All Entries Tagged With: "British Airways"

British Airways Announce High Rolling Route from Gatwick to Vegas

British Airways is launching another new high rolling route from Gatwick with the start of flights to Las Vegas from October 29 2012.

The three-times-a-week service will be operated by a three-class Boeing 777 offering a premium Club World cabin with fully flat beds.

The new Gatwick route offers more choice and frequency from London airports. Together with the Heathrow service British Airways will operate 10 flights a week to Las Vegas.

Colm Lacy, British Airways’ head of commercial Gatwick, said: “Las Vegas has proved to be an incredibly popular year-round destination from Heathrow so we are delighted to now be able to offer the route from Gatwick as well.

“This is the kind of destination our leisure customers at Gatwick are looking for and it will complement our existing USA and longhaul leisure network.”

Customers can book holidays in Las Vegas for less by booking their flights, hotels and experiences together. Home to sumptuous spas, luxury hotels and many excellent attractions, Las Vegas is the perfect place to enjoy luxury holidays.

British Airways has a wide range of top hotels in Las Vegas on the strip available, from the three-star Riviera Hotel and Casino which has just completed a multi million dollar renovation to the famous and luxurious Bellagio. The five-star hotel treats guests to sweeping views of the magnificent lake and classical gardens while five-star The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino recreates the glory of Venice and has suites nearly twice the size as a typical Las Vegas hotel room. The five-star Aria Resort and Casino, located in the heart of the City Centre, combines architecture with sustainable design and five-star The Wynn Resort Las Vegas provides gastronomic options for every taste.

Las Vegas is a hotspot of activity out in the Nevada desert. Customers looking for things to do in Las Vegas as an alternative to the casinos and shows will not be disappointed by amazing helicopter rides over the Las Vegas Strip or the Grand Canyon or visiting the impressive Hoover Dam, built during the Great Depression.

Bookings for flights from London Gatwick to Las Vegas can be made now at ba.com.

British Airways Upgrades Website With New Look Homepage

HARMONDSWORTH, England, April 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ –

British Airways has upgraded its website, ba.com, with the addition of a completely new homepage.

The ba.com homepage has been comprehensively redesigned to make it easier to use and navigate, as well as making it more inviting and accessible to customers. Striking imagery has been added throughout the page with clearer information on products, services and offers.

Andy Newman, British Airways’ ba.com manager, said: “First impressions count, which is why we’ve devoted so much time in making sure that our award-winning website is even better at engaging our customers, from the first click.

“Ease of use is a key principle we bring to all our digital channels, so we’ve developed a new easier way of navigating around ba.com, with a clearer ‘Manage My Booking’ area and a better use of evocative destination images to help inspire customers and make the most of their trip.”

The last time major design changes were made to ba.com was in 2005. Over the past year, ba.com has been rolling out a series of continued improvements. This includes new ways of presenting flights to show the ticket costs across multiple cabins with information on what service, baggage allowance and dining options customers can enjoy.

Design agency HUGE worked closely with ba.com on the design prototype of the new homepage through to the final agreed design, which was then built by the airline’s in-house team.

Newman continued: “British Airways is always striving to improve the customer experience and we want this excellence to begin with ba.com. We’ve started with the homepage and will continue to unveil the new look across ba.com as part of our continued investment in customer-focused digital channels.”

ba.com has also recently developed new ways to inspire customers to choose their flights, through Tripseeker, and the Holiday Finder. A lowest fares feature also enables customers to choose when to fly to destinations around the world, by searching for the lowest available fares.

The value calculator, introduced in June 2009, provides customers with the information to compare the value of British Airways flights with the cost of no-frills airlines.

Other technological investments by British Airways for its customers have been to provide mobiles apps and mobile boarding passes across all major mobile phone platforms, for iPhone, Blackberry, Android and Windows Phones. Over 1.7m mobile boarding passes have been downloaded since they were introduced in July 2010.

ba.com offers over 600 destinations for sale, with flights operated by British Airways across its global network and its partners, such as Iberia, Qantas and American Airlines.

From last week, bmi flights in and out of London Heathrow were made available to book on ba.com, including flights to Azerbaijan, Ireland, Kazakhstan and flights to Sierra Leone as well as being available to book through flybmi.com.

ba.com was awarded Best Airline Website by Travolution for the past two years.

British Airways Launches New Algiers Flights From London Gatwick

British Airways has launched a new service to Algiers from London Gatwick, which will commence from the start of the summer schedule.

Flights to Algiers will move from Heathrow to Gatwick with seven flights a week. Algeria’s capital city, Algiers mixes past with present with 17th-century mosques and Ottoman-style palaces in the hilltop Kasbah city with a Mediterranean harbour. British Airways offer hotels in the city, including the beach front Sheraton Club des Pins Resort and Towers and the Hilton Alger, which is set among pines over looking the bay.

Algiers is one of five routes to North Africa offered by British Airways, the others being Cairo in Egypt, Tripoli, Marrakech and Tunis.

The year-round service will operate on Boeing 737 jets, and roundtrip flights to London are available to book on http://www.ba.com.The fares are all inclusive, offering passengers free online check-in and seat selection up to 24 hours before departure, a 23 kg checked-in luggage allowance, plus two pieces of hand baggage, and no debit card fees.

In addition to the new service to Algiers, British Airways customers can also enjoy the luxury of flying in First Class on the airline’s new long haul service to Moscow. The start of the summer season also sees addition of long haul flights from Heathrow to New York JFK, Johannesburg, Miami, Hong Kong and Riyadh.

British Airways’ partner Iberia will also move its eight daily services from Heathrow to Madrid into Terminal 5 from Terminal 3, for the first time. This terminal move will allow customers better access to more destinations, and a smoother transfer experience at Heathrow between British Airways and Iberia flights.

Other changes at Heathrow have resulted in additional short haul flights to popular destinations such as Barcelona, Brussels, Bologna, Rome, Hamburg, Paris Orly, Prague, Edinburgh, Glasgow andManchester.

Three new leisure routes, to Mahon in Menorca, Angers in the Loire Valley and Quimper in Brittany, will also start from London City Airport, resulting in a total of 21 destinations in the UK, Europeand USA being served from the docklands airport.

British Airways will be the first airline to offer customers First class travel between London and Moscow

CRAWLEY, England, March 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ –

British Airways debuted the upcoming four class cabin experience on the route from London Heathrow to Moscow. From March 25, British Airways will be the first airline to offer customers First class travel between London and Moscow, as well as Club World, World Traveller Plus and World Traveller onboard a daily Boeing 747 service.

Richard Tams, head of UK and Ireland sales and marketing, said: “Customers in all cabins, especially First and Club World, will be able to enjoy a top-class customer experience and the best premium travel between London and Moscow.”

The new long-haul flights to Moscow will be the shortest in the British Airways network and takes just four hours.

As well as operating a daily Boeing 747 service, British Airways is also putting two daily long-haul Boeing 767s on the route to replace the existing short-haul service.

The change of aircraft means the route will change from a short-haul service operated with two cabins to a long-haul operation, offering customers up to four classes of travel, with the opportunity to enjoy the premium service, fully flat-beds, comprehensive in-flight entertainment and wide selection of meals and drinks in unrivalled comfort.

British Airways has been flying to Moscow since 1959 and offers a wide selection of hotels in the capital.

International film actress, Gillian Anderson flew on the preview flight this week to launch the new service from British Airways.

Gillian Anderson said: “It’s the first time I’ve travelled to Moscow and I’m delighted more people can now do the same in the luxury of British Airways First Class. Flying British Airways feels like a little bit of Britain and I always look forward to flying with them especially when
coming home.”

British Airways’ Cabin Crew Takes Part in Chain of Hope Walk

A team of ten British Airways cabin crew from Gatwick will walk with the fastest man in the world later this month for a cause that is close to all their hearts.

The crew of BA2263 will operate a flight from London Gatwick to Kingston, Jamaica and then join world champion and current Olympic champion sprinter Usain Bolt for the 5.6km Sigma Walkathon in aid of the Chain of Hope charity.

British Airways has a long-standing partnership with Chain of Hope, a charity set up by the eminent heart surgeon Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub, who plans to establish a brand new cardiac centre at the Bustamante Hospital for Children in Kingston.

The 10 cabin crew champions, Kayti Roberts, Suzi Ball, Christina Smith, Kerryanne Meehan, Camilla Broglia, Michelle Oakes, Emma Oliver, Sarah Hill, Robert Brock and Louise Speakman, also plan to visit the hospital during their three-day stay inKingston.

Some of them have visited previously and have sat in on cardiac surgery procedures on children with life-threatening heart diseases.

The UK charity sends out medical teams to treat children in their own country, setting up training programmes for local surgeons and medical staff. But the number of operations that can be performed is limited by the number of Intensive Care Unit beds available. The new cardiac centre will house 10 new beds, an operating theatre and a catheter laboratory and allow doctors to help many more children in need of life saving surgery.

Kayti Roberts from Haywards Heath is one of the crew members making a return visit to the hospital. She said: “I was fortunate enough to sit in on open heart surgery on a young child and it was a life changing experience.

“Chain of Hope is such a fantastic charity, Magdi Yacoub is an amazing man and everyone is so passionate about what they do and the difference they make to these children’s lives. It is fantastic that British Airways supports the charity and that we are all getting the chance to help by taking part in the walkathon.”

Up to 500 children are born with congenital heart disease in Jamaica every year. Of these, half require medical or surgical intervention or face a premature death. The current waiting list for cardiac surgery at the Bustamante Hospital is at least 150 children, with 100 new patients added to the list annually.

British Airways Launches Travel Tip Videos for Half-Term Holidays

HARMONDSWORTH, England, February 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ –

With more than 900,000 people travelling with British Airways this February half-term, the airline is giving travellers a light-hearted helping hand with their top travel and baggage tips collected from their staff all over the airline.

The videos, which are located on YouTube, can be found at: http://bit.ly/y0jiLN (Travel) and http://bit.ly/xNZFgE (Baggage).

The videos include tips pertaining to travelling with small children, remaining comfortable when travelling between different climates, how to remember passports and other essentials, and practical packing and baggage advice.

Abigail Comber, Head of Brands and Marketing, said: “With thousands of our worldwide team travelling around the globe and 30 million customers flying with British Airways a year, the airline is a font of top tips to make travel easy and the video is a nice way for us to pass that on.”

The top day for getting away is Friday, February 10th with nearly 95,000 people jetting off on British Airways flights and the peak return date is Friday, February 17, 2012 with nearly 85,000 travelling.

Most popular holiday destinations with British Airways over half-term are New York, Rome, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Dubai, Las Vegas, Orlando, Hong Kong, Prague and Paris.

And there are still a few bargains to be had including three night city breaks in Amsterdam staying at the 3-star Blyss Hotel departing on February 13th. The package includes return British Airways flights from Gatwick and accommodation only.

British Airways Launch Auction to Win a Valentine’s Dinner on Concorde

HARMONDSWORTH, England, February 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ –

British Airways have announced a charity auction that will allow a pair of high-flying romantics to enjoy the ultimate Valentines dinner date.

The airline is inviting couples to bid in the auction for the chance to be wined and dined on board the world’s most iconic aircraft – without even leaving the ground. The highest bidder will win a romantic dinner for two on board the British Airways flagship Concorde G-BOAC at Manchester Airport’s Runway Visitor Park on February 14.

The lucky couple will receive red carpet treatment from the steps of Concorde to their exclusive table for two in the main cabin, where they will be served a three-course dinner – created by a top chef – with a bottle of champagne to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

All proceeds from the auction will go to Flying Start, British Airways’ global charity partnership with Comic Relief whose aim is to raise money to help children living incredibly tough lives in the UK and around the world.

The auction was launched this week by Cheshire toastmaster Ian Parrott, who actually flew toNew York on Concorde twice during a previous career.

He said: “Concorde has always offered the ultimate in romance, you don’t have to fly anywhere to appreciate the very intimate and luxurious surroundings of this beautiful aircraft. To have it all to yourself for one evening is possibly the most romantic gesture you can make.”

Anyone is welcome to bid for the ultimate Valentine dinner on Concorde in the company’s e-mail auction, all they have to do is send an e-mail to valentines.concorde@ba.com stating how much they would be prepared to pay for the prize and give their name and contact details.  The prize will be awarded to the highest bidder and there is a reserve price of £500. The auction closes on Sunday, February 12 at midnight and the winner will be notified on Monday, February 13.

British Airways Unveils Winning Dove Design for London 2012 Aircraft

As BA Great Britons mentor, Tracey Emin has advised Pascal during the project, and said: “It would have been easy to put a motif or a pattern on the side of an aircraft but Pascal’s design takes it to another level. He uses the entire livery of the aircraft to redefine the way you look at it. The dove is a stunning piece of work and will bring real excitement to anyone who flies on one of the repainted planes.”

The 38 year-old designer and artist from Brighton, also a Design Tutor at Kingston University, has spent the past few months honing his design with Emin. It will be emblazoned across a number of British Airways aircraft and seen by a global audience of millions.

BA Great Britons winner Pascal Anson, said: “On my journeys from Brighton to London, I’ve often looked up at aircraft landing atGatwick and wondered if it’s a ‘bird or a plane’, and the idea developed from there. When I started researching birds further I realised it had to be a dove. Not only are they a symbol of peace and social unity, but they were also used in previous Olympic Games ceremonies, including the last London Games in 1948.”

To create an illusion of a dove, Pascal spent hours in a cote observing the birds. He incorporates their intricate detail on the livery, which will use a new colour of paint produced by the British Airways engineering team and its suppliers.

Frank van der Post, British Airways managing director, brands and customer experience, said: “When we invited up and coming British artists to submit a design to celebrate the London 2012 Games, we didn’t expect a concept that would change the way we look at the aircraft – yet Pascal’s work has achieved this and we’re very proud to be sharing it with the world on our giant flying canvas.”

The BA Great Britons Programme was launched to discover the best of British talent in Art, as well as Food and Film and offer British talent a platform in the run up to the London 2012 Games. Pascal’s aircraft launch will coincide with the unveiling of aLondon 2012 inspired menu, created by Simon Hulstone with support from Michelin-star restaurant owner and chef Heston Blumenthal, and short film written by Prasanna Puwanarajah with mentoring from scriptwriter and director Richard E Grant. All three projects will be unveiled to the public in April.

For more information, visit: Facebook.com/britishairways

New Bronze Tier Brings More Benefits To The British Airways Executive Club

British Airways is re-launching its award winning Executive Club for frequent fliers with a brand new ‘Bronze’ card tier.

British Airways ‘Fast Travel’ Achievement

British Airways customers travelling through Gatwick will be the first in the UK to experience a new ‘Fast Travel’ service. 

British Airways Reveals its Top October 2011 Half-term Holiday Destinations

CRAWLEY, England, October 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ –

British Airways has revealed its top holiday destinations for travellers still wanting to get away this October half-term for a late autumn getaway.

Favourite locations for travellers include hotspots in destinations such as North America, Caribbean holidays and the Middle East. With increased frequencies of flights to Barbados and St Lucia, this summer, customers now have increased choices when it comes to leisure destinations.

The Caribbean is proving a hit with families and increasing the number of flights to a variety of destinations is providing customers with more choice for their holidays in Barbados and St Lucia. British Airways offers a wide range of three to five-star hotels in Barbados, including the all-inclusive 3.5* Island Inn for the budget-conscious family. This quaint, newly renovated property is situated in the Garrison area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site which is less than a mile from the centre of historic Bridgetown. Florida holidays are still a top choice for families looking for family entertainment and the 3* Ramada Hotel Gateway Hotel is perfectly located to reach the theme parks.

New York remains the top American destination with travellers over half-term, with city breaks in New York and fly-drives remaining popular choices to visit the Big Apple. October also marks the 125th Anniversary of the opening of the Statue of Liberty and will be the last chance to climb the monument before it closes for a year long refurbishment. It has been a year since the new joint business with American Airlines and Iberia began, giving customers a choice of 17 London flights a day to New York.

The Middle East is another popular choice this October, with holidays to Dubai offering both shopping and great weather. With a huge selection of luxury five-star resorts as well a range of 3-5 star hotels, Dubai is a great place visit on any budget.

British Airways Offer Free Ski Carriage on London City Flights This Winter

CRAWLEY, England, October 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ – British Airways is offering winter sports fans the chance to fly their skis for free to the top three ski destinations from London City Airport.

Customers who book flights to Chambery, Geneva or Zurich before October 31 will be invited to take an extra piece of hold luggage on flights between December and March.

This is in addition to the existing free one bag allowance and can be used for skis or other winter sports equipment.

British Airways currently operates seven flights a week from London City to Geneva and 22 flights a week to Zurich. From December 17 the four times a week winter only services to Chambery will begin.

All inclusive one-way fares to all three destinations are available to book on ba.com. All fares include free on-line check in and seat selection up to 24 hours before departure, no debit card charges and complimentary food and drinks on board the aircraft.

British Airways also offer ski holidays including flights plus hotels or car hire which can be booked on ba.com. There is a wide range of hotels to suit everyone, from budget hotels, ski in ski out chalets to luxury resorts. Car hire is also available to book together with flights and it is guaranteed to save you money than if booking separately.

Luke Hayhoe, general manager commercial, BA CityFlyer, said: “We do already offer a generous 23 kilogram baggage allowance but wanted to give our skiing passengers an additional bonus this winter. Providing they book their flights in the October booking period they can take their skis for free until the end of March.”

British Airways’ Business-Only Flights to New York Make Their Mark After two Years

British Airways is celebrating the second anniversary of its unique business class-only service between London City and New York’s JFK.

Launched in the middle of a deep recession, the service has defied sceptics to win over business travellers flying between two of the world’s biggest financial centres.

Since it was launched on September 29, 2009, 97 per cent of the service’s flights to New York have departed on time from London City, while 90 per cent of flights to London have departed on time from New York.

And now British Airways is using the very latest technology by providing customers with their own 64GB iPads to watch the service’s bespoke in-flight entertainment options.

Richard Tams, British Airways’ head of UK&I sales and marketing, said: “Despite the economic downturn, there is no doubt that the service has become a firm favourite with many of our customers on the important London to New York route.

“With easy access from the City and Canary Wharf, a 15-minute check-in to departure, in-flight texting and internet access, it has been tailor-made to provide them with the most productive way to fly across the Atlantic.

“We’re very pleased to be marking the two-year anniversary of this exclusive service and will continue with more innovations to meet our customer’s needs.”

In addition to iPads loaded with specially chosen content to give customers a bespoke in-flight entertainment experience, British Airways is also trialling the use of iPads with pursers on the route to bring a new dimension to customer service in the air.

Each iPad is specially loaded with British Airways apps designed to give cabin crew information on customers, from their previous travel arrangements, to connecting flights and special meal requests, enabling them to offer a truly personalised service.

They also give cabin crew a library of information at their fingertips, including timetables, safety manuals and customer service updates. Thanks to the service’s OnAir connectivity, updates can also be delivered to the crew during the flight, which can then be given to customers.

It is expected that the new technology will be appreciated by customers who have already rated the service with consistently high customer satisfaction scores since the double daily business-class only route began.

The Airbus A318 aircraft operates with a maximum of 32 fully flat seats onboard and offers customers 15-minute check-in to departure and US customs clearance in Shannon, Ireland, where the flight stops westward for a brief refuelling.

The London – New York route is an important market for British Airways, which flies eight times daily to JFK from Heathrow and three times a day to Newark. British Airways offer a range of business and luxury hotels in New York, which can be booked on ba.com together with business flights from London City for guaranteed savings than if booking separately.

British Airways Adds First and Business Class to Moscow Flights

CRAWLEY, England, September 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ –

For the first time, customers on British Airways’ London Heathrow to Moscow service will be able to sample the airline’s award-winning services in First and business class from next year.

The changes were announced during a UK trade delegation to Russia hosted by Prime Minister, David Cameron, alongside several major British business leaders.

British Airways has three return flights to Moscow Domodedevo airport per day. From April 2012, this route will change from a short-haul service operated with two cabins to a long-haul operation offering customers up to four classes of travel. This means customers will have the opportunity to enjoy the airline’s fully flat-beds, comprehensive in-flight entertainment and sample a wide selection of meals and drinks in unrivalled comfort. No other airline currently offers such a premium service on the four-hour flight between the two capital cities

Sir Martin Broughton, chairman of British Airways, who accompanied David Cameron to Moscow to represent British business, said: “We are proud to have been flying to Russia for over fifty years. It is an important and growing market for us and we want to reflect our commitment to the region and our customers by enhancing our services and increasing the number of seats that are available to Moscow.”

British Airways has close ties with leading Russian airline, S7. The two airlines are members of the oneworld alliance and launched a code-share agreement earlier this year which means that customers can experience a seamless service between the UK and many destinations in Russia, transferring at Domodedovo airport. Both airlines’ customers benefit from competitive through fares, co-ordinated schedules and excellent customer service. It is hoped that the codeshare agreement will be expanded in the coming months so that even more parts of Russia will be linked by air services to the UK.

British Airways Revolutionises Customer Service Using iPads

British Airways cabin crew are using the latest iPad model to bring a new dimension to customer service in the air. 

British Airways Launches the big September Sale

CRAWLEY, England, August 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ –

British Airways is launching its September sale with big savings on flights to over eighty worldwide destinations. The sale, which began on August 25 and runs until midnight on Tuesday, 20 September, offers up to 33 per cent off in economy, up to 45 per cent off in business class and up to 55 per cent off in first class.

With the kids back at school, those looking to take advantage of shorter queues at the theme parks can pick up a bargain on flights to Orlando or San Diego. For anyone wanting a total chill-out break there are savings on flights to the Caribbean including Puerto Rico, Barbados, Antigua and Cancun.

To jet-off in style and experience British Airways’ award winning business cabin Club World flights to Cairo, Muscat, the Maldives and Japan are on offer. And for the ultimate in luxury, travel in British Airways’ First cabin to the Caribbean, including Barbados, Grenada, St Lucia and Trinidad or escape to New York, Las Vegas or Los Angeles.

The sale also includes hundreds of great value holidays, including seven nights at the 3* All Seasons Resort for holidays in Barbados including flights from Gatwick and room only accommodation. Customers can also take advantage of a seven night all-inclusive holiday at the 4* Iberostar Punta Cana for holidays in the Dominican Republic.

For a bargain on a pre-Christmas shopping break, a three night stay at the 2.5* Midtown hotel in Boston or a three night holiday in Miami at the 3* Casablanca on the Ocean is on offer including flights from Heathrow and room only accommodation.

Closer to home, explore a city in Europe with one-way flights to Gothenburg, Paris and Zurich available. Alternatively grab a two night city-break to Lisbon staying at the 4* Turim Europa or two nights at the 4* Celuisma Florida Norte in Madrid including return flights from Heathrow and room only accommodation.

The sale started on August 25, 2011 for selected travel from September 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012.

British Airways Reveals Gatwick Airport is Top Choice for Families This Year

British Airways has revealed that more families than ever are choosing to fly from Gatwick airport as they jet off on holiday this year.

The airline has already seen a ten per cent increase in family bookings compared to last year and the trend is set to continue through the summer.

In July and August, British Airways will serve around 7,000 child meals on its long haul and European flights from Gatwick, and cabin crew will give out over 26,000 special Paddington Bear Skyflyer packs to keep its young customers entertained.

Florida is the number one destination for British Airways from Gatwick during the school holidays, offering 14 flights a week to the Sunshine State, with daily flights to Tampa and Orlando.

Parents travelling with children can benefit from family check-in and the chance to choose seats together free of charge 24 hours before departure.

On long haul flights children also have their own television channels as well as a choice of family movies on the in flight entertainment system.

Gatwick is the only UK airport to join a new Family Friendly scheme, launched by the Family and Parenting Institute, which aims to make the UK more family friendly.

Over the past 18 months, the airport has rolled out a number of family friendly initiatives to help take the stress out of travel for families, particularly those with young children in tow.

In Spring 2010, Gatwick became the only UK airport to create separate security lanes – “Assistance lanes” – to give families travelling with young children in buggies extra help through security after checking-in.

Earlier this year, it also created dedicated “kids zones” in the departure lounges of both terminals for children aged between 0-5 years to enable parents and guardians to relax while their children are kept entertained.

Stewart Wingate, Chief Executive of Gatwick Airport, said: “Millions of families choose to travel through Gatwick airport every year.  We realise that travelling with children can be stressful, so we’re going out of our way to make their journey through the airport more enjoyable. That’s why we’re proud to be supporting the Family Friendly scheme.”

The second most popular long haul holiday hot spot for British Airways customers is Barbados and there are still some family holidays in Barbados available there and many other destinations from Gatwick, including many with free night offers and kids stay free.

British Airways has also introduced the family favourite destination of Malaga to its Gatwick schedule, moving the service fromHeathrow and almost doubling frequency to 27 flights a week.

British Airways Launch New Flights to Faro and Malaga Direct From London City

CRAWLEY, England, June 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ –

British Airways has announced the launch of two new routes to Faro and Malaga and added more frequency to the popular destinations of Nice, Palma and Ibiza. This means that British Airways now offers 39 leisure flights per week for this summer from London City Airport to top sun destinations at the height of the season.

The four times a week flights to Faro and the three times a week flights to Malaga are now both in operation and will operate year round.

The existing Nice service has been increased to double daily flights from May until September, and from July to September both Palma and Ibiza flights will be increased from four to ten a week.

Flights are operated by the wholly owned British Airways’ subsidiary BA CityFlyer on the new Embraer 170 and 190 aircraft.

Luke Hayhoe, BA CityFlyer commercial manager said: “We first launched leisure only flights from London City last year in direct response to demand from our customers. They proved so popular, particularly during the summer months that we have decided to expand them further this year.

“The addition of two extra aircraft to the fleet means we can also offer year round services to the summer and winter sun destinations of Malaga and Faro.”

British Airways offers holidays to European cities with a selection of hand-picked 2 to 5 star hotels, ideally suited to budget travelers as well as the urban tourist seeking sophistication. Customers looking for hotels in Nice can stay at the budget two-star Compte de Nice offering great value yet comfortable accommodation. For family atmosphere, travellers can stay at the friendly four-star Splendid located close to Nice’s renowned Promenade des Anglais. For a luxury holiday there is the stylish 4.5-star Le Meridien Nice within strolling distance of the old town. With Cannes being just down the road, the five-star Martinez hotel in Cannes is an established flagship Riviera hotel, ideal for a romantic break as a couple or single travelers away on a celeb spotting adventure.

British Airways Offers up to 50% off Holidays to Europe in Business Class

CRAWLEY, England, June 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ - British Airways is offering some great holiday deals to Europe with up to fifty percent off holidays when booking Club Europe, the airline’s business class. Club Europe (business class) holidays offer customers a range of benefits to make their holiday extra special, including: access to exclusive airport lounges, check in two bags per person, extra leg room and good food and wine on board. The range of holiday offers makes a luxurious getaway to the continent even more affordable this summer.

Claire Bentley, managing director, BA Holidays, said: “Travellers craving the sun or looking to soak up culture in any number of top European hotspots will find a huge range of offers to tempt them.

“With so many holiday deals to Europe to be had, a luxury break away can cost far less than you think, so you can enjoy the benefits of business class for economy prices.”

A variety of two night breaks are on offer including the 5* Renaissance Amsterdam, the 4* H10 Marina Barcelona and the 4* Kube Hotel in Paris. Luxury holidays in Paris offer some of the best food in the world with plenty of life’s luxuries on the doorstep. The boutique Kube Hotel is situated a few steps away from Montmartre and the hotel’s historic facade hides an innovative and high-tech interior.

Customers tempted by Italy’s historic sights and diverse scenery can choose a two night break at the 5* Bagni di Pisa, the 4* All Angelo in Venice or for holidays in Rome the 4* ESH hotel is the perfect base to explore the Vatican City and the Basilica. The contemporary ESH Hotel was converted from an old Monastery and is conveniently located close to Rome’s largest park, the Villa Doria Pamphili.

Longer durations are also included with offers for 5 night beach holidays including the 4* Columbia Beachotel in Larnaca, the 4* Bellamar in Ibiza and the 4.5* Petit Palace Plaza in Malaga occupies an early twentieth-century building in the middle of the historic centre of Malaga. Holidays in Malaga offer an expansive experience for any holidaymaker with Malaga’s many sandy beaches, art galleries and restaurants serving up some of the finest seafood.

All Club Europe holiday offers are for selected travel dates in 2011 and must be booked by July 31.

British Airways Introduces First Class on Flights to Las Vegas

CRAWLEY, England, June 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ –

British Airways has introduced First class on its daily flights to Las Vegas from London Heathrow as the airline increases its capacity by 18 percent.

The non-stop daily flights to Las Vegas ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/flights-to-las-vegas/public/en_gb) from London Heathrow Terminal 5 launched in October 2009 will be served by a four class Boeing 747, enabling customers to choose from World Traveller (economy), World Traveller Plus (premium economy), Club World (business class) and award-winning First.

By moving to a Boeing 747, British Airways sends an additional 124 seats on every roundtrip, including 14 seats in First.

Customers can book luxury holidays in Las Vegas ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/%20holidays-las-vegas/public/en_gb) for less by booking their flights, hotels and experiences together. Home to spas, luxury hotels and many excellent attractions, Las Vegas is the perfect place to enjoy luxury holidays.

There is a good choice of luxury hotels in Las Vegas which cater to all kinds tastes. The five star Bellagio treats guests to sweeping views of the magnificent lake and classical gardens while 5* The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino recreates the glory of Venice and has suites nearly twice the size as a typical Las Vegas hotel room. The five star Aria Resort and Casino, located in the heart of CityCenter, combines architecture with sustainable design and five star The Wynn Resort Las Vegas provides food options for every taste.

Las Vegas is a hotspot of activity out in the Nevada desert. Customers looking for things to do in Las Vegas will not be disappointed by amazing helicopter rides over the Las Vegas Strip or over the Grand Canyon, nightly live performances, designer shopping and casinos on offer.

British Airways’ new First cabin allows customers to start their holiday in comfort and creates an exclusive experience based on classic design and understated luxury.

Each individual suite has its own personal wardrobe, a leather-bound writing desk that converts into a dining table, a new 15″ in-flight entertainment screen and a buddy seat to enable customers to dine together. The lighting and electronic blinds can be modified to reflect mood and time of day.

Simon Talling-Smith, executive vice president, Americas, said: “We are so proud of the success of our Las Vegas route that we launched just over one year ago. The demand has been great so we’re delighted to be able to increase capacity on this route. Additional seats mean more travellers get to see the best of London, the UK and the rest of the world.

“And for our high roller flyers, we are thrilled to now offer our award winning First class on this route. Our new First offers a 60% wider seat, personal electronic blinds and balanced privacy that creates an intimate private jet experience. I know our customers will love this cabin”.

British Airways Launches Luxury Sale

British Airways is cutting its fares by up to 29 per cent in business class and up to 60 per cent in its First Class cabin in its Luxury Sale for bookings made between May 26 and June 21, 2011. Over 80 destinations are included in the sale based on various travel dates from June 9 to December 31, 2011.

Customers can enjoy savings of up to 29 per cent on business class flights to Grenada and up to 24 per cent on business class flights to Kingston in Jamaica. Great value holiday packages are also available including holidays to Jamaica ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/holidays-in-jamaica/public/en_gb) at the 4.5* Hilton Rose Hall Resort & Spa in Montego Bay – which has just received the coveted 2011 five diamond AAA award.

Further afield, customers can save up to 25 per cent on business class flights to Buenos Aires and up to 20 per cent in business class flights to Hong Kong. The sale also includes luxury holidays in Dubai ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/luxury-holidays-dubai/public/en_gb) where world-class properties host restaurants, spas and shopping malls. British Airways offers grand resorts on the beach including The Ritz-Carlton or choose a hotel set in the desert like the Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa. All British Airways’ hotels in Dubai offer excellent facilities, great service and comfortable rooms – perfect for luxury holidays.

Now is a good time to visit the USA where customers can take advantage of the rise in the pound against the dollar and there is also up to 29 per cent off business class fares. Holiday packages are included across North America from beach holidays in Miami to a city break in Boston. ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/city-breaks-boston/public/en_gb) Boston is the perfect base to explore the surrounding areas with a New England fly-drive or alternatively stay in the city and visit the historic sites along the freedom trail or the Museum of Fine Arts.

Customers can enjoy the exclusivity and privacy of British Airways’ First class cabin, re-launched after a GBP100 million investment and being rolled out across the fleet throughout 2011. Customers can take advantage of savings of up to 60 per cent on First class flights to Houston, 54 per cent on First class flights to LA and 52 per cent on First class flights to Las Vegas.

Customers looking for luxury holidays ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/luxury-holidays/public/en_gb) will find a wide range of 5 star and luxury hotels to suit every taste in British Airways’ Prestige Collection. Luxury, quality and attention to detail are exactly the 5 star qualities that can be found from British Airways’ luxury holidays.

Travellers are Becoming Increasingly Aware of Eco-tourism, Leading to a Growth in Bookings at Eco-friendly Hotels and an Increase in Environmentally Conscientious Behaviour

CRAWLEY, England, May 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — British Airways has more than 100 worldwide destinations included in its great value holiday escapes, for bookings this May. Destinations available include North and South America, the Maldives, Middle East, South Africa as well as lots of beach and city breaks across Europe and the UK. Bookings must be made by May 24 and travel dates vary for travel from now though to September 30, 2011.

Customers can enjoy two night city breaks across Europe including city breaks in Paris ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/city-breaks-paris/public/en_gb) at the D’Espagne hotel, flying to Paris Orly airport. Other featured breaks include Barcelona, Rome, Amsterdam, Nice, Copenhagen and Palma. British Airways’ route from London City to Palma will increase from three-days-a-week to six-days-a-week, excluding Saturdays, in July and August.

Great value holidays to the Caribbean are available staying in a wide range of hotels from 2.5* to 5*. Customers can stay at Almond Beach Village for all-inclusive family holidays in Barbados ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/holidays-in-barbados/public/en_gb), Hilton Rose Hall Resort and Spa in Jamaica, Halcyon Cove by Rex Resorts in Antigua or the luxury Spice Island Beach Resort for a luxury holiday in Grenada.

For a shopping break by the beach holidays in Dubai ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/holidays-in-dubai/public/en_gb?key=dubai ) offer some of the finest dining, luxury five star hotels and a bustling city with fascinating feats of engineering.

Featured value city breaks in the US include New York, Las Vegas and British Airways’ new route, San Diego, launching June 1 2011. Holidays in San Diego ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/holidays-in-san-diego/public/en_gb) are great for surfing, golf, shopping and sightseeing.

Customers can get inspiration for their holiday through TripAdvisor, available through ba.com, and get unbiased tips from real travellers on where to go, what to see and where to dine.

TripAdvisor have released their Travellers Choice Awards 2011 winners, citing Cape Town as the number one favourite destination for 2011. Other favourites in the top 10 include Paris, New York, Rio de Janeiro, Rome, London and Barcelona. These popular destinations are all included in British Airways’ May offers for great value holiday escapes. Holidays in Cape Town (http://www.britishairways.com/travel/holidays-in-cape-town/public/en_gb) are perfect for lazy beach days, glamorous bars and nightclubs, and a trip to Table Mountain.

Bookings must be made by midnight May 24, 2011 and all offers can be found at http://www.ba.com/may-holiday-offers.

British Airways Increases Flights to Rio de Janeiro

CRAWLEY, England, May 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — British Airways is increasing its services to Brazil by doubling its weekly frequency to Rio de Janeiro from three to six flights.

Flights to Rio de Janeiro ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/flights-to-rio-de-janeiro/public/en_gb ) will now depart Heathrow for Rio every day, except Mondays. The departure time remains at 12.15pm, landing in Rio at 9.55pm local time. The flight will continue to be served by a three class B777, enabling customers to choose from World Traveller (economy), World Traveller Plus (premier economy) and the airline’s fully flat beds in Club World (business class).

Neil Cottrell, British Airways’ head of network planning, said: “We are experiencing a real increase in demand for Rio and by doubling the number of frequencies, we are able to offer our customers more choice and greater availability. Brazil is also experiencing strong economic growth and this capacity increase is a great opportunity for British Airways to be part of that growth.”

Holidays in Rio de Janeiro ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/rio-de-janeiro/public/en_gb ) offer visitors white sandy beaches, rainforest clad mountains and cultural must-sees including the famous Christ the Redeemer statue. British Airways offers a choice of hotels including the 3* Center for a comfortable stay or the 5* InterContinental Rio next to the Gvea Golf Club and the Fashion Mall shopping centre. The 5* Porto Bay Rio Internacional has a rooftop swimming pool and views of the beach while the 5* Copacabana Palace offers luxurious accommodation opposite the famous Copacabana Beach.

British Airways commitment to Latin America has been further strengthened by the introduction of direct flights to Buenos Aires ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/flights-to-buenos-aires/public/en_gb ) in March. The daily flight now operates direct to Argentina’s capital instead of stopping off in Sao Paolo. Holidays in Buenos Aires ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/buenos-aires/public/en_gb?key=buenosaire s ) are popular for gourmet dining, vibrant nightlife and culture with plenty of museums and art galleries.

In April, British Airways and Iberia announced the immediate start of codesharing on a new tranche of one another’s flights. This included BA putting its code on Iberia flights from Madrid to San Jose (Costa Rica) and Panama City while Iberia added its code to BA’s Bahrain, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Kuwait and Muscat services. Iberia’s flights to Havana started carrying the BA code from April 15. Iberia has also added its code onto British Airways’ services to Cape Town and both airlines are now sharing their Johannesburg flights. British Airways offers a range of quality hotels in Cape Town ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/hotels-in-cape-town/public/en_gb ) close to museums, galleries, theatres and fine restaurants.

British Airways Doubles Capacity on its London City to Palma Route

CRAWLEY, England, April 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — British Airways has increased capacity on its popular London City to Palma service by 50 per cent to meet the demand for seats this summer.

With additional frequency and larger aircraft the airline will be providing over 25,000 seats to the Spanish holiday island direct from the Docklands making holidays to Palma de Mallorca ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/holidays-in-palma/public/en_gb) more accessible than ever before.

Due to the high early season demand, the three-times-a-week flights will increase to six-days-a-week, excluding Saturdays, in July and August. The Friday and Sunday flights to Palma de Mallorca and Ibiza, on brand new Embraer 190 aircraft, will continue until October 31st, enabling a long weekend or longer breaks. The extension also means flights will operate until the end of the school half-term holidays.

For relaxing beach holidays in Palma de Mallorca ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/beach-holidays-palma/public/en_gb) British Airways offers over 40 beach hotels including the 3* Manaus for the lighter pocket to the 5* Cap Rocat – a magnificent former military fortress with an infinity pool and private beach. City breaks in Palma ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/city-breaks-palma/public/en_gb) are also a popular choice. British Airways has a range of city hotels including the 4* Catalonia Majorica just 10 minutes stroll from the Harbour, or the 5* Hospes Maricel – a historic stately mansion.

British Airways now operates 39 leisure flights from London City to top sun destinations this summer. The airline has also added more frequency to popular destinations of Nice and Ibiza.

Holidays in Ibiza ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/ibiza/public/en_gb) are perfect for families with secluded coves and family resorts while Ibiza Town has several ancient sites and party venues.

British Airways has also launched new routes to Faro and Malaga in June, all from London City. The four times-a-week flights to Faro start on June 7 and the three times-a-week flights to Malaga start on June 8. Both routes will operate year round.

British Airways flies to 12 destinations from London City airport including Palma de Mallorca, Ibiza, Faro, Barcelona, Nice, Madrid and Malaga. Flights are operated by wholly owned British Airways’ subsidiary BA CityFlyer.

British Airways Celebrates 75 Years of Flights to Hong Kong

CRAWLEY, England, March 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — British Airways unveiled their new First class seat to the Hong Kong market at an event to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the airline flying London to Hong Kong.

At the same event the company launched a competition for residents offering a grand prize of a First Class holiday to London ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/holidays-in-london/public/en_gb), during the Royal Wedding Weekend this April.

The lucky winner and their chosen companion will enjoy flights to London (http://www.britishairways.com/travel/holidays-in-london/public/en_gb) and back in First class on British Airways on Wednesday 27 April 2011, just in time to experience all the excitement of the Royal Wedding on Friday 29 April 2011.

“We are delighted to announce this competition to celebrate 75 years of flying between London and Hong Kong. The winner will be lucky enough to experience British Airways’ First class, enjoy springtime in the city staying in one of top hotels in London ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/hotels-in-london/public/en_gb), and possibly catch a glimpse of the Royal Bride – it will undoubtedly be one of Britain’s most exciting weekends this year,” said Kevin McQuillan, British Airways Regional General Manager, East Asia.

The dream trip includes staying in a Grand Junior Suite for 3 nights in Europe’s first “Grand Hotel”. The Langham, London opened in 1865. Located in the heart of the West End, The Langham has one of London’s most enviable addresses commanding a position at the top of the elegant boulevard of Regent Street. The guests will also be able to enjoy Tea Royale in the Palm Court, a celebratory afternoon tea to commemorate the Royal Wedding of HRH Prince William to Kate Middleton.

After enjoying a long weekend of dining, shopping and culture, taking in the sights of one of the best cities in the world, the winners will enjoy their flights to Hong Kong ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/flights-to-hong-kong/public/en_gb) in First class luxury on Sunday 1 May 2011.

Jamie Cassidy, British Airways Area General Manager, Asia and the Pacific, said: “This milestone anniversary recognises the importance of this route for British Airways. We have worked together with Hong Kong, growing businesses and building relationships since 1936, and we are proud to be connected to such an incredibly energetic city.”

The competition launched on Friday 18 March 2011, and is open for three weeks until Friday 8 April 2011, when it will close at 11:59 p.m.

Jamie Cassidy also unveiled the new First class seat at the event to celebrate the 75th anniversary. He commented: “The new First class cabin will create an exclusive experience based on classic design and understated luxury. It echoes our commitment and confidence in global premium travel.” The airline has just invested GBP100 million in its new First class cabin.

British Airways is pleased to continue the tradition of flying between Hong Kong and London in its 75th anniversary year, and remains committed to providing superior service to leisure, business and luxury customers travelling between Europe and Asia.

British Airways Creates Transatlantic Shuttle Service

CRAWLEY, England, March 29, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — British Airways, American Airlines and Iberia have announced they will deliver more benefits to customers as schedules are coordinated across the North Atlantic and more destinations are launched in summer 2011.

From March 27, American Airlines and British Airways will effectively create a transatlantic shuttle service between the top US-UK routes by aligning the timing on their schedules.

The biggest change is on the Heathrow – New York route. Previously, five of the 11 daily flights to New York ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/flights-to-new-york/public/en_gb) left Heathrow at almost exactly the same time, leaving gaps of up to three hours between services.

Now flights will depart every hour, on the hour between 1pm and 8pm from Heathrow. There will also only be an hour and a half between morning departures at the most.

Chicago flights inbound to London previously had four flights departing the Windy City at similar times around 5pm and 8pm. Now the flights will be evenly spaced, departing at around 5pm, 6pm, 7pm and 8pm. The 9am and 9.45pm slots will remain as they were.

Two of the three flights to Miami ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/flights-to-miami/public/en_gb) from London clashed around 10am, and these have now been split to leave at 10am and 11am. The 1.30pm has moved to 1.35pm.

The joint business will also now give customers the chance to fly direct between New York (JFK) and Budapest starting from April 5, and between Chicago and Helsinki, both seven times a week on American Airlines from May 1.

British Airways will launch daily flights to San Diego from June 1, marking the airline’s return to the route after eight years. It offers a great variety of hotels in San Diego ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/hotels-in-san-diego/public/en_gb) suitable for all ranges of budgets and tastes. Customers can save by booking a flight and hotel package for their San Diego holidays ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/holidays-in-san-diego/public/en_gb) at the same time on ba.com plus benefit from a 24 hour in-resort support and expertly chosen hotels which adhere to stringent health and safety criteria.

The British carrier will also increase its services from Gatwick to Cancun from two to three a week from March 27 offering even more choice to customers wishing to take their holidays in Cancun. ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/holidays-in-cancun/public/en_gb)

Iberia is starting the only direct flight between Spain and California; flying between Madrid and Los Angeles three times a week from March 28, with an additional flight between July and September. Iberia will also launch new flights between Barcelona and Miami three times a week from March 29.

It’s official, British Airways really is the world’s favourite airline. Or at least one of them.

The latest poll by flights comparison site Skyscanner shows that despite a recent bout of bad press for BA due to strike threats, the airline is still regarded very highly by travellers having been voted top in two out of three categories.

The opinions of over 600 international travellers were collected on which airlines they believe are best for service, reliability and family travel. Fellow British airline, Virgin Atlantic, equalled its rival in the poll, whilst Emirates and Singapore Airlines were also voted favourites amongst Skyscanner users.

When it came to reliability, BA, Virgin Atlantic and Emirates were all voted joint first, followed by Singapore Airlines and Qantas. Perhaps a surprise to some was the presence of low cost airlines easyJet and Ryanair in the top ten which ranked above many scheduled airlines.

However, the results highlight the difference between the public perception of punctuality and actual punctuality as recorded by the Civil Airlines Authority. Data from the CAA places bmi and flybe at the top of the ‘on time’ charts, yet neither of these airlines made the top ten in the Skyscanner poll.

Virgin Atlantic, which offers kids’ TV channels, Nintendo games, kids’ meals and an entertainment pack, was voted the top choice for families followed by BA and Emirates.

Emirates, which also took the top spot in a recent Skyscanner poll on airline food, was voted best for service along with BA.

Gareth Williams, Skyscanner CEO, commented:

“It’s great to see that British Airlines are still held in very high regard by the flying public, which is certainly something to be proud of. Passengers nowadays have a huge choice of airlines to travel with and, although price is probably the main deciding factor, we know that it is not the only influence; service, reliability and facilities play their part too and so it is important for airlines to develop customer loyalty by ensuring they offer a superior product to that of their competitors.”

Best for Reliability

1. Virgin Atlantic
1. BA
1. Emirates
4. Singapore Airlines
5. Qantas
6. easyJet
7. KLM
8. Lufthansa
9. Ryanair
10. Cathay Pacific

Best for Families

1. Virgin Atlantic
2. BA
3. Emirates
4. Thomas Cook
5. Qantas
6. Singapore Airlines
7. easyJet
8. KLM
9. American Airlines
10. Cathay Pacific

Best for Service

1. BA
1. Emirates
3. Singapore Airlines
4. Virgin Atlantic
5. Cathy Pacific
6. KLM
7. Qantas
8. Qatar Airways
9. Thai Airways
10. easyJet

Smile High Gig sets new Guinness World Records title

British Airways has set a new Guinness World Records title with comedians Dara O Briain, Jack Whitehall and Jon Richardson, for hosting the ‘highest stand-up comedy gig in the world’.

British Airways Adds More Sun Flights Direct From London City

CRAWLEY, England, March 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — British Airways has announced it is to offer 39 leisure flights per week this summer from London City Airport to top sun destinations at the height of the season.

The airline is launching two new routes to Faro and Malaga in June and adding more frequency to the popular destinations of Nice, Palma and Ibiza.

The four times a week flights to Faro (http://www.britishairways.com/travel/flights-to-faro/public/en_gb) start on June 7 and the three times a week flights to Malaga start on June 8. Both routes will operate year round.

The existing Nice service will increase to double daily flights from May until September, and from July to September both Palma and Ibiza (http://www.britishairways.com/travel/ibiza/public/en_gb) will be increased from four to ten a week.

Flights are operated by wholly owned British Airways’ subsidiary BA CityFlyer, on the new Embraer 170 and 190 aircraft.

Luke Hayhoe, BA CityFlyer commercial manager, said: “We first launched leisure only flights from London City last year in direct response to demand from our customers. They proved so popular, particularly during the summer months that we have decided to expand them further this year.

“The addition of two extra aircraft to the fleet means we can also offer year round services to the summer and winter sun destinations of Malaga and Faro.”

British Airways offers holidays to European cities with a great selection of hand picked 2 to 5-star hotels, ideally suited to budget travelers as well as the urban tourist seeking sophistication. Customers looking for hotels in Nice (http://www.britishairways.com/travel/hotels-in-nice/public/en_gb) can stay at the budget two-star Compte de Nice offering great value yet comfortable accommodation. For family atmosphere, stay at the friendly four-star Splendid located close to Nice’s renowned Promenade des Anglais. For a luxury holiday stay at the stylish 4.5-star Le Meridien Nice within strolling distance of the old town. With Cannes being just down the road, the five-star Martinez hotel in Cannes is an established flagship Riviera hotel, ideal for a romantic break as a couple or single travelers away on a celeb spotting adventure.

British Airways’ new Route to Haneda, Japan Goes Live

CRAWLEY, England, February 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — British Airways has launched its new route to Haneda in Japan on February 19, 2011 in a push to open up the domestic Japanese market to UK travellers.

The service operates five times a week from London Heathrow to Haneda. The flight to Tokyo ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/flights-to-tokyo/public/en_gb ) is served by a Boeing 777, with a four-class configuration enabling customers to choose from First, Club World (business class), World Traveller Plus (premium economy) or World Traveller (economy). Between February 19 and March 26, the service will operate on Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The flight will depart from London Heathrow at 0800 local and arrive at Haneda at 0500 local time the following day. From March 27, 2011 the flights will arrive and depart from London Heathrow approximately one hour later and operate on the same days.

As well as offering an excellent domestic network, Haneda Airport is located near the business centre in Tokyo ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/tokyo/public/en_gb), which is ideal for premium customers.

The airline’s daily flight to Tokyo’s Narita airport will continue as before. The route is performing well and operating from two airports in Tokyo provides customers with greater flexibility. Narita International Airport is located 38 miles from central Tokyo. The airport is linked to the city by the Narita Express which takes customers to central Tokyo Station in 60 minutes.

As well as the flights, British Airways also offers a selection of hand picked 3 to 5-star hotels in Tokyo ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/hotels-in-tokyo/public/en_gb), ideally suited to the urban tourist seeking unforgettable experiences as well as the contemporary business travellers.

British Airways is Adding an Extra Day in the Sun in Mauritius

CRAWLEY, England, February 2011 /PRNewswire/ — British Airways is changing its Mauritius timetable to give customers an extra day in the sun.

From November 1, flights back from the Indian Ocean isle will take off 12 hours later than at present, creating more time for relaxation before the journey home.

The better timing coincides with the route being switched from Heathrow to Gatwick, further strengthening the airline’s premium leisure programme at the airport.

Currently, flights to Mauritius ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/flights-to-mauritius/public/en_gb) leave London at 4:25pm, arriving in the destination at 07:25am the following day. Flights from Mauritius to London depart at 8.55am and arrive at 5.15pm. The changes will create evening departures for both the outbound and inbound flights to allow customers to maximise their time on holiday. Once the route moves to Gatwick, the flight will operate three times a week: departing Gatwick on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and departing Mauritius on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Flights to Mauritius (BA2063) will depart Gatwick at 8.30pm local time, arriving 12.25pm local time in Mauritius. Flights from Mauritius (BA2062) will depart Mauritius at 9.05pm arriving 5.20am the following day at Gatwick.

Silla Maizey, director of Gatwick, said: “We have a strong premium leisure strategy for Gatwick – we want it to be a hub for great high-end holiday destinations. Moving the Mauritius flight here helps us to strengthen this position as it will now sit alongside destinations such as the Maldives and the Caribbean.

“We’ve listened to feedback from our customers about the timings on the Mauritius flight so it’s great we’ve been able to design the new schedule around their needs. This new timing has an evening departure from Mauritius and an early morning arrival into Gatwick, giving back customers a full day at their destination when they would otherwise have been flying.

“Gatwick’s owners, GIP, are ploughing significant investment into the airport so customers can expect a new level of service there soon. The future for British Airways customers using Gatwick is very bright.”

The route will be served by a Boeing 777 aircraft with 275 seats on board.

British Airways offer holidays in Mauritius ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/holidays-in-mauritius/public/en_gb) to suit families looking for a break in the sun to couples seeking to get away from it all on luxury holidays ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/luxury-holidays/public/en_gb). Some of the hotels in Mauritius ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/hotels-in-mauritius/public/en_gb) on offer feature comfort and design whereas others specialize in full-service spas. Customers on a budget can choose to stay at the value for money two-star Coin de Mire. The family friendly four-star Preskil Beach Resort offers classical Creole architecture nestled in peaceful gardens. Tropical luxury taken to a higher level can be enjoyed at the five-star Prestige Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita which provides a secluded, beautiful sanctuary for the discerning traveller.

Other changes at Gatwick from October 30, in comparison to Winter 2010, will include flights to Cancun increasing to three a week from two and Tampa increasing from five to six flights a week.

British Airways Launches new Codeshare With S7 Airlines

CRAWLEY, England, February 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — British Airways and Russian carrier S7 Airlines have started codesharing on each other’s flights between London Heathrow, Moscow and across domestic routes in Russia from February 8, 2011. This follows S7′s recent entry into the Oneworld Alliance.

British Airways’ code will be placed on selected domestic Russian routes operated by S7 and its subsidiary Globus, while S7′s code will be placed on all British Airways’ services between Moscow and London Heathrow. The airlines’ customers will be able to book their whole journey on each other’s websites and earn frequent flyer points on the codeshare routes.

British Airways general manager Europe and Africa, Gavin Halliday, said: “Russia is an important market for us and we are pleased that our relationship with S7 is developing well. The codeshare with S7 will give our customers much better access to many more cities across Russia and help S7 customers take advantage of better links to Heathrow Terminal 5.”

The codeshares will operate on S7 flights between Moscow ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/moscow/public/en_gb) and Krasnodar, Rostov-on-Don, Samara, Ekaterinburg, Kazan, Chelyabinsk, Kaliningrad, Krasnoyarsk and Ufa. All British Airways services between Moscow Domodedovo and London Heathrow Terminal 5 ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/terminal-5-changes/public/en_gb?gsLink=searchResults) will carry an S7 code as well.

(Due to the length of this URL, it may be necessary to copy and paste this hyperlink into your Internet browser’s URL address field. Remove the space if one exists.)

British Airways offers a range of two to five-star hotels in Russian cities served by the new codeshare agreement. Customers can book flights to St Petersburg ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/saint-petersburg/public/en_gb) with British Airways and stay in hotels such as the 4* Radisson Blu Hotel Sonya which is a design hotel based on ‘Crime and Punishment’ and the rooms featuring Rafael’s Sistine Madonna on the walls or the 5* luxury Kempinski Moika 22 situated just off Palace Square with views to The Hermitage.

For additional convenience, the airline also offers Avis car rental in Moscow and St Petersburg.

The codeshare flights are available for sale on ba.com now.

British Airways Football Legends Invitational Tournament 2011 Launched

CRAWLEY, England, January 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — The British Airways Football Legends Invitational Tournament 2011 has been officially launched by the Barbados Tourism Authority.

This will excite Brits and Bajans in the run up to a spectacular clash of the Titans. The six-a-side tournament will be held at the Kensington Oval, Barbados, on 10-11 June 2011. Teams representing England’s top clubs will battle for top honours in the inaugural British Airways Football Legends Invitational Tournament, raising money for local charities involved in the development of football in the Caribbean.

Chelsea legends such as Roberto Di Matteo, Gianfranco Zola and Gus Poyet will once more take to the field alongside the likes of Manchester United’s Andrew Cole, Steve McManaman and Jason McAteer of Liverpool, Ray Parlour and Paul Merson of Arsenal and Newcastle and England hero Rob Lee.

Former Chelsea favourite and current West Brom boss Di Matteo is looking forward to recommencing battle against some of his old adversaries:

“The opportunity to renew some old rivalries and to play in such a high profile and prestigious competition was simply too good to refuse. It’s absolutely fantastic to think that we will be lining up with and against some of the great players from our own era and in such a wonderful location as well.”

Ex-Newcastle and England captain Alan Shearer also anticipates an entertaining few days in the West Indies:

“The emphasis on this event will be on exhibition as well as competition and whilst you can never take that competitive edge away from a footballer, the respect and friendship amongst all the lads will no doubt produce some great entertainment for the crowd too.”

Christian Smith, commercial director of the Professional Football Association explained:

“Our aim is to establish an annual series of events featuring some of the great players of the last decade but this is only possible with the help and support of our members and the invaluable contribution of partners like the Barbados Tourism Authority and British Airways.”

Almond Resorts is the official hotel partner for the football legends tournament. Package holidays in Barbados ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/holidays-in-barbados/public/en_gb) and tickets will be available with sponsors Almond Resorts and British Airways.

British Airways Launches Flights to Paris Orly

CRAWLEY, England, January 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — British Airways has started its 12 services a week between London Heathrow and Paris Orly to complement its flights to Paris Charles de Gaulle.

The flights to Paris ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/flights-to-paris/public/en_gb) Orly first took off on January 10, 2011 with seats having been on sale since November 16.

Colm Lacy, British Airways’ general manager network planning, said: “This is an excellent addition to our shorthaul network, allowing business travellers easy access to the Paris financial district which is close to Orly airport. Customers will also be able to make smooth connections on to BA subsidiary OpenSkies’ services between Orly and the United States, and on to oneworld partner, Iberia.”

The route is be served by A319s, A320s and A321s and will offer two classes to choose from, Euro Traveller and Club Europe.

Customers selecting the Club Europe cabin can take advantage of Terminal 5′s excellent lounge facilities, allowing them to work or relax prior to their flight.

British Airways also offers great deals on a wide range of hotels in Paris (http://www.britishairways.com/travel/hotels-in-paris/public/en_gb), coupled with affordable fares on flights. Customers can choose between hotels perfectly suited for a city break on a budget such as the two-star Antin Trinite, a small hotel located just behind the famous Galeries Lafayette or contemporary boutiques including the four-star Lumen with its traditional Haussmann facade and enviable location close to many of the major Paris attractions and stores. The four-star K and K Cayre is located in Saint-Germain-des-Pres on the Left Bank of the Seine and is a comfortable hotel which offers a great breakfast. At the higher end of the scale is the four and a half-star Westin Paris, overlooking the Tuileries. Boutiques and museums of Paris are only a short stroll away.

For convenience, the airline also offers accommodation at the four-star Holiday Inn Paris – Orly Airport and Avis car rental in Paris ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/car-rental-paris/public/en_gb).

Flights to Paris Orly, hotels in Paris and Avis car hire are on sale at ba.com/paris.

British Airways Reveals its Top Ten Destinations for 2011

CRAWLEY, England, December 10, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — British Airways has announced that the US, Caribbean and Indian Ocean all feature heavily in its top ten destinations for 2011, but the pride of place goes to North African destination, Marrakech.

Willie Walsh, British Airways’ CEO, said: “The response we’ve had to the launch of routes like the Maldives, Las Vegas and Marrakech has been incredible. We’ve seen destinations in the Caribbean and Indian Ocean becoming even more popular with leisure travellers looking for sun and relaxation. Those after 24-hour cities are heading towards New York, Las Vegas and Japan.”

He added: “Tourism and leisure travel is a crucial focus for us, so growing our holidays business is a major part of our business plan. We’ve already made great progress thanks to the launch of our Dynamic Packaging capability on ba.com, which enables customers to book flights and hotels together and realise substantial savings. Revenue this year is up 55 per cent and there remains a huge opportunity for future growth.”

BA’s top ten destinations for 2011 also includes the airline’s new routes, with services to Haneda (Tokyo) starting on February 19, Marrakech beginning on March 27, Puerto Rico on March 28, and flights to San Diego (http://www.britishairways.com/travel/flights-to-san-diego/public/en_gb) on June 1, 2011.

British Airways top ten destinations include Marrakech ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/holidays-in-marrakech/public/en_gb) at the number one spot, followed by San Diego, New York, St Kitts & Nevis, Puerto Rico, Maldives, ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/holidays-in-maldives/public/en_gb) Japan, Las Vegas, Mauritius and St Lucia.

British Airways joint business with American Airlines and Iberia also gives customers a choice of 17 flights a day between London and New York.

British Airways Launches Flights to Gothenburg

British Airways has launched its flights to Gothenburg, Sweden’s second largest city, with flights available to book in Club Europe, British Airway’s Business Class cabin.

Flights to Gothenburg ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/flights-to-gothenburg/public/en_gb) depart twice daily from Heathrow Terminal 5.

Richard Tams, British Airways’ head of UK and international sales, said at the announcement of the new route: “We are really excited about flying to this fabulous city on the south west coast of Sweden. It boasts Michelin star restaurants, culture and the best views of the famous Northern lights. The schedule is perfect for UK originating day round trips, and for connections onto the worldwide network.”

British Airways offers a selection of hand picked 2 to 5-star hotels in Gothenburg ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/hotels-in-gothenburg/public/en_gb), ideally suited to the urban tourist seeking sophistication. Customers can stay at the three-star Apple hotel, offering easy to use public transport links and close to the famous Boulevard Avenue with plenty of bars, restaurants and shops. The four-star Avalon hotel, a member of Design hotels, will also be available soon, featuring a roof top pool. Its restaurant and bar, with a spacious open air area in season, is a most popular meeting place. The Avalon will be available on ba.com shortly.

The launch of the new flights to Gothenburg coincides with the city’s famous Christmas market which is in the Liseburg Amusement Park. Scandinavia’s biggest Christmas market houses more than 60 stalls, filling the air with Christmas joy. The market takes place between November 12 and December 30, 2010. British Airways offers a wide range of other destinations perfect for Christmas and New Year breaks. Customers can choose between packages to old favourites like Christmas city breaks to Berlin, Salzburg and Vienna. Other top Christmas markets ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/hotels-in-gothenburg/public/en_gb) in Europe include Prague, Innsbruck and Budapest. Most markets start middle of November and last until the end of December.

As well as the soon to be launched flights to Gothenburg, British Airways also offers daily flights to Stockholm ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/flights-to-stockholm/public/en_gb), known for striking architecture and its beautiful waterside setting. Spread across 14 islands, Stockholm has a range of hotels, including the 4-star Stureplan and the stylish 4-star Hellsten.

Avis car hire is available at both Gothenburg ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/gothenburg/public/en_gb) and Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport and can be purchased as a package including flights and car hire from ba.com.

Flights and city breaks to Gothenburg are on sale now.

British Airways Adds Flights to Stockholm From London City

CRAWLEY, England, December 2, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — British Airways has taken up options for two new Embraer E-190 jets, one year after the first aircraft in the new fleet went into service, and is about to launch a new double daily flight to Stockholm from London City Airport.

BA CityFlyer, the wholly owned subsidiary of British Airways, originally placed firm orders for six Embraer 170 and five Embraer 190SR efficiency jets, known as E-jets, with options on three further 98-seat Embraer 190s.

They are now converting two of these options for delivery in Spring 2011.

