British Airways adds four new European routes for Summer

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British Airways has announced four new European routes this morning. All are bookable now with Avios, so if you want to take advantage of the guaranteed Avios availability you may want to jump in.

The choice of destinations is a little eclectic, and gives the impression that BA wants to put some pressure on Wizz Air. There is also a distinct focus on the ‘visiting friends and family’ market rather than the holiday market, although there are definitely good weekend break opporunities here.

The new routes are:

Wroclaw, Poland (image below)
Gdansk, Poland
Riga, Latvia
Cluj-Napoca, Romania

British Airways launches Wroclaw, Cruz, Gdansk

All flights will operate from Heathrow, potentially from Terminal 3.

The frequencies are:

Wroclaw – twice per week (Thu, Sun) from 1st July

Gdansk – three times per week (Wed, Fri, Sun) from 2nd July

Riga – three times per week (Wed, Fri, Sun) from 2nd July

Cluj-Napoca – three times per week (Wed, Fri, Sun) from 2nd July

All appear to be 40 tier point routes, one way, in Club Europe so are unlikely to work as cheap tier point runs. Although personally I’d rather pay more per tier point and visit places I actually want to see ….

To quote BA:

“Wroclaw is known for its beautiful architecture and array of stunning bridges and islands that cross the Odra River.

Gdansk, on the Baltic Sea, offers fine museums, a dominating church building and a beautiful old city.

Riga, the largest of all three Baltic capital cities, houses a UNESCO World Heritage site, and is known for its Art Nouveau style buildings.

Cluj-Napoca, or simply Cluj, is Romania’s second largest city and often described as a cultural hub.

British Airways last operated flights to Riga in 2007, and flew briefly to Gdansk between 1999 and the early-2000s. The airline has never served the other two airports.”

And Perugia is definitely starting this year …..

British Airways announced flights to Perugia in Umbria for Summer 2020. For obvious reasons, the route never launched.

It is now happening for Summer 2021, hopefully, with the first flight on 28th June.

How should you pay for your tickets?

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.

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 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.

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

Tickets are bookable now over at ba.com.

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 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: