Category Archives: British Airways

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:

Loganair aircraft photo gallery:

American and British move closer to a single terminal at New York JFK

American Airlines and British Airways announced more details regarding plans to co-locate operations at John F. Kennedy International Airport’s (JFK) Terminal 8 beginning Dec. 1, 2022. Enabled by a $400 million investment to redevelop, expand and enhance the terminal, the move will bring the Atlantic Joint Business partners closer together. Jointly, the terminal investments and co-location will offer a more seamless customer experience while supporting the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s ambitious plan to transform JFK into a leading global airport.

“American is eager to welcome British Airways to their new home at JFK,” said American’s Chief Customer Officer Alison Taylor. “Their move to Terminal 8 further deepens our longstanding partnership and makes it easier than ever for customers traveling between New York and London or onward across our global networks.”

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

Tom Stevens, British Airways’ Director of Brand and Customer Experience said: “New York holds a special place in our heart as one of our most well-loved and important destinations. Our move to the redeveloped and expanded Terminal 8 will bring a range of benefits for our customers, including a better transfer experience, enabling them to travel to more than 30 destinations across the U.S., Caribbean and Latin America with American Airlines. British Airways will remain in Terminal 7 until Dec. 1, 2022, and we have continued to invest in the experience for our customers, including our check-in area, concessions and lounges.”

Further elevating the premium guest experience

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

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

The expanded and reconfigured terminal will include five new widebody gates and 130,000 square feet of new and renovated space.

Architectural features will define, guide and direct customers towards an expanded joint premium check-in area on the ticketing level of JFK’s Terminal 8.

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

The most exclusive lounge will have an all-new champagne bar, fireside lounge and a la carte dining room, which reimagines American’s Flagship First Dining into a fully immersive experience.
Adjacent, another premium lounge — with sweeping airside views, a wine bar, cocktail lounge, library and buffet — will offer an elevated, lively experience.
American’s Flagship Lounge and Concourse B Admirals Club will be repurposed into a contiguous lounge for eligible business class customers.

A high-end champagne bar defines the entry to American and British Airway’s most exclusive lounge.

Distinctive elements and finishes create a unique sense of place for guests in the adjacent lounge as they dine and relax.

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

Creating a seamless travel experience

As Atlantic Joint Business partners, American and British Airways offer the most flights and the most competitive schedule for customers traveling between New York and London compared to any other partnership — with up to 14 peak daily departures scheduled to operate between JFK and London Heathrow Airport (LHR) this summer.

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

British Airways announces new senior hires as it looks to boost its recovery from the global pandemic

Stuart Bailey / British Airways

British Airways has appointed four new leaders to its Management Committee as the airline accelerates its recovery and the delivery of its new business strategy following the most challenging period in its history.

Calum Laming becomes the airline’s Director of Business Recovery, leading its mission to rebuild its global network, resources and operations following the pandemic and ensuring the business has the resilience and agility needed in a dramatically changed aviation landscape for the years ahead. Calum is currently Chief Customer Officer at Vueling – the Barcelona-based IAG airline – and has previously held a variety of customer, brand, product and marketing roles at Virgin Atlantic, Air New Zealand and Etihad Airways.

Michelle Lydon has been appointed as Chief People Officer. She will shortly join British Airways from QinetiQ – global experts in defence, aerospace and security – where she was the company’s Group Human Resources Director. In her role at British Airways, Michelle will oversee the airline’s strategy for people and people transformation, learning and development, reward, strategic resourcing, recruitment, employee and industrial relations.

During the pandemic, Colm Lacy and Tom Stevens stepped up on an interim basis to the roles of Chief Commercial Officer and Director of Brand and Customer Experience respectively. Both have now been confirmed in their positions. Colm started working for British Airways in 1997 as a Finance Analyst, since then holding a number of finance and commercial positions. Tom joined British Airways on the graduate scheme in 2011, initially working in the procurement team before moving to customer and operational roles. Both have been on the Management Committee since 2021 and will continue to lead the airline’s digital-first, customer-centric strategy to ensure the airline delivers for its customers as it moves out of the pandemic.

Announcing the appointments, British Airways’ Chairman and CEO Sean Doyle, said: “I’m incredibly pleased to welcome Calum and Michelle to British Airways and confirm Colm and Tom in their roles to help us deliver our new vision for the business.

As we recover from the global pandemic, there’s never been a more important time to have a determined, ambitious and supportive leadership team that will put our people and our customers at the heart of everything we do. There’s a lot of work to do but we’re on our way and I’m confident we can create a working culture that allows our people to thrive, deliver excellent customer service and look to a sustainable future while always continuing to do what we do best – connecting Britain with the world and the world with Britain.”

Michelle Lydon starts her new role with British Airways in February, with Calum Laming joining in April.

British Airways names tennis ace Emma Raducanu as its newest global brand ambassador

British Airways has named tennis superstar, Emma Raducanu, as its latest global brand ambassador.

The airline, which prides itself on connecting Britain with the world and the world with Britain, will support the British star as she represents the nation globally. The airline will fly Emma to tournaments and training around the world, including next year’s French and US Opens and the Masters’ events in California and Rome, as Emma embarks on the next stage of her worldwide tennis career.

The news follows Emma’s triumph at the US Open in September 2021, making her the first British woman to win a Grand Slam title since 1977. The airline proudly carried both Emma and her team home from the win, warmly welcoming her back to the UK to be reunited with her family.

As well as tennis, Emma has a passion for aviation, which the airline hopes to bring to life with various activations through its long term partnership, reaching and inspiring women and younger audiences to consider a career in the industry.

The UK’s flag carrier, who has a long-standing history in supporting national sporting events and teams, will be Emma’s first British brand partner.

Emma Raducanu, British professional tennis player, said “British Airways has taken such good care of my team and I ever since the US Open and I have felt their support everywhere I have flown. To be partnering with such an iconic British brand that can play a big role in my performance makes a lot of sense to me. I’m fascinated by aviation and we have some interesting projects planned together.”

British Airways has been the proud airline partner to Team GB and Paralympics GB since 2008 and is currently the Principal Partner to Twickenham Stadium, Official Airline Partner to England Rugby. The airline also flew the British & Irish Lions to and from South Africa this year.

Germany tightens restrictions on UK travelers

From the BBC”

“Germany has become the latest European country to ban most travelers from Britain, to try to slow the spread of the Omicron variant.”

Read the full report:

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-59715820

Will Omicron stall the airline sector recovery in 2022?

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-59654176

British Airways and Qatar Airways to extend their Joint Business Partnership

British Airways has made this announcement:

Carriers today announce that they have plans to further extend their Joint Business to offer customers a greater choice of destinations and routing options
News follows British Airways’ return to Doha, with its first flight from Gatwick since the start of the pandemic
This winter, the two airlines are operating up to six daily flights to Doha from London Heathrow and London Gatwick

Today British Airways and Qatar Airways mark the next milestone in their Joint Business Partnership, as they announce their intent to extend their Joint Business.

The news follows British Airways’ relaunch of daily services to Doha, with the airline’s first flight taking off from Gatwick last week, giving customers access to Qatar Airways’ expansive global network with connections from Doha to over 100 destinations across the world.

The flight was operated by a Boeing 777-200ER aircraft featuring three cabins – Club World (business class), World Traveller Plus (premium economy) and World Traveller (economy).

This winter, the airlines will jointly operate up to six daily flights between London and Doha – five from London Heathrow and one from London Gatwick.

Following on from this milestone in their partnership, the two airlines announce that they intend to further expand their joint business and offer customers access to more destinations on their respective networks.

The proposed expansion will give customers enhanced access from Europe to popular destinations in the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Australasia, such as Singapore, Sydney, Colombo and Nairobi. It will also improve access to destinations across Europe such as Amsterdam, Madrid or Dublin.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “Expanding our Joint Business with our strategic airline partner, British Airways, is an important milestone in our ambition of providing customers access to the most extensive route network and unrivalled product.”

Sean Doyle, British Airways’ Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said: “The launch of our first flight from Gatwick to Doha was an important milestone in our existing joint business with Qatar Airways. The proposed expansion of the joint business will be great news for customers, offering them access to more destinations across the world with seamless connections. We know customers are always looking for more options to connect onto popular holiday hotspots such as the Maldives and Seychelles, and this expansion will allow them to do just that.”

The airlines expect to receive news of any relevant regulatory approvals of their expanded Joint Business proposition in the first half of 2022.

British Airways to restore the Pittsburgh route on June 3, 2022

British Airways has announced that year-round nonstop service between Pittsburgh International Airport and London Heathrow Airport will resume June 3, 2022, restarting a key route for the region.

The flight will operate once again four days a week with service on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays departing from London Heathrow at 4:45 p.m. and landing in Pittsburgh at 7:50 p.m. The return flight will depart Pittsburgh at 9:50 p.m., arriving in London at 10:10 a.m. the following day.

After a 20-year hiatus, British Airways resumed service to Pittsburgh in 2019. The flight operated successfully for a year before pandemic-related travel restrictions led to the flight’s suspension in 2020. The flight is expected to generate more than $50 million annually to the Pittsburgh regional economy.

British Airways announces the first routes for its new Gatwick ‘BA EuroFlyer’ short-haul subsidiary

British Airways has revealed the initial destinations for its new Gatwick subsidiary, which will start flying from March 2022. Tickets to 35 short-haul destinations will also be on sale from Tuesday, December 14, 2021.

The airline announced its intention to create a short-haul standalone business at Gatwick in August, similar to its operation from London City Airport, which operates under the British Airways name but exists as an entirely separate entity. The offshoot will launch later in 2022, with short-haul services at Gatwick being operated by mainline BA until the new entities’ Air Operators Certificate is issued. BA short-haul flights will start operating from Gatwick at the end of March, with three Airbus short-haul aircraft initially, ramping ramp up to 18 aircraft by the end of May.

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

The new services will be branded and known as British Airways. Customers will receive the same high level of service they expect of British Airways as well as enjoying the benefits of traveling with the UK’s flag carrier including a generous baggage allowance, free water and snacks, free seat selection at -24 hours and frequent flyer benefits which include lounge access.

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

The airline has already launched a significant recruitment campaign to invite people interested in roles to help the company launch the new subsidiary.

The new services will initially be operated by British Airways, but by Autumn 2022 the organization will be managed separately under the company trading name ‘BA Euroflyer’, consistent with its sister subsidiary ‘BA CityFlyer’. The brand name will remain as British Airways.