BA 10-abreast on B777’s, Club Europe on domestics & other IAG Capital Markets Day news

Yesterday was the annual International Airlines Group Capital Markets Day, where IAG gives a public presentation for its bondholders on the performance of BA, Iberia, Vueling and now Aer Lingus.

The slides are made available to all.

On the off-chance that you have something better to do on a Saturday than read 118 slides, here are a few key points.

I have ignored news which is already in the public domain and which we have already covered on HfP previously.

“Radical improvement in quality and presentation” of food in Club World on the way

New Club World seat “in development”

Club Europe to be launched on domestic flights

More aggressive tailoring of short-haul network to reduce flights to business cities in the summer and replace with flights to leisure destinations (a 3-route trial increased load factor from 43% to 86%)

Out of London, BA short-haul flights are more punctual than Ryanair and easyJet

72 self-service bag-check desks to be introduced at Heathrow and Gatwick next year

Substantial seat densification – 25 aircraft in the Boeing 777 fleet – including the full Gatwick fleet – to move to 10-across in World Traveller compared to the current 9-across; Gatwick 777 fleet to also lose eight seats in Club World whilst gaining 24 in World Traveller Plus; Heathrow A320 fleet to gain another 12 seats, Heathrow A321 fleet to gain another 13 seats  This means that BA A320 aircraft will have the same number of seats as easyJet.

Waterside head office to be “streamlined”

Iberia – now the 2nd most punctual network carrier in the world; Premium Economy launching in 2017

Aer Lingus – positioning as the leading “value carrier” across the North Atlantic; Aer Club now pencilled in for Q4 2016 launch

Vueling – will convert its loyalty programme into Avios in Q1 2017

Avios – BAEC, Iberia Plus and Meridiana Club to move onto the Avios IT platform during 2017

Slide 65 appears to show – although it could easily mean something else entirely – that attempts will be made to encourage members not to redeem Avios on partner airlines but to focus on BA, Iberia and Aer Lingus

Slide 68 implies that the number of Avios issued in 2016 could fall marginally over 2015, presumably due to the British Airways earning changes

More, lots more, in the slides if you want it.

IAG shares closed down 3.6% yesterday at 434p.

PS.  The image above is taken from the presentation although it has been removed from the version available for download.

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How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (April 2025)

As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Avios points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses!

In February 2022, Barclaycard launched two exciting new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard cards with a bonus of up to 25,000 Avios. You can apply here.

You qualify for the bonus on these cards even if you have a British Airways American Express card:

Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard

Get 25,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £10,000 Read our full review

Barclaycard Avios Mastercard

Get 5,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £20,000 Read our full review

There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:

British Airways American Express Premium Plus

30,000 Avios and the famous annual 2-4-1 voucher Read our full review

British Airways American Express

5,000 Avios for signing up and an Economy 2-4-1 voucher for spending £15,000 Read our full review

You can also get generous sign-up bonuses by applying for American Express cards which earn Membership Rewards points. These points convert at 1:1 into Avios.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 30,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review

The Platinum Card from American Express

80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review

Run your own business?

We recommend Capital on Tap for limited companies. You earn 1 Avios per £1 which is impressive for a Visa card, and the standard card is FREE. Capital on Tap cards also have no FX fees.

Capital on Tap Visa

NO annual fee, NO FX fees and points worth 1 Avios per £1 Read our full review

Capital on Tap Pro Visa

10,500 points (=10,500 Avios) plus good benefits Read our full review

There is also a British Airways American Express card for small businesses:

British Airways American Express Accelerating Business

30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review

There are also generous bonuses on the two American Express Business cards, with the points converting at 1:1 into Avios. These cards are open to sole traders as well as limited companies.

American Express Business Platinum

50,000 points when you sign-up and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

American Express Business Gold

20,000 points sign-up bonus and FREE for a year Read our full review

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Avios. This includes both personal and small business cards.