New partner lounges are bringing extra comfort to BA cardholders; a more efficient group boarding system rolls out across the network, plus BA's on-board wines win big

Here come the girls
The UK’s biggest ever all-female flight took place last month, with over sixty BA female personnel running the show in celebration of International Women’s Day, March 8. From baggage handlers to pilots, cabin crew to check in teams, the women of BA ensured that flight BA148 from Heathrow to Glasgow departed on time, carrying a total of 204 passengers. On site to watch were a group of young female aviation-enthusiasts and previous BA work experience students, who - joined by TV star and private pilot Carol Vorderman - set about inspiring more young women into aviation roles. For more information, watch the behind-the-scenes video below.

Lounging around
Travelling back from Innsbruck, Ibiza, Seville, Krakow, Porto or Reykjavik? Make sure to take advantage of the new partner lounges, available for Silver and Gold cardholders, oneworld Sapphire members travelling on British Airways, and those travelling in Club Europe. Part of BA’s multi-million-pound investment, new partner lounges in more destinations will allow customers to relax in style before departure, with a selection of food and beverages, plus panoramic runway views. For more information, visit ba.com

A smarter start
Following a gradual roll-out since January, a new group boarding system has now been implemented across the whole network. Aiming to minimise boarding time, customers are allocated a group based on their "boarding priority", and are then called to board in number order. Pre-boarding for families with small children and customers who need extra time will continue to have first priority. First and Club World passengers, Executive Club Gold, Silver, Bronze Members and equivalent oneworld card holders can board when they wish through the priority boarding lane. For more information, visit ba.com

Winning wines
British Airways’ on-board wines have once again been named among the best in the business at the Business Traveller Cellars in the Sky Awards. The annual awards, which recognise the best business and first class wines served by airlines worldwide, saw those served in Club cabin take the Silver Medal for the much-revered 'Best Business Class Cellar'. The Champagne de Castelnau Brut Réserve NV scooped BA's second award of the night, bringing home the Bronze Medal in the 'Best Business Class Sparkling' category. To see the full list of winners and shortlisted airlines, visit businesstraveller.com

Bridging the gap
On 22 March, BA released its Gender Pay Gap figures, showing the median hourly pay difference between men and women is 10 per cent, compared to the national average of 18.1 per cent. Maria da Cunha, the airline's Director of People and Legal, said of the statistics: “We are pleased with the progress that we are making in encouraging diversity within our organisation, but we know that there is still more work to do to encourage more women into STEM roles, and specifically into our pilot community.”

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This article has been tagged BA, Travel Tips