Category: British Airways

Better By Design for British Airways

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For the first time British Airways has chronicled its rich advertising history in a new book ‘Better by Design: Shaping the British Airways Brand’ written by its museum curator, Paul Jarvis.

The book’s publication comes just weeks after it was revealed that British Airways had topped the 2015 Superbrands list, the annual ranking of brand strength in the UK. The airline secured the number one spot for the Consumer Superbrand category, for the second year in a row, as well as taking the accolade of number one Business Superbrand.

The lavishly illustrated full-colour book charts the development of the British Airways brand and features print advertisements, billboards and brochure covers through the ages, taken from the airline’s archive.

Decade by decade Jarvis explores the evolution of advertising, interiors and uniforms and offers a unique insight into a bygone era of travel, when flying was the preserve of the rich and the world was opening up to the possibility of commercial travel.

The book analyses how these elements have shaped the airline’s identity since precursor airlines BOAC and BEA came together for form British Airways in 1974.

Paul Jarvis, British Airways’ museum curator and author of the book, said: “The book looks back on how airlines promoted themselves in earlier decades – it’s really quite incredible to see how much air travel has changed in such a short space of time.”

Keith Williams, executive chairman, said: “There are three essential ingredients which make up the British Airways brand: British style, thoughtful service and flying know how. This book covers off each milestone and tells the story of how promotion of our brand has changed over the decades. Although our advertising campaigns have changed over the decades the promise of To Fly. To Serve remains the same.”

‘Better by Design: Shaping the British Airways Brand’ by Paul Jarvis is published by Amberley and is available from April 15 from bookstores and online.

Families Fly Away From The February Freeze

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More than one and a half million people are expected to travel with British Airways this February half-term as sunshine-starved Brits take a break from the February freeze.

The busiest days for air travel are on Friday, February 13 and returning on Sunday, February 22, with over 120,000 people travelling on each date with the airline.

The most popular long-haul holiday hotspots for British Airways customers and families looking to get away and relax this half-term are Orlando, New York, Dubai, Los Angeles and Tampa. The top places for short-haul breaks are Rome, Barcelona, Tenerife, Malta and Fuerteventura.

Stephen Humphreys, British Airways’ head of UK&I sales and marketing, said: “The half-term holiday, whether it’s a long-haul flight to the sun or a quick city break to Europe, is becoming more popular each passing year, and 2015 is no exception.

“British Airways has plenty of places to choose from to escape the chilly winter weather so families can jet off and enjoy some quality time together.”

But before reaching their destination, many parents worry how their children will cope on a flight, with British Airways research* revealing that 60 per cent of parents feared they would be unable to keep their child occupied for longer than 30 minutes.

The airline conducted a social experiment, where scientist and TV personality Dr Robert Winston observed which toys kept youngsters most occupied during a flight.

I’m Dreaming Of A ‘Flight’ Christmas

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Give the gift of flight this Christmas with a British Airways full- motion flight simulator experience.

To get into the festive spirit the airline is offering a special 10 per cent Christmas discount for gift vouchers booked between November 15 and December 15, 2014.

A once in a lifetime experience, the state-of-the-art simulators are used to train British Airways’ professional pilots and make the perfect gift for anyone who has dreamed of being a pilot.

The simulators, which use cutting edge motion, audio and graphics technology, give would-be pilots the opportunity to take-off at any of British Airways’ 180 worldwide destinations and land at another.

All sessions are accompanied by an instructor and no previous flying experience is necessary.

Flights in a Boeing 737 simulator are available at just £359, reduced from £399 or in a simulated jumbo jet or Boeing 777 for £404, reduced from £449.

The experience starts with a full technical briefing from a pilot followed by an hour’s flying time in which you can land and take off from multiple airports as well as cruising through blue skies.

Gift vouchers are available for purchase at www.ebaft.com, or by sending an email to baft@ba.com. Bookings must be made between November 15 and December 15, 2014 using the promotional code SANTA to receive the 10 per cent discount. Flight simulator experiences can be made for available dates during the 12 months from the date of purchase.

The full-flight simulators are located at British Airways’ Flight Training centre near Heathrow.

Holiday Like The Stars With X-Factor And British Airways

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The X-Factor has teamed up with British Airways, as the official airline to fly its celebrity judges and contestants to Bermuda, Cancun, Los Angeles and Nice for the final auditions. For the first time, the ‘judges houses’ episodes will air over three nights on ITV this Friday (October 3) at 9pm, Saturday and Sunday at 8pm.

The aspiring pop stars travelled to some of British Airways’ most glamorous destinations to perform for judges Simon Cowell, Mel B, Cheryl Fernandez-Versini and Louis Walsh, in the hope of making it through to the live finals.

Chosen for their exclusivity, glamour and stunning backdrops – the airline has produced packages to each X-Factor destination, for those inspired by the show.

Bermuda
Louis Walsh lucked out this series by flying to the pink sandy beaches of Bermuda. Mentoring the groups, Louis and guest judge Tulisa Contostavlos offered the wannabe-stars a preview of the pop star lifestyle, staying at the five star Fairmont Southampton hotel. Contestants took part in diving, swimming and jet-skiing, as well as the 18-hole golf club on site, while the judges soaked up the sun!

Louis Walsh said: “I think it might be the most glamorous destination I’ve ever been sent to! This is a make or break stage for the groups, so it was a perfect retreat for them to unwind ahead of their performances.”

Among the bands Louis took to Bermuda were ‘Only The Young’, who impressed the judges with their vocals and chemistry during auditions. The band said: “Going to Judges’ Houses was actually the first time we’d actually travelled together abroad. It was the most beautiful country we’ve ever been to.”

