British Airways has delivered a shock to holidaymakers on the South Coast. It confirmed it will suspend its entire summer flight schedule from Southampton Airport. BA hasn’t disclosed the reason behind the sudden move. Booked customers have reportedly been contacted and BA has removed Southampton flights for summer 2025 from its website. It is just weeks after the airline announced two new routes from Southampton. The BA City Flyer brand currently flies from Southampton Airport to Bergerac, Faro, Malaga and Majorca in the summer. “We are suspending our summer 2025 operations from Southampton Airport and contacting any affected customers,” an airline spokesperson said. “Clearly it’s disappointing when any route is removed. However, we are in constant dialogue with airlines regarding new services and that includes backfilling the routes withdrawn by British Airways,” the airport said. 

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British Airways has ramped up options for Thailand holidays departing the UK with additional Bangkok flights and an expanded airline codeshare partnership with Bangkok Airways. The airline announced earlier this year that the London Gatwick to Bangkok direct route will return on 28 October 2024, operating three times per week. The service will increase to up to five times per week between January and March 2025. Also, the existing codeshare partnership with Bangkok Airways has been expanded to open up five new destinations across Thailand and Cambodia: These are Phuket, Koh Samui Chiang Mai, and Phnom Penh and Some Reap in Cambodia. Customers can add a stopover in Bangkok before continuing to their final destination on the same ticket. Bangkok Airways operates an extensive domestic and regional network across Thailand and Cambodia, Hong Kong, the Maldives, Laos, and Singapore. The expanded airline codeshare allows British Airways customers to connect to their final destination in Thailand or Cambodia on a single ticket. BA Executive Club members will also collect Avios and earn Tier Points when flying on Bangkok Airways on a British Airways codeshare journey. Codeshare tickets are now available to book for travel from 28 October 2024 onwards. 

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British Airways is expanding to a third daily Chicago flight as it celebrates 70 years of flying to the city. BA will fly a third non-stop daily service to Chicago from summer. It has also relocated to its new Chicago O’Hare home at Terminal 3, alongside IAG sister airlines Aer Lingus and Iberia. Flights at Terminal 3 will give departing British Airways customers an enhanced travel experience, with dedicated check-in desks and improved connections within the American Airlines network. Eligible customers will be able to enjoy premium lounges, including the American Airlines Flagship and Admirals Club lounges. The airline's arrival service will continue in Terminal 5. Neil Chernoff, BA Chief Planning and Strategy Officer said: "The introduction of our third daily service to London, and moving to Terminal 3 underscores our commitment to service and convenience for customers in Chicago." The move will also bring British Airways closer to its oneworld partners including American Airlines, Iberia, and Japan Airlines who are already based at Terminal 3. British Airways launched Chicago flights in 1954. This summer the airline is operating three non-stop flights from Chicago to London per day, on Boeing 777 and 787 aircraft. 

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British Airways has announced a new enhancement to its Executive Club loyalty programme by making every one of its flights available from just £1 plus Avios. When booking any flight or holiday, Avios part payment allows customers to select the amount of Avios they would like to contribute. Until now, the maximum discount varied depending on multiple factors, whereas the airline is now giving customers the option to reduce their booking to just £1 using Avios. Using Avios part payment is different to booking a Reward Seat, which are limited on each flight at a fixed rate. Members booking any flight can use Avios part payment regardless of the seat type, so allowing more flexibility. Colm Lacy, BA Chief Commercial Officer, said: “We’ve listened to our members’ feedback and we’re really excited to be introducing this latest update for them. We know that most of our customers choose the lowest cash amount when it comes to making Reward Flight bookings.” “We anticipate this to be a popular option for those using Avios part payment.” Last year, British Airways Holidays introduced Avios part payment, with holiday package bookings starting from £1 + Avios. Members using Avios part payment towards their booking will still collect Avios and Tier Points on their flight as well as any bonus Avios and Tier Points applicable. Part payment can also be used for flights operated by American Airlines between the UK and North America, and British Airways codeshares with selected partners. 

