Tens of thousands of people are taking advantage of British Airways’ network to more than 150 destinations to get away over the holiday period.

The great escape will begin in earnest on Thursday, December 22nd, 2011 as a peak 95,000 customers jet off around the globe with the airline.

Even Christmas Day will see nearly 30,000 people travelling.

Thousands of British Airways staff including cabin crew, pilots and customer service staff will be looking after customers all over the world.

Homebound customers peak on January 2nd, 2012 with 94,000 people flying on the airline’s network.

The top ten destinations for Christmas and New Year are:

• New York
• Geneva
• Edinburgh
• Barcelona
• Manchester
• Glasgow
• Miami
• Dubai
• Cape Town
• Amsterdam

Richard Tams, head of UK and Ireland sales, said: “Christmas is an exceptionally busy time of year for us and we’ve already welcomed tens of thousands of customers on board.

“December 22nd is our next peak with people maximising their time off and we are looking forward to carrying half a million people home in the first week of the New Year.”

Source: BTN

American Airlines and two of its fellow oneworld® members, British Airways and Iberia, are observing the first anniversary of their joint business. To mark the occasion, the airlines are having a joint fare sale between the United States and Europe with fares as low as $224 each way, based on round-trip Economy Class travel purchased on AA.com.

Book now, as tickets for these special fares will go quickly and must be purchased by Nov. 15.  Economy Class fares must be booked at least seven days prior to travel, while Business Class fares must be booked at least 14 days prior to travel.
The Economy Class originating travel dates to Europe include Nov. 8 through Dec. 16, 2011, as well as Dec. 25, 2011, through April 1, 2012.  Business Class originating travel dates run from Nov. 15, 2011, through May 22, 2012.  All travel in both classes must be completed by June 15, 2012.

The special Economy Class fares to continental Europe are lowest for travel Sunday through Thursday.  If traveling to the UK, fares are lowest Monday through Wednesday.  Other attractive Economy Class fares are offered on other days of the week.  The special Business Class fares are valid any day of the week.  A Saturday night stay is required for both Economy and Business Class , while the maximum stay allowed is six months.

Here are some sample fares for Economy Class travel on off-peak days.  A portion of or all travel for some itineraries may be operated by American Airlines, British Airways, Iberia, American Eagle or the AmericanConnection® carrier Chatauqua:
New York – London $224
Chicago – Paris $285
Dallas/Fort Worth – Frankfurt $360
Los Angeles – London $274
New York – Manchester, UK $224
Miami – Madrid $262
Boston – London $224
New York – Milan $318
Dallas/Fort Worth – Paris $374
New York – Zurich $298

Travelers can check schedules and fares and book on www.AA.com  .  AA.com has the absolute lowest fares – guaranteed – available for American Airlines, American Eagle and AmericanConnection® carrier flights.

Source: BTN

British Airways has once again called on the British government to urgently address the lack of new hub airport capacity in the south-east of England.

Responding to the government’s “Developing a sustainable framework for UK aviation” consultation, the airline warned that in order to support the UK economy there must be additional aviation capacity to meet growing demand for global connectivity.

In its submission, the airline argues that aviation supports more than 900,000 jobs in the UK and provides vital transport links for businesses across the country.

While London has developed one of the world’s best and most extensive networks of international air services, it is in danger of stagnating and falling behind competitors due to lack of new hub capacity.

Keith Williams, British Airways’ chief executive, said: “The government must take action now.

“There are no easy choices, but avoiding these choices is to undermine the UK aviation and aerospace industry and to hinder the economic recovery.”

He added: “We are already falling behind other European hubs in providing services to the booming markets of China and India.

“This will only continue unless the Government commits to allowing sustainable growth.

“The UK government has a choice. It can pursue sustainable growth, or simply manage a steady decline.”

While the number of direct services to China has stalled at Heathrow, rival hubs in Europe have continued to add services.

There are now 21 emerging market destinations with daily flights from other European hubs that are not served from Heathrow.

As a result UK passengers are increasingly being forced to transfer through alternative hubs such as Paris, Frankfurt and Amsterdam – effectively outsourcing the UK’s air transport needs.

The airline’s submission also dismissed plans for a high-speed rail link between Gatwick and Heathrow, and the creation of a “virtual hub”.

It argues that both airports currently operate at full capacity, and the logistical challenges would prove insurmountable.

