British Airways announces imminent delivery dates for its first A380 and Boeing 787 aircraft
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British Airways has released further details about the delivery dates for its first A380 and B787 aircraft as well as news of the crew training flights that will be operated:
The countdown is well and truly underway as the airline looks forward to welcoming the first of its new aircraft later this month.
In a message to all colleagues, chief executive Keith Williams confirmed the first two 787s would be arriving on June 26 and 27, followed by the first A380 a week later on July 4.
Keith said: “The arrivals mark a historic moment for our airline – our first new aircraft types in 17 years and a spectacular demonstration of our £5bn customer investment programme.”
He also thanked colleagues for their hard work and stressed how planning for this moment started over six years ago.
He added: “Planning started over six years ago but over the past six months we’ve moved into full throttle. Teams from across the airline have come together to ensure our people are trained and prepared.”
The airline is planning to hold a double celebration on July 4 with a live broadcast to colleagues of the A380 arriving in front of 380 staff, some VIP customers and the media. It will then pull up alongside the 787 as the airline officially welcomes both aircraft to its fleet.
Following their arrival, both aircraft will be used for training before they go into service. This will include pilot and cabin crew training at Manston Airport in Kent, customer service trials at Heathrow and a period of short-haul flying – Stockholm for the 787 and Frankfurt for the A380. Flights within the UK will also take place during this period and further details will be announced nearer the time.
I will do what I can to snag a flight on both / either of the A380 and B787 introductory flights. I tried to grab a ticket for the London to Oslo test flights that Norwegian is doing for its Boeing 787’s, but without success (well, without success for business class!) – hopefully I can do better this time.
More details on the A380’s, including some photos and video footage, can be found in this old Head for Points article.

How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (February 2023)
As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Avios points from UK credit cards. Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses!
In February 2022, Barclaycard launched two exciting new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard cards with a bonus of up to 25,000 Avios. You can apply here.
You qualify for the bonus on these cards even if you have a British Airways American Express card:

Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard
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Barclaycard Avios Mastercard
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There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:
SPECIAL OFFER: Until 21st February 2023, the sign-up bonus on the British Airways Premium Plus American Express card is increased to 35,000 Avios from 25,000 Avios. You can apply here.

British Airways American Express Premium Plus
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British Airways American Express
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You can also get generous sign-up bonuses by applying for American Express cards which earn Membership Rewards points.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold
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The Platinum Card from American Express
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Run your own business?
We recommend Capital On Tap for limited companies. You earn 1 Avios per £1 which is impressive for a Visa card, along with a sign-up bonus worth 10,500 Avios.

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You should also consider the British Airways Accelerating Business credit card. This is open to sole traders as well as limited companies and has a 30,000 Avios sign-up bonus.

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There are also generous bonuses on the two American Express Business cards, with the points converting at 1:1 into Avios. These cards are open to sole traders as well as limited companies.

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Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Avios. This includes both personal and small business cards.
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