New routes to South Africa and Europe, an update to the British Airways app, and new rules for entering the USA – plus Heathrow Terminal 5 takes home another award

New routes to Cape Town, Alicante and Germany
From 24 November 2016, BA will operate three direct weekly flights between Gatwick and Cape Town. New flights will also connect London City Airport to Berlin and Hamburg three times a day, while a new four times a week leisure service from London City to Alicante will operate over the busy summer. 

Customers travelling to the USA must now have e-Passports
Travelling to the US under the Visa Waiver Program? You will now need a valid e-Passport alongside your Electronic System Travel Authorisation (ESTA). E-Passports store biographic and biometric information and can be identified by the ‘chip’ symbol on the front. To find out more, visit the US Customs website.

Multiple boarding passes land on BA app
Following customer feedback, it is now possible to open multiple boarding passes on one device with the BA app. Customers can view up to eight boarding passes, as long as everyone travelling together is on the same booking reference number.

Heathrow T5 scoops Best Terminal award for fifth year running
Terminal 5 has been named the World’s Best Airport Terminal at the Skytrax World Airport Awards for the fifth consecutive year. Heathrow also picked up Best Airport in Western Europe and Best Airport for Shopping.

New fare structure 
British Airways has introduced a simpler fare structure for economy short-haul flights, to make booking quicker and simpler. Customers can choose Basic, Plus or Plus Flex – which all come with their own list of benefits. Full details on the new fare types and their benefits can be found on ba.com.

Relief work in Nepal
Following the devastating earthquake of 2015, Nepal has been able to rebuild, thanks in part to the generosity of British Airways customers. After the huge earthquake in April last year, BA spent a fortnight collecting onboard donations for the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC). The result was £328,000 – the highest amount ever collected for a BA appeal.

Last month, a small group of BA staff and customers were invited to Nepal to see the work that had been done to rebuild the country. Richard Parkinson, a Gold card holder and valued customer, said after the visit, “It may be a dusty, damaged landscape but it’s the people who make the country. It’s their vibrancy and warmth that really bring life to Nepal.”

Thanks to the generosity of customers and colleagues, BA continues to support charitable work through Flying Start, the airline’s partnership with Comic Relief. Customers can donate spare change on board any BA flight or donate online now with just a few clicks.

Scroll through the gallery below to see photos from the trip

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This article has been tagged BA, Travel Tips