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British Airways is taking legal action against an operator at Vancouver International Airport over damage to one of its planes. BA says PrimeFlight Aviation Services Canada operated a jet bridge which struck and damaged a Boeing 777 engine. BA has filed a notice of civil claim with the B.C. Supreme Court. A John Doe – the airbridge operator – is also a defendant. The airline had a contract with PrimeFlight for marshalling and tarmac parking services. The suit claims the jet bridge was placed too low which caused the engine damage. The operator was negligent in failing to properly train its employees in operating the equipment, it claims.   

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British Airways is adding seasonal flavours to its in-flight menus for Lunar New Year. To welcome the Year of the Dragon, BA will serve up traditional festive dishes on long haul Asia flights. The festive flavours will be available on London flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore. Customers in First can savour black pepper spiced fillet of beef with Chinese seven spiced broccolini. Those travelling in Club World (business class) can order spicy Kung Pao prawn. Both First and Club World customers can enjoy a white chocolate tangerine mousse. Customers flying in World Traveller Plus (premium economy) and World Traveller (economy) can choose the traditional Huaiyang dish, Lion’s Head meatballs, which are made of steamed pork in oyster sauce. Calum Laming, BA Chief Customer Officer said: “Many of our customers will be celebrating, so we wanted to make their journey extra special this festive season.” During the week of the festival, customers travelling through London Heathrow Terminal 5 will be gifted red envelopes with chocolate coins, and lion dancers will perform on the concourse. For London bound travellers, the customer service teams will surprise customers with upgrades to Club World (business class) and lounge access. They will select a handful of customers who were born in the Year of Dragon. 

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British Airways has teamed up with Signcode UK to enhance service for hearing impaired passengers. It has rolled out new signed video content containing helpful travel information available to customers for both pre-travel and on board. Signcode UK helps ensure equal access to information, products and services for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. It specialises in translating key information into signed videos including British sign Language. BA has collaborated to produce signed videos which can be accessed either via a link or unique QR code. The first video for viewing pre-travel information is on ba.com. It offers a comprehensive overview of British Airways' service throughout the entire journey, including booking, the airport experience, onboard services and in-flight entertainment. It also includes a BSL introduction from Fredrick Da Costa, British Airways’ first deaf customer experience agent who uses BSL as part of his role. A second video, available by the end of 2023, focuses on onboard safety features and procedures. This video will be accessible on ba.com and via a QR code that British Airways Mainline cabin crew will have on their mobile devices on board. Carrie Harris, BA’s Director of Sustainability, said: "We are proud to partner with Signcode UK to further improve our accessibility offering for our deaf and hard of hearing customers. “ Videos will be available in British Sign Language (BSL) and American Sign Language (ASL). BA is exploring the option to expand into other languages such as Spanish. In addition to the Signcode UK partnership, the airline supports customers who are deaf or hard of hearing through a minicom system.    

The prospect of greener air travel has received a boost thanks to £53 million of government funding. Nine new projects were awarded in the latest funding round of the Department for Transport’s Advanced Fuels Fund (AFF). The initiative is designed to aid development to convert waste materials into fuels. “The investment demonstrates our confidence in the UK’s SAF industry – creating jobs, encouraging overseas investment and levelling up communities,” said Transport Secretary, Mark Harper. British Airways is a recipient of £9 million funding for Project Speedbird – a joint partnership with Nova Pangaea Technologies and LanzaJet. NPT, a cleantech company developing advanced biofuels for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), was awarded £7.5 million and LanzaJet, an ethanol to SAF tech firm will receive £1.5 million. It follows investments from IAG and BA earlier this year into NPT and Project Speedbird, respectively. IAG is also a founding investor and shareholder of LanzaJet. The SAF will be developed from agricultural waste and wood residue feedstocks into second-generation biofuels such as ethanol. LanzaJet’s technology then converts ethanol into SAF. The NPT ethanol will be initially processed into SAF using LanzaJet’s Alcohol to Jet (ATJ) plant in Georgia, US. Project Speedbird’s plans to build a ATJ facility in the UK by 2027. British Airways aims to purchase all the SAF produced through Project Speedbird to help power flights. Project Speedbird will produce 102 million litres of SAF per year. It will produce SAF at full capacity by 2028.

British Airways’ new Accra flights have officially launched. The inaugural flight from London Gatwick touched down at Kotoka International Airport at the weekend. It received a warm West African welcome with dancers, drummers and a VIP delegation, including the British High Commissioner to Ghana, Harriet Thompson. Accra flights operate three times a week from Gatwick on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. It is set to expand to four flights a week from April next year. Neil Chernoff, BA Director of Network and Alliances said: “With 11 direct flights, across two London gateways, we’re pleased to offer our Ghanaian customers a greater choice.” “Overall, we’re doubling the number of seats between Accra and London.” Daily flights from London Heathrow to Accra are served by the airline’s A350 fleet. The new route also adds cargo capacity between the two capitals. To celebrate the increase in Accra flights, BA is bringing Afrobeats to travellers with an exclusive playlist available onboard from November 1 curated by DJ Cuppy.

British Airways has unveiled its newly refreshed airport lounge at London Heathrow Terminal 5’s B gates. The finishing touches have been applied and showcase new features. The airline introduced new features in its T5B lounge for its premium customers, including a live food preparation area with brand-new seasonal menu options. Customers can see their meals being garnished with fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Travellers can select from a range of hot and cold dishes in the airline’s redesigned deli area. The new deli station offers more choice including a range of breakfast items, sandwiches and light bites. Elsewhere in the lounge, BA has introduced new bespoke furniture, flooring and soft furnishings. The airline has also introduced a dedicated quiet zone for relaxation. The completion of the airline’s lounge refresh follows the unveiling of British Airways' exclusive Whispering Angel bar earlier in the summer. Travellers can sip a chilled glass of the famous rose ahead of their trip. British Airways also recently refreshed its First and Club (business class) lounges at London Heathrow Terminal 3. The Club lounge now features a new bar with new furniture. The First lounge now houses an exclusive Concorde Bar and dining area. The airline has also installed a brand-new bar in its First lounge at London Heathrow Terminal 5. Customers will be able to order a range of premium drinks from bubbly to mocktails, selected by the airline’s Master of Wine. British Airways’ Chief Customer Officer, Calum Laming, said: “We know that the airport experience is an important part of the journey, especially our premium customers, and we’re always listening to their feedback.” "We want to ensure we offer something for everyone using our lounges.” British Airways has also introduced brand-new snack boxes on all its long-haul flights for customers in World Traveller (economy) and World Traveller Plus (premium economy). This serves as a mid-flight snack such as chocolates, biscuits and popcorn. Additionally, day beds will also be coming to its Concorde Room later this year.

British Airways parent IAG posted a record third-quarter airline profit. It earned €1.23 billion with seat capacity now at 96% of pre-Covid levels. This was in spite of taking a €50 million hit due to the August air traffic control meltdown. As well as BA, IAG owns Aer Lingus and Iberia. Demand remains strong it says, although business travel remains muted. The British Airways contribution to the airline profit was £617 million. It cautioned on fourth quarter earnings due to ‘wider macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainties.’ It is about three-quarters booked for the fourth quarter, it said. “This quarter represents a record third quarter performance for IAG. This is allowing us to invest in the business and reduce a significant amount of our debt,” CEO Luis Gallego said.

British Airways has started airing its newest brand advert which celebrates the Diwali holiday.  The seasonal positioning is a celebration of those flying home to India for the festival season. The ad stars British Airways team members working over the festival period to help customers reunite with loved ones. It features Indian-based cabin crew, contact centre staff and customer service agents. The campaign was even filmed in the homes of the team members. The ad airs until November 11 in 30-second and 15-second segments in cinemas, out of home and on social media as well as in key TV spots including the Cricket World Cup. Hamish McVey, Director of Marketing said: “Each year, millions of people gather to celebrate Diwali and we know that making that journey home to be with loved ones is so important.” “Our people are at the very heart of this campaign, as we wanted to thank them for helping families and friends reconnect.” The airline is offering special Diwali fares. British Airways operates 56 flights a week to India, with three-flights a day to Mumbai, two to Delhi and daily flights to Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad.