Iberia to operate some British Airways flights from Heathrow this summer
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In a sign that it is still struggling with the ramp-up in flights this summer, British Airways has now tapped sister airline Iberia on the shoulder to operate select flights from Heathrow Terminal 5.
The major hold up is with crew training and security clearances, which are currently taking over 100 days on average. Although BA has enough planes to go around, the only way it can bring in crew at short notice is by leasing an entire aircraft complete with staff, something called a ‘wet lease’ in the industry.
Iberia Express is already operating around 25% – 30% of BA’s flights out of Gatwick and Finnair is also operating some flights from Heathrow Terminal 3. Rob was recently on a BA flight operated by Titan Airways on a Boeing 757.
Anyone with an existing booking will be emailed if the flight is to be operated by Iberia. It is also displayed quite prominently when you make a new booking, although it looks like flights have only been loaded a week or so in advance.
You will still get Club Europe and Euro Traveller food and service, and the aircraft seats are virtually identical, so it won’t be hugely different from any other BA flight. That said, you can change your flight to a BA-operated service from Heathrow or another London airport if you so wish.
Feedback from people who have flown the Iberia Express services from Gatwick has been very positive, almost entirely because of the cheerful cabin crew. That said, this is an opportunity to switch to a potentially better timed BA-operated flight at no cost ….
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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
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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.
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