British Airways returns to Abu Dhabi after four year break

After a four-year gap, British Airways will resume flying between London Heathrow and Abu Dhabi this spring.

Schedule

Starting 20 April 2024, the route will operate daily with a four-class 787-9.

Abu Dhabi to London is scheduled as a day flight, with the London to Abu Dhabi leg operating overnight. This is the reverse of how the service operated before the pandemic.

BA72
Depart AUH at 10:10
Arrive LHR at 15:20

BA73
Depart LHR at 22:25
Arrive AUH at 08:30+1

I have mixed feelings about the schedule. I always opt for day flights between the Middle East and Europe whenever possible.

With an average 7-8 hour flying time, getting a decent amount of sleep is hard if there is a dinner and breakfast service during the flight. However, with only one flight a day, one leg inevitably needs to be overnight.

That being the case, if there has to be an overnight leg, I prefer it to be flying from the Middle East to Europe. The middle of the night departure from Abu Dhabi means most people head straight to sleep, and many also skip breakfast. The cabin is quieter and I can consistently get almost six hours of sleep flying in that direction.

‘Old’ Club World seat to start

The route will initially operate with a 787-9. These aircraft are fitted with the old Club World seat in a 2-3-2 yin-yang configuration.

The old Club World seat has a limited amount of privacy. However, some people, myself included, find them more comfortable for sleeping than the new Club Suite product that British Airways is currently rolling out.

Switch to ‘new’ Club Suite for the winter

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.

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.

While earning Avios in the UAE is challenging if you have a stash available, there is wide open reward availability in Business, Premium Economy and Economy 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:

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

In short…

British Airways will return to Abu Dhabi in April 2024. Visit BA.com to check flight schedules, prices and booking options.