BRITISH AIRWAYS: Returns to China

After a two-year absence, British Airways will resume flights from the UK to China. Bookings are open from today for Shanghai flights commencing 23 April with flights to Beijing from 3 June 2023. 

British Airways started flying to China in 1980 with flights only suspended a couple of years ago due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the closing of China’s borders.

Flights between Heathrow and Shanghai will operate daily with flight numbers BA168/BA169. Four flights per week will operate between Heathrow and Beijing, BA88/89.

Flight Number	Day of week	Departure Airport	Departure Time	Arrival Airport	Arrival Time
BA169	Daily	London Heathrow	1225	Shanghai Pudong	0755 + 1 day
BA168	Daily	Shanghai Pudong	1100	London Heathrow	1825
BA89	Mon, Tue, Thu, Sat	London Heathrow	1505	Beijing Daxing	0935 + 1 day
BA88	Tue, Wed, Fri, Sun	Beijing Daxing	1120	London Heathrow	1730

Club Suites v Sardine World Club

British Airways, rightly has earnt a bad reputation for its sardine-like business class. This is slowly being replaced by Club Suites, which are proper up to date business suites. Unfortunately, they are not on all of their aircraft. Here is a list of all the aircraft they are on, and not on:

Which British Airways planes have Club Suites?

• All Airbus A350-1000s
• All Boeing 787-10s
• Most Boeing 777-200ERs
• Most Boeing 777-300ERs

Which British Airways planes DO NOT have Club Suites?

• No Boeing 787-8s
• No Boeing 787-9s
• No Airbus A380s

So, check what plane you are travelling on before you book your seats!

2PAXfly Takeout

These services will become important for those wanting to use a destination in China as their stopover between Australia and Britain. Now that BA is slowly replacing its sardine business class layout with the more spacious and private club suites, BA will slowly disappear from my list of banned airlines!