British Airways announces new Gatwick routes to fill Monarch’s slots – bookable now on Avios

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British Airways made the first of what will presumably be a number of new Gatwick route announcements yesterday. This is the first such announcement since it purchased Monarch’s take-off and landing slots at the airport in November.

In total, BA will operating 150 additional flights per week from Gatwick this summer compared with 2017.

It is worth noting up front that BA is using Titan Airways to operate some Gatwick services this Summer. These flights are clearly marked at ba.com. It simply does not have enough available aircraft to use the Monarch slots, and this is not helped by the late delivery of the new Airbus NEO aircraft and the need to send the older Heathrow short-haul planes off to be ‘densified’. The plan to take six short-haul Qatar Airways appears to have been dropped.

Titan Airways has covered for British Airways before and is generally seen as OK. You may even get free food and drink in Euro Traveller although that is not confirmed.

New routes announced

The announcement yesterday primarily covered routes which were Monarch’s heartland. The following changes will kick in from the start of the summer timetable on 25th March:

Malaga – increases to 35 from 27 Gatwick flights per week

Alicante – increases to 22 from 14 Gatwick flights per week

Faro – increases to 21 from 17 Gatwick flights per week

Tenerife – increases to 13 from 6 Gatwick flights per week

Madeira – increases to 9 from 6 Gatwick flights per week

Lanzarote – increases to 5 from 3 Gatwick flights per week

The following brand new Gatwick routes will also be launched, although none are new to the BA network:

Gibraltar

Palma

Mahon

BA also claims to have added 400 extra flights on existing routes between 9th February and 24th March, although no breakdown has been provided.

I have not been given the exact times and dates for these new flights. However, they do appear to be bookable now on ba.com for cash or Avios. If you want a peak August flight down to the Med then this is your chance, as the original Avios allocation will have gone months ago.

Expect further announcements in the coming weeks.

To maximise your miles when paying, your best bet is the British Airways American Express Premium Plus card which earns double Avios (3 per £1) when you book at ba.com or via BA Holidays. You do not get double Avios if you book with the free British Airways American Express card. Another option is American Express Preferred Rewards Gold which offers double points – 2 per £1 – when you book flight tickets directly with an airline.

PS. If you are flying out of Gatwick this year, here are a few relevant articles – Hampton by Hilton hotel review, Bloc hotel review, how to get a good deal on Gatwick Express, how to get a good deal on Gatwick parking, MyLounge (North) review, No 1 Lounge (North) review, No 1 Lounge (South) review, the new British Airways lounges in Gatwick South review

How to earn Avios points from UK credit cards

How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (December 2021)

As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Avios points from UK credit cards. Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses!

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

British Airways BA Amex American Express card

British Airways American Express

5,000 Avios for signing up, no annual fee and an Economy 2-4-1 voucher for spending ….. Read our full review

British Airways BA Premium Plus American Express Amex credit card

British Airways American Express Premium Plus

25,000 Avios and the UK’s most valuable credit card perk – the 2-4-1 companion voucher Read our full review

You can also get generous sign-up bonuses by applying for American Express cards which earn Membership Rewards points, such as:

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & two airport lounge passes Read our full review

The Platinum Card from American Express

30,000 points and an unbeatable set of travel benefits – for a 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, along with a sign-up bonus worth 10,500 Avios:

Capital On Tap Business Rewards Visa

The most generous Avios Visa or Mastercard for a limited company Read our full review

You should also consider the British Airways Accelerating Business credit card. This is open to sole traders as well as limited companies and has a 30,000 Avios sign-up bonus: