British Airways (re-)launches flights to Portland and Pittsburgh

British Airways has announced that it is launching flights to Portland, Oregon in 2022.

This is the second time BA has announced the route. It first announced it would fly to Portland in December 2019, with flights starting in June 2020.

That – obviously – never happened, and the flights were pulled from schedules entirely last year.

Pittsburgh is also returning …. but let’s look at Portland first. Both routes should have good Avios availability as the routes have just been added.

The good news is that BA still has its sights set on the Pacific North West and will launch Portland on 3rd June 2022.

It will operate five days per week, all year round. Here is the timetable:

• BA267 departs Heathrow at 15:15, arrives in Portland at 17:04
• BA266 departs Portland at 18:50 and arrives in London at 12:15 the following day

Flight times are almost identical to the original plans, although the flight numbers have changed. It will depart from Heathrow Terminal 5.

The re-launch suggests BA is confident of travel picking up more broadly in 2022, despite the current Omicron menace.

The service will use a 787-8 aircraft, which British Airways often uses to open new US routes. It is BA’s smallest long haul aircraft with Club, World Traveller Plus and World Traveller. The 787-8 fleet is not yet outfitted with BA’s new Club Suite business class so you have to make do with the older yin-yang style seating. Our guide to the best seats on BA’s 787-8 is here.

By the time you read this flights should be bookable for cash or Avios on the BA website here, with the guaranteed two World Traveller Plus (premium economy) and four Club World seats per flight.  As this is a new route availability should be wide open – if you were planning a trip to the US west coast next Summer but had failed to get the dates you wanted, this might be your best opportunity.

British Airways also returns to Pittsburgh

British Airways has also announced the return of flights to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This route also returns on the 3rd June 2022 and will operate four times a week – Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday:

• BA171 departs Heathrow at 16:45 and arrives in Pittsburgh at 19:50
• BA170 departs Pittsburgh at 21:50 and arrives at Heathrow at 10:10 the following morning

These flights will also be operated by a Boeing 787-8. Unfortunately I have never been to Pittsburgh so I can’t recommend any activities ….

You can book both routes on ba.com here.

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How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (October 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:

There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:

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.

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.

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

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.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 22nd October 2024, the bonus on American Express Business Platinum is increased to up to 80,000 Membership Rewards points, worth 80,000 Avios. You will receive 8 points per £1 spent for the first three months, on up to £10,000 of spending. Click here to read our full card review. Click here to apply.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 22nd October 2024, the bonus on American Express Business Gold is increased to up to 40,000 Membership Rewards points, worth 40,000 Avios. You will receive 4 points per £1 spent for the first three months, on up to £10,000 of spending. The card is FREE for your first year. Click here to read our full card review. Click here to apply.

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Avios. This includes both personal and small business cards.