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Bits: BA launches two new ski routes, BA drops two routes, Scottish Air Passenger Duty cut

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News in brief:

British Airways launches two new ski routes

British Airways has announced two new routes from Heathrow to Grenoble and Turin in time for the Winter 2017 ski season.

These routes already operate from Gatwick and those flights will remain.  There will be two weekly flights to Turin (Sat, Sun) and one to Grenoble (Sat).  The routes start on 2nd December.

BA has also announced increased frequencies on other core ski routes:

Heathrow to Salzburg doubles from two to four per week (Mon, Fri added)

Innsbruck gains two additional weekly services

Reykjavik gains an additional daily flight

Sofia and Zurich gain an additional weekly flight

Tallinn flights are also available for the first time this Winter following the recent route launch

These flights are all available for booking at ba.com.  Importantly, the standard Avios allocation is also there (two Club Europe, four economy) on these new services, even for super-peak dates.

Whilst redemption flights for key ski dates disappeared months ago on existing flights, you may be able to snag something on one of these new services if you act quickly.  

Whilst they will probably have gone by the time you read this, yesterday morning you could have booked the new Salzburg service over February half term (Friday 9th to Friday 16th) on Avios even though cash tickets were £330 in economy and £550 in business.

British Airways drops two routes to Norway

In other news, British Airways is suspending flights from Heathrow to Stavanger and Bergen from 28th October 2017.

At present, the only options being given to passengers are rebooking for a date earlier than 28th October or a transfer to a flight to Oslo.  You would need to make your own way to Stavanger or Bergen at your own cost.  If neither of these are suitable, you will be refunded.

Air Passenger Duty reform in Scotland agreed

The Scottish Parliament voted by 108 to 11 on Tuesday to replace Air Passenger Duty in Scotland from April 2018.

The new tax will be called ADT (Air Departure Tax).  The level has not yet been anounced but the indications are that it will be no more than 50% of current levels and will be abolished entirely in the medium term.

Newcastle Airport has led calls from airports in Northern England for a similar changes to UK APD, claiming that flights may relocate to Glasgow or Edinburgh.  This is not an unreasonable view, given that the potential saving for a family of four flying in a premium cabin would be over £300.

Category

British Airways and Avios

Comments (96)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • @alastairtravel says:
    22 Jun22 June 08:04

    Not an extra route as such but for those looking for October half term sunshine BA have added a Saturday flight Heathrow to Tenerife on certain dates with good availability. I know half terms vary but 28th Oct – 4th Nov wide open including Avios.

  • Rob says:
    22 Jun22 June 08:57

    Can’t blame them given the number of people who drive to Dublin to avoid paying APD in Belfast.

  • Frankie says:
    22 Jun22 June 09:00

    O/T. Have people who were promised their BA two year status extension after the IT issue actually received it? I’ve called and messaged them and still no joy

  • Moray says:
    22 Jun22 June 09:01

    BA are adding a third daily Los Angeles flight from the end of October 2017. It will be flown by a 787-9. Also a fifth weekly New Orleans will be added around the same time.

  • Geoff says:
    22 Jun22 June 09:02

    OT question re Amex 241 voucher:
    (Despite the reams of 241 posts and comments I couldn’t find this particular case discussed.)
    With a BAPP card if I hit the £10k spend I get the voucher. What happens if a transaction is refunded which takes the cumulative spend back under £10k? What happens if even by the card anniversary date, the cumulative spend has still not gone back over £10k?

    Many thanks for any help.

    • Rob says:
      22 Jun22 June 09:12

      1 Nothing
      2 Nothing

      Note that if the refund happens in the new card year, it impacts the £10k for the new year as it is £10k net spend, ie do a £5k refund a week into your new card year and you will need to spend £15k to trigger the voucher,

      • Geoff says:
        22 Jun22 June 09:44

        Many thanks Rob. All sounds a bit too good to be true given how easy it is to refund many sorts of transactions nowadays!

        • Alan says:
          22 Jun22 June 20:46

          To my mind you’ve got to balance it with perhaps wanting to continue a long-term relationship with Amex – if you repeatedly signed up, got the voucher, refunded the spend – I’m not sure that would necessarily be something that they continued to allow.

          • Geoff says:
            23 Jun23 June 08:43

            Absolutely. I wouldn’t take the p personally (though I might just do something creative if it would tip the balance). However I could imagine others might do differently.

          • Genghis says:
            23 Jun23 June 08:52

            I have had some genuine refunds post cancellation and then got the cash back. I would never actively do the large refund post cancellation trick as I potentially push my luck with Amex a bit too much as it is.

  • Optimus Prime says:
    22 Jun22 June 09:05

    OT: have just received an email from Etihad. Chauffer Service no longer free on all routes for Business and First.

    “Our free Chauffeur Service will continue to operate to and from anywhere in the UAE, for eligible First and Business Class guests.

    From 3 July 2017, a paid airport transfer service will replace our Chauffeur Service at all other destinations . This new service will be available to our guests across all cabins, and includes a wide range of vehicle choices to suit individual requirements. Guests can also earn Etihad Guest Miles on every journey.

    Guests travelling in The Residence on our A380 will continue to receive complimentary Chauffeur Services at all A380 destinations.

    All First and Business Class tickets (with the exception of Business Saver tickets), booked before 3 July 2017, can still book and confirm the Etihad Chauffeur service worldwide. For any ticket issued on 3 July or after (including re-issued tickets), the new policy will apply.”

    • Optimus Prime says:
      22 Jun22 June 09:07

      So if you’re flying LHR-MEL via UAE in Business class – do you at least get free chauffeur service in London?

  • KP says:
    22 Jun22 June 09:12

    OT: Etihad has stopped free chauffeur service outside UAE for all J and F passengers. It’s being replaced by pis-for airport transfer

  • Andrew says:
    22 Jun22 June 09:37

    Well this should make things really interesting.

    I have family in Scotland, so already often fly from GLA or EDI to take advantage of BA’s “Scottish Discount”. 😉

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

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