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British Airways is the national airline of the United Kingdom and the largest full-service airline in the United Kingdom based on destinations and passengers served. The airline also owns two subsidiary airlines, BA CityFlyer and BA EuroFly. In terms of passengers carried, it's the second-largest airline in the United Kingdom (behind easyJet) but is the dominant airline for long-haul flights flying from the UK. 

The airline is based at London Heathrow Airport (LHR) and flies to over 200 destinations worldwide. While the airline mainly does intercontinental flights, it also has a strong route network in Europe and a domestic route network within the UK.

Top Tip: You can buy British Airways flights using financing options as well as buy British Airways flights using PayPal with Alternative Airlines.

Baggage Policy

British Airways has a different baggage policy for carry-on and checked baggage policy. The cabin class is also a determinate factor.

Carry-on Baggage

Passengers are given one item of free carry-on baggage and one free small personal item.

The free carry-on bag cannot exceed 23 kg in weight or 56 cm x 45 cm x 25 cm (22" x 17.7" x 9.8") in dimensions.

The free small personal item cannot exceed 23 kg in weight or 40 cm x 15 cm x 30 cm (15.7" x 5.9" x 11.8") in dimensions.

Checked Baggage

Passengers free checked baggage allowance will depend on the cabin class that the passenger is flying in. The table below details the free checked baggage allowance of each cabin class:

Economy Class: 1 or 2 pieces of free checked baggage with a maximum weight of 23–32 kg, depending on the route flown.

Premium Economy: 2 pieces of free checked baggage with a maximum weight of 23 kg per bag on all flights.

Business Class: 2 pieces of free checked baggage with a maximum weight of 32 kg per bag on all flights.

First Class: 3 items of free checked baggage with a maximum weight of 32 kg per bag on all flights.

Cabin Classes

British Airways' customers can choose between Economy, Premium Economy, Business or First Class for their flights.

Economy Class

British Airways Economy Class differs depending on whether the flights are short-haul or long-haul.

Euro Traveller

Euro Traveller is Economy Class for flights within Europe and UK. It offers a comfortable cabin with leather seats, adjustable headrests, complimentary newspapers and LED mood lighting.

Euro Traveller is split into three different fare structures:

Basic —this includes an allocated seat and hand baggage. With this fare, you can add a checked bag for a fee or choose a seat.

Plus — Plus fare allows passengers to choose their seat for free 48 hours before departure, request flight changes on the departure date for free and a greater checked baggage allowance.

Plus Flex — Plus Flex is a suitable fare provides flexibility on ticket changes and allows passengers to choose where a seat up to an hour before the flight.

World Traveller

World Traveller is Economy Class for long-haul flights. Onboard a wide body plane, it offers a comfortable and spacious cabin with leather reclinable seats, complimentary meals and drinks, a personal entertainment system on all fares.

World Traveller is split into two fares:

Basic — includes carry-on baggage and a pre-allocated seat, perfect for light travel with no-frills.

Standard — includes checked baggage, seat selection and allows passengers to board earlier than the Basic fare.

Seats

Seats on British Airways flights are set out in a 3 x 3 x 3 configuration on long-haul flights and a 3 x 3 configuration on short-haul flights. Seats offer between 29–31" of pitch and 17" of width.

Premium Economy

Premium Economy Facilities

The British Airways Premium Economy Service is called World Traveller Plus and is only available on medium-haul and long-haul flights.

Passengers receive a quilt and cushion and can enjoy great in-flight entertainment with a selection of movies and films. Passengers can enjoy the same great menu that's in Economy Class but with alcoholic cocktails and mocktails added to the Premium Economy bar menu. Each passenger is given an amenity kit, which uses materials created from recycled plastic bottles. The kits include eyeshade, socks, pen, toothbrush, toothpaste and lip balm from Scaramouche & Fandango.

What Are Premium Economy Seats Like?

The service offers passengers increased reclination on seats, personal in-seat power sockets and a larger in-flight entertainment screen.

The seats in British Airways Premium Economy are approximately 18.5 inches in width and recline to a 38-inch pitch.

Business Class

British Airways Business Class service provides passengers with an excellent range of services to ensure they have the most enjoyable flight possible. The facilities offered onboard depend on whether the flight is long-haul or short-haul. For long-haul flights "Club World" flights passengers will be able to enjoy the best night's sleep possible onboard their BA flights. Passengers flying within Europe on "Club Europe" BA flights are guaranteed more comfort on board to help them relax on their European flight.

