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British Airways launches flights to Montego Bay

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British Airways has announced that it will be launching a new route from Gatwick to Montego Bay in Jamaica.  The first flight will be on 13th October 2020.

With leisure destinations now at the forefront of travel, I imagine BA is hoping that Caribbean routes will keep them ticking over during the winter season.

British Airways BA 777X 777 9X

The route will join Antigua, Barbados, Kingston and St Lucia which are now operating or re-starting in the coming week.

The flight will operate twice weekly, on Tuesdays and Saturdays, with a three-class Boeing 777. You won’t be getting Club Suite on this flight unfortunately, as the Gatwick fleet will be the last to get it retrofitted.

You can book on the British Airways website here.  As this is a new route, you are likely to find wide-open Avios availability in Club with two seats guaranteed per flight.

Montego Bay is also a Virgin Atlantic route so you may be able to mix and match inbound and outbound flights across the two airlines if it helps you get the dates you want.

This could be the start of a run of new leisure routes, as British Airways looks to move its aircraft to destinations where leisure – rather than business – travellers are likely to be visiting over the next few months.

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Category

British Airways and Avios

Comments (53)

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

  • Joel says:
    23 Jul23 July 08:33

    Very interesting – LGW-MBJ availability is showing up from October through to the end of April. Nothing showing in May. Does anyone know why this might be?

    • Rhys says:
      23 Jul23 July 08:37

      Co-ordinated winter season normally finishes at the end of March, so if you’re seeing availability in April it won’t be that. Might just be they haven’t planned that far ahead and are hoping that by then things will gradually be normalising again…

  • Richard Cooper says:
    23 Jul23 July 09:25

    Before you book Jamaica! FCO advice shows:
    All travellers arriving in Jamaica will be subject to the following quarantine requirements:

    If you are COVID19 symptomatic or test positive upon arrival in Jamaica, you can expect to be confined at an appropriate location, including a Government facility.
    If you are a British citizen who is resident in Jamaica, you and your family will be required to observe self-isolation for 14 days at your designated home.
    British tourists can expect to be tested for COVID19 upon arrival and spend their time in Jamaica only within the COVID Resilient Zone along the northern coastline resort areas.
    Persons who arrive in Jamaica who are not staying at resorts will undergo risk assessments and will be required to make an appointment at a testing location and do a PCR test. They should remain under quarantine orders while they await their test results.
    British citizens visiting family or friends in Jamaica will be tested for COVID19 upon arrival. If negative, you will be required to be in quarantine at your intended address for 14 days.
    Business travellers can expect to be tested for COVID19 upon arrival at the airport and await the result at a designated hotel or other place. They can conduct their business if the results are negative, observing local protocols.

    • Anna says:
      23 Jul23 July 10:49

      Goalposts continually moving all over the Caribbean region (Bahamas has re-banned US tourists as of yesterday). I wouldn’t risk it until next year.

      • Alan H says:
        23 Jul23 July 18:09

        I agree. Latest proposals for entry to Cayman Islands from September make it unviable and impractical to travel there.

  • michael says:
    23 Jul23 July 09:54

    hugely unethical to promote and encourage this, given the current state of BA.

    • J says:
      23 Jul23 July 10:42

      BA routinely exploit their staff and customers… Wouldn’t feel any guilt or shame in getting one over them.

  • Michael says:
    23 Jul23 July 11:22

    I accessed the ‘Book with Confidence’ link in the article which is displaying today’s date. The BA website is still referring to flights up to 31 August not 30 September:
    “applies to bookings made from 3 March until 31 August 2020 for journeys that are due to have been completed by 30 April 2021”.
    Will the extension to 30 September be announced tomorrow?
    Many thanks

    • Rhys says:
      23 Jul23 July 11:45

      You’re looking at the wrong section – you need to look where it says for bookings made prior to 3rd March.

  • S879 says:
    23 Jul23 July 12:44

    How do i downgrade my BAPP to the free one? Also is there still time to opt out of Clubcard to Virgin auto convert as it says 24/07. Do I opt in again after deadline passes!

  • Matt says:
    23 Jul23 July 13:54

    Just hit 55k IHG points and selected my 25k points spire choice benefit. Any chance I’ll get a second lot because of the auto renewal? People on here previously mentioned you would get it?

  • Graham says:
    23 Jul23 July 14:17

    Do the FTV travel vouchers cover hotels booked through BA (purchased standalone as we redeemed avios). I believe at the time this was first announced that the hotels were forfeited. I’m guessing this is still the case?

  • Mark says:
    23 Jul23 July 16:11

    Are the Gatwick 777’s going to be retrofitted with the new “old” club world seat? There will be plenty knocking around now the 747’s are being sent to the scrap heap!

    • Rhys says:
      23 Jul23 July 16:24

      They already have the Club World seat!

      • Mark says:
        23 Jul23 July 16:31

        Sorry what I meant was they had a very old version of the club world seat (think very thick tv’s with tiny screens) when I last flew long haul out of LGW, although this was a while ago so they may have been refurbished in the meantime?

        • TGLoyalty says:
          23 Jul23 July 19:10

          I believe the whole LGW 777 fleet has been refurbished now

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

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