British Airways introduces Avios-only flights between London Heathrow and Cape Town

Rob McDonald, Chief Commercial Officer at IAG Loyalty, commented on the launch: “We know how popular Avios-Only flights are with customers and we’re incredibly excited to work with British Airways to offer the next long-haul Avios-Only flight to Cape Town, operating over the peak Christmas period. This will allow customers to take full advantage of the value Avios unlocks on an incredibly popular route.”

This initiative follows earlier Avios-only routes introduced by British Airways since April 2023. Initial destinations included Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt and Geneva; both sold out within a day of being offered. Subsequent routes have included Las Palmas, Lanzarote, Barcelona, Nice, Tenerife, Faro, Ibiza, Florence, Mallorca, Corfu and Barbados among others.

Avios-only seats are sold like regular Reward Seats so customers holding a British Airways American Express Credit Card can use Companion Vouchers for these bookings—either securing a second seat for just taxes and fees or obtaining one seat for half the usual number of points.

Currently British Airways is the only airline offering direct nonstop service between London Heathrow and Cape Town. Typical aircraft deployed include Boeing 777s as well as Boeing 787s or Airbus A350s. The journey covers approximately 5,209 nautical miles (9,646 kilometers) with an estimated flight duration of around eleven hours according to Flightradar24.com data.

As per ch-aviation figures cited by Simple Flying https://www.ch-aviation.com/, British Airways operates a fleet including forty-three Boeing 777-300ERs along with sixteen Boeing 777-200ERs; other widebodies include eighteen Airbus A350-1000s and various models of Dreamliners such as twelve each of Boeing’s -8,-9,-10 variants.

The airline continues to expand its fleet with future deliveries expected for thirty-eight additional Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners and six Airbus A350-100 widebodies.