British Airways - Around a Century Old Legacy

The roots of British Airways (BA), one of the European civil aviation giants, date back to the post-World War I era, when four airlines joined hands to form Imperial Airways in 1924. Imperial Airways and some other carriers merged to form the current company in 1935. These two airline groups were nationalized in 1939 to form British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC). BOAC was the first airline in the world to operate jet planes. A new commercial aviation firm by the name of British European Airways Corporation (BEA) was nationalised to operate flights on the European and domestic routes. In 1974, both BOAC and BEA were merged to form BA with their respective managements, being brought under a single management earlier in 1972.

British Airways became the first airline along with Air France to fly Concorde, the only supersonic commercial aircraft, in 1976. It flew this aircraft on the transatlantic route from Heathrow Airport in London to New York City. All through the 1980s, the Concorde was one of the hallmarks of the BA flights on this route and also its pride possession. The airline operated profitably for the most part of the 1990s.

The India Connection

India was to be one of the first destinations to be connected by the airlines from the United Kingdom in 1919. It was on 30th October, 1919 that the Advisory Committee on Civil Aviation recommended connecting India along with other territories of the British Empire to the UK by air. The routes on these colonies were to be developed by private airlines with the support of the Crown.

For the development of the routes to the Indian subcontinent, South Africa and Australia over the next 10 years, Imperial Airways was offered a subsidy of GBP 1 million in 1924. By 1925, the aerial survey of the Egypt to India route was completed. On 27th December, 1926, the first survey flight to the Indian subcontinent was operated, using a DH66 Hercules G-EBMX l, which landed first in Karachi and then in Delhi on January 6 and 8, 1927, respectively. Lady Irwin on 10th January named this aircraft, City of Delhi. The Cairo-Baghdad-Basra route was extended to India in January 1927.

BA still retains a significant presence in India, operating flights to five of its cities from the UK: New Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Mumbai. India is one of the biggest markets for BA in the Asia-Pacific region. The strength of its presence can be credited largely to its historical connection and a strong brand name, operating flights for the last 90 years.

The Heritage Centre

All these historical developments are well chronicled in the British Airways Heritage Centre. It has been in existence since the formation of the airline and is tasked with maintaining the records of predecessor companies. A number of artefacts are stored as collectibles that include posters, photographs and uniforms. In 2009, on the occasion of commemorating 90 years of operation, its page was launched as part of the official carrier website. People can even buy posters and photographs online through the website of the Heritage Centre.

A strong name in the aviation sector since 1972, the carrier was voted as the most preferred brand by Britons in 2016, further cementing its place in history.

3 Preferred Travel Class on a British Airways Flight

British Airways, also called as BA, is one of the foremost airlines of Europe. This national flag carrier of the United Kingdom came into existence in the year 1974. It is one the subsidiaries of International Airlines Group, the other being Iberia. It is the founding member of OneWorld Alliance and has hubs at London Heathrow and Gatwick airports. In terms of number of international destinations covered, number of flights and fleet size, it is the largest carrier of UK. It is also one of the largest airlines in terms of number of passengers carried. Being a legacy carrier, it operates short-haul, mid-haul and long-haul flights. A British Airways flight can be booked for all six inhabited continents.

Service Classes

Short-haul British Airways flight is operated for domestic (UK Domestic) and European (Euro Traveller) destinations. For latter, there is a Business Class (Club Europe) apart from the usual Economy cabin class. Mid-haul flights also have Economy (World Traveller) and Business (Club World) classes. Long-haul service generally has four cabin classes – First, Business (Club World), Premium Economy (World Traveller Plus) and Economy (World Traveller). British Airways Airline uses different airplanes for flying on these routes.

Baggage Allowance and Excess charges

BA allows passengers to carry a hand baggage and a checked baggage item up to a pre-determined size and weight. For the benefit of travellers who are not carrying any checked-in baggage, it provides special hand-baggage-only fares. Similarly, British Airways baggage allowance for check-in luggage is dependent on the class of travel. This also comes with limitations on the number, weight and dimension of the baggage. Frequently flying passengers on BA are offered special allowances.

If the luggage exceeds in number, size or weight there is a levy of extra charges, which might vary from one location to another. Further, these charges can be paid for in advance by using the online medium or at a higher rate at the check-in counters at airports.

Information about Flight Time

Travellers can check British Airways flight status on its website. The carrier offers three ways to know the status depending on what prior information travellers have. They can know it on the basis of either route information from departure city to destination, or flight number, or even departing or arrival airport and timings. These varied choices to know the status are meant to help passengers to plan their movements to or from airports.