Source: BTN

British Airways is launching new daily flights to San Diego - its latest Californian holiday hotspot, from June 1st. As the only airline flying directly from Europe, the new route offers greater access to local markets for business, as well as a popular leisure destination.

Richard Tams, British Airways’ head of UK and I sales, said: “San Diego is very hip right now - it’s often rated as the best place in America to live and it’s easy to see why. It offers beautiful beaches, a bustling nightlife and a chilled out scene that make it very appealing all year round.”

The new route will provide a welcome opportunity for European holidaymakers who are looking for holidays to San Diego with its surfing and golf through to shopping and sightseeing as there are activities for everyone.

In addition to the new flights, British Airways also offers a variety of hotels in San Diego like the 3* Mission Valley Resort which provides a wide range of facilities for families, as does the 4* Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina which is part of a $35 million renovation. Situated within San Diego’s historic Gaslamp Quarter, the 4* Hotel Solamar provides space to ‘relax and create’ with its minibars stocked with art supplies. The 5* Grand Del Mar with its championship golf course is a AAA Five Diamond resort which was named by Conde Nast Traveller as one of The Worlds Best Places to Stay.

San Diego is famed for its 112 kilometres of sunny shores, abundant outdoor recreational activities and average daily weather of 22 degrees. There are many opportunities for travellers to go sightseeing in San Diego with animal encounters at San Diego Zoo and SeaWorld or museums and attractions at Balboa Park and a family holiday wouldn’t be complete without a trip to Legoland.

Car hire in San Diego is easy with British Airways’ partnership with Avis, which means the new route will open up further opportunities for fly-drives, being ideally located for day trips to nearby Anaheim, home of Disneyland, as well as connections to Los Angeles. Palm Springs is around two hours from San Diego by car. Alternatively travellers can make a day trip to the breath taking Joshua Tree National Park, or the picturesque mountain town of Idyllwild.

The new route comes as a result of the recent joint business agreement with American Airlines and Iberia, enabling the airline to add more frequencies to its network. Flights to San Diego will depart daily from London Heathrow Terminal 5 on a three-class Boeing 777 offering Club World, World Traveller Plus and World Traveller.

Source; BTN

Union leaders have called for British Airways cabin crew to hold off from strikes over the Easter and Royal Wedding holidays, raising hopes of a final settlement in the long-running dispute.

Members of Unite voted last month to stage fresh industry action, which threatened to cause chaos over what is one of the busiest periods in the aviation calendar.

Unite leader, Len McCluskey, and BA chief executive, Keith Williams, have met in recent weeks to negotiate a deal. The row has so far led to 22 days of strikes over the past year, and cost BA around £150 million.

But in a joint statement the two sides said that a 28-day extension had been agreed to allow for further talks, and that lasting peace was essential for the good of both parties.

“To achieve such a peace, it is understood by British Airways that cabin crew must feel that their concerns are being fairly dealt with, and it is recognised by the Union that the management and acceptance of change is the key to lasting peace.

“British Airways and the union have embarked already on a process of cooperation building, assisted by a highly-regarded external company. It is hoped that this continuing process will help develop and strengthen trust.

“The current strike ballot mandate given by cabin crew means industrial action must be announced by April 15. Both Parties accept that this would severely undermine any attempt at a genuine settlement.”

“Accordingly, British Airways is prepared to grant an extension of 28 days to the Union. A variety of meetings will now take place in the belief that the optimism of recent weeks can be turned into a reality that will allow British Airways to focus on delivering the high-quality service our customers expect and to take all its staff confidently into the future.”

The row started over cost-cutting plans but spread to the removal of travel concessions to crew who went on strike, as well as disciplinary action taken against a number of Unite members.

Source: BTN

International Airlines Group – composed of British Airways and Iberia – has confirmed reorganise its network to improve services to Latin American and the Middle East.

Under the plans, Latin America will become more accessible to British Airways customers and the Middle East will be brought to the doorstep of the Spanish flag-carrier’s travellers.

British Airways has placed its code on Iberia flights between Madrid and San Jose (Costa Rica) and Panama City.

Iberia has added its code to British Airways flights to Bahrain, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Kuwait and Muscat.

Iberia will also add its code onto British Airways’ services to Cape Town and both airlines will share their Johannesburg flights.

