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British Airways launches flights from Southampton – 11 routes bookable

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Here’s one you didn’t see coming. British Airways, via its BA CityFlyer subsidiary, is launching 11 routes from Southampton next Summer.

Southampton was, as the picture below shows, a major Flybe base before the airline collapsed earlier this year. The services will be a welcome respite for the airport which lost virtually all of its scheduled services.

The BA flights will use Embraer aircraft which serve London City Airport during the week but have nothing to do when City is closed over the weekend.

(EDIT, May 2021 – the launch date for most of these routes has been pushed back from the dates shown below. Check ba.com for the latest information.)

To accommodate these flights, British Airways is cancelling the scheduled services from Manchester and London Stansted next Summer. This explains why so many HfP readers had reported getting cancellation emails for these services over the last few days.

Interestingly, the BBC reported yesterday that the airport has pulled its planning application for a runway extension. The airport said that it intended to submit ‘additional information’ in a revised application. This could be what they were talking about. A commitment from British Airways is likely to play a part in deciding whether to approve it.

BA CityFlyer flights Southampton summer 2021

What are the new BA routes from Southampton?

Most routes operate between May and 31st October on weekends only. Some services only operate to late September.

  • Berlin – starts 2nd May, Sunday out, Friday back
  • Edinburgh – starts 16th May, Sunday out, Friday back
  • Bergerac – starts 15th May, weekends plus Tuesday in peak season
  • Faro – starts 1st May
  • Florence – starts 1st May
  • Ibiza – starts 2nd May
  • Limoges – starts 15th May
  • Malaga – starts 1st May
  • Mykonos – starts 16th May
  • Nice – starts 15th May
  • Palma – starts 1st May

Live in London?

Many Londoners have probably never flown from Southampton. It is, however, surprisingly easy.

You can get a direct train from London Waterloo to Southampton Airport Parkway station. You will be in the small terminal building within a couple of minutes.

Is there a lounge?

Yes. Here is our review of the Spitfire Lounge at Southampton Airport.

Booking

Flights are now available for booking via ba.com.

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Category

British Airways and Avios

Comments (102)

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

  • Dubious says:
    9 Dec9 December 10:28

    Nice!
    Although Mykonos might be pushing the boundaries of comfort a bit if they use the E175 instead of the E195.

    • IslandDweller says:
      9 Dec9 December 11:33

      Cityflyer E170s are mostly gone, last one goes off lease in a few weeks. (They don’t have the E175 or E195, they’re not certified for LCY)

  • Harry H says:
    9 Dec9 December 10:32

    Is there a lounge? Yes there is.
    Will BA pay for its passengers to use it? Passenger feedback told us that passengers felt safer and so approved our Covid measures, some of which we will continue.

    • Mike says:
      9 Dec9 December 11:11

      LOL! For what it’s worth, the lounge takes priority pass and is actually quite nice.

      Having said that, SOU is tiny and you can get away with turning up 45mins before your flight so no need to spend a significant amount of time airside anyway.

  • Nick Burch says:
    9 Dec9 December 10:32

    In other BA news, they’ve just emailed me as a GGL, offering the gold upgrade vouchers for much lower tier points than normal

    —-

    We hope you know that among millions of Executive Club Members, you’re rather exceptional. To show you how much we treasure your continued loyalty and support, we’re offering you the chance to unlock a Gold Upgrade Voucher, usually awarded at 2,500 Tier Points and beyond.

    Simply earn 250 Tier Points by 31 March 2021, and we’ll add a Gold Upgrade for One Voucher to your account – so you can enjoy the cabin upgrade you deserve.

    Even better, earn 500 Tier Points and we’ll reward you with a Gold Upgrade Voucher for Two – so you can treat yourself and a loved one to an unforgettable trip.

    All you need to do is register, book and fly by 31 March 2021.

  • Matt says:
    9 Dec9 December 10:50

    BA must have got a good deal from Southampton for this.

    I know direct competition is lower, but the catchment is much smaller than Manchester and Heathrow is only an hour drive from Southampton. BA couldn’t make Bristol or Birmingham work with these flights. Maybe I am underestimating the competitive impact.

    BA currently has no presence so that means setting up new check-in, gate and baggage operations. Even if it is outsourced, you’d expect it to be more efficient to leverage their existing operation at Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, etc.

    • Guernsey Globetrotter says:
      9 Dec9 December 12:22

      Southampton also has the Channel Islands as a catchment area too – we normally need to fly to Gatwick (no direct flights to Heathrow) to access international routes and I am sure a lot of us would rather the shorter and often cheaper flight to Southampton, followed by a much easier to navigate airport experience. I for one will be seriously looking at a Nice or Palma trip next summer if the prices are competitive!

  • kt1974 says:
    9 Dec9 December 10:51

    Literally the Best News. Concur that Southampton is an airport even more pleasant and convenient than LCY. OK, so it’s an hour from Waterloo, but multiple trains an hour, and an even shorter walk from the platform to the terminal to the plane than LCY. Very pleasant indeed. (as are the larger Jungle Jets in Y – no need for club)

  • abc says:
    9 Dec9 December 10:53

    Southampton airport is great. It’s very small, a 5-minute walks from the train station to the plane, hardly ever any queues at security. For some people living in London, it’s probably quicker than flying from one of the London airports.

  • C. J.Luke says:
    9 Dec9 December 11:14

    New would love Barcelona and Newcastle flights, but, equally, too many flights is bad for the environment and will add to demands to tear up trees and extend the runway ! So we will use existing BCN routes. (we did use Flybe SOU-NCL)

  • tony says:
    9 Dec9 December 11:19

    It’s not just easy to access from London, either. The train down from Oxford and Reading stops right outside the terminal door. Excellent news.

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