Tag Archives: British Airways

British Airways reaches NDC distribution agreement with Travelport

British Airways made this announcement:

Travelport, a global technology company that powers travel bookings for hundreds of airlines and thousands of hotels worldwide, and International Airlines Group (IAG) today announced a distribution agreement to enable modern travel retailing – by bringing New Distribution Capability (NDC) content from British Airways and sister airlines Aer Lingus, Iberia, and Vueling to Travelport-connected travel agencies around the world.

By channelling its NDC content through the next-generation Travelport+ platform, British Airways will be able to offer travel retailers a wider range of content – including Additional Price Points and an expanded selection of ancillary products – while taking advantage of modern digital retailing tools such as intelligent storefronts to merchandize them effectively.

Travelport and IAG are progressing well on the technical solution for NDC distribution and will continue to add features and functionality ahead of NDC content being rolled out.

British Airways threatens to cut Heathrow flights due to hikes in charges

From the Evening Standard:

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/iag-heathrow-british-airways-london-civil-aviation-authority-b967526.html

British Airways resumes London Gatwick – Tampa flights

British Airways made this announcement:

British Airways’ first transatlantic flight from Gatwick since the start of the pandemic takes off to Tampa, followed by Orlando
British Airways will operate to more US airports than any other transatlantic carrier
The airline is also set to add Dallas to its A380 route network at Heathrow from March 27, 2022

Following the recent reopening of US borders for Brits, British Airways’ first transatlantic flight from Gatwick took off today bound for Tampa, Florida.

The airline’s services to Tampa will operate three times a week. British Airways will also resume flights from Gatwick to popular family holiday-hotspot Orlando on Friday, November 19. This is the first time the airline has operated to these destinations, and to the US from Gatwick, since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020.

British Airways is planning on operating to 23 US airports this winter, more than any other transatlantic carrier, with 246 flights a week from January. As well as Tampa and Orlando from Gatwick, flights to much loved cities Nashville and New Orleans will restart in December from Heathrow.

The airline’s A380s will also touch down in the US once again, with the jumbo jet due to start operating to Miami from Heathrow from December 5, Los Angeles from December 9 and Dallas/Fort Worth from March 27.

British Airways wants to launch its Gatwick short-haul LCC (BA EuroFlyer) in March 2022

IAG is now targeting March 2022 as the proposed launch month for its new low-cost subsidiary from London’s Gatwick Airport.

The target month was announced by IAG’s CEO Luis Gallego during an interview with Bloomberg.

Negotiations continue with its ground staff at LGW. This group is the last outstanding union to give approval.

“BA EuroFlyer” has been registered as the name for the new entity.

British Airways rolls out “Betty Buzz” at US lounges

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

The mixers only launched in September, by Blake Lively. Betty Buzz is a range of non-alcoholic sparkling mixers made with clean ingredients like real juice and no artificial flavors, colors or sweeteners. Ideal for serving with spirits or tasty enough to be enjoyed on their own.

CEO of British Airways Sean Doyle and Blake Lively celebrate the return of UK travelers to New York with British Airways and NYC & Company at The Empire State Building on November 08, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Empire State Realty Trust)

Blake Lively, Betty Buzz Founder said “Team Betty Buzz and I couldn’t be more excited to partner with Sean Doyle and the entire British Airways crew to bring Betty Buzz to all British Airways lounges in the US. British Airways is a brand who’s earned great respect for their standards of quality and experience. Betty Buzz shares the same values, while also bringing a bit of new life and energy. I appreciate Sean and the British Airways team for championing a female founded business in such a meaningful way. Can’t wait to fly with you all.”

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

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

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

About BettyBuzz

Betty Buzz is a refreshing, non-alcoholic, lower calorie mixer made with only clean ingredients that can be mixed with your favorite spirits but tasty enough to fly solo. Betty Buzz comes in five delicious flavors – Tonic Water, Sparking Grapefruit, Meyer Lemon Club Soda, Sparkling Lemon Lime, and Ginger Beer. The entire range is certified non-GMO.