Business Class Facilities

BA's Club World passengers can expect three-course meals to suit every taste as well as a range of expertly chosen Old and New World wines. Each passenger's seat is equipped with a personal 10.4in flat screen so you never spend a moment bored on your flight. For Business Club Europe passengers, delicious meal options will be crafted to match the length of your flight.

What Are Business Class Seats Like?

Club World British Airways seats give personal space to stretch out in privacy and comfort. At night, seats will convert into a 183cm (72") fully flatbed. Passengers flying between London and New York on BA's Club World London City flights will be able to get the rest they need on board with a seat that converts into a fully flatbed. Power supplies are fitted to every seat to allow passengers to charge their electronic devices in-flight. Passengers in the airline's Club Europe cabin sit on contoured leather seats with 76.2cm (30") legroom and fully movable headrests.

First Class

First Class is the most luxurious of the British Airways travel classes. From a personal stylish suite to exclusive spa treatments and world-class meals, First Class ensures that passengers arrive at their destination in style. First Class is only available on long-haul flights.

First Class Facilities

Passengers flying from LHR and JFK are given access to The Concorde Room, BA's most luxurious departure lounge. The lounge offers passengers total intimacy with a private cabin and full waiter service.

In-flight, passengers can enjoy their own private suite and a fine-dining experience with crockery, cutlery and glassware. Passengers are also provided with soft cotton sleepwear and can pamper themselves with the airline's luxury Aromatherapy Associates products and Liberty of London amenity kit.

What Are First Class Seats Like?

British Airways First Class seats recline into a fully-flat bed with a luxurious quilted mattress, crisp white cotton duvet and pillows. Each seat gives 78" of pitch, 22" of width and has a power supply to allow passengers to charge their personal electronic devices.

In-flight Entertainment & WIFI

BA's in-flight entertainment is available on all long-haul international flights and offers a range of TVs, movies, music and games.

TV

The TV shows on offer with British Airways are constantly being updated, but the airline currently offers a range of documentaries, BBC dramas, cartoons and sitcoms.

Movies

Offering action packed blockbusters as well as thought-provoking thrillers, British Airways has a excellent selection of films to suit every taste. As well as British films, the airline also shows a number of Hollywood movies.

WIFI

British Airways high-speed WIFI is powered by .air, which allows passengers to browse the web with Chrome, Safari 1E11 and Edge.

British Airways WIFI allows you to choose from two different packages:

  • The 'browse package', which allows you to browse the web, access to your emails, and access to instant messaging.
  • The 'stream package', which allows you access to everything above plus gives the ability to stream music and videos

WIFI Prices

British Airways WIFI pricing starts at £4.99 GBP.

Food & Drink

British Airways offers a variety of food and drink to its customers, the menu changing depending on the class which you're situated in.

Meal Options

British Airways offer a variety of meals and snacks on board their flights, depending on the route and class flying.

Passengers travelling short-haul in Economy are offered food provided by Marks & Spencer to purchase , including sandwiches and sweet and savoury snacks. Passengers travelling short-haul in Premium Economy or Business are given complimentary meals based on the length of the flight as part of the Club Europe service.

Passengers travelling long-haul flights are offered complimentary food on all flights, with breakfast in the morning and a meal for either lunch or dinner and afternoon tea provided on select flights. All passengers are offered complimentary snacks and drinks in addition to this. Prior to the flight, passengers can check their booking to see what special meals can be reserved, purchased or upgraded to. This must be done between 30 days and 24 hours before flying.

Special Dietary Requirements

British Airways offer special meals for their flights for passengers who request them prior to flying. These meals must be ordered at least 24 hours before scheduled departure time, except for Kosher meals on flights departing from London Gatwick (LGW) which must be ordered at least 48 hours prior to departure. These are all the meal types that British Airways offer:

Drinks & Alcohol

British Airways offer a full drinks service, including alcoholic beverages, on most of their flights. These are available to purchase in any class, but long-haul flights will include a complimentary drink with their meal.

Check-In

British Airways have check in available both online or at the airport and the times at which it opens and closes will vary depending on whether you're flying domestically or internationally.

