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British Airways ‘Hand Baggage Only’ fares to launch on some Asian and Middle East flights in April

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We mentioned earlier in the week that British Airways, Iberia, Finnair and American Airlines will be launching ‘hand baggage only’ fares to North America from April.

According to this travel trade document (PDF), ‘Basic’ fares will also be launched by both BA and Iberia on selected Asian and Middle Eastern routes during April.

This table – click to enlarge – shows the different BA long-haul fare classes going forward and their restrictions:

Virgin Atlantic has also published its hand-baggage only plans. More on this over the weekend.

Some Club World pictures of the ‘densified’ Gatwick Boeing 777

Talking of BA, we have already discussed the new 10-abreast World Traveller cabin on the refurbished Gatwick Boeing 777 fleet this week.

However, it doesn’t seem all bad newsThis Flyertalk thread has some pictures from Club World from one of the first flights this week.  It does look like there have been some small but subtle improvements.  The overall ambience, with the mood lighting, looks close to what the Boeing 787 fleet offers.


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:

Nectar American Express

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

American Express Platinum card Amex

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:

British Airways Accelerating Business American Express card

British Airways Accelerating Business American Express

30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios 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.

(Want to earn more Avios?  Click here to visit our home page for our latest articles on earning and spending your Avios points and click here to see how to earn more Avios this month from offers and promotions.)