British Airways powers first transatlantic flight following the lifting of US restrictions with sustainable aviation fuel

British Airways made this announcement:

Dual take-off

British Airways first flight to the US since the lifting of restrictions for the majority of UK travelers departed for New York JFK at 0830 this morning in a synchronized take-off (above) with Virgin Atlantic
BA001, a flight number previously reserved for Concorde, is being directly powered by 35% sustainable aviation fuel – believed to be the first commercial transatlantic flight to ever be operated with this high percentage blend of sustainable aviation fuel
The sustainable aviation fuel being used reduces lifecycle CO2 emissions by more than 80% compared to the traditional jet fuel it replaces

British Airways flight BA001 became the airline’s first flight to depart for the US this morning, as the country lifted restrictions imposed on British travelers for more than 18 months.

The BA001, the flight number previously reserved for Concorde, departed Heathrow at 0830 this morning in a synchronized take-off with Virgin Atlantic’s VS3 flight. Both flights were bound for New York, JFK.

Video:

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

The airline’s newest and most fuel-efficient long-haul A350 aircraft are up to 40% more efficient than the Boeing 747-400 Jumbo Jet aircraft that used to operate between London and New York. Combining this modern aircraft efficiency with today’s blend of SAF means the flight’s overall CO2 emissions are more than 50 per cent less than those emitted by the now retired 747 aircraft that previously operated on this route.

In addition, British Airways also offset all emissions associated with the flight, to demonstrate the various ways in which the airline is decarbonizing its operations **.

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

The lifting of US restrictions after more than 600 days means that fully vaccinated Britons are now able to travel freely between the two countries – something that has not happened since March 16, 2020. The changes have enabled British Airways to meaningfully re-start direct services to 17 US destinations. The airline is set to extend its services to 23 US airports this winter, with up to 246 flights a week, more than any other transatlantic carrier. Flights to New York will increase from five to eight per day in December. There will also be double-daily services to Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, Dallas, Miami and Toronto, as well as daily services to Philadelphia, Phoenix, Seattle, Atlanta, Denver, Houston and Vancouver.

British Airways is operating 26 flights to the US today.

Four aviation decarbonization projects supported by British Airways recently received Government funding as part of the Department of Transport’s Green Fuels, Green Skies (GFGS) competition. All of these projects have a clear potential to produce SAF capable of reducing emissions by more than 70% on a lifecycle basis when used in place of conventional fossil jet fuel***.

***British Airways is partnering with technology company Velocys on the Altalto project to build a commercial waste-to-SAF plant in Immingham, Lincolnshire. Project Speedbird is a collaboration between British Airways, LanzaJet and Nova Pangaea, using waste wood, with a goal of producing 100 million liters of sustainable fuel a year from 2025, sufficient to decarbonize 1,400 flights from London to New York operated by an A350 aircraft. The airline is also working on two further decarbonization projects with LanzaTech and LanzaJet that, if successful, could each produce more than 100 million litres a year of SAF. The first would involve capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and converting it into SAF. The second would support the development of a SAF plant in Port Talbot, South Wales that would produce SAF from waste and industrial gases, with the potential to support significant jobs in the area

British Airways reportedly reaches an agreement with Unite for a new LCC at London Gatwick

British Airways has reversed course on its plans for Gatwick Airport after reportedly reaching an agreement with the Unite union which represents cabin staff, engineers and ground staff.

The new agreement will now pave the way to create a new low-cost subsidiary at London’s Gatwick Airport.

BA needed the agreement in order to move forward in its plans to create a low-cost competitor to easyJet and other carriers at LGW.

Previously BA has publicly announced it was cancelling any LCC plans due to an earlier failure to reach an agreement with the unions. At that time, it also stated it was cancelling most short-haul operations at LGW.

British Airways’ pilots have previously voted in favor of the LCC proposals to operate short-haul flights at London Gatwick.

BA has not publicly commented. An announcement is now expected within weeks.

British Airways continues its roll out of its newest business class seat, Club Suite

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

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

The airline’s sophisticated Club Suite was first rolled out in July 2019 on the first A350 and since then has been installed on the Boeing 787-10 aircraft. The seat offers direct-aisle access, a suite door for greater privacy and luxurious flat-bed seats in a 1-2-1 configuration. Boasting 40 per cent more storage, including a vanity unit and mirror, WiFi, enviable 18.5-inch inflight entertainment screens, high definition gate-to-gate programming and PC / USB power; every aspect of British Airways’ Club Suite has been designed for today’s customer.