Online Check-in

Passengers can check-in online for their flight on the British Airways online check-in page. Online check-in opens 24 hours before scheduled flight departure time.

Airport Check-in

Passengers that can't check-in online or are unable to check-in online can check-in at the airport. This can be done by visiting one of the airport check-in desks with the relevant travel documents. Airport check-in closing times differ depending on the airport of departure.

Frequent Flyer Programme

British Airways' tiered loyalty programme, Executive Club, gives passengers access to special lounges and dedicated 'fast' queues. Passengers can collect Avios (points) every time that they fly with British Airways or purchase from one of its partners. The more Avios earned, the higher the level of membership passengers are awarded. The higher the level of membership, the more benefits passengers will receive.

Passengers can also use Avios to purchase or upgrade their flight on any British Airways flight or any member of the Oneworld alliance.

Airline Alliance

British Airways is currently part of Oneworld.

Oneworld

British Airways is a founding member of the world's third-biggest airline alliance, the Oneworld alliance. British Airways works closely with its Oneworld partner airlines to offer passengers a range of benefits for each airline. BA has a series of interline agreements with airline's within Oneworld that allows its passengers to fly to destinations beyond Britsh Airway's route network.

These are all the members of the Oneworld alliance:

This includes:

Special Services

British Airways only offer a small number of special services on board their aircraft.

Travelling With a Pet

If you are wanting to fly with either a pet, service animal or emotional support animal, you can see all information and advice by Alternative Airlines about travelling with an animal.

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Destinations that British Airways flies to

British Airways flies to a vast amount of destinations, below is a detailed table of all its destinations:

Alternatives to British Airways

Please click on the logos below to find out more about airlines that fly similar routes:

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Hub Airport

London Heathrow Airport

Heathrow Airport is a major international airport in west London, England. Heathrow and is the hub airport for British Airways.

By passenger traffic, London Heathrow is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom, the busiest airport in Europe and within the top 10 busiest airports in the world. In 2018, it handled a record 80.1 million passengers. 

Currently, British Airways is the only airline that fly to/from London Heathrow include Virgin Atlantic, Flybe, United Airlines, KLM, Air Canada, Scandinavian Airlines Ireland and more.

London Heathrow has a massive duty free sections and lots of other shops both landside and airside. London Heathrow was featured on our blog as one of the best places in the world for airport shopping.

Fleet

The British Airways fleet includes a mix of Airbus and Boeing aircraft. This includes:

  • Airbus A318-100
  • A319-100
  • Airbus A320-200
  • Airbus A320neo
  • Airbus A321-200
  • Airbus A3210neo
  • Airbus A350-1000
  • Airbus A380-800
  • Boeing 747-400
  • Boeing 777-200
  • Boeing 777-200ER
  • Boeing 777-300ER
  • Boeing 777-9
  • Boeing 787-8
  • Boeing 787-9
  • Boeing 787-10

Overall, the airline has more than 250 aircraft within its fleet.

Seat Selection

Want the choice of seat on your British Airways flight? View British Airways seat availability and choose your British Airways preferred seat when you book with Alternative Airlines. Alternative Airlines allow you to pick and choose exactly where you want to sit on all British Airways flights — letting you enjoy all the benefits of having a British Airways preferred seat! Visit our seat selection page to find out how to book seats.

Codeshare Agreements

British Airways codeshares with the following airlines:

Aer Lingus

Air Berlin

airBaltic

American Airlines

Bangkok Airways

Cathay Pacific

China Eastern

Finnair

Flybe

Iberia

Japan Airlines

LATAM Brasil

LATAM Chile

Qantas

Qatar Airways

Royal Jordanian

S7 Airlines

TAAG Angola Airlines

Vueling

British Airways Discount & Deals

Find cheap British Airways flights with Alternative Airlines

Alternative Airlines makes it easy to find the flights you’re after. As well as offering a greater choice of flights, when you book through Alternative Airlines you can save even more money by applying a discount or voucher code. It can be hard to find a discount code for a particular airline like British Airways, but with Alternative Airlines you can apply our discount codes to any of the airlines available to book through our site.

