Marisa Garcia Following its centenary celebrations, British Airways has made some new commitments to continuous improvement in the first year of the new decade.
The airline’s 20 New Year resolutions for 2020 touch on everything from new destinations and new aircraft to organisational improvements, passenger experience investments, and contributions to the aviation community.
British Airways is investing £6.5 billion for its customers over five years in fleet and service improvements. The airline will take delivery of 73 new aircraft, including more fuel-efficient A350 and 787s. The airline will also be refurbishing the long-haul fleet with new cabins.
British Airways will introduce new, redesigned lounges, new dining across all cabins, new bedding and amenity kits for First, Club World and World Traveller Plus. The airline will also improve the availability of WiFi and access to power at every aircraft seat.
The recently introduced Club Suite, a new business class seat with direct aisle access which first launched on BA’s A350 aircraft, will be rolled out across the British Airways’ long-haul fleet over the next few years.
British Airways’ 20 Resolutions for 2020
1. New Destinations – the airline has already announced nine new routes for 2020 including the Kosovan and Montenegrin capitals Pristina and Podgorica, Perugia in Italy, Antalya, Dalaman and Bodrum in Turkey, San Sebastián in Spain, Rhodes in Greece and Portland, Oregon. It promises even more new destinations for customers to come.
2. New Aircraft – the airline is due to take delivery of more than 20 new aircraft in 2020, including 787-10s and A350s which are up to 40% more fuel-efficient than the aircraft they replace.
3. Club Suite – more aircraft will be flying with the airline’s new business class seat, Club Suite, which offers privacy via a suite door, 40% more storage space and a 1-2-1 layout with direct aisle access for all passengers.
4. Caring for the environment – from January, British Airways will be offsetting all its domestic flights, customers travelling further afield can offset their carbon emissions by purchasing credits as part of their tickets. The airline will be making additional announcements about sustainability throughout the year.
5. More First – customers can expect to see more aircraft fitted with the airline’s newest First seat, currently available on its 787-9 aircraft.
6. World Traveller comfort – in addition to enhancements made in 2019, customers travelling in the airline’s economy cabin will experience refreshed bedding.
7. A New Look for Crew — Designed by Savile Row tailoring expert Ozwald Boateng OBE, new uniforms for a new decade will be revealed this year.
8. Food for thought – British Airways is introducing new menus across its network thanks to new partnerships with gourmet caterers Do&Co at Heathrow and Newrest at Gatwick.
9. Lounge luxury – the airline’s lounges at Heathrow, Edinburgh and Berlin will be refreshed to ensure customers enjoy some relaxation ahead of their flights. The Elemis Spa at JFK will also be re-designed and re-launched.
10. More Connectivity – the majority of BA’s eligible aircraft will be WiFi ready by the end of 2020.
11. Improvements on BA.com – expect a newly re-designed Manage My Booking experience enabling customers to navigate to information and services more intuitively.
12. Appy days – customers using the British Airways’ app will benefit from a slicker design and additional functionality improving the experience as they make and manage their bookings.
13. Robots – British Airways is trialling new autonomous wayfaring robots at Heathrow to help customers navigate through the airport.
14. 3D printing – the airline’s tech experts will continue their trial of printing non-essential aircraft parts like tray tables, to ensure flights can depart on time and without seats going out of service.
15. Concorde – British Airways Premier Card and Gold Guest List Executive Club members will be looked after by new Concorde teams when they travel through Los Angeles, New York JFK, London Heathrow, Delhi, Los Angeles and Mumbai.
16. Customer service training – thousands of British Airways’ airport hosts worldwide will receive additional training to provide a service that goes above and beyond expectations.
17. Executive Club – the airline has committed to making continuous improvements to the Executive Club with new partners and exciting deals throughout the year
18. Flying Start – British Airways celebrates the 10th anniversary of its Flying Start charity which has so far raised more than £24m+ for good causes in the UK and overseas.
19. Paid Internships – starting this summer, British Airways will become the first UK airline to offer paid summer internships to future aviators.
20. All Access documentary onboard – customers will have the chance to watch the 2019 documentary about British Airways, British Airways Access All Areas, 24/7 onboard long-haul flights.
All Images: British Airways