Another band who joined Louis was ‘Blonde Electric’, who said: “Bermuda was absolutely beautiful with unimaginable pink beaches. Everything looked like a screen saver! It was the most beautiful place we’ve ever been to and we’ll certainly go back.”

To follow in their footsteps, British Airways Holidays offers seven nights at their hotel – The Fairmont Southampton from £1,139 per person (room only), including flights from Gatwick. Offer available for travel between October 29 and December 11.

Cancun, Mexico
Offering a taste of the showbiz lifestyle, Mel B and the ‘boys’ visited the party paradise of Cancun in Mexico. Contestants stayed at the luxurious five star Occidental Grand Xcaret in Riviera Maya, where they performed for the former Spice Girl and her guest judge Emma Bunton. Contestants were able to enjoy the Dolphinarium, spa and eco eco-archeological park on site, as well as the stunning Caribbean Sea.

Among the boys who secured a place in Mexico was Paul Akister, who said: “Cancun was so good. It was really hot and amazing – everything about it. I stepped off the plane and then it sort of settled that we were in Mexico and about to sing for Mel B!”

Jake Quickenden, who also secured a place said: “I’m from Scunthorpe and don’t really go to that many good places usually. So, to go to Cancun and knowing that you’re going be in an amazing house with these guys – it was like ‘wow’!”

To holiday like the stars, British Airways Holidays offers seven nights at the Occidental Grand Xcaret Hotel where the contestants stayed, from £929 per person (all inclusive), including return flights from Gatwick to Cancun. Offer available for travel between May 4 and July 1, 2015.

Los Angeles, USA
Living the rock star dream, Simon’s category the ‘overs’ travelled in style on British Airways’ new ‘red carpet route’ to Los Angeles on its A380 superjumbo. Staying in Hollywood, contestants had time to experience the city before performing for Simon at his Beverly Hills residence, in front of guest judge Sinitta.

One of the over’s who secured a place at Simon’s Judges House was Fleur East, who said: “The journey was great. I stepped off the plane and felt the warmth of the country. Driving through LA felt just like being in a movie.”

For a taste of their luxury lifestyle British Airways offers three nights at the five star Beverly Wilshire, Four Seasons Hotel from £1,169 per person, (room only, based on two adults sharing), including return flights from Heathrow – for travel in November. Visit ba.com/America

Nice, France
Returning to the series after three years, Cheryl Fernandez-Virsini chose the French Riviera to take the ‘girls’. With collaborator Tinie Tempah on hand to help, the celebrity hotspot of Saint-Tropez was the perfect location for the hopefuls, who stayed at the breath-taking Amarante Golf Plaza Hotel.

Among the girls in Cheryl’s category was Chloe Jasmine, who said: “Travelling to Nice was like a holiday, it was nice that it was close to home and it felt like going away with friends rather than being in a competition.’

For a chic get-away, British Airways offers three nights (room only) at the four star Amarante Golf Plaza in Nice, as chosen by Cheryl, from £249 per person with return flights from Heathrow. Offer available for travel between October 1 and 31.

British Airways Puts Kuala Lumpur Back On The Route Map

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British Airways is to resume direct flights from Heathrow to Kuala Lumpur in summer 2015.

The daily service from Terminal 5 will be operated by a four-cabin Boeing 777-200ER, featuring 12 seats in First, 48 in Club World, 32 in World Traveller Plus and a further 127 in World Traveller.

Flights begin on May 27, 2015. British Airways last flew to the Malaysian capital in 2001.

Lynne Embleton, British Airways’ director of business strategy, said: “We have been working to resume flights to Kuala Lumpur for a long time, so it’s wonderful to be back in the heart of Malaysia once again.

“We are re-starting the route in response to commercial demand from our customers who have been asking us for direct British Airways flights to Kuala Lumpur, which opens up new connecting routes around the region.

“A thriving economy offers fantastic opportunities for UK businesses, while holiday-makers can enjoy some stunning destinations around the country and beyond.”

Kuala Lumpur is the world’s largest aviation hub not currently served directly by British Airways, and a major centre for oneworld airlines. Malaysia itself has strong ties with the UK and a large, rapidly growing economy with a focus on international trade.

British Airways, known then as Imperial Airways, first began flying to Malaysia on December 9, 1933. The flight from London Croydon Airport, made 22 stops before eventually reaching Alor Star (now Alor Setar) nine days later.

The airline’s first flight to Kuala Lumpur took off on August 1, 1956 when BOAC operated a Canadair Argonaut ‘Coronet’ aircraft on the outbound route and a Lockheed Constellation ‘Majestic’ on the return.

The airline has given the route the same flight numbers it previously operated with before 2001. The BA033 will depart T5 daily at 8.15pm, arriving into Kuala Lumpur 12 hours 45 minutes, later at 4pm (local). The returning BA034 will leave Kuala Lumpur at 11.05pm (local) and arrive back into Heathrow’s T5 at 5.25am the next morning.

Datuk Badlisham Ghazali, the managing director of Malaysia Airports, said: “I greatly welcome the return of British Airways to Malaysia.

“I believe this new route will have a very positive economic, political, social and cultural impact on both countries and it underlines the strength and vibrancy of the air travel market between them.

“Malaysia Airports has been working closely with British Airways for several years in planning the resumption of its flights to Kuala Lumpur. I wish them the best in their preparations to reconnect the two great cities of London and Kuala Lumpur and am confident it will enhance the airline’s huge global network.”

Return fares start from £708 in World traveller, £1,076 in World Traveller Plus, £3,181 in Club World and £4,681 in First. All prices include taxes and charges*.