British Airways Popular Routes

British Airways popular domestic destinations:

✈ Manchester, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Belfast, Glasgow, Isle of Man, Jersey, London City, London Heathrow, Newcastle upon Tyne

British Airways popular European destinations:

✈ Barcelona, Ibiza, Lanzarote, Madrid, Malaga, Menorca, Tenerife, Bordeaux, Marseille, Nice, Paris, Bologna, Florence, Milan, Naples, Pisa, Rome, Venice, Verona

British Airways popular U.S. destinations:

✈ Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Newark, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Tampa, Washington D.C.

British Airways Canada destinations:

✈ Calgary, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver

British Airways Asia destinations:

✈ Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, Bangkok, Beijing, Chengdu, Shanghai

British Airways South Africa destinations:

✈ Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth

How to use deals and discounts on British Airways flights

1. Apply a PayPal discount code

Our customers love using PayPal to book flights! PayPal is a quick and convenient way to pay. We have lots of PayPal discount codes available throughout the year, which you can apply to any flight booking made through Alternative Airlines.

Find the British Airways flights you’re after, pay with PayPal, and save money by applying an Alternative Airlines PayPal discount code.

2. Take a look at all our current offers

Here are Alternative Airlines, we love saving you money when you book your flights through our site. Our discounts and deals page is constantly updated with the latest offers. What's more, when you book through Alternative Airlines, the discount codes can be applied to any airline, including British Airways. This will apply no matter what class fare you pick (Economy through to Business).

Remember that discount codes expire, so be quick and take a look at the latest codes that we have to offer. You could save money on your British Airways flights!

3. Book your flights now and pay later

If you're looking for an affordable option to still fly with British Airways but without having to pay the full cost, then one of the best ways to make the cost of flying more manageable is by booking now, and paying later. Here at Alternative Airlines, we have partnered with all the major 'Buy Now, pay Later' providers, including Klarna, Affirm, Sezzle and Zip, to help our customers split up the cost of their flights.

The options available will depend on the country in which you reside — if you live in the U.K., you can split the cost of your flights with Clearpay or Klarna. With Clearpay, you can split the payment into 4 and only need to pay 25% of the cost today, with absolutely no interest charged. You can also 'Pay Later' or 'Pay in 3' with PayPal Credit.

Book your flights today and pay over time when you book through Alternative Airlines.

Frequently asked questions about British Airways deals

Does British Airways have discount codes?

It can often be hard to find discount codes for specific airlines, such as British Airways. But that doesn't matter because, here at Alternative Airlines, you can apply our discount codes to any of the airlines available to book through our site, including British Airways. We also offer lots of other ways to help you save money or to help make flying more affordable, such as splitting the cost of your flights.

British Airways flights from London to New York discount codes

London Heathrow to New York JFK is one of British Airways's most popular long-haul flights, and the airline's most popular flights to the U.S. from the U.K. If you're looking to save money on your flights, this guide includes lots of helpful information, including links to our flight discounts and offers page.

Can I book British Airways flights online?

Yes! Alternative Airlines makes it easy to search and book flights with hundreds of airlines, including British Airways. Easily compare airlines to find the flights you're after. To begin, simply use the search bar at the top of the page, by entering your departure location and arrival destination.

Buy British Airways Last Minute Flights

What are last-minute British Airways flights?

Last-minute British Airways flights are British Airways flights purchased close to the departure date and time of the flight. These flights are usually purchased in the days or weeks leading up to the departure date. Last-minute flights tend to be purchased by business travellers who need to attend meetings or by passengers who need to travel urgently. Last-minute flights can often be cheaper than buying flights months before departure, however, this isn't always guaranteed.

Booking last-minute flights with British Airways is super easy. Simply follow our step-by-step guide on how to book last-minute flights with British Airways. We offer 40+ payment methods such as buy now, pay later, cryptocurrency and Apple Pay. Select the payment method that best suits you. You can also add extras to your booking such as Cancellation Protection and Lost Baggage Insurance.

At Alternative Airlines, the majority of our e-tickets are sent to you instantly or within 2 hours via email. Please note that when booking last-minute flights, in some cases, it might take up to 24 hours to receive your e-ticket.

How to book last-minute flights with British Airways

  1. Navigate to the search form at the top of the page and select if you wish to travel a return, one-way or multi-city search. Then fill in your departure and arrival destinations along with the dates, number of passengers and cabin class. Once you have filled in all the details, hit 'Search Flights' to find the perfect last-minute flight for you.
  2. We'll then display all available last-minute flights for the dates and destinations you've chosen. If you wish to fly with a specific airline, use the airline filter to narrow down your search e.g. British Airways.
  3. After, you've found the last-minute flights that's right for you, 'Confirm Selection' and proceed to booking. We offer over 40 different payment methods on site such as Buy Now Pay Later OptionsApple Pay, Credit and Debit cards, PayPalCryptocurrency and more.

