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British Airways Cancels Abu Dhabi Flights for the Summer Season
BA has quietly cancelled flights to Abu Dhabi from 30th March to 25th October 2025.
What to Do if Your Flight is Cancelled
If your flight has been cancelled, you have four choices:
- Swap the date or time of your flight and rebook onto ANY British Airways Dubai flight.
- Rebook onto an Etihad flight to Abu Dhabi within 14 days of your original BA flight date.
- Rebook onto a Qatar Airways flight to Abu Dhabi via Doha within 14 days of your original BA flight date.
- Refunds are allowed under standard conditions if your flight has been cancelled.
Redemption flights follow the same guidelines as cash bookings. This means you can swap to Etihad or Qatar. Etihad is the best option if you still want to fly into Abu Dhabi. It’s a direct flight and it’s not ideal to be changing in Doha as an alternative to the BA flight you had booked.
Eugene & Katrina flew back from Abu Dhabi with Etihad earlier this week and they said the experience was fantastic at the new airport. There were staff waiting to escort luggage for business and first customers. The business check-in area was brilliant, as was the private security channel.
If you don’t mind flying into Dubai instead, rebooking onto a British Airways Dubai flight is a good option, but I imagine lots of people will choose this option, and availability will run out fast.
The cancellations start just before the school Easter holidays and the flights would have been very full at this time.
Important Information for Rebookings
- Changes between London Heathrow and London Gatwick are permitted.
- Changes from Abu Dhabi to Dubai are allowed.
- Stopovers via Doha or Dubai are permitted.
- You are only allowed one ticket change.
- If you are rebooked for a lower cabin, you can contact BA’s Customer Relations team post-travel for downgrade compensation.
You can read the rebooking guidelines here.
New IHG One Rewards Double Points Offer
From 1st January 2025 until 31st March 2025, you can now earn double points from your second stay. To take advantage of this offer, you’ll need to register. You can pre-register for this promotion until 31st December or register during the promotional period. Existing stays ARE eligible for this offer as long as you’ve registered.
There is no limit on how many stays you can earn double points. The number of points you get will be double the base points you would have earned.
If you’re flexible, booking a shorter or cheaper stay first is better, as you won’t qualify for double points.
You will get a status bonus if you have IHG status, although this is not doubled. Bonuses are as follows:
- Silver Elite – 20%
- Gold Elite – 40%
- Platinum Elite – 60%
- Diamond Elite – 100%
Other things to note are:
- The value of your stay must exceed $30 (approximately £23.61) per night.
- You will not receive double points on reward nights, and reward nights do not count as your first stay.
- Some stays do not qualify, including those booked with Points and Cash or those not booked direct.
- If you book more than one room per night, you will only get points for one room.
- Six Senses Hotels, Resorts & Spas: IHG One Rewards points may be earned or redeemed for stays, but other benefits may not be available. Note that some hotels do not participate in IHG One Rewards.
- You will receive your bonus points within 6 weeks of an eligible stay.
This is one of IHG’s better promotions, so it’s worth signing up—even if you don’t have immediate travel plans. The bonus points can add up quickly if you’re booking a longer stay or visiting one of IHG’s high-end properties.
Register for the promotion here.
Updates to the British Airways Gatwick First Lounge
The British Airways Gatwick First Lounge in South Terminal has recently been updated with nicer furniture, pods, plenty of charging space (including USB) and upgraded bar stools.
Some of the new seating includes built-in USB chargers. I like the little touches like the mini lamp!
The lounge has a lovely ambience, with thoughtful design details throughout.
There are some nice little touches like these flowers!
The food is buffet style and the QR code ordering has gone. This is a temporary solution, and there’s currently a paper menu to fill in.
You can try out this lounge if you’re flying on a scheduled BA First flight, a British Airways Gold member, or an Oneworld Emerald flying with Oneworld airline.
To get to the lounge, there is a short cut straight after security signposted to the left to the BA and No 1 lounges. From the main departure hall, go to the upper level, and there is a passageway to the lift by JD Sports.
All photos of the lounge credit to @utazotodi
Have you been to the BA Gatwick First Lounge since the update? Let us know in the comments below:
9 comments
It’s many years since I have seen a BA First seat offered from Gatwick, so assume the First Lounge is for Gold Card and One World Emerald card holders only.
It is indeed. Most people prefer this lounge to Galleries First at LHR (as do I) so it’s nice to see it will be even better, and now with working USBs which was always an issue. The only trade off if you’re short to medium haul is the rather old G-GAT aircraft 9 times out of 10 but it’s a means to an end and if the crew are good, as they generally are, it’s no big issue. I’m looking forward to trying it.
Hi Andrew,
Yes indeed. Much like the First lounge at Heathrow because if you are flying First you get access to the Concorde room.
One of the nice things about the Gatwick First lounge has been the ability to enjoy views of the airfield and the countryside beyond from most seats. The positioning of the booths has taken that view away from a large number of seats. And, just like the ones at Heathrow, when you sit in them your peripheral view is blocked by its high sides, so you’re only seeing what’s directly in front of you.
It would be much better if the booths at both Heathrow and Gatwick were moved away from the windows, allowing more people to enjoy the daylight and vistas. From what I’ve seen most people use the booths for privacy when working, so a location against an inside wall should not be an issue.
I cannot argue with what you are saying.
Certainly for you, me and many other aviation lovers, those views are priceless but I guess the lounge has been designed with business travellers in mind who travel so often they probably don’t even glance out of a window.
Assuming it was even a consideration of course.
My wife & I used this lounge on a recent flight to Malta and we’re quite happy with it although it was the first time we’ve used in as we mainly fly via Heathrow.
Staff were very good, I was on crutches so they sorted me assistance to the plane etc.
I did like the runway view, loved watching the plane movements.
I don’t fly from Gatwick too often but when I do, the lounge is a nice change from Heathrow first lounge.
The lounge is usually quieter and has a slightly better feel about it with those tall windows and fantastic views.
The lounge has had only minor changes since its uplift but it does have a nice ambiance. There haven’t been any first class seat offerings at LGW since Covid started and very few first routes anytime in recent years so I assume it’s aimed mostly at BAEC Gold Card Holders.
It’s very much a loyalty lounge isn’t it!
They didn’t have to have one but I am glad they do. Shows they are thinking about us… at least a little.
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