British Airways Launches Miami Superjumbo A380 Service

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

This weekend British Airways will begin flying its new double decker Airbus A380 between Miami and London. The inaugural flight BA209 will touch down at Miami International Airport on Sunday, Oct. 25 and will depart as the BA208 the same evening. 

The superjumbo A380 is the largest and grandest aircraft in British Airways’ fleet. The new aircraft spans two full decks and can accommodate up to 469 customers across four cabins, including 14 First suites, 97 Club World business class seats with full flatbeds, 55 spacious seats in the private World Traveller Plus (premium economy) cabin, and 303 in World Traveller (economy). 

The A380 is optimized for wellness, with quiet, spacious cabins and an advanced cabin air conditioning system that allows 15 different temperature control zones and cabin air that is changed every three minutes. Customers can enjoy on-demand seat-back entertainment, with more than 1,600 hours of programming from around the world. 

“We have been flying between Miami and London for more than 40 years and this week we are reinforcing our commitment by introducing an incredible new aircraft onto the route,” said Simon Brooks, SVP Americas for British Airways. 

At launch, British Airways will offer twice-daily service; the first departure will continue on the Boeing 747 aircraft, while the second departure will now feature the Airbus A380. A joint business agreement between American, British Airways, Iberia and Finnair, allows members of the AAdvantage, Executive Club and Plus programs to earn and redeem points or miles on codeshare flights across the airlines. 

Premium Menu Options at 30,000 Feet 

Understanding that the average flyer’s sense of taste decreases by about 30 percent at cruising altitude, British Airways has been working with experts for years to serve the perfect ‘Height Cuisine’ – food and drink with flavors optimized for taste buds at 30,000 feet. In addition to artfully building menus with ingredients that respond well to this environment, British Airways has also developed a full tasting menu for the A380 to give customers a truly memorable journey. For more information about British Airways’ menu selection visit here. 

Cheers! 

British Airways is introducing a pair of specialty cocktails, The Aviator and London Calling, to celebrate the launch of the A380 service. The limited edition cocktails highlight the coming together of British and South Beach cultures, and were developed exclusively for British Airways customers by Gui Jaroschy of The Broken Shaker in Miami. 

Both cocktails present a playful twist on the classic gin and tonic. Gin is one of the most requested spirits on British Airways flights, with more than 128,000 liters served per year. For the next month, customers traveling in First class on the Miami A380 flight and those visiting The Broken Shaker will be able to order The Aviator. During the same period, Miami residents and tourists will be able to order London Calling exclusively at The Broken Shaker, a James Beard Award semifinalist located in Miami Beach and managed by Gui.