British Airways launches flights from London City Airport to Rome

British Airways has announced a new route from London City to Rome, starting from 11th November.

Flights operate from Monday to Friday, departing London City at 10.50 (arriving 14.20) and returning from Rome at 15.05 (arriving 18.35).  There is also a Sunday service which operates later in the day.

A fifth daily weekday flight to Zurich will be added from the same day.  Four new Embraer 190 aircraft will be delivered to London City soon which will allow a new burst of route expansion.  Further route announcements are on the way.

As a new route, London City to Rome is wide open for Avios availability.  Oddly there is NOT the ‘guaranteed’ four Euro Traveller and two Club Europe seats showing – all I see is two Euro Traveller seats per flight and zero in Business, irrespective of how far in advance I try to book.

Before you book Club Europe, assuming you can find any availability, remember that British Airways does not have a lounge at London City and seating is 2×2 throughout the plane.  The only extra benefit of note is the (far better than Heathrow) catering.  That said, London City flights still offer free drinks and snacks in Economy too.

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.  Remember that London City DOES have a lounge you can pay to use – in the Private Jet Centre next door.  Here are our reviews of the London City First Class Lounge (which includes private security clearance and being driven to your plane) and our review of the London City Business Class Lounge.

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 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 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:

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.)