HARMONDSWORTH, England,
October 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --
British Airways is celebrating the second anniversary of its
unique business class-only service between London City and New
York's JFK.
Launched in the middle of a deep recession, the service has
defied sceptics to win over business travellers flying between two
of the world's biggest financial centres.
Since it was launched on September 29,
2009, 97 per cent of the service's flights to New York have departed on time from
London City, while 90 per cent of
flights to London have departed on time from New York.
And now British Airways is using the very latest technology by
providing customers with their own 64GB iPads to watch the
service's bespoke in-flight entertainment options.
Richard Tams, British Airways'
head of UK&I sales and marketing, said: "Despite the economic
downturn, there is no doubt that the service has become a firm
favourite with many of our customers on the important London to New
York route.
"With easy access from the City and Canary Wharf, a 15-minute
check-in to departure, in-flight texting and internet access, it
has been tailor-made to provide them with the most productive way
to fly across the Atlantic.
"We're very pleased to be marking the two-year anniversary of
this exclusive service and will continue with more innovations to
meet our customer's needs."
In addition to iPads loaded with specially chosen content to
give customers a bespoke in-flight entertainment experience,
British Airways is also trialling the use of iPads with pursers on
the route to bring a new dimension to customer service in the
air.
Each iPad is specially loaded with British Airways apps designed
to give cabin crew information on customers, from their previous
travel arrangements, to connecting flights and special meal
requests, enabling them to offer a truly personalised service.
They also give cabin crew a library of information at their
fingertips, including timetables, safety manuals and customer
service updates. Thanks to the service's OnAir connectivity,
updates can also be delivered to the crew during the flight, which
can then be given to customers.
It is expected that the new technology will be appreciated by
customers who have already rated the service with consistently high
customer satisfaction scores since the double daily business-class
only route began.
The Airbus A318 aircraft operates with a maximum of 32 fully
flat seats onboard and offers customers 15-minute check-in to
departure and US customs clearance in Shannon, Ireland, where the flight stops westward for a
brief refuelling.
The London - New York route is an important market for
British Airways, which flies eight times daily to JFK from
Heathrow and three times a day to
Newark. British Airways offer a
range of business and luxury hotels in New York, which can be booked on ba.com
together with business flights from London City for guaranteed savings than if
booking separately.
About British Airways:
British Airways plc offers a wide range of worldwide
destinations - including flights to Palma, flights to Mumbai and
Amsterdam holidays, as well as hotels, car rental with Avis and
experiences. Customers can save time and money with ba.com when
booking ATOL protected holiday packages, ATOL number is 5985.
Passengers are offered added peace of mind to their holiday plans
and the security of travelling with British Airways. British
Airways plc constantly seeks to exceed customers' expectations,
both in terms of the value for money and quality of the service
provided.
Press Contact:
Michael Johnson
Waterside
PO Box 365
Harmondsworth
Middlesex
UB7 0GB
+44(0)2087385100
http://www.ba.com