Peter Simpson, BA CityFlyer managing director, said: “We are delighted to announce the conversion of these two options, which will increase our fleet size by almost 20 per cent at London City Airport. Customer feedback on the new fleet has been fantastic, particularly with the additional space and two-by-two seating. The successful fleet introduction and customer reaction to the E-Jets has given us the confidence to expand so soon after the initial order.”

The two additional aircraft will enable British Airways to expand its route network from the Docklands airport with new flights to Stockholm (http://www.britishairways.com/travel/flights-to-stockholm/public/en_gb) Arlanda from January 9 2011. They are currently in discussions with various airports for opportunities with the second aircraft.

Luke Hayhoe, BA CityFlyer commercial manager, said: “We were always hopeful of taking up options for the larger Embraer 190s and are delighted to confirm this. This does of course present opportunities for us to further expand our London City schedule. The success of our recently launched Copenhagen service and customer requests made the decision on Stockholm (http://www.britishairways.com/travel/stockholm/public/en_gb) an exciting choice. We will announce further new services in the coming months.”

British Airways already offers a selection of hand picked 3 to 5-star hotels to compliment holidays in Stockholm ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/holidays-in-stockholm/public/en_gb). Customers can stay at the centrally located, eco-labelled 4-star Scandic Norra Bantorget or enjoy 19th century elegance at the small, intimate 4-star Stureplan. Don’t have an i-Pad yet? The hotel offers them for rent at an additional charge. Customers can also stay in one of Sweden’s leading hotels and join the ranks of royalty, heads of state and Nobel laureates at the 5-star InterContinental Grand Hotel Stockholm.

British Airways flies to 14 destinations from London City airport including Edinburgh, Madrid and Nice. Avis car rental in Stockholm is available with British Airways.

Flights to Stockholm, hotels and car hire are now available on ba.com/Stockholm.

British Airways Increases Number of Flights to Tampa

CRAWLEY, England, November 19, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — British Airways will increase its frequency of flights to Tampa, starting in March 2011. The airline will serve this popular destination with one flight per day.

Tampa is the perfect gateway for holidays in Florida (http://www.britishairways.com/travel/florida/public/en_gb), giving customers the chance to experience a wide range of destination and breaks, all easily reached from the convenience of one airport. From beaches and parks to the lively city centre and cultural centres, there is something for everyone.

Customers can explore the Gulf Coast (http://www.britishairways.com/travel/gulf-coast/public/en_gb) or twin their break with a family holiday in Orlando (http://www.britishairways.com/travel/holidays-in-orlando/public/en_gb). The modern Sandpearl Resort in Clearwater offers a stylish atmosphere coupled with a white sandy beach or head to the intimate Sandpiper hotel, a haven for relaxation direct on the beach. Effortless elegance can be found at the The Ritz Carlton Sarasota with its private beach and award-winning dining. Or, treat the family to luxury at the beautiful Longboat Key Club and Resort.

Tampa has a distinct Caribbean influence due to the large influx of immigrants over the years. Immerse in the multicultural heritage in Ybor City, home of the Tampa Latin Quarter and the centre of the Cuban cigar boom in the early 20th century. Or, take the family to Busch Gardens, north of Tampa. Spring 2011, just in time for British Airways increased flights to Tampa, sees the opening of a sensational new high speed mega attraction, Cheetah Hunt which pairs man-made thrills through a new launch coaster with nature’s fastest land animal the Cheetah.

Simon Parry, head of key accounts and sales operations for UK & Ireland at SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment said: “At SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment we are very excited about the announcement of Cheetah Hunt and Cheetah Run at Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay. The park already offers visitors a very unique experience through up-close animal encounters, amazing shows and world class roller coasters. Cheetah Hunt will add to and enhance this still further. With the direct flights serving both Orlando and Tampa, British Airways Holidays are a very important partner to us and we will be working very closely with them over the coming months to the opening of the attraction next Spring.”

There is also a new reef opening at Discovery Cove in Orlando, which is part of the SeaWorld group. It will allow customers to snorkel with fish on top of the already popular option of swimming with dolphins at the park. British Airways offers a wide variety of hotels in Orlando to suit families and thrill seekers alike.

Flights and holidays in Tampa (http://www.britishairways.com/travel/holidays-in-tampa/public/en_gb) are available on the ba.com. Holiday packages for flights with American Airlines are also now available on ba.com and give customers even greater choice to explore Florida with options including Fort Lauderdale on Florida’s Gold Coast (http://www.britishairways.com/travel/gold-coast/public/en_gb).

British Airways Celebrates Anniversary of London to New York Business Class Service

CRAWLEY, England, November 18, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — British Airways celebrates the one year anniversary of the London to New York, business class-only flights to New York.

To mark this occasion, the airline took a two-man film crew from BBC’s Fast Track programme, which broadcasts on BBC World and the BBC news channel, to film the service from beginning to end. A British Airways spokesman was onboard together with a British Airways gold card holder and frequent flier, who provided interviews from the customer’s perspective.

British Airways launched the first ever longhaul Club World service from London City airport in September 2009 with twice-daily business class-only flights to New York ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/flights-to-new-york/public/en_gb). They were given the airline’s most prestigious flight number, BA001, previously used by Concorde until its retirement in 2003.

Fitted with just 32 seats, which convert to fully flat beds, the specifically configured Airbus A318′s will fly across the Atlantic to New York’s JFK airport after a brief refuelling stop at Shannon in the west of Ireland, where customers will be able to clear US Customs and Immigration. They are the only aircraft in the BA fleet equipped with OnAir allowing customers to connect to the internet during flight – and the only such service across the Atlantic.

Return flights from New York will be non-stop, as the aircraft can use JFK’s full-length runways and take off with sufficient fuel for the whole transatlantic crossing.

Willie Walsh, British Airways’ chief executive said at the time of launch: “In the harshest trading environment airlines have experienced, we believe it is more important than ever to embrace the future and innovate. That is what this historic new route is all about.

“There is real enthusiasm from our customers for this project. This is BA at its best – stylish, British and ahead of the game. Reviving the BA001 flight number for the first longhaul route out of London City could not be more appropriate.

“Every aspect of this service has been designed to maximise convenience for customers to fly between the world’s two biggest business centres – Wall Street and London’s extended financial district in the City and Docklands.

“The UK’s first web access on transatlantic flights means that customers can work and keep in touch with the office between London and New York via the e-mail and texts. Above all the exclusive service style will bring the feel of a private jet to a business class cabin.”

Customers wishing to stay overnight in the city can choose from a wide range of hotels in New York ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/hotels-in-new-york/public/en_gb) available on ba.com. These include big name chains and famous landmark hotels like iconic Waldorf-Astoria, the Peninsula New York or Andaz Wall Street, perfectly located in the financial district on the corner of Wall and Water Streets. Close to the Hudson River, on Broadway and Canal Street, the Soho Grand offers customers an upmarket experience set in a calming ambience.

The key benefits of flights to New York from London City airport (http://www.londoncityairport.com/) are customers can check in just 15 minutes before departure, are offered a dedicated departure gate with lounge facilities and as Customs and Immigration are cleared at Shannon, Ireland, valuable time on arrival at JFK airport is saved.

BA Launches Heathrow – Paris Orly flights

British Airways is to start 12 services a week between Heathrow and Paris Orly to complement its flights to Paris Charles de Gaulle.

The Orly flights will begin on January 10, 2011 and seats go on sale November 16.

Colm Lacy, British Airways’ general manager network planning, said: “This is an excellent addition to our shorthaul network, allowing business travellers easy access to the Paris financial district which is close to Orly airport. Customers will also be able to make smooth connections on to BA subsidiary OpenSkies’ services between Orly and the United States, and on to oneworld partner, Iberia.”

The route will be served by A319s, A320s and A321s and will offer two classes to choose from, Euro Traveller and Club Europe.

Customers selecting the Club Europe cabin can take advantage of Terminal 5’s excellent lounge facilities, allowing them to work or relax prior to their flight.

Return prices including tax will start from £359 in Club Europe and £119 in Euro Traveller.

British Airways offers two nights from £195 per person at the two-star Antin Trinite, including economy flights to Paris Orly and continental breakfast and two nights at the four-star K and K Cayre from £475 per person, including Club Europe flights and breakfast. One night at the Holiday Inn Paris Orly Airport costs from £37 per person per night, excluding flights and breakfast.

To book and for more details, go to ba.com/paris.

Iberia will participate in the International Tourism Trade Fair, to take place from January 19-23, 2011, along with partner British Airways

IBERIA president Antonio Vázquez has accepted IFEMA’s invitation to serve as President of the FITUR International Tourism Trade Fair Organizing Committee as the event celebrates its thirty-first edition from January 19 – 23, 2011. This body, composed of senior business and institutional representatives in the sector, faces a key event this year of special importance during which it must lay the foundations for the recovery of tourism activity and address the most prominent changes occurring in this industry.

In this context it is significant that the company IBERIA, the premiere airline in the Spanish market and the leader in links between Europe and Latin America, will occupy a prominent position in FITUR’s exhibition of tourism options in a space that will also accommodate its partners British Airways.

FITUR 2011 will become, once again, the forum of reference for the major players in the tourism sector, with more than 11,000 companies in the travel industry, from 170 countries and regions and more than 200,000 visitors.

British Airways Commences Flights to Cancun

CRAWLEY, England, November 10, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — British Airways flights to Mexico’s most important tourist destination, Cancun, took off for the first time at the start of November.

Customers checking in for the inaugural flight were given a taste of Mexico (http://www.britishairways.com/travel/mexico-city/public/en_gb) with a Mariachi band to send them on their way.

Flights to Cancun ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/flights-to-cancun/public/en_gb) will depart every Wednesday and Saturday from London Gatwick. Due to popular demand, British Airways has already increased the original frequency to three times a week from next summer.

The airline previously flew to Cancun between April 1998 and April 2002.

Richard Tams, head of BA UK & Ireland sales and marketing, said: “We’re delighted to be the only UK scheduled airline offering direct flights to Cancun. With sweeping beaches, innovative parks, relaxing spas, sports on land and sea, fabulous hotels and unique opportunities to explore the ancient Mayan culture, the Yucatan peninsula truly offers something for everyone.”

A Boeing 777 will serve the route, offering a choice of three cabins, including BA’s Club World business class with fully flat beds.

British Airways is offering a wide variety of holidays in Cancun (http://www.britishairways.com/travel/holidays-in-cancun/public/en_gb) to suit all tastes and budgets. Customers can experience exceptional boutique luxury at the 5 star Zoetry Paraiso de la Bonita Riviera Maya which offers 90 luxury beach suites that focus on wellness, serenity and romance, as well as environmental responsibilities. Travellers can also stay at the 4.5 star Dreams Puerto Aventuras Resort and Spa, serenely placed on a secluded beach. The comfortable and affordable oceanfront 3 star Holiday Inn Cancun Arenas, located five minutes from downtown Cancun, is the ideal resort for couples and families.

