NEWS & OFFERS: New BA safety video, £1250 UK to US extended and IHG mastercard to finish

New British Airways safety video

It feels like a very long time since there was a new safety video for British Airways, but the new one is due to be onboard from 1 May 2023.

The new onboard safety video stars the airline’s colleagues, Britons going about their daily activities and some familiar faces (and some who are apparently “famous” that I have never heard of), showcasing everything that makes Britain unique and truly original. Ncuti Gatwa, Little Simz, Robert Peston, Kaya Scodelario, Steven Bartlett, Emma Raducanu, chef Tom Kerridge and British Airways’ new uniform designer Ozwald Boateng are the celebrities that feature in the video.

The safety video plays on things synonymous with the UK, from discussing the weather to enjoying fish and chips by the sea. 
The five-minute film will be shown on the airline’s long-haul aircraft from 1 May 2023, and showcases British Airways colleagues from across the airline in their roles on the ground and in the air. 

The video lasts five minutes, and it felt like it went on for a long time to me. It is not the most exciting video that I have ever seen, and I think some things could have been done a bit better to actually show visually what they meant for those that don’t speak the language. The fact that it is not overly exciting is probably a good thing, as it is less likely to become annoying for frequent flyers after the 50th time you see it. 

Calum Laming, British Airways’ Chief Customer Officer, said: “We have all sat through safety demonstrations before, so we knew we needed to create something different that would capture attention and was totally in line with our British Original positioning. We wanted this to be a real celebration of originality and for us, it is our people who – together with where we’re from – make us unique.

That’s why it was important for us to hero so many of our amazing colleagues doing what they do each and every day for our customers and for each other. We also wanted to inject some wit and showcase Britishness, and all the quirks that put us on the map by shining a light on real life people – from fishermen and chip shop workers to friends hanging out, as well as some well known faces who help put Britain on a stage. So, seats in the take-off position and we hope you really enjoy our new safety video.”

You can watch the video here:

What do you think about the video? Let us know in the comments below.

Great fare to US for £1250 with a suite – extended to 2024

I recently wrote about a great deal with Jet Blue from Gatwick to the US for August 2023. This offer has now been extended as far as you can book into 2024. They fly direct to Boston and New York but you can also fly to other US destinations on the offer, but make sure you check what class the connecting segment is in as sometimes it is economy. 

The rules:

• Travel: Outbound – Permitted Tue/Wed/Thu On Each Transatlantic Sector.
  • Inbound – Permitted Mon/Tue/Wed On Each Transatlantic Sector.
• Minimum stay: Saturday night or 7 days
• Book by: 120 days before departure

You can credit the flights to Qatar and then transfer the Avios across but there is no way to earn BA Tier points. The Mint Suite on the A321LR is pretty decent, but if you can splash out another £250ish then the Studio at the front of the cabin is the way to go. These are much larger and more like a first class suite.

To book the Mint Studio you need to go through the booking process until you get to the page where you select seats, and it will then give you the option if there are any available.

You can book flights with Jet Blue here.

HT: HfP

IHG Rewards Mastercard Cards will finish in June 2023

After already closing a number of accounts, the IHG card by Creation will finally come to an end on 27 June 2023. Unless you indicate otherwise, you will be transferred over to a Creation card. 

You can continue to use your IHG One Rewards Premium Credit Card as normal and earn IHG One Rewards Points up to and including 27 June 2023.

From 28 June 2023, your IHG One Rewards account will no longer be affiliated with Creation Financial Services. You’ll maintain your current IHG One Rewards Status until 31 December 2023. From 1 January 2024, if you want to keep your IHG One Rewards Status, you’ll need to earn the required Qualifying Points or Nights.

Your Anniversary Night Qualification and Redemption can be redeemed using your IHG One Rewards account in the usual manner. You’ll have the full period to redeem your Anniversary Night based on the expiration date listed when the Anniversary