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British Airways Opens Brand New Miami Lounge
BA has opened its brand new lounge at Miami International Airport – the first dedicated space in the city for decades and BA’s largest lounge outside London.
Access is limited to BA Silver/Gold members and Oneworld Sapphire/Emerald status holders. You will also have access if you’re travelling in Club World or First Class.
The new lounge is located in Terminal E, just above BA’s gates. The 13,000 square foot lounge is a combination of British Design and Miami’s Art Deco style. Expect bold geometric patterns, bright lighting, and runway views through floor-to-ceiling windows. A mirrored ceiling reveals the hidden phrase “London Calling” – a nod to BA’s heritage and part of BA’s new “look-up” design moments.
There are five zones, including:
- A lowered central seating area
- Focus pods
- A self-serve dining space
- A full-service bar
- The Concorde dining area
You’ll also find two shower suites and colourful striped washrooms inspired by Miami’s beach deckchairs.
The Exclusive Concorde Dining Room
The Concorde dining room is an exclusive area for First Class passengers and Gold Guest List status holders. It has an à la carte menu and a higher level of service. You can enjoy dishes such as Wagyu beef strip loin paired with roasted trumpet mushrooms and a truffle reduction of roasted diver scallops.
The Champagne selection includes Pommery Cuvée Louise 2005 and a variety of English sparkling wines.
Food and Drink in the Britih Airways Miami Lounge
The menu includes locally sourced dishes with a British twist, such as local papaya and lacinato kale salad with toasted coconut and citrus honey vinaigrette, and seared South Florida flounder fish with lemon, Kalamata olives, fried capers, and rice.
At the bar, there are signature cocktails, including the Prickly Margarita, and a focus on premium spirits, local ales, and mocktails.
Calum Laming, British Airways’ Chief Customer Officer, said:
“We’re thrilled to be unveiling our new design concept with new lounges in both Miami and Dubai. These unique spaces have been created with our customers in mind and are the next step in our extensive lounge transformation plan. Whether they’re looking to relax, dine, work or enjoy a drink at the fully staffed bar, there’s something for everyone.”
BA’s New Lounge Concept
First announced in March 2024 and delayed for much of 2025, this lounge is part of British Airways’ new Global Lounge Concept, which includes refurbishing multiple lounges and rethinking layouts and spaces.
The Lounge Concept is part of BA’s £7bn transformation plan, which also includes the recently opened Dubai Lounge. You can read our article on this here or pictures of the Concorde dining room here. BA will now turn its attention to improving the Heathrow lounges.
The lounge has certainly been long-awaited, and it’s great news if you’ll be at Miami airport soon. It’s a much-needed improvement, and we look forward to visiting one day!
THIS WEEKEND ONLY: BA Winter Sun Avios Sale
British Airways has just launched a flash sale. Book a holiday package of 3 nights or more and spend 25% fewer Avios to selected destinations in the Caribbean and Europe until 31st March 2026.
You must book by midnight on 13th October. To book, make sure you’re signed into your BA account and search for Flight + Hotel or Flight + Car packages. Once you’ve chosen your holiday, if it’s in the offer, you will see the red text as below:
When you check out, you’ll see the Avios part payment options listed. Pick the number of Avios you’d like to spend and enjoy your savings! Of course, if you have a larger Avios balance, you can save much more.
Spending Avios this way gives a value of 1.33p per Avios, no matter how many Avios you opt to spend. Without the offer, the value per Avios is 1p. For example, you would usually get £100 off per 10,000 Avios, but you can now get £100 off per 7,500 Avios.
If you’re wondering where you can save, here’s the full list of winter sun destinations:
- Europe – Antalya, Crete, Faro, Funchal (Madeira), Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Larnaca, Malaga, Malta, Paphos, Tenerife.
- Caribbean & Mexico – Antigua, Barbados, Bermuda, Cancun, Grenada, Jamaica, Punta Cana, St Kitts & Nevis, St Vincent & Grenadines, Tobago.
- Indian Ocean – Maldives, Mauritius.
- North Africa – Agadir, Marrakech, Sharm El Sheikh.
Riyadh Air Updates – London Flights to Begin, Loyalty Programme Launched, and New Lounge
Saudi Arabia’s ambitious new airline, Riyadh Air is getting closer to take off.
LHR Flights to Launch
Flights will initially operate exclusively for airline and Public Investment Fund employees and their families. This is to fill the Heathrow slot Riyadh Air has from 26th October. Flights will initially be on the technical spare aircraft ‘Jamila’.
Flights will be on sale to the public once Riyadh receives its Boeing 787-9s later this year. Once launched, Ridyah Air will become the fourth airline to fly this route.
Daily flight times will be as follows:
| Flight | Route | Departure | Arrival (local time) |
|---|---|---|---|
| RX401 | Riyadh – London Heathrow | 03:15 | 07:30 |
| RX402 | London Heathrow – Riyadh | 09:30 | 19:15 |
Once its next two aircraft are delivered, Dubai will be added as Riyadh Air’s second route. The plan is to launch flights to 100 destinations over the next 5 years. There are already 182 planes on order from Boeing and Airbus.
Tony Douglas, CEO of Riyadh Air, commented:
“Our commitment to begin operations in 2025 is being fulfilled. This rigorous flight program on Jamila allows us to fine-tune every detail, ensuring a seamless, reliable, and world-class experience. This carefully sequenced approach is our pathway to perfect, and we are now incredibly close to full operations with further destinations to be announced in the coming weeks as our new aircraft are delivered.”
Sfeer Loyalty Programme Revealed
Riyadh Air’s loyalty scheme, Sfeer (meaning ambassador in Arabic), has now been revealed. It’s community-driven and will go beyond traditional airline loyalty programmes. Sfeer Points will never expire, and you can share level points, benefits, and qualifying spend with friends and family.
You can now sign up to the ‘Founders Group’ and you’ll receive a range of benefits, including Priority access to the first commercial flights. You can join via this page.
They have already announced partnerships with major airlines such as Air France-KLM, Virgin Atlantic, and more
Once fully activated, you can expect gamified experiences with challenges and leaderboards, all aimed at encouraging loyalty programme engagement and participation.
The Hafawa Lounge
Details of the new Hafawa Lounge at King Khalid International Airport have been released. The 2,000 sq m lounge has room for up to 370 guests and access for Business Elite and Business Class ticket holders. We expect Sfeer elite members to have access once more details about the loyalty programme tiers are released.
You’ll find a la carte dining, a buffet, quiet corners, an immersive digital experience suite, and even family suites. There’s also a drinks zone serving mocktails and non-alcoholic drinks, and ‘The Café’, where you can enjoy artisanal pastries and light bites from the in-house bakery.