Iberia’s flights to Havana will also carry the BA code from mid April.

Andrew Crawley, British Airways’ commercial director, said: “Our customers are now seeing the real benefit of our merger with Iberia as we introduce these exciting routes to them. Latin America is a real draw for our travellers and it will be simpler for Iberia’s customers to access the Middle East. All of our customers will now have greater access to South Africa too.”

Customers are also now able to mix and match Iberia and British Airways’ flights to and from Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Johannesburg, Lagos, Cairo and Tel Aviv enabling them to access flights to suit either their schedule or their budget.

Source: BTN

FORT WORTH, Texas, March 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- American Airlines (AA), British Airways (BA) and Iberia (IB) have proudly opened the doors of the airlines' first joint Premium lounge. Located in Concourse E just beyond the security checkpoint on the fifth floor, the Premium lounge will provide additional seamless service as part of the joint business agreement among AA, BA and IB to share revenue, coordinate networks and schedules and co-operate commercially on routes between North America andEurope.

"With American and American Eagle operating from six gates in Terminal E and our joint business partners also operating from Terminal E, the Premium lounge offers customers traveling through Miami a convenient place to relax before, between and after flights," said Peter Dolara, American's Senior Vice President – Mexico, Caribbean and Latin America. "This lounge provides another customer touchpoint where our representatives can offer seamless, premium service and enhance the travel experience as part of the joint business."

The newly opened AA, BA, IB Premium lounge spans 6,000 square feet and offers seating for 120 guests. The multi-functional Business Center has work stations, some with HP Compaq dc7900 PCs with complimentary high-speed Internet access, that enable guests to stay connected while traveling. Other amenities include two TV lounges with flat-panel TVs, a children's room with HP PCs outfitted with age-appropriate programming, and spa-like showers.

Travelers visiting the Premium lounge can also take advantage of complimentary food and beverages. Customers can order premium liquors, wines and beer, as well as coffee, tea, sodas and water. For those looking for a bite to eat, the lounge offers a complimentary lunch, afternoon tea or light supper menu. Menus may include freshly-prepared soup du jour and an assortment of mini sandwiches.

"The opening of this new lounge enables us to offer our customers the best service at a time when our presence in Miami is growing significantly – apart from our daily flight between Miami and Madrid we will begin operating three non-stop weekly flights from Miami to Barcelona on March 29," said Jose Maria Alvarado, Iberia's Country Manager in the U.S. "This new Premium lounge is part of a 150 million-euro customer care program that Iberia launched in 2009 to among other things, renovate all of our VIP lounges and upgrade our Business Plus."

The AA, BA, IB Premium lounge is open daily from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. and welcomes oneworld eligible International First Class, Business Class and Emerald and Sapphire customers. Customers traveling on an AA-operated transcontinental full fare First Class (F and Z inventory) or full fare Business Class (J and U inventory) ticket, as well as Admirals Club members departing from Concourse E, may also access the lounge

About American Airlines

American Airlines, American Eagle and AmericanConnection® serve 250 cities in 40 countries with, on average, more than 3,400 daily flights. The combined network fleet numbers more than 900 aircraft. American's award-winning website, AA.com®, provides users with easy access to check and book fares, plus personalized news, information and travel offers. American Airlines is a founding member of the oneworld® Alliance, which brings together some of the best and biggest names in the airline business, enabling them to offer their customers more services and benefits than any airline can provide on its own. Together, its members serve approximately 750 destinations in nearly 150 countries and territories. American Airlines, Inc. and American Eagle Airlines, Inc. are subsidiaries of AMR Corporation. AmericanAirlines, American Eagle, AmericanConnection, AA.com, We know why you fly and AAdvantage are trademarks of American Airlines, Inc. (NYSE:AMR - News)

About British Airways

British Airways is the UK's largest international airline serving more than 150 destinations and carrying 33 million people a year on its global network.

About Iberia

Today, Iberia is the leading airline in Spain, the routes that connect Spain and Europe, and also market leader on flights between Europe and Latin America. Together with its franchise partner Iberia Regional, both airlines operate more than 1,000 flights every day to about 100 destinations. Iberia is a member of the oneworld®, an alliance offering 9,000 daily flights to 800 destinations in 150 countries. For further information about the Iberia Group: http://grupo.iberia.com/portal/site/grupoiberia/.