Introducing new in-flight menus to celebrate the best of British cuisine and exclusive cocktails, plus the flagship US lounge reopens and we speak to the colleagues responsible for that Olympic flight to Tokyo

A new in-flight menu celebrates classic British dishes
This month, we are welcoming you back on board with a new ‘Best of Britain’ menu, which includes a traditional roast dinner to enjoy at 35,000 feet as the airline celebrates the nation’s best-loved dish.

The roast is available in First and Club World on all routes from 1 September and features 21-day aged British beef, served with roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, seasonal vegetables, horseradish cream and gravy. On flights to the Indian subcontinent, passengers will be served British roast chicken, along with roast potatoes, seasonal vegetables, bread sauce and gravy. The chefs are also creating themed desserts on the monthly menus, kicking off with ‘All Things Botanical’ in September, which features an elderflower and white chocolate dessert with compressed apple and elderflower sorbet. Advocating farm to fork, British Airways has proudly worked with farmers, caterers, and producers to find great quality seasonal ingredients to create the new dishes.

The British Airways sale is now on  
The British Airways sale has landed. Whether you’re planning the ultimate family trip, looking to reconnect with loved ones or simply enjoy some ‘me time’, dust off your suitcase and book your next adventure at the best price. To find out where to go next and browse the latest special offers, click here 

A new cocktail menu comes to the lounges
Toast the start of your holiday with an exciting new cocktail menu crafted by the award-winning mixologist Mr Lyan (Ryan Chetiyawardana). To celebrate the reopening of both Concorde Rooms at London Heathrow Terminal 5 and New York’s JFK airport, British Airways has partnered with the cocktail connoisseur to create seven elegant concoctions, with two exclusively designed to honour the airline’s heritage. The signature serves, called Barton and Lawford after Lynne Barton, the first female British Airways pilot, and Bill Lawford, the first-ever British Airways pilot in 1919, are also available to enjoy in the Galleries Club lounges and First lounge before your flight.

Welcome back to the flagship New York lounge 
The flagship lounge at John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Terminal 7, has reopened in what comes as a spell of good news for frequent pond hoppers. After 16 months of closure, the decision to open the lounge doors coincides with the UK government’s recent announcement that fully vaccinated Americans can now visit the UK without the need to quarantine on arrival. The opening of the Galleries Club lounge also marks the next step in the airline’s phased lounge reopening plan and will be available for passengers travelling in First, Club World (as well as eligible cardholders) ahead of their flight to London Heathrow.

Those flying from JFK in First and Club World will experience an enhanced check-in experience at the exclusive Premium Zone to ensure the best start to your journey. Meanwhile, all British Airways customers can test out the new digital ‘Your Menu’ app, which allows you to order meals directly from your mobile device to your seat after scanning a QR code. Not only that, but at Heathrow before your flight to the US, you’ll have access to the Club and First lounges from Terminal 5, which also feature a new sleep zone ‘Forty Winks’, allowing you to get some shuteye ahead of your flight.

British Airways Holidays’ exclusive airport offer for summer breaks 
Get your holiday off to a luxurious start as British Airways Holidays has an exclusive offer for customers booking summer packages. Featuring complimentary airport experiences at London Heathrow Terminal 5, the offer includes premium check-in, access to the Galleries Club lounge and priority boarding. Applies to holidays with departure dates between 9 June and 30 September 2021, for those travelling in Euro Traveller (short haul economy), World Traveller (long haul economy) or World Traveller Plus (economy and premium economy) as part of a Flight + Hotel or Car holiday package. To make the most of this offer, click here

Who flew Team GB and ParalympicsGB to Tokyo?

British Airways is delighted to be Team GB and ParalympicsGB’s official airline partner for the Tokyo 2020 Games. Back in July, the airline proudly flew out hundreds of British athletes, support teams and their equipment to Japan – but just who were the men and women behind the job? The Club talks to the team who made it all happen…

Most memorable moments?
“The Olympics British cycling teams travelled with more than 80 bike boxes and other equipment. We had to check these in the night before they flew so we had enough time to process all the kit through our oversized baggage screening facility. Seeing it all lined up across the concourse with the Team GB logos on display was an enduring moment of pride.” Annie Pople, planning analyst for global operations within the readiness team

Biggest challenges faced?
“Having to think of ways to reduce contact with other customers at Heathrow’s T5 at a time when we expected higher passenger numbers at the airport. As there were tight Covid guidelines associated with entry into Tokyo for the team, we had to ensure that we reduced the risk to exposure on their journey. We had several meetings with the British Olympic Association, Heathrow Airport and other partners, including walkthroughs of the airport journey.” Ryan Newsam, Project Manager, Heathrow Customer Experience

Most unexpected part?
“The sheer volume of departments involved in securing such high numbers of seats on various flights and travel dates – from specialist pricing to revenue operations, route controllers, network planning, UK and Ireland sales and group sales. Planning an event during a pandemic is more manual than it would have been otherwise, and it’s been a coordinated team effort. We’ve worked hard to ensure that customers were not aware of, nor were in any way adversely affected by the challenges we faced.” Joanne Torraca and Kate Dickin, Group Customer Service Advisors

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This article has been tagged BA, Travel Tips