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

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

The latest generation of the First cabin including the introduction of the First suite door will also continue to be rolled out across the airline’s Boeing 777-300 aircraft. The First suites were meticulously designed based on our customers’ feedback, the cabin puts comfort at the heart of the experience and makes the very best use of the generous space designed for just a few customers at a time. The suite includes a fixed 23-inch high definition inflight entertainment screen that can be controlled with an integrated handset.

Top Copyright Photo: British Airways Boeing 777-300 ER G-STBP (msn 66585) JFK (Fred Freketic). Image: 955700.

British Airways aircraft slide show (Boeing):

British Airways aircraft photo gallery:

British Airways extends successful trial of digital health pass VeriFLY

British Airways has made this announcement:

British Airways and American Airlines were the first airlines to trial mobile digital health pass, VeriFLY by Daon
Over 500,000 customers have successfully used the pass to make sure they have the right documentation ahead of their flights
British Airways has extended its relationship with VeriFLY following the rollout of the technology across its network, with particular focus on the US ahead of its opening to UK and European citizens from November 8
The airline is on track to ensure that the whole of its route network is covered by a functionality that allows customers to have their documents checked before travel by the end of the year
British Airways is working with VeriFLY to ensure that customers connecting with other carriers, can use the platform to certify their documentation

British Airways has announced that following the successful trial of mobile health pass, VeriFLY by Daon, and its subsequent rollout across its network, it has signed a long-term agreement with Daon.

The airline has worked closely with Daon to make travel as frictionless and smooth as possible for its customers. Travelers can upload any Covid-19 related documentation required for their destination, including vaccination records, negative Covid-19 results and government documents, straight into the VeriFLY mobile app so that they are verified before travel. This will let customers know if they have met the appropriate Covid-19 entry requirements for their destination before leaving for the airport, avoiding any uncertainty.

As well as ensuring a customer has the correct documentation for their journey, British Airways has further developed the technology to allow customers using VeriFLY to check in online on BA.com. Boarding passes can be downloaded ahead of arriving at the airport and customers traveling with hand luggage can head straight through security without the need to visit a desk once they arrive at the airport, further increasing the capability for contactless travel.

The airline initially started trialling VeriFLY in February 2021 on selected routes and has seen over 500,000 customers successfully verified before travel. VeriFLY is now available on all flights to North, South and Central America the Caribbean, Middle East, South Africa, Cayman Islands, Egypt and European destinations including Bulgaria, France, Croatia, Ireland and Switzerland, as well as on the majority of flights into the UK.

British Airways is working closely with Daon to make the customer experience even easier. Most recently it has extended the capability to read QR codes that appear on documentation such as a vaccination certificate or the UK passenger locator form, making document submission simple.

For multiple customers traveling on one booking reference, they can use one smart phone to upload all documentation. The airline is also working closely with other airlines on the role that VeriFLY plays in multi sector journeys.

All data uploaded to VeriFLY or through www.ba.com is not retained by either organization and is purged post travel, unless a government requires specific information to be temporary kept for attestation or contact tracing, in which case it will be safeguarded for a limited time strictly in line with GDPR laws.

For all other countries that British Airways flies to, customers can verify their COVID-19 documents through ‘Manage My Booking’ on ba.com and once verified they will be able to check-in online. Destinations include Hong Kong, Nigeria, Ghana, Singapore, India, Maldives and Pakistan, as well as a handful of European destinations

British Airways adds new African destinations through a codeshare agreement with Kenya Airways

(Picture by Nick Morrish/British Airways)

British Airways’ customers will be able to fly to more destinations across Africa, thanks to a new codeshare agreement with Kenya Airways.

Customers flying to Nairobi with British Airways will be able to seamlessly connect onto 20 destinations across East and Central Africa, including Douala, Zanzibar, Lusaka, Mombasa, Addis Ababa and Entebbe, as well as offering customers more options to get to popular holiday hotspot, Mauritius and Seychelles.

In the reciprocal agreement, customers flying with Kenya Airways to London, will now be able to connect onto 26 destinations across the UK and Europe that British Airways operates to, including Glasgow, Madrid, Milan, Amsterdam and Frankfurt.

British Airways currently offers four flights a week from London Heathrow to Nairobi, operated by a four class Boeing 777 aircraft, which offers cabins from World Traveller (economy) right up to First (First class)

British Airways’ Executive Club members will be able to earn Avios and tier points when flying on eligible codeshare routes operated by Kenya Airways.