jams and spreads and Lyle’s Golden Syrup.
 


London City Airport donates the majority of confiscated food items to a local charity, Community Food Enterprise (CFE). Since the partnership started in April 2017, the charity has distributed three tonnes of items to 16 smaller charities in East London, to ensure the confiscated items can help vulnerable people locally.

The airport has seen deserted jars of Marmite increase 50% in the first three months of 2019, from four to six jars a day, and the airport forecasts it could seize over 2,000 jars this year alone. British Airways customers can now get their Marmite hit when away. 

The special edition spread will be exclusively available to customers on board all flights from today. The jar weighs 70 grams so if they do not get through it on holiday they can safely take it through security as it falls within the liquid restrictions.

It’s clear that customers like to enjoy their favourite brands like Marmite while travelling or when they’re abroad.  We work with some of the best of British to bring them to our customers on board our flights and now, in our centenary year we will have even more brands alongside Marmite that our customers can enjoy. 


Hamish McVey, British Airways’ Head of Brand and Marketing

British Airways will be releasing a series of centenary editions in partnership with British brands during its milestone year. Earlier this month the airline announced a partnership with Scottish craft brewers, BrewDog, who have created a transatlantic IPA for customers and in a world first brewed the beer on a flight. The airline has also partnered with luxury British watchmakers Bremont on the launch of a new limited-edition timepiece, featuring metal from one of the most famous and iconic planes in history – Concorde.

With 4.8 million passengers travelling each year through London City Airport, many of whom are returning to the continent or heading on holiday, it’s little surprise that Marmite is such a treasured item and demonstrates just how loyal Brits are to their favourite brands. Whether you love it or hate it, we’re looking forward to ensuring passengers can continue to get their Marmite fix. For any other liquids, pastes and gels over 100ml, it’s best to pack them safely in the hold.


Ian Cowie, Director of Customer Operations at London City Airport

Global Travel Management’s Scott Pawley with GTM’s anniversary craft ale, The Globe Trotter

Global Travel Management managing director Scott Pawley commented on the latest British Airways celebration product.

Everyone at GTM would like to wish British Airways a fun and successful centenary year.

Like British Airways, we recently celebrated an important anniversary. But, instead of just using the yeast extract by-product from the brewing industry, we went one stage better: we brewed our own anniversary ale, Globe Trotter.

So, whether you like your toast spread with Marmite, or you prefer to drink a toast of golden, bottle-conditioned craft ale, we’d like to say: cheers!