Latest news with #BA
The Independent
2 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
British Airways trials removing individual water bottles from flights
British Airways is trialling removing water bottles from in-flight drinks services as part of 'efforts to reduce plastic waste'. Economy passengers on long-haul flights connecting London Heathrow with three US cities – Miami, Boston, and Los Angeles – will instead be served cups of water as part of the new sustainability trial. Paper cups provided by cabin crew have temporarily replaced individual plastic water bottles on these select routes for travellers in BA 's economy and premium economy cabins. On a FlyerTalk forum, a passenger flying from Miami to Heathrow said: 'There were no bottles of water they could give me as BA is trialling not offering any bottles of water for two weeks now.' They added that the individual water cuts were 'obviously a cost-saving exercise under the guise of saving the polar bears'. The airline confirmed that a one-week trial reducing single-use plastic onboard is running between 16 and 22 June. BA's Club World and first class passengers are not currently impacted by the experimental plastic bottle ban. A spokesperson for British Airways told The Independent: 'This is a one-week trial on three routes as part of efforts to reduce plastic waste. The views of our customers are very important to us, and we'll be listening very carefully to their feedback.' In October 2024, BA was accused of scrambling to cut costs by frequent flyers after introducing a new brunch service on long-haul flights. The extended breakfast for lunch meals are served on flights that depart between 8.30am and 11.29am. Menu items for the primary inflight meal across seat categories now include cheese frittatas, Belgian waffles and poached eggs on sourdough, rather than a full meal. Several frequent flyers said they considered the changes 'cheap' and a 'major downgrade' of the service. BA said the new brunch service was implemented in line with positive customer feedback on classic brunch dishes and lighter lunch options.
Daily Mail
7 hours ago
- Daily Mail
This is your captain spanking! British Airways crew suffer sleepless night after being accidentally booked into a sex dungeon for layover
A British Airways crew were left with a sleepless night after being accidentally booked into a sex dungeon during a layover. The staff tried to get some sleep in bondage-style beds were too tired after not sleeping enough and weren't able to work the next day. The incident was down to a mistake by the airline staff who accidentally booked the crew into the Motel in the Italian city of Milan, but had confused it with the Hotel last Thursday. The crew, made up of 12 people who spent the evening in the hotel, which includes a vagina-shaped spa bath, the Sun reports. A source told the Sun the staff were 'confronted with bondage sets, mirrored ceilings, human dog cages and leather harnesses', adding: 'It was obvious that this wasn't the place the crew was supposed to stay'. They described it as a 'comical mistake', but it meant the team could not get any sleep, which is 'essential to the safety of aircraft and passengers'. They added: 'They were kept awake by thrillseekers moaning and groaning all day and night. 'Staff reported constant noise, and witnessed 'drug deals and prostitution', as well as a '24-hour orgy. 'There were adult workers outside propositing staff. Crew even reported suspicious fluids in their rooms, which made their skin crawl.' Despite the mistake, there was no delay to the flight. A spokesperson for BA said: 'A small number of crew were moved to unapproved hotel rooms following availability issues with our usual accommodation provider. 'This happened without our knowledge and we're urgently investigating to prevent it from taking place again.'
Scottish Sun
19 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
British Airways crew mistakenly booked into a sex dungeon and were kept awake by 24-hour orgy
Staff reported constant noise, and witnessed 'drug deals and prostitution', as well as a '24-hour orgy' BA SEX HOTEL British Airways crew mistakenly booked into a sex dungeon and were kept awake by 24-hour orgy Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BRITISH Airways crew were mistakenly booked into a sex dungeon — and got no sleep owing to moans and groans from a 24-hour orgy. Staff who tried to kip in bondage-themed beds were unable to work the next day. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 British Airways crew were mistakenly booked into a sex dungeon in Milan 3 Staff were supposed to be staying in a hotel with a very similar name Their bosses booked the team into the Motel in the Italian city of Milan but had confused it with the nearby Hotel. At least 12 staff were made to stay in the seedy hub, which boasts a vagina-shaped spa bath. A source told The Sun: 'Crew were booked into a pay-by-the-hour sex hotel last Thursday. They were confronted with bondage sets, mirrored ceilings, human dog cages and leather harnesses. 'It was obvious that this wasn't the place the crew was supposed to stay. "Getting proper rest is essential to maintaining the safety of aircraft and passengers. 'It was a comical mistake by the hotel booking team, but had serious implications. Some of the team who stayed in the sex dungeon didn't get any sleep, so they couldn't operate on BA services the following day. They were kept awake by thrillseekers moaning and groaning all day and night. 'Staff reported constant noise, and witnessed 'drug deals and prostitution', as well as a '24-hour orgy. 'There were adult workers outside propositing staff. Crew even reported suspicious fluids in their rooms which made their skin crawl.' Despite the mix-up, there were no reported delays to BA flights. The airline said: 'A small number of crew were moved to unapproved hotel rooms due to availability issues with our usual provider, without our knowledge. We are urgently investigating to prevent a repeat.' Group STUNNED after finding 'sex dungeon' in their Airbnb after opening door with broken handle
The Irish Sun
19 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
British Airways crew mistakenly booked into a sex dungeon and were kept awake by 24-hour orgy
