Tag Archives: British Airways

British Airways raises £898,000 for Red Nose Day 2022

British Airways has made this announcement:

British Airways has raised over £898,000 for Red Nose Day this year, bringing their total funds to over £26 million for Flying Start, through its global charity partnership with Comic Relief that first began in 2010.

This is thanks to the generosity of its customers who have donated on board and from continued fundraising efforts from the airline’s colleagues.

One of the airline’s fundraising activities to mark Red Nose Day included a ‘trolley dash’ challenge. British Airways cabin crew set off racing across London, pushing aircraft trolleys around a route taking in famous landmarks including Buckingham Palace, the Royal Albert Hall and the Houses of Parliament, raising thousands of pounds through online sponsors and donations from generous spectators.

This year, in addition to the charities that Comic Relief regularly supports, Red Nose Day donations will also help to fund organisations providing essential support for people in Ukraine affected by the conflict and the mass displacement of people to many parts of the world. This includes making a donation to the Disaster Emergency Committee’s (DEC) Ukrainian Humanitarian Appeal that will support refugees fleeing Ukraine, where at least 3 million people have fled their homes to escape the conflict.

These funds will support DEC charities and their local partners in Ukraine and neighbouring countries to provide food, water, shelter and medical assistance. British Airways is also flying aid and medics to the region, as well as redirecting its onboard donations to go towards the DEC’s Ukrainian Humanitarian Appeal for the next few weeks.

Carrie Harris, British Airways’ Head of Sustainability, said: “This is our twelfth year partnering with Comic Relief through Flying Start and we’re incredibly proud of the support from our colleagues and customers.

Customers can donate to Flying Start by visiting http://www.ba-flyingstart.com/

To date, we have supported more than 925,000 people in some of the most disadvantaged communities in the UK and around the world.

British Airways introduces Aviation American gin onboard

British Airways and Aviation American Gin are announcing a new partnership; with the gin launching on board. Customers flying across the pond and all other long-haul routes will be offered it from the in-flight menu and short-haul customers will be able to buy it from the on-board Speedbird café.

The partnership builds on the opening of a brand-new area – the Aviation Gin bar in the airline’s Club Lounge in JFK airport in October 2021.

Aviation American Gin was founded in Portland in 2006 and is a metaphor for taste and adventure. The gin is infused with a democratic blend of botanicals – cardamom, coriander, French lavender, anise seed, sarsaparilla, juniper, and two kinds of orange peel to create a smoother, softer, more refined take on gin.

British Airways will be launching a new route to Portland, Oregon on 3 June. Flights will operate 5 times a week – Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. As well as being a vibrant city to visit, this route will open up a whole variety of connections for our customers to explore all of the West coast of America.

We hope our customers join us in celebrating, with a refreshing gin and tonic.” Gareth Williams, International Brand Director at Aviation American Gin said: “We’re so excited to get on board with the UK flag carrier British Airways and take Aviation American Gin to new heights – the sky! Through this partnership, we’re keen to enhance each traveller’s experience with a deliciously refreshing Aviation Gin cocktail for flyers to enjoy on journeys near and far, offering an American twist on this quintessentially British drink!”

The partnership is being launched with a hilarious alternative safety video starring Aviation American Gin co-owner Ryan Reynolds. You can watch via @AviationGin’s social channels.

British Airways cancels all short-haul flights from London’s Heathrow until midday

From Reuters:

“British Airways (BA) said it would cancel all short-haul flights from London’s Heathrow airport until midday on Saturday as it deals with an IT failure.”

Read the full story:

British Airways cancels all short-haul flights from London's Heathrow until midday https://t.co/Sm08vqLFYI pic.twitter.com/6iw84UdR8o

— Reuters (@Reuters) February 26, 2022

British Airways announces a new daytime Newark – London Heathrow flight

British Airways Boeing 777-200 taking off at Heathrow (Picture by Nick Morrish/British Airways)

British Airways is launching a new, daytime flight from Newark Liberty International Airport to London Heathrow – its third daily flight from Newark to London, to support the return of business travel in 2022.

The additional flight, which launches on 6 June, will depart at 7.55am from Newark – a convenient option for travelers wishing to spend an extra night in the New York area before departing on business or leisure, or for those travelers who wish to arrive in the evening in London to spend the night at home or their hotel. The flight will depart Heathrow at 7.10pm, also allowing travelers to spend the entire day in London before flying to Newark.

The airline is also resuming its ‘daylight’ service from JFK in March, which proves to be a convenient option particularly valued by its business travelers, and customers who prefer to travel during the day.

The additional Newark flight offers added convenience for customers living in Manhattan, Staten Island and New Jersey.

