Fly a British Airways Boeing 787 in First to Amsterdam

If you’ve never flown British Airways Club World (not Club Suite, unfortunately) then now is your cheapest ever opportunity.  You may even be able to try First Class.

British Airways is rostering a Boeing 787 on the Amsterdam route for the next few weeks.

It is currently scheduled to fly:

Outbound

• Tuesday and Friday, 08.20 Heathrow, arr 10.40 Amsterdam

Inbound

• Tuesday and Friday, 12.10 Amsterdam, arr 12.30 Heathrow

The last flight is Friday 31st July.  Remember that British Airways can swap aircraft at will so a Boeing 787 is not guaranteed, but I imagine that these flights are being rostered for cargo purposes and so are likely to remain in the schedule.

I did a dummy booking.  As a BA Gold, I am allowed to sit in First Class (row 1 and 2) or Club World with a Business Class ticket.  Not all flights seem to be operated by the 787-9, which has First Class, but some are and it is clear from the seat map before you book.

You do NOT get access to the Concorde Room at Heathrow, as your ticket shows Business Class and not First Class.

For clarity, be aware that there is a chance that – on the day – cabin crew will decide to close First Class and make you sit in Club World.  You have no recompense if that happens.  The service is the same regardless of where you sit.

You are, of course, taking a gamble on the UK inbound quarantine restrictions being lifted by the date you travel.

Irrespective of UK travel guidelines, UK citizens cannot enter the Netherlands until at least 6th July without going into 14 days quarantine.  Technically, of course, this doesn’t stop you doing a day trip or even an overnight trip.

An Avios redemption would be fully cancellable up to 24 hours before travel for a full refund less a £35 fee.  If you booked for cash, you would be able to cancel for free for a British Airways ‘Book With Confidence’ travel voucher, valid until April 2022.

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How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (April 2025)

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

Get 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

30,000 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.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 30,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review

The Platinum Card from American Express

80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large 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, and the standard card is FREE. Capital on Tap cards also have no FX fees.

Capital on Tap Visa

NO annual fee, NO FX fees and points worth 1 Avios per £1 Read our full review

Capital on Tap Pro Visa

10,500 points (=10,500 Avios) plus good benefits Read our full review

There is also a British Airways American Express card for small businesses:

British Airways American Express Accelerating Business

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

50,000 points when you sign-up 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.