BRITISH Airways crew were mistakenly booked into a sex dungeon — and got no sleep owing to moans and groans from a 24-hour orgy. Staff who tried to kip in bondage-themed beds were unable to work the next day. 3 British Airways crew were mistakenly booked into a sex dungeon in Milan 3 Staff were supposed to be staying in a hotel with a very similar name Their bosses booked the team into the Motel in the Italian city of Milan but had confused it with the nearby Hotel. At least 12 staff were made to stay in the seedy hub, which boasts a vagina-shaped spa bath. A source told The Sun: 'Crew were booked into a pay-by-the-hour sex hotel last Thursday. They were confronted with bondage sets, mirrored ceilings, human dog cages and leather harnesses. 'It was obvious that this wasn't the place the crew was supposed to stay. READ MORE BA NEWS "Getting proper rest is essential to maintaining the safety of aircraft and passengers. 'It was a comical mistake by the hotel booking team, but had serious implications. Some of the team who stayed in the sex dungeon didn't get any sleep, so they couldn't operate on BA services the following day. They were kept awake by thrillseekers moaning and groaning all day and night. 'Staff reported constant noise, and witnessed 'drug deals and prostitution', as well as a '24-hour orgy. 'There were adult workers outside propositing staff. Crew even reported suspicious fluids in their rooms which made their skin crawl.' Most read in The Sun Despite the mix-up, there were no reported delays to BA flights. The airline said: 'A small number of crew were moved to unapproved hotel rooms due to availability issues with our usual provider, without our knowledge. We are urgently investigating to prevent a repeat.' Group STUNNED after finding 'sex dungeon' in their Airbnb after opening door with broken handle 3 At least 12 staff were made to stay in the seedy hub, which boasts a vagina-shaped spa bath
Times
a day ago
- Business
- Times
BA has finally revealed the Amex spend for reward scheme tier points
British Airways has finally revealed details of how frequent flyers can earn extra status points via their American Express credit card spend, six months after the airline announced it was changing its loyalty scheme. Flyers who hold the British Airways American Express Premium Plus Card, which comes with a £300 annual fee, can earn up to 2,500 'tier' points — which confer perks such as lounge access and priority boarding — when they spend £25,000 on the card between today and next February. In addition, all cardholders will be given 500 extra tier points this month. If cardholders spend the full amount in the next seven months it will give them a 3,000-tier point bounce meaning that they could almost reach BA bronze status without flying a single mile. However, spend isn't backdated to when the Club relaunched in April — cardholders will need to start from scratch today, June 18. At the end of last year the flag carrier announced it was switching its loyalty scheme, now called the Club. In a move that irritated frequent flyers, BA said that tier points, or status points, would instead be awarded on spend with the carrier, rather than distance flown, which it argued brings it into line with most other airline loyalty schemes. Tier points, or status points, would be given at a rate of one point per £1 of net spend with the airline; as a result BA adjusted the thresholds required to achieve bronze, silver and gold status (3,500, 7,500 and 20,000 tier points respectively), which many argued made them much harder to reach. Broadly, it means that for frequent flyers to achieve silver status — which offers lounge access, a beloved perk for many — members need to buy the equivalent of either an uber-luxury BA Holiday to the Caribbean for one or, for example, more than eight return flights to Cape Town. Flyers must spend each year to retain their status, the collection for which runs from April to end-March. The new Club came into effect from April 1; some frequent flyers even held a mock funeral for the old scheme. At the end of December, BA also announced various other ways to earn tier points, including spending on extras like seat selection and baggage, Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) credits, and holiday packages including hotels and car hire. In a nod to its longstanding partnership with Amex, BA said it would announce details of how many tier points would be earned via Amex spend 'closer to the launch date' — which was not, as most assumed, the launch of the Club in April. More than ten weeks after the official relaunch of the Club, it has finally revealed the details. • British Airways frequent flyer scheme changes: everything you need to know Premium cardholders can earn up to 750 tier points when they spend £15,000 on their card between today and next February; an additional 750 when they hit £20,000 spend; and an extra 1,000 tier points when they reach £25,000 — totalling 2,500 status points. An extra 500 tier points — which BA says is a 'thank you for their loyalty' — means they can get 3,000 additional tier points in all. With bronze set at 3,500 tier points, flyers need to spend only an extra £500 on BA products — which crucially doesn't include taxes and fees on flights — to reach the lowest status tier, which offers perks such as priority boarding and special customer service phone lines until the collection year renews in April. The 3,000 Amex tier points also go more than a third of the way to reaching silver. • Travellers are obsessed with status — and airlines are going into battle for their loyalty Reaction to the Amex spend offer from frequent flyers has been muted, with many concerned about the impact on companion vouchers — a BA perk for Amex cardholders that is a two-for-one flight deal. The companion vouchers expire a year after the moment a cardholder triggers them by spending £15,000 on their credit card, which means many frequent flyers delay using their card until they want to use the voucher. Companion vouchers for Premium Plus Card holders have a two-year expiry. Rob Burgess, founder of the frequent-flyer website Head For Points, says the BA Amex offer caters to a 'niche market', appealing only to travellers who can get bronze by 'topping it up with the card'; although Gilbert Ott from the loyalty website God Save The Points calls it a 'meaningful new addition' for 'anyone not obsessed with gold'. • How to hack the new BA club rules — lounges and priority boarding included Cardholders have to sign up for the offer to be eligible. Note that this is a temporary offer running until next February — although it's expected that BA and Amex will roll out a similar deal from next April, which marks the start of the next point collection year. The airline has promised there will be 'further opportunity to earn tier points using the card starting in April 2026', but wouldn't provide further details. How do you make the most of airline loyalty schemes? Let us know in the comments
