Flying British Airways from Abu Dhabi – Six things you should know

After a four-year gap, British Airways has resumed flying between London Heathrow and Abu Dhabi.

Schedule

The route is now operating daily with a four-class 787-9. The Abu Dhabi to London leg is scheduled as a day flight. In contrast, from London to Abu Dhabi, the flight operates overnight. 

The schedule is: 

BA72
Depart Abu Dhabi (AUH) at 10:10
Arrive London Heathrow (LHR) at 15:20

BA73
Depart London Heathrow (LHR) at 22:25
Arrive Abu Dhabi (AUH) at 08:30+1

This is the reverse of the pre-pandemic schedule. However, the advantages of the new timings are twofold. Late morning is a relatively quiet period in Terminal A at Abu Dhabi. The return flight also allows for a full day in London and potentially even an early supper before heading to Heathrow. 

My top tips 

I recently travelled the new route on the fourth day British Airways flew from Abu Dhabi to London. There are a few things it is helpful to know to make the most of travelling with British Airways from Abu Dhabi. 

Promotional upgrades at the airport 

British Airways consistently sells promotional upgrades at the airport on the day of travel if space permits. The pricing varies but can be good value. While checking in for my recent flight, I saw three passengers request and pay for upgrades. 

Airport upgrades include lounge access, priority boarding, and higher baggage allowance. You will also earn the Avios and Tier Points for the new cabin you fly in. This is quite different to the approach Etihad takes on upgrades which only earn an incremental 10%. 

No fast-rack security for premium passengers 

British Airways passengers flying in Business and First Class do not have access to a fast-track security screening lane at Terminal A in Abu Dhabi. 

In practice, this is not a big deal. Late morning is a quiet time at the airport. On the day I flew to London with British Airways, multiple security lanes were open with no queues. There was zero wait for screening. 

Lounge

British Airways uses the Pearl Lounge in Abu Dhabi for eligible passengers. The Pearl Lounge is a bit of a warren with a quirky layout. If this is your first visit, take your time to explore and find all of the nooks and crannies. 

First-class passengers are invited to a small private room with an a la carte menu. 

Our guide to the Pearl Lounge will be published soon. 

‘Old’ Club World seat to start

The route has initially launched using 787-9 aircraft fitted with the ‘old’ Club World seat in a 2-3-2 yin-yang configuration.

The ‘old’ Club World seat is a dated product with limited privacy. However, some people, myself included, find it more comfortable to sleep in than the new Club Suite product that British Airways is currently rolling out.

From the start of the winter schedule at the end of October, British Airways will switch to a four-class 787-10, offering the airline’s newest Club World Suite in a 1-2-1 configuration.

The British Airways Club Suite offers direct aisle access from every seat with a door for privacy. Check out my full review of the Club Suite on a flight between London Heathrow and Dubai.

Wi-Fi is not guaranteed 

This was the biggest surprise for me. Some British Airways 787-9 fleet do not have Wi-Fi capability installed. On the day I flew, we were on one of those aircraft. I had planned to work on the flight, but that was not an option. This will be fixed when the route switches to the 787-10 for the winter schedule, as those aircraft are all equipped with Wi-Fi.  

Reward availability and pricing

One advantage of the British Airways Executive Club is that guaranteed reward seats are available on every flight. British Airways makes a minimum of four in Business, two in Premium Economy, and eight in Economy available on every flight.

Earning Avios in the UAE is challenging. However, if you have a stash available, all classes have wide open reward availability up to the end of the schedule. This is the case even during the UAE school holiday dates.

One-way off-peak reward pricing in Business Class looks like this:

65,000 Avios + £ 320.00
80,000 Avios + £ 175.00
50,000 Avios + £ 425.00
44,000 Avios + £ 620.00
32,000 Avios + £ 740.00
25,000 Avios + £ 895.00

In short…

British Airways has resumed daily flights to Abu Dhabi. Visit BA.com to check flight schedules, prices and booking options.