Is British Airways about to launch flights to Kansas City?

British Airways has let it slip that it is about to announce a new route to the United States.

Because, let’s be honest, the existing 26 routes to the United States aren’t nearly enough ….

Who wouldn’t prefer the 27th most important US city instead of, say, Bangkok, Abu Dhabi, Seoul, Osaka, Kuala Lumpur, Muscat or other dropped routes? Realistically, of course, many of these routes are difficult until the restrictions on Russian airspace are lifted.

The big question is where?

I’m not a routes expert, but the good people over at Flyertalk have proposed a short list which includes:

• Providence
• Hartford (soon to gain Aer Lingus flights)
• Raleigh-Durham (taking over from American Airlines)
• Indianapolis (past rumours of BA being interested)
• Minneapolis-St Paul (a Delta route)
• Louisville
• Detroit
• Cincinnati
• Cleveland
• Columbus
• Salt Lake City
• Fort Myers
• Jacksonville

Why is Kansas City looking possible?

The smart money, however, seems to be pointing at Kansas City, Missouri.

There is a very high chance that British Airways is being offered a big wad of cash to open the route. There are a lot of US cities without any direct flights to Europe, and this is a big issue when it comes to attracting inward investment.

Aer Lingus is a past master at this. Routes Online reported that Aer Lingus will receive $3 million over a three-year period for operating its new Cleveland service. Divide $3 million over three years by four flights per week and that’s a handy $5,000 per return trip.

This local TV news report suggests that Kansas City officials met with British Airways in Bergen in May, at the annual Routes conference, to pitch for flights. Missouri’s state budget includes $5 million allocated for a ‘transatlantic flight loan guarantee incentive’.

There are, apparently, already 400 people per day who are taking transatlantic flights from Kansas City. At the moment all 400 have to change aircraft on the way.

Other points in favour of Kansas City are its role as a host city for the 2026 World Cup and the upcoming opening of a new terminal at Kansas City International Airport.

More news as we get it ….

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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

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Barclaycard Avios Mastercard

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

British Airways American Express Premium Plus

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British Airways American Express

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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

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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

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

British Airways American Express Accelerating Business

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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

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American Express Business Gold

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