What Are British Airways’ Top US Routes By Seat Availability?

Summary

  • British Airways operates three US routes, with three offering fewer than 22,500 seats.
  • The LHR to JFK route is the busiest with 217 operations and 53,778 seats.
  • The BOS to LHR flight is the only route with more operations on return trips.

The British flag carrier, British Airways (BA), offers flights to many cities in the US. The Anglo-American flights offered by the carrier comprised one of the most famous flight numbers in history- BA001. This service with this flight number from the Concorde is now retired, but BA still serves top destinations in the US such as Washington, New York, among others. British Airways is currently offering double Avios on flights. In this article, we will examine the top US routes by seat availability of this carrier.

British Airways Boeing 777 Taking Off

Photo: Nick Morrish | British Airways

Three routes are tied at 62 operations each way and offer less than 22,500 seats

Orlando International Airport (MCO) – London Gatwick Airport (LGW)

Seats

20,692

Seats per departure

333.7

Available Seats Miles (ASMs)

90,072,276

According to data from Cirium, an aviation analytics company, the MCO-LGW route has the fewest seats among the three BA routes with 62 operations for the month of August. This route also has the fewest seats per departure.

Three British Airways Aircraft parked at Gatwick.

Photo: Ceri Breeze | Shutterstock

Norse Atlantic UK is the only carrier besides BA offering direct flights on this route. Norse UK deploys its Boeing 787-9s between MCO and LGW, while BA operates its triple sevens on this 4,353-mile journey.

Heathrow (LHR) – Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)

Seats

21,824

Seats per departure

352

Available Seats Miles (ASMs)

80,246,848

United Airlines and Virgin Atlantic are the two airlines competing with BA on the LHR-IAD route. United offers twice-daily flights from LHR to IAD (and from IAD to LHR), much like BA. BA and United both offer flights on their Boeing 777s on this route. However, British also deploys its iconic A380s to and from IAD.

Heathrow (LHR) – San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

Seats

22,413

Seats per departure

361.5

Available Seats Miles (ASMs)

120,312,984

British Airways Airbus A380 at London Heathrow Airport LHR shutterstock_2179773863

Photo: EQRoy | Shutterstock

British Airways operations between LHR and SFO have the highest number of seats on BA’s three routes with 63 operations for August. The only competing carrier from Britain operating direct flights on this route is Virgin Atlantic, which uses Boeing 787-9s on this route, while British Airways uses its Boeing 777s and Airbus A380s. These two British carriers compete with the sole carrier from the US offering services between LHR and SFO – United Airlines.

Two routes have 93 operations each, but there is a great difference in the number of seats available

Both the Heatrow (LHR) – and O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and LHR – Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) routes have 93 operations in August. However, the LHR-LAX route has around 8000 more seats. The LHR-LAX route also offers almost two times more ASMs. The 247 seats per departure on the LHR-ORD route is also the least seats per departure on this list.

Heathrow (LHR) – O’Hare International Airport (ORD)

Seats

22,972

Seats per departure

247

Available Seats Miles (ASMs)

90,808,316

Heathrow (LHR) – Los Angeles (LAX)

Seats

30,287

Seats per departure

325.7

Available Seats Miles (ASMs)

165,245,872

The only route with a different number of operations on return flights

All the routes discussed on this list of British Airways’ top US routes by seat availability have identical numbers of operations from one airport to the other and on the return trip, barring the BOS-LHR route. There is one more flight from Boston to Heathrow than from Heathrow to Boston.

Route

Operations

Seats

Seats per departure

Available Seat Miles (ASMs)

Boston (BOS) to Heathrow (LHR)

87

27,699

318.4

90,437,235

LHR to BOS

86

27,464

319.3

89,669,960

A British Airways Airbus A380 on the apron at Boston Logan International Airport.

Photo: Keith J Finks | Shutterstock

On this 3,265-mile journey that BA operates, the carrier competes with a number of US-based carriers such as American Airlines, JetBlue Airlines, and Delta Air Lines. Virgin Atlantic is the only British carrier offering direct flights on this route. Virgin operates twice-daily flights from Boston to Heathrow, and from Heathrow to Boston.

Heathrow (LHR)- JFK route tops the list and by some distance

Operations

217

Seats

53,778

Seats per departure

247.9

Heathrow and JFK are among the most important airports in their respective cities and countries. And the flights of British Airways connecting these two airports are the ones with the greatest seat availability. British Airways offers approximately 24,000 more seats than on its route to the US with the second-highest (number of) seats.

BA deploys its Boeing 777s and the Boeing 777-300ERs on this route. The earliest of BA’s flights to JFK from LHR departs at 08:20, and the last flight on this 3,452-mile journey departs at 19:05. The British flag carrier completes this journey in approximately eight hours. From JFK, however, the earliest flight to LHR takes off at 07:55 and the last flight at 23:15.

A British Airways Boeing 777-200 landing

Photo: JEERAPAN JANKAEW | Shutterstock

BA offers flights on all the following classes on the JFK-LHR route:

  • Economy
  • Premium Economy
  • First-class
  • Business Class

3:44

Related

Why A British Airways 747 Once Flew From LA To The UK On 3 Engines

During takeoff, one of the plane’s four engines blew out and was immediately shut down.

Some of BA’s competitors on the LHR-JFK route and the aircraft they fly are shown in the table below.

Carrier

Aircraft Used

Delta Air Lines

  • Boeing 767-400
  • Airbus A330-900neo

JetBlue

Airbus A321neo

Virgin Atlantic

  • Airbus A330-900neo
  • Airbus A330-300
  • Airbus A350-1000

American Airlines

  • Boeing 777-200
  • Boeing 777-300ER

Out of all the carriers in the table above, only Virgin Atlantic competes with BA on the number of seats provided, as this Sussex-based carrier offers seven daily flights on this route.

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