British Airways Increases Flights to Tampa

CRAWLEY, England, April 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- British Airways has opened up its Gatwick gateway with a growing route network that has firmly established it as the airport's leading long haul carrier.

The latest addition is the increased frequency of flights to Tampa (http://www.britishairways.com/travel/holidays-in-tampa/public/en_gb) in Florida. A daily flight will now operate rather than 5 times weekly, allowing customers more choice when it comes to their family holidays in Florida (http://www.britishairways.com/travel/holidays-in-florida/public/en_gb).

Tampa is the perfect gateway to holidays in Clearwater, St Petersburg and Sarasota, as well as a host of other holiday hotspots on the Gulf coast. Tampa airport has recently being voted the third best airport in the USA by readers of Condé Nast Traveller magazine and with its small size and quick transition it makes an ideal entry point in to the US. British Airways is the only international carrier to fly to Tampa which reduces immigration queues significantly for UK visitors.

Tampa is also a leisure destination in its own right and has a distinct Caribbean influence due to the large influx of immigrants over the years. The cities multicultural heritage can be found in Ybor City, home of the Tampa Latin Quarter and the centre of the Cuban cigar boom in the early 20th century.

Tampa also provides an easy gateway to Orlando with Tampa airport a great alternative to the much busier Orlando International. Orlando is less than an hour and a half drive from Tampa airport and quicker airport transition offers a stress-free start for family holidays in Orlando. British Airways offers a great variety of hotels in Orlando ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/hotels-in-orlando/public/en_gb) suitable for all ranges of budgets and tastes.

Florida offers some incredible scenery and attractions, and is ideal for car rental holidays. Explore beaches, theme parks and natural surroundings all easily accessible with car rental. British Airways works in partnership with Avis to provide quality reliable car hire in Florida ( http://www.britishairways.com/travel/car-rental-florida/public/en_gb).

In addition to increasing its flights from Gatwick to Tampa, British Airways has enhanced its Gatwick presence further during the last few months. The airline has launched flights to Cancun in addition to the routes it added in 2009 - like Male, in the Maldives, Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic and Montego Bay in Jamaica. British Airways now operates a total of 47 flights out of London Gatwick, 33 domestic and European destinations plus 14 long haul destinations. In November this year, the airline is planning to move its flights to Mauritius from Heathrow to Gatwick.

The airport experience is further enhanced as British Airways' customers will benefit from the GBP900 million investment by Gatwick Airport to upgrade and modernise the North and South Terminals.

About British Airways:

British Airways offers a wide range of holiday experiences around the world to complement its flight network - with city breaks, Phoenix holidays (http://www.britishairways.com/travel/holidays-in-phoenix/public/en_gb), hotels from value two star hotels through to luxury five star resorts, Avis car hire and as well as a wide range of experiences in-resort from city tours through to transfers. Customers can save time and money with ba.com when booking ATOL protected holiday packages utilising flight+hotel or flight+car (ATOL number is 5985). Passengers are offered added peace of mind to their holiday plans and the security of travelling with British Airways. British Airways plc constantly seeks to exceed customers' expectations, both in terms of the value for money and quality of the service provided.

For further British Airways / British Airways Holidays Ltd media information please contact:

    
    Katja Cooper
    Astral Towers
    Betts Way
    London Road
    Crawley
    RH10 9XA
    +44(0)1293-722513
    http://www.ba.com

SOURCE British Airways