With this new frequency, British Airways along with its joint business partner American Airlines will offer the most extensive network from the New York area to London with 15 daily departures this summer, including 11 daily flights from JFK to Heathrow and 1 daily flight from JFK to Gatwick. From April 2022, all flights to JFK and EWR from Heathrow on BA and AA will depart out of BA’s Terminal 5, and by next year, all British Airways flights in JFK will depart from AA’s home in Terminal 8.

The flight will operate daily on a Boeing 777-200 with 48 Club World seats, 40 World Traveller Plus seats, and 184 World Traveller seats.

British Airways becomes the first U.K. airline to officially recognize the sunflower lanyard

British Airways has today become the first UK airline to officially recognize the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower. Customers can choose to wear a Sunflower lanyard as an indication that they may require additional support, assistance or simply a little more time while traveling. The initiative forms part of the airline’s continued efforts to make travel simple and easy for customers with additional assistance needs.

The airline’s new partnership with Hidden Disabilities Sunflower will see the organization’s bespoke, high-quality videos embedded into British Airway’s training modules. British Airways colleagues will also have access to specialized videos via the airline’s staff intranet. This training will provide colleagues with an understanding of what an invisible disability is and how to become more confident to approach and support customers wearing a Sunflower lanyard.

Increasing the awareness of non-visible disabilities across the airline and promoting the Sunflower will contribute to enhancing the customer experience for British Airways customers. Those that travel with the airline can be confident that they will receive the support, assistance and understanding they require throughout their journey.

Welcoming the new partnership, Tom Stevens, British Airways’ Director of Brand and Customer Experience, said:

Supporting customers with additional needs

Aiming to become the airline of choice for customers with invisible and visible disabilities, British Airways has invested in several initiatives to ensure a seamless experience for customers requiring additional assistance.

In 2018, British Airways launched its ‘Beyond Accessibility’ campaign, the airline’s largest global accessibility training program. This program empowers customer-facing colleagues to improve support for customers requiring additional assistance. It includes a new library of digital learning providing information about invisible disabilities and practical advice on how to support customers at each stage of their journey*.

In 2019, the airline created a dedicated team of accessibility experts to assist with customer enquiries, and as a result, British Airways saw customer satisfaction levels more than double for travelers with accessibility needs **.

British Airways also became the first and only airline to be awarded the renowned Autism Friendly Award by the National Autistic Society and is the first airline to produce a Visual Guide to Flying to help customers prepare for their flight. The guide, which can be found on ba.com, is endorsed by the National Autistic Society and explains the sights, sounds, smells and experiences customers may encounter during their journey***.

The same year, British Airways signed up to the ‘Valuable 500’ pledge to make accessibility a global business priority.

British Airways starts a new podcast – The Check In

British Airways is launching a brand new podcast designed to give colleagues and customers a greater insight into how the airline ticks.

Each episode will see hosts joined by special guests who also work at British Airways, to delve into some of the exciting activity going on at the airline. Episode one features Carrie Harris, British Airways’ Head of Sustainability who chats about how the airline is putting sustainability at the heart of its operations, as well as answering hosts questions, from “What is Sustainable Aviation Fuel?”, to “How is the airline reducing its reliance on single-use plastic?”

The podcast is a first for British Airways and will be hosted by four of its colleagues, who work in different areas of the business.

Julian Marshall, a British Airways 777 training captain; Paul Ewen, a customer service manager (CSM) based at London Gatwick airport; Molly Armstrong, a team leader based in the Manchester customer engagement centre; and Caroline Ali, a customer experience representative based at London Heathrow airport will spend each episode finding out more about little-known areas of the airline.

Julian used to fly for the Royal Air Force before joining British Airways almost 25 years ago, where he currently works as a training captain on the Boeing 777. He loves flying and enjoys cycling, running, and hiking in different locations across the globe. He’s really looking forward to sharing hosting duties, commenting: “The podcast is a great, modern initiative which is new to BA and will give us a chance to bring different views and information from all parts of the airline to our colleagues and the wider public in a fun and easily digestible way.”

Paul is based at London Gatwick airport and leads the crew and service on flights. Previously a Pontins Bluecoat, he loves performing magic and is excited to be involved with the podcast, saying: “I can’t wait to be a part of the new podcast series – it will be a great source of information as we talk about our products, trends, the future and we’ll be able to build a personal connection with our colleagues.”

Caroline, who is based at London Heathrow airport, is responsible for looking after British Airways customers from the moment they arrive at the airport to when they step on board. In her spare time, she plays an active role in her church by helping with Sunday school and readings, as well as keeping fit through her love of dancing and the gym. Commenting on ‘The Check In’, she said: “The thing I’m looking forward to with the podcast is being able to reconnect our colleagues and customers with BA. It’s an informative way of updating us all with changes that are occurring post-COVID. Like an audiobook, but better!”

