British Airways moving Tokyo flights from Narita to Haneda airport
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The 2020 Olympics is proving to be a good opportunity for authorities, airports and airlines to tweak many long haul flights to Tokyo.
For the last decade or so British Airways has offered two daily flights to Tokyo, one to Narita and one to Haneda. It will now be consolidating its operations at Haneda, beginning on the 28th March.
This makes sense, for several reasons:
Haneda is closer to central Tokyo, and both cheaper and faster to get to/from
oneworld partner JAL operates more domestic flights from Haneda, so there are greater opportunities for connections
all first and business class passengers can now use fast track security
JAL will re-open its renovated First Class and Sakura lounges in March
….. not to mention the financial benefits of consolidating operations at one airport rather than two.
The flight timings have been roughly preserved. The two flights will now be:
BA007, departing Heathrow at 11:35 and arriving in Haneda the following day at 07:10 (Boeing 777)
BA008 departs Haneda at 09:55 and arrives in London 13:15 the same day (Boeing 777)
BA005 departing Heathrow at 15:40 and arriving in Haneda at 11:15 (Boeing 787)
BA006 departs Haneda at 13:15 and arrives in London at 17:25 the same day (Boeing 787)
In July BA5/BA6 will be replaced with an A350 with the new Club Suite so it is worth targetting this flight if you can.
The new flights are visible and bookable on ba.com here.
PS. If you missed it, take a look at our recent article on 10 good reasons to think about getting the British Airways American Express credit card.
How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (April 2024)
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
Get 25,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £10,000 Read our full review
Barclaycard Avios Mastercard
5,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £20,000 Read our full review
There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:
British Airways American Express Premium Plus
25,000 Avios and the famous annual 2-4-1 voucher Read our full review
British Airways American Express
5,000 Avios for signing up and an Economy 2-4-1 voucher for spending £15,000 Read our full review
You can also get generous sign-up bonuses by applying for American Express cards which earn Membership Rewards points. These points convert at 1:1 into Avios.
American Express Preferred Rewards Gold
Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review
The Platinum Card from American Express
40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review
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.
SPECIAL OFFER: Until 12th May 2024, the Capital on Tap Business Rewards Visa card is offering a bonus of 30,000 points, convertible into 30,000 Avios. You must have a Limited Company to apply. Click here to learn more and click here to apply.
Capital on Tap Business Rewards Visa
Huge 30,000 points bonus until 12th May 2024 Read our full review
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.
British Airways Accelerating Business American Express
30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review
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.
American Express Business Platinum
40,000 points sign-up bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review
American Express Business Gold
20,000 points sign-up bonus and FREE for a year Read our full review
Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Avios. This includes both personal and small business cards.