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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.

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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)

Iberia reinstates Madrid-Johannesburg from 1 August 2016

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Iberia (Image Credit: Iberia)

More signs of turnaround at British Airways’ International Airlines Group sibling Iberia. The airline is to reinstate its Madrid – Johannesburg route from Monday 1 August 2016.
Continue reading “Iberia reinstates Madrid-Johannesburg from 1 August 2016”

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

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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 adds Johannesburg to its network of Airbus A380 destinations

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A British Airways Airbus A380 aircraft takes off at London Heathrow airport. — British Airways Airbus A380 at take off, London Heathrow (Image Credit: Heathrow)

British Airways has confirmed that Johannesburg will join Hong Kong and Los Angeles in its network of destinations served by the Airbus A380.

BA will operate an A380 service on three weekly return flights from London to Johannesburg from 12 February 2014 and six weekly return flights from 10 March 2014.

Full details of the exact flights are on the BA website.

What all these destinations have in common is that no other airline operates a direct service from London using an Airbus A380 which provides some pointers as to what additional destinations may be served by the A380.

Update January 2018:

BA operates the Airbus A380 on both of its twice daily services from London Heathrow to Johannesburg until Saturday 24 March 2018. From Sunday 25 March 2018, flights BA55 and BA56 continue to be operated with the Airbus A380. Flights BA57 and BA54 are operated with a Boeing 747.