UPDATE:
The post below is now out of date. British Airways will resume flights to Abu Dhabi on 20 April 2024.
Early in the pandemic, British Airways announced it would permanently cut service to Abu Dhabi.
There are a couple of alternatives for British Airways Executive Club members travelling to Abu Dhabi to keep earning Avios and tier points.
Fly British Airways to Dubai
Dubai International Airport (DXB) is a 90 minutes taxi ride away from the centre of Abu Dhabi. The journey costs around AED 300 in a taxi and slightly more with a rideshare app.
British Airways has scheduled 1-2 flights per day between London Heathrow (LHR) and Dubai (DXB) over the spring and summer of 2022.
The route operates with a mix of A350, 7777 and A380 aircraft. You will find the fantastic Club Suite onboard all the A350s and some of the 777 aircraft. The Club Suite is the newish business class seat from British Airways.
Read about my experience flying the Club Suite on a flight to Dubai here.
Other oneworld options to Abu Dhabi
British Airways will also sell you a connecting flight via Doha with oneworld partner Qatar Airways.
There is one significant advantage of choosing the Qatar Airways option. The premium cabin on the airline’s regional flights is marketed as First Class. This means earning extra tier points on the leg between Doha and Abu Dhabi.
Flying from London to Abu Dhabi with Qatar Airways earns 400 tier points compared to only 280 flying direct to Dubai with British Airways. There is also little if any time difference between the two options.
Qatar Airways is also adopting Avios as the rewards currency for Privilege Club, its frequent flyer programme, from late March. It will be
oneworld member Royal Jordanian also flies to Abu Dhabi via Amman. However, it is a much less attractive option earning fewer tier points and Avios in most scenarios.
Will British Airways return to Abu Dhabi?
I would love to see British Airways resume flights to Abu Dhabi, ideally with the Muscat tag reinstated.
The First Wing at London Heathrow, the new Club Suite and the delicious Do & Co catering made the airline’s lunchtime departure from London a comfortable way to return to Abu Dhabi.
However, I suspect the increasingly close relationship with Qatar Airways means they will continue to route passengers through Doha instead.