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British Airways

British Airways is the national airline of the United Kingdom and its second largest airline—in terms of passenger numbers—after easyJet. Established in 1974, it merged with the Spanish flag carrier Iberia in 2011 to form the International Airline Group (IAG), the third biggest airline alliance in the world in terms of revenue. BA, as it’s often known, is headquartered in London, England, and currently flies to more than 180 destinations worldwide, including 28 cities across the United States. British Airways has long had a strong reputation for good customer service among frequent flyers, and its business and first class services offer one of the best ways for Americans to fly to Europe and beyond.

by Business Traveler

October 01, 2022

Where does British Airways fly?

Based out of their central hub of Heathrow, BA maintains secondary operations at Gatwick and London City Airport, with all flights routed through the capital. It flies to over 200 destinations in 80 countries across all six continents. Thirty of these are in the U.S, with Los Angeles, New York and Chicago among the most popular. British Airways conduct a range of long and short-haul flights with its expansive fleet of 287 aircraft, operating roughly 850 services a day.

FAQ

What is the British Airways Executive Club?

The British Airways frequent flyer programme is called The Executive Club and is free to join. Once signed up, BA passengers can earn two types of points, Avios and Tier.

Avios is BA’s name for traditional air miles and passengers acquire them primarily through booking flights. Points can also be earned by staying in selected hotels, making everyday purchases through the BA shopping portal, and using an Avios credit card. Avios can then be spent on various BA-associated products and services. However, the system is weighted strongly in favour of buying airfare, making other redemption options poor value for money.

Tier points, on the other hand, are used solely to move through the rankings of the Executive Club. They can only be earned by flying with BA or their OneWorld airline partners and generally speaking, the more expensive the fare, the more tier points you will earn. There are three tiers to the Executive Club.

Bronze - 300 tier points and 2 eligible flights

 Priority check-in and boarding.
 Free seat selection 7 days before departure.
 25% bonus Avios.
 Collect Tier Points.
 Save details and preferences.
 Member-only offers.

Silver - 600 Tier Points and 4 eligible flights

 Priority boarding
 Free seat selection at booking
 Access to business lounges
 Extra baggage allowance
 50% bonus Avios
 Collect Tier Points
 Save details and preferences
 Member-only offers

Gold - 1500 tier points and 4 eligible flights

 First-class check-in and boarding
 Free seat selection at booking
 Access to First lounges
 Extra baggage allowance
 Additional reward flight availability
 100% bonus Avios
 Collect Tier Points
 Save details and preferences
 Member-only offers

What are British Airways' ticketing options?

British Airways offer four types of cabin class:

Economy

 One carry on
 Free water and snacks
 Standard seating
 Last to board
 Points earned

Within economy, there are three sub-classes which offer different baggage allowances and flexibility.

Basic
 Allocated seats
 No extra baggage
Plus
 Checked-in bag (23kg)
 Choose seats 48 hours before the flight
 Free flight changes on the day of travel
Plus Flex
 Checked-in bag (23kg)
 Choose seats
 Free flight changes on the day of travel
 Cancel the flight for a full refund
 All long-haul flights come with free entertainment, food and wine

Premium Plus

 One carry-on + one person item
 Two checked-in bags (23kg)
 Free meals and drinks, including cocktails
 Larger seats and more legroom
 Priority boarding
 Free entertainment
 Business / Club World
 One carry-on + one person item
 Two checked-in bags (32kg)
 Free gourmet and drinks, including cocktails
 Armchair which converts to lie flat bed
 Priority boarding
 Access to private lounges
 Dedicated check-in
 Free entertainment

First Class

 One carry-on + one person item
 Three checked-in bags (32kg)
 A la carte anytime dining
 Private booth with lie-flat bed
 First to board
 Access to private lounges
 Concorde Room access at Heathrow and JFK
 Dedicated check-in
 15-inch entertainment system

What are British Airways' baggage fees?

Passengers who want to bring bags outside of fare allowances must pay additional fees.

Complimentary baggage allowances

Economy Basic
 One carry-on
Economy Plus and Plus Flex
 One carry-on
 One checked-in bag (23kg)
Premium Economy
 One carry-on
 Two checked-in bags (23kg)
Business
 One carry-on
 Two checked-in bags (32kg)
First
 One carry-on
 Three checked-in bags (32kg)

Additional bag fees

 First bag: £30 - £65
 Additional bags: £36 - £65

Prices vary dependent on flight length and when the bag is checked-in.

Overweight bags

Passengers with a 23kg checked-bag limit will need to pay £65 if their bag is between 23kg and 32kg. Bags above 32kg are not allowed on flights.

Oversized bags

Bags between their allowance and 190 x 75 x 65cm will result in charges dependent on route. Anything over this size is not allowed.