British Airways flies to domestic, European and longhaul destinations from Gatwick.

Flights and holidays to Cancun are available on ba.com/cancun.

AA, BA AND IBERIA ANNOUNCE BETTER DEAL FOR TRANSATLANTIC FLIERS

LONDON, OCTOBER , 2010. More access to cheaper fares, bigger choice of flight times and easier connecting journeys will become reality for transatlantic fliers with the launch of the new joint business between American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia.

The CEOs of the three oneworld® airlines met in London (6th october) for the official start of the new trilateral relationship, which enables oneworld to compete far more effectively with other global alliances on routes between Europe and North America.

American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia announced today four new routes that will start from next April as an early benefit of the new joint business. They are: New York JFK-Budapest and Chicago-Helsinki (operated by American), London Heathrow-San Diego (operated by British Airways) and Madrid-Los Angeles (operated by Iberia).

The airlines have also placed codeshares on a significant number of additional routes, greatly increasing the number of destination choices available to customers.  American will add its code to 322 British Airways and Iberia flights serving 101 destinations, British Airways will add its code to 2063 American and Iberia flights serving 181 destinations and Iberia will add its code to 354 American and British Airways flights serving 96 destinations. There will be further opportunities to increase codeshares in the future. In total, customers will be able to travel more easily on the airlines’ combined route network which will serve more than 400 destinations in 105 countries with around 5,200 daily departures.

Other customer benefits include:

• Greater access to a wider choice of fares
• Coordinated schedules on joint routes to provide customers with better flight choice and timings
• Dedicated support teams for customers transferring at five of the airlines’ hubs: New York JFK, London Heathrow, Madrid, Chicago and Miami.
• Online check in and boarding pass printing with either the airline operating the flight, or the one the ticket was booked through
• Integrated online flight information on all three airlines’ websites
• Increased opportunity to earn and redeem frequent flyer benefits on transatlantic flights
• More integrated account management for corporate customers

Gerard Arpey, chairman and chief executive of AMR Corp, the parent company of American Airlines, said: “We’ve been waiting for 14 years to be able to bring these benefits to our customers and it’s great news that we can now put our plans into action. Our revenue-sharing partnership will further boost oneworld, in what has been a momentous year for the alliance, and enable us to reduce costs and attract new business. It will provide additional stability for the airlines and our customers, employees and shareholders and allow us to invest in new products and services”.

Willie Walsh, chief executive of British Airways, said: “Today’s route announcement is a great example of how by working together we can benefit customers. Combined selling and scheduling means that we will able to operate routes that would not have been viable for us to operate individually. This partnership will provide a one-stop shop for transatlantic travel regardless of how you book, which of our airlines you fly with or where you want to transfer”.

Antonio Vazquez, chairman and chief executive of Iberia, said: “The growth potential of our joint business and the extra capacity Madrid offers will enable Barajas airport to become one of the main gateways for flights between North America and Europe in the very near future. So we will be offering our customers more travel choices, but we will also offer them a better travel experience. Our employees have an essential role in this aim. Around 12,000 employees of the three companies at airports and call centres have been trained to ensure that all these benefits are delivered to our customers”.

VISITBRITAIN AND BRITISH AIRWAYS JOIN FORCES IN £1.6 MILLION ‘EMOTIONAL’ CAMPAIGN

VisitBritain will join forces with British Airways (Wednesday 6 October) to launch a new £1.6 million jointly-funded campaign: “Britain. A different picture around every corner.”

The promotion, aimed at VisitBritain’s most lucrative ‘Classic’ traditional tourism market, offers travellers powerful images of the diversity Britain has to offer -  and shows how getting here has never been easier with British Airways.

The innovative campaign demonstrates how exciting sights, activities and experiences lie around each corner, stressing that research shows the UK is packed with more world-class heritage and history sites than anywhere else on earth.

It particularly emphasizes the emotional allure and authenticity of attractions that can be found across Britain and brings them to life by adapting the ‘mode dial’ found on cameras across the world to display the wealth of British icons tourists can enjoy.

Whether you set your holiday dial to heritage, sport, fashion or food, Britain has many unique and exciting experiences just waiting to be found and explored.

The global campaign, which is being financed 50-50 by British Airways and VisitBritain, offers special fares to economy passengers.

The joint activity also moves beyond pure advertising into areas such as media familiarisation trips and syndication of VisitBritain web content onto ba.com and consumer databases.

Laurence Bresh, Director of Marketing, VisitBritain said: “Britain has more attractions per square mile than anywhere else in the world and we think the ‘Classic’ campaign will inspire visitors to travel the length and breadth of the country.

“I’m delighted to announce British Airways as the lead partner in our biggest campaign of the year to date. It is strong evidence that VisitBritain is making great progress in winning match-funding from the private sector which only helps to increase the number of tourists and revenue coming into the UK.”

Kate Thornton, British Airways Head of Global Marketing Planning said: “We are delighted to be launching this campaign with VisitBritain. Whatever you are looking for from a holiday, Britain definitely has something to offer. Your adventure to Britain begins with British Airways and with great fares like this there really is no excuse not to book.

“British Airways is a full service airline flying to mainstream airports and we offer a strong schedule to London. When you fly with us you will experience our amazing Terminal 5 and are able to transfer to six destinations within Britain.

British Airways Increases Flights to the Caribbean and Florida for 2011 Schedule

CRAWLEY, England, October 4, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — British Airways is to increase the number of flights to the Caribbean starting from March 27, 2011, due to the success of its longhaul leisure routes departing from London Gatwick.

The airline continues to show its commitment to the Caribbean with a total of 15 destinations to choose from, making it even easier and more convenient than ever before for customers to book their dream Caribbean holidays (http://www.britishairways.com/travel/caribbean-holidays/public/en_gb).

Flights to Barbados will increase from 10 to 12 services a week, Antigua will increase from five to six services a week and the St Lucia – Port of Spain service will increase to daily flights from five a week. Plus, new route Cancun, only to be launched in November 2010, is increasing from two to three services for summer 2011.

Customers can relax on white, sandy beaches enjoying a delicious Caribbean breeze during their holidays in Antigua ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/holidays-in-antigua/public/en_gb). For those seeking stunning rainforest scenery coupled with tumbling waterfalls and idyllic beaches, St Lucia may be just the perfect island. The newest Caribbean destination in British Airways’ extensive network is Cancun (http://www.britishairways.com/travel/holidays-in-cancun/public/en_gb) which is already proven to become a steady customer favourite. It is as famous for its crystal clear seas and Mexican hospitality as it is for its countless archaeological sights like the famous Tulum ruins and Chichen Itza.

British Airways is also increasing its flights to Tampa from five to seven a week, providing customers with the perfect gateway to visit Florida’s Gulf Coast to enjoy holidays in Florida (http://www.britishairways.com/travel/holidays-in-florida/public/en_gb), including hot spots such as Clearwater and St Petes, Fort Myers, Sarasota and Longboat Key, Naples, Marco Island and Sanibel Island. The airline features a choice of hotels from famous landmark venues to historic city centre hotels and properties in their Prestige Collection. Family holidays are available at the 4* Pink Shell Beach Resort and Spa in Fort Myers which offers an undersea themed pool. The 4* Longboat Key Club and Resort in Longboat Key allows travellers to enjoy the hotel’s own 45 hole golf course while the 4* Sheraton Sand Key Resort in Clearwater offers the perfect escape.

Another highlight recently announced includes a new direct flight to Buenos Aires rather than via Sao Paulo. Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo will have their own daily direct flights from 2011 on. Currently the route stops first in Sao Paulo before going on to Argentina’s capital.

British Airways Announces Continual Growth of its London Gatwick Network

CRAWLEY, England, September 30, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — British Airways has opened up its Gatwick gateway with a growing route network that has firmly established it as the airport’s leading long haul carrier.

As the airline celebrates the first anniversary of the popular thrice-weekly Sharm el Sheikh service, it is getting ready to launch a new twice-weekly service to Cancun ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/holidays-in-cancun/public/en_gb) in November.

With other new routes launched in the past year, including Male, in the Maldives, Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic and Montego Bay in Jamaica, British Airways will operate flights to 25 domestic and European destinations and 16 long haul destinations from Gatwick this winter.

The most popular long haul destinations for families are Orlando and Tampa in Florida. This follows the recent announcement of the increased frequency of flights to Tampa, starting on March 27, 2011. Other hotspots for holidays include the Dominican Republic, holidays in the Maldives (http://www.britishairways.com/travel/holidays-in-maldives/public/en_gb) and Cancun. With increased frequency to St Kitts, Grenada, Barbados and Bermuda in summer 2010 and further increases to flights to Barbados, Antigua, St Lucia and Cancun, British Airways officially now offers more seats to the Caribbean from the UK than any other carrier.

With its substantial short haul programme British Airways has established itself as a favourite for city breaks in Europe, offering Euro Traveller, the Economy cabin for short haul flights, and Club Europe, BA’s Business Class cabin. Popular choices from Gatwick include flights to Amsterdam, Rome and Faro. For the summer months, holidays in Dubrovnik (http://www.britishairways.com/travel/dubrovnik/public/en_gb) are also an option.

Flights to Sharm el Sheikh and other new long haul routes are operated by Boeing 777 aircraft with a three-class configuration: World Traveller, World Traveller Plus and Club World.

British Airways continues an excellent punctuality performance at Gatwick Airport with the airport achieving the best monthly punctuality figures British Airways has ever recorded in March.

In June, British Airways was the most punctual major carrier at Gatwick, with 87 per cent of short haul and domestic flights departing on time and 86 per cent of international flights on time. Sharm el Sheikh was the second most punctual route from Gatwick during the summer.

Now Executive Club iPhone users on short haul flights can also use the new Mobile Boarding Passes on their phones – introduced at Gatwick earlier this month – which can be scanned at check-in to speed up and enhance the boarding process.

In addition, customers using Android and Blackberry devices will now be able to benefit from a version of the British Airways App.

The airport experience is further enhanced as British Airways’ customers will benefit from the GBP900 million investment by Gatwick Airport to upgrade and modernise the North and South Terminals.

Alan Peever, British Airways general manager Gatwick said: “In a year when we have seen record punctuality, even in extreme operating conditions, passengers have more reasons than ever to fly with British Airways from Gatwick.

“Not only do we offer excellent punctuality and customer service, we now have an excellent route network, with plenty of choice and a flexible schedule allowing passengers to connect from many parts of the UK.”