BA offer sparks price war across the Atlantic
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.BRITISH AIRWAYS is cutting the cost of dozens of international fares in October and November in celebration of its 75th anniversary, sparking a transatlantic price war in the industry.
Among the offers are November return fares of pounds 59 to Paris and pounds 168 to New York. The Paris fare compares with BA's existing cheapest ticket of pounds 108 and aims to lure passengers away from the Channel tunnel.
Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic immediately said that it would undercut BA by pounds 1 to New York and Los Angeles, using the same terms and conditions as BA.
There are 85 destinations in the BA scheme, including Rome, with return fares starting at pounds 99 and Los Angeles at pounds 199. Return tickets to Rio for outward flights taken in November are pounds 299 compared with a standard fare of pounds 1,006.
United Airlines and American Airlines, the largest American carriers, both said they would match BA's offer fares. A United spokesman said: 'There is always a price war across the Atlantic. These are already among the world's most competitive routes.'
One industry source said that BA's latest fares are 'suicidal', whatever the conditions concerning restrictions on dates of travel.
BA said for all its offers flight bookings must be made by the end of this month and return journeys can be made up to 10 December. The level of the discount and the period in which the outward flight can be taken varies from destination to destination. A spokesman said that many of the flights will be available for outward travel from 18 August until the end of October.
BA said the offer was 'in essence a clearance sale' of spare capacity. Even in July, the peak summer period, the company flew with 20 per cent of its seats empty.
The launch of the discount scheme coincides with the 75th anniversary of the first flight between London and Paris, which was also the first daily international scheduled service. It is the most aggressive of a series of offers from BA which began almost five months ago. In that time BA says it has carried more than 300,000 people, many of whom would not have flown with the airline otherwise.
British Airways is to stop carrying live animals for slaughter after an outcry from customers over flights from Perth to Singapore which carry 80 sheep each week, the airline announced yesterday.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments