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British Airways started up its route between London Gatwick and Oakland, California back in March this year with a very specific aim of competing directly with Norwegian – an airline that’s been flying this route for a while. I can’t say for sure how the Economy Class war between the two airlines is going but I can say that British Airways appears to be taking drastic action in the premium cabin market on this route.
British Airways’ Club World product is antiquated, densely-arranged and about as far from a true modern Business Class cabin as you can get….but it’s still a lot better than the premium cabin Norwegian offers which is essentially a Premium Economy product. That’s why the fact that British Airways is offering the cheapest Business Class fares that I have ever seen between the UK and the West Coast is big news.
You can currently book roundtrip British Airways Business Class fares between London Gatwick and Oakland for under £1,000 for travel in January and February 2018.
If you search for the fares using ITA Matrix they’re pricing up at a little over £1,000…..
…but once you head over to BA.com the lower price is pretty easy to find:
The Fare Rules Appear Simple:
- A Saturday night stopover is required
- Tickets must be issued on or before 14 December 2017
- The fare has to be booked on BA or Iberia
Earning Avios, Tier Points & AAdvantage Miles
Crediting to the British Airways Executive Club
- The roundtrip fare will earn 280 tier points
- British Airways Executive Club members will earn Avios based on their status levels:
- Blue – 16,144 Avios
- Bronze – 18,834 Avios
- Silver – 21,526 Avios
- Gold – 26,906 Avios
Crediting the trip to American Airlines AAdvantage
AAdvantage earnings are based on the distance of the trip…which is 10,763 miles:
- The roundtrip fare will earn approximately 16,145 Elite Qualifying Miles
- The roundtrip fare will earn approximately 2,691 Elite Qualifying Dollars
- AAdvantage members will earn miles based on their status level:
- No status – 13,454 miles
- Gold – 17,759 miles
- Platinum – 19,992 miles
- Platinum Pro – 22,064 miles
- Executive Platinum – 26,369 miles
Thoughts
This is as cheap as I’ve ever seen Business Class flights between the UK and the West Coast so, if you’re looking for some tier points or a break from the UK winter, this could be a very good deal.
Oakland is a bit of a hole (and that’s being polite) but it’s only a short journey into San Francisco (one of my favorite cities in the world) or into wine country and, even if you’re not looking for a vacation in the bay area, you can think of this fare as an economical way to get to the West Coast in a bit of comfort before catching a cheap fare to wherever it is that you actually want to visit.
If I didn’t already have all my travel plans for February arranged and paid for I’d book this in a heartbeat….and then fly down to get some sunshine in LA or San Diego. As much as I love San Francisco I’m looking for sunshine and palm trees at that time of year 🙂
