British Airways

British Airways is the flag carrier of the United Kingdom, formed in 1974 through the merger of BOAC (long-haul) and BEA (short-haul), with operations centred on London Heathrow Terminal 5 and a smaller presence at London Gatwick and London City. The "Speedbird" callsign carries on the long Imperial Airways heritage that pre-dates the modern entity by half a century.

BA's fleet spans the Airbus A320 family for European short-haul, the A350 and A380 plus Boeing 777 and 787 wide-bodies for long-haul. The carrier is a founding member of the oneworld alliance and a core partner in the transatlantic joint business with American Airlines, Iberia and Finnair — a key driver of capacity between London and major US cities.

Cabin classes span Euro Traveller and Club Europe on short-haul, and World Traveller (Economy), World Traveller Plus (Premium Economy), Club World (Business) and First on long-haul. The First cabin survives as one of the few remaining "true First" products on a Western airline, and the recently introduced Club Suites mark a generational upgrade to the Business product.

Frequent flyers earn Avios and tier points through the British Airways Executive Club, a programme deeply integrated with the oneworld alliance and with the Avios family of partner schemes (Iberia Plus, Qatar Privilege Club, etc.). BA is part of the International Airlines Group (IAG), which also owns Iberia, Aer Lingus, Vueling and LEVEL.