Revealed: the British Airways flights moving to Terminal 3 in two weeks
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In a positive sign about the pick-up of flight activity, British Airways will be moving back into Heathrow Terminal 3 on Tuesday 9th November.
These will be the first BA passenger flights to operate from Terminal 3 since March 2020.
Which British Airways routes are moving to Terminal 3?
The first thing to note is that only short-haul flights are moving back to Terminal 3 for now.
All British Airways long-haul flights will remain in Terminal 5, apart from the handful of Caribbean departures which are still using Gatwick Airport.
These are the routes which are moving:
- Algiers
- Barcelona
- Bologna
- Budapest
- Gibraltar
- Hanover
- Krakow
- Marseille
- Prague
- Pisa
- Sofia
- Seville
- Tirana
- Vienna
- Zagreb
This is similar, although not identical, to how routes were split pre-covid. Historically, Terminal 3 flights have been those with the fewest connecting passengers to minimise the number of people who need to be shuttled to or from Terminal 5. Some routes also went to Terminal 3 if they were very popular with US tourists connecting from American Airlines.
What lounges can I access?
Only a handful of the Terminal 3 airport lounges are currently open, but you do have some options.
Got BA status or flying business class? The British Airways lounge is open, which we reviewed here. Unfortunately the superior Cathay Pacific and Qantas lounges, as well as the inferior American Airlines lounge, remain closed.
Got a Priority Pass? The No1 Lounge is open, which we reviewed here. Club Aspire remains closed.
Got an American Express Platinum card? The brand new, and very impressive, American Express Centurion Lounge is now open, as we reviewed here – photo above. The Plaza Premium arrivals lounge, which can be accessed with Amex Platinum, remains closed.
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.
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