Molly, who is currently based at the airline’s Manchester customer engagement centre, previously worked as Cabin Crew for British Airways. Like most colleagues, she’s a keen traveller and the next destination she’s planning to visit is Denver in the USA, where she plans to go hiking with her best friend. Molly said: “I’m looking forward to hearing what everyone thinks about our podcast. It’s something very new we’re doing, and we’ve got some really good themes coming up – I can’t wait for everyone to give it a listen!”

The launch of ‘The Check In’ comes after British Airways’ Chairman and CEO Sean Doyle’s recent message to colleagues and customers, promising to give colleagues more of an insight about what’s happening at the airline, making it a place people love to work, and customers love to fly.

Michelle Lydon, British Airways’ new Chief People Officer said: “At British Airways we know our colleagues are our best asset, and that’s why we’re thrilled to launch a new podcast hosted by four fantastic people from all corners of our airline. We’re looking forward to taking listeners behind the scenes to find out more about BA.”

Episode one is now available to download from Apple Podcasts or at acast.com, with new episodes released on a regular basis.

British Airways owner ‘exposed to French and German demands for a break-up’

Not everything is resolved with Brexit.

From The Telegraph:

“The owner of British Airways is at risk of a challenge from France and Germany under legacy Brussel rules that would force it to break up, analysts have warned.

IAG, the FTSE 100 group whose airlines also include Aer Lingus and Spain’s Iberia, could be forced to spin off BA because of European Union ownership rules, according to HSBC.

These regulations require airlines which operate flights between countries in the bloc to be “owned and controlled” from member states.”

Read the full article:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/british-airways-owner-exposed-french-135639665.html

British Airways introduces new enhancements for customers including plant-based menus in its lounges

British Airways has made this announcement:

British Airways is making improvements to its customer experience and reinforcing its commitment to put sustainability at the heart of its customer journey
The airline is introducing new plant-based menus across its lounges, removing single-use plastic bottles, installing water stations and offering colleagues training in sustainability
A premium pre-Covid meal service will be re-introduced in Club Europe with new menus and more variety from next month
Customers will also benefit from further investment in technology, including in a new bag tracing system
New check in zones exclusively for World Traveller Plus customers

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

The airline has worked with its expert catering providers to introduce new plant-based menus, including a burger. The new menus will initially roll out across the airline’s Heathrow lounges, before appearing on its US lounge menus. British Airways is committed to improving choice, to offer something for everyone whilst championing local producers and businesses.

As part of its commitment to sustainability, across the airline’s Heathrow lounges customers will notice new water stations. Work also continues to remove single-use plastic across the airline, and all plastic water bottles in Heathrow lounges are being replaced with glass, which will be rolled out across the airline’s UK lounges over the next month. Customers in lounges can also continue to order food using their mobile device directly to their table, an initiative introduced by British Airways during the Covid pandemic which it has decided to keep.

From next month the airline is set to move to the next phase of its dining experience; a service more akin to one that customers would have experienced pre-pandemic. Customers travelling in the airline’s Club Europe cabin can expect a more premium service with new delicious menus with more options as it welcomes back its customers. The airline is also working on the next phase of its long-haul catering proposition, with exciting changes afoot.

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

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

Bristish Airways adds a new route to Nuremberg

Kaiserburg Nürnberg – © Uwe Niklas

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

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

Last month, British Airways CityFlyer also announced new short-haul routes from London City to Luxembourg, Barcelona, Guernsey, Jersey, Milan and Thessaloniki operating from March 2022.

Flights will be operating from London Heathrow Terminal 3.

British Airways and Loganair expand their codeshare, Loganair celebrates 60 years

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

The expansion to 18 new routes will now give British Airways’ customers access to 38 of Loganair’s UK routes, meaning that customers can book onward connections from destinations across the airline’s route network, or point to point travel in the UK more easily through British Airways’ website.

Routes now available to book include:

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

British Airways’ customers traveling from Aberdeen or the Isle of Man to Manchester will also now be able to connect onto British Airways’ code share flights on other carriers, including oneworld partners, from the north-west hub. Destinations include New York, Barbados and Orlando, allowing customers to book a single ticket with assured connections.

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

Loganair’s history:

Our journey through the years…

On the 1st of February, we marked our 60th anniversary! In 1962, we had just one aircraft – now we have more than 40, going to destinations across Europe, Scandinavia and the British Isles. Our experience is long and our expertise outstanding, so you can expect only the friendliest and most professional service on every journey you make with us. Keep on reading to find out more about our journey!

1962

Loganair’s founder Willie Logan, owner of a construction company, bought air taxi firm Capital Services which he had used to travel the country between building sites. Following the takeover, the renamed Loganair was based in Renfrew with a Piper Aztec as the sole aircraft.

1963

In October, Loganair’s first scheduled flight took off between Dundee and Turnhouse Airport, Edinburgh, to coincide with the requirements of contractors who were working on the Tay Road Bridge. Another service was also set up for the business personnel travelling between the two cities, on an on-demand basis.

1964

Loganair won the contract to deliver newspapers to Stornoway. The Piper Aztec pilot would help unload the papers and reload the aircraft with freight for the return leg, mainly Harris Tweed.

1967

Loganair commenced the Orkney Inter Isles service which connected mainland Kirkwall to the smaller islands. In the same year, a supplementary air ambulance contract was also won.

The Britten Norman Islander aircraft, the latest version of which still operates the Inter-Isles service, was to be key in the Loganair ambulance operation, however the first ambulance flight was operated by Piper Aztec.

1968

In October the capital share of Loganair was acquired by the National Commercial Bank of Scotland, leading to the introduction of mobile banks for islanders on Lewis.

1976

A new airstrip was built on Fair Isle to replace an old strip from World War 2. Loganair flew Shetland ponies to Fair Isle after 80 years of their absence on the island.

1980

Loganair introduced two Embraer 110 aircraft to the fleet. The increased speed, range and passenger comfort allowed Loganair to serve off shore oil companies.

1983

In December, Loganair was acquired by British Midland Airways. Following the partnership, the airline’s route map expanded throughout Scotland, England and Northern Ireland.

1994

Loganair became a British Airways franchise partner. The agreement between the two airlines meant the airline would operate on behalf of British Airways on Loganair’s highland routes and British Airways routes Glasgow to Aberdeen, Glasgow to Sumburgh via Inverness and Kirkwall and Glasgow to Belfast.

1997

Loganair was part of a management buyout led by Chairman Scott Grier. Five Britten- Norman Islanders operated the Shetland and the Orkney Inter-Isle services as Loganair routes. The Twin Otter was introduced on services from Glasgow to Tiree, Barra and Campbeltown.

2004

By this time, Loganair had acquired all the Scottish routes previously operated by British Airways CitiExpress. This meant that Loganair now operated services between; Glasgow – Stornoway, Glasgow – Benbecula, Aberdeen – Sumburgh and Aberdeen – Kirkwall.

2008

The British Airways franchise agreement came to an end and Loganair took this opportunity to enter into a new franchise agreement with Flybe. The long association with British Airways continued though via a codeshare arrangement, with Loganair’s flights marketed as connecting BA flights to London and beyond.

2011

In July, Loganair acquired Cambridge-based Suckling Airways, bringing Dornier 328 aircraft into its fleet. The Dorniers gave operational and commercial options that weren’t available on Saab aircraft due to superior speed and range.

2017

Time for Loganair to fly once again under its own name as the franchise agreement with Flybe ended. The airline started flying “solo” from 1st September 2017. This was the first time in 25 years that Loganair had flown under its own brand, requiring a brand re-launch, new website and reservations systems.

A new identity was inspired by the Scottish tartan pattern that flew with British Airways 20 years ago and the Loganair Tartan is registered as number 11744 in the Scottish Register of Tartans.

2019

The route network has grown with now over 70 routes to and from; Scotland, England, the Channel Islands, Belgium, Isle of Man, Norway, Ireland, Denmark and Germany. New interline arrangements have been agreed with some of the world’s leading airlines to further enhance connectivity for our customers.

Loganair has also introduced Embraer jets to the fleet to enhance the destination offering and improve customer experience.

In 2019, Loganair took the title of SPAA Domestic Airline of the year, voted for by the Scottish Travel Industry.

2020

After the demise of Flybe in March 2020, Loganair took the opportunity to start operating some of Flybe’s former routes expanding the route network and working with new airports such as Newquay, Southampton, Birmingham, Exeter and Belfast City.

This increase in destinations and routes mean that Loganair is now the largest operator of domestic routes in the Uk and also the largest operator at Aberdeen Airport.

A fleet renewal program was put in place replacing Loganair’s Dornier 328’s with ATR 42’s and 72’s increasing the capacity on many of Loganair’s core routes.

2022

Loganair celebrates its 60th anniversary!

In its 60 years, Loganair has grown to be the largest regional airline in the UK, as well as serving multiple international destinations including Denmark and Norway. To mark the occasion, we also strengthened our codeshare relationship with British Airways, enhancing connectivity in the UK and around the world.

Did you know that Loganair is the longest established airline in the UK operating under its original name?

Video:

Top Copyright Photo: Landing on the beach at Barra at low tide: Loganair de Havilland Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otter G-BVVK (msn 666) BRR (Wingnut). Image: 956641.

Loganair aircraft slide show: