Cape Town Archives – London Air Travel

British Airways Relaunches London Gatwick – Cape Town

British Airways will relaunch winter seasonal flights from London Gatwick to Cape Town from 13 December 2022.

British Airways has relaunched its winter seasonal route from London Gatwick to Cape Town.

The route returns for the first time since COVID-19 on Tuesday 13 December 2022.

Flights will operate three times weekly until Saturday 25 March 2023.

Flights depart Gatwick on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday, with the return flights from Cape Town the following day.

Extra flights to Cape Town are welcome. Though for Club World passengers you should be guaranteed to have BA’s Club Suite on a flight between Heathrow and Cape Town. Whereas at Gatwick, you are guaranteed to have BA’s old Club World cabin.

According to BA’s latest schedule updates, it will add a second daily flight from Heathrow to Cape Town on 20 November.

Sadly, following the demise of its franchise partner Comair, BA does not offer local flights within South Africa. BA does have an interline agreement with AirLink and South African Airways.

Virgin Atlantic Returns To Cape Town

Virgin Atlantic is to return to Cape Town after a five year break with a new winter seasonal service from London Heathrow.

London Air Travel » Cape Town

Virgin Atlantic is to return to Cape Town after a break of five years with a new winter seasonal service from London Heathrow.

Flights will operate daily from Sunday 25 October 2020 with a Boeing 787-9 aircraft.

Virgin used to fly to Cape Town until April 2015 when the route was suspended as part of a wide-ranging review of the Virgin Atlantic route network.

Cape Town is a hugely popular winter long-haul destination and the arrival of additional capacity will be welcomed.

Following the closure of Thomas Cook, the route has been exclusively operated by British Airways with daily Boeing 747s from London Heathrow and a winter seasonal Boeing 777 service from London Gatwick. It’s fair to say that the interior condition of Virgin’s 787-9 aircraft is significantly better than some of BA’s soon to be retired 747s that are used on this route.

Flight VS478 will depart London Heathrow at 16:20 arriving at Cape Town at 05:55.

Flight VS479 will depart Cape Town at 08:00 arriving at London Heathrow at 18:00.

Note the return to London Heathrow is a day flight and some may passengers prefer a night flight. There is of course the option of flying back to Heathrow overnight on Virgin Atlantic’s daily service from Johannesburg.

Flights will go on sale from Tuesday 18 February 2020.

British Airways Launches Seasonal Gatwick – Cape Town

British Airways is operating a winter seasonal route from London Gatwick to Cape Town, to complement existing flights from Heathrow.

London Air Travel » Cape Town

British Airways Boeing 777 at London Gatwick

British Airways is to launch a winter seasonal service from London Gatwick to Cape Town in South Africa from Thursday 24 November 2016.

Flights will operate three times a week and will complement the airline’s existing twice daily service from London Heathrow. It will also compete directly against Thomas Cook’s new service to Cape Town from London Gatwick which runs from 15 December 2016 to the weekend of Saturday 25/Sunday 26 March 2017. The seasonal service is currently scheduled to return from mid November 2017 to late March 2018. However, this may change depending on the commercial performance of the route.

BA flights will be operated using a three class Boeing 777 aircraft which will offer Club World business class, World Traveller Plus premium economy and World Traveller economy.

This new route also adds to a growing portfolio of long-haul routes from London Gatwick which includes Norwegian’s long-haul flights to the USA and Cathay Pacific’s new service to Hong Kong from 2 September 2016.

BA itself is launching flights from London Gatwick to Costa Rica on 27 April 2016 and Peru on 4 May 2016. BA also returns to New York JFK from London Gatwick on 1 May.

Flights are on sale now at ba.com

London Gatwick – Cape Town (Winter 2016)

Flight BA2065 Depart London Gatwick 18:00 – Arrive Cape Town 07:50 (Mon, Thurs, Sat)
Flight BA2064 Depart Cape Town 19:10 – Arrive London Gatwick 05:05 (Tue, Fri, Sun)

Thomas Cook launches winter seasonal Gatwick – Cape Town

Cape Town in South Africa has long been a very popular destination for Britons seeking winter sun.

However, direct flight options between London and Cape Town have in the past year become limited to British Airways following the withdrawal of Virgin Atlantic’s seasonal route and the previous suspension by South African Airways.

Thomas Cook has now entered the market with the launch of a three times weekly flight between London Gatwick and Cape Town.

The flight will operate for three months from 15 December 2016 to 20 March 2017.

Flights will be operated using Airbus A330 aircraft in a two class economy and premium configuration.

The flight times have not yet been published.

This route adds to a growing portfolio of long-haul leisure routes at London Gatwick with Norwegian’s expanding transatlantic network and WestJet and Air Canada Rouge due to launch flights to Canada from London Gatwick next year.

BA to reintroduce First Class to Vancouver, Cape Town, Las Vegas and Phoenix

London Air Travel » Cape Town

British Airways First Class Cabin (Image Credit: British Airways)

A few months ago it was announced that BA would stop offering first class on flights to Cape Town (selected flights only) and Las Vegas, Phoenix and Vancouver.

The reason for this was that even though the flights continue to operate with a four class Boeing 747 aircraft, these routes would be operated with aircraft that have not been fitted with the latest version of BA’s first class cabin.

Instead, BA would operate the old first class cabin as an extension of Club World business class.

As the airline continues to retire its older Boeing 747 aircraft, it is reintroducing first class on these routes with the assurance that all flights will operate with the latest first class cabin.

First class will return to Vancouver from Sunday 29 March 2015. First class will return to Cape Town, Las Vegas and Phoenix from Sunday 25 October 2015.

Continue reading “BA to reintroduce First Class to Vancouver, Cape Town, Las Vegas and Phoenix”

BA to restore long-haul flights at London Heathrow Terminal 3

London Air Travel » Cape Town

British Airways Logo (Image Credit: British Airways)

As part of a wider set of terminal moves at London Heathrow and the consolidation of BA’s operations into Terminals 3 and 5, a number of long-haul BA flights are to move from Terminal 5 to 3 from Wednesday 14 October 2015.

These flights are Accra, Cape Town, Denver, Las Vegas, Miami, Nairobi, Phoenix and Vancouver.

Continue reading “BA to restore long-haul flights at London Heathrow Terminal 3”

Virgin Atlantic suspends Cape Town, Mumbai, Tokyo and Vancouver

Virgin Atlantic has announced a significant over-haul of its network, suspending a number of non-US routes. Mumbai & Tokyo are suspended from 31 January 2015. Seasonal flights to Vancouver & Cape Town are suspended from 11 October 2014 and 26 April 2015.

London Air Travel » Cape Town

Virgin Atlantic aircraft at London Heathrow

Virgin Atlantic has today announced a major over-haul of its long-haul network, in what is arguably the single biggest chance to its network since the events of 11 September 2001.

Virgin’s year-round services from London Heathrow to Mumbai and Tokyo Narita will be suspended from 31 January 2015.

Virgin’s seasonal flights from London Heathrow to Vancouver and Cape Town will be suspended permanently from 11 October 2014 and 26 April 2015 respectively.

Virgin Atlantic’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner: Initial seat plans published

London Air Travel » Cape Town

Virgin Atlantic is readying for the launch of its inaugural Boeing 787 Dreamliner flight from London Heathrow to Boston on 28 October 2014.

Embed from Getty Images

Sir Richard Branson pictured in a mock-up of the Boeing 787, some seven years ago.

The airline has published a microsite detailing its plans.

Continue reading “Virgin Atlantic’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner: Initial seat plans published”

BA adds 3rd daily Heathrow – Cape Town flight (for 9 days!)

London Air Travel » Cape Town

Cape Town has long been a popular leisure destination for UK holidaymakers, particularly in the winter months of the northern hemisphere.

BA currently serves the city ten times weekly during the UK summer season and twice daily during the UK winter season.

BA will now be adding a third daily flight for just nine days between 2 January and 11 January 2015 to meet high demand in the New Year.

These flights are:

Flight BA 45 Depart London Heathrow 16:30 – Arrive Cape Town 06:05 (first flight 2 January, last flight 10 January)

Flight BA 44 Depart Cape Town 09:15 – Arrive London Heathrow 19:00 (first flight 3 January, last flight 11 January)

It’s also worth noting that first class will be available on these extra flights. During the winter season, flights BA 43 and BA 42 will operate without first class.

Flights are on sale now at ba.com

BA to stop First Class on Cape Town, Las Vegas, Phoenix & Vancouver from 26 October 2014

London Air Travel » Cape Town

Update December 2014: BA has announced that First Class will return to Vancouver from Sunday 29 March 2015 and Cape Town, Las Vegas and Phoenix from Sunday 25 October 2015. More details here

Many readers will know that, over the past five years, British Airways has been progressively updating its four class Boeing 777 and 747 aircraft with a new first class product.

The roll out on Boeing 777 aircraft has long been complete. Out of BA’s fleet of nearly fifty Boeing 747 aircraft, less than ten do not have the latest first class product. These aircraft are left with the Kelly Hoppen designed interior from the year 2000.

It is no exaggeration to say these cabins are showing their age and, in response, BA has by default offered 50,000 Avios to members of the Executive Club frequent flyer programme as compensation.

With number of 747s in BA’s fleet expected to fall to approximately thirty by 2018 and the last 747 due to retire after 2020, many of those aircraft that do not have the new first class cabin are likely to be retired over the coming year.

BA has now decided to stop selling first class on these aircraft and will instead offer a three class service, with business class passengers seated in the first class cabin (who will receive the standard “Club World” service) if there is the demand.

Continue reading “BA to stop First Class on Cape Town, Las Vegas, Phoenix & Vancouver from 26 October 2014”