Popular last-minute flight routes with British Airways

British Airways flies to over 200 destinations globally. Below are some suggestions of popular last-minute routes with British Airways. Pack your bags today for a last-minute flight tomorrow.

  • London ✈ to Edinburgh
  •  Paris ✈ to Madrid
  • London ✈ to Los Angeles
  • Belfast ✈ to Santorini

Can I finance last-minute British Airways flights?

Of course! If you'd like to buy Britsh Airways flights today, fly tomorrow and pay in instalments, you can! With Alternative Airlines you can purchase flights today and spread the cost of your flight in instalments. We have partnered with many payment plan providers including KlarnaAffirmAfterpayClearpayTabby. Check out our Fly Now Pay Later with British Airways to find out more.

Can I finance last-minute British Airways flights?

Absolutely! You can reserve your British Airways flight today and spread the cost with instalment payments through Alternative Airlines. We understand that last-minute flights can be a financial challenge during emergencies, but with us, you can finance them instead of paying a lump sum from unexpected funds.

We offer a variety of payment methods, including convenient Buy Now, Pay Later options like PayPal CreditClearpayKlarna and Affirm, with over 40 payment methods available on our site.

Other pay-later options available in the UK:

  • Monzo Flex (currently unavailable with Alternative Airlines)
  • Payl8r (currently unavailable with Alternative Airlines)
  • Openpay (currently unavailable with Alternative Airlines)

News

19th October 2023

British Airways makes a comeback in Abu Dhabi after COVID-19 hiatus

British Airways is set to recommence flights to Abu Dhabi in April 2024, marking a return after a four-year pause caused by the pandemic and sluggish demand recovery. The airline will provide year-round daily flights using the Boeing 787-9, putting it in direct competition with Etihad's London services. Notably, British Airways will utilise its premium-oriented Dreamliner aircraft for this route, offering first class, business class, premium economy and economy cabins.

Frequently asked questions

Are British Airways and American Airlines partners?

Yes, British Airways and American Airlines have been working together since 1999 as part of the oneworld® alliance consisting of over 10 major airlines including Alaska Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines and Malaysia Airlines.

What is the baggage allowance for British Airways?

All tickets with British Airways include a free hand baggage allowance which includes a hand bag or a laptop-sized bag, as well as a cabin bag. It will also include a checked bag unless you are flying with a Basic fare ticket.

Hand bag - up to 40 x 30 x 15cm and up to 23kg

Cabin bag - up to 56 x 45 x 25cm and up to 23kg

Checked bag - up to 90 x 75 x 43cm and up to 23kg

How do I earn tier points with British Airways?

Every time you fly with British Airways or one of the oneworld® partners, you’ll collect tier points. There are four Executive Club tiers:

  • Blue Tier - this is unlocked as soon as you become an Executive Member with British Airways. You’ll also collect Avios points and have access to Member-Only offers
  • Bronze Tier - unlocked after 300 tier points have been attained and you have flown with British Airways on at least 2 eligible flights a year. There is also priority boarding available and free seat selection 7 days before departure
  • Silver Tier - unlocked at 600 points and at least 4 eligible flights a year with British Airways. You’ll gain access to the business lounges and extra baggage allowance
  • Gold Tier - unlocked at 1500 points and at least 4 eligible flights a year with British Airways. This includes First Class check in and boarding

Can I book British Airways flights and pay with Bip?

No, unfortunately, you cannot pay for your British Airways flights with Bip at Alternative Airlines. We don't currently offer Bip as a payment method at Alternative Airlines, however, we do offer 40 other ways for you to pay for your flights, including flexible Buy Now Pay Later plans, cryptocurrencies and virtual wallets!

Can I book British Airways flights and pay later with Curve Flex?

No, unfortunately, you cannot pay later for your British Airways flights with Curve Flex at Alternative Airlines. We don't currently offer Curve Flex as a payment method at Alternative Airlines, however, we do offer other flexible Buy Now Pay Later methods including Clearpay and Klarna, that can help you spread the cost of your British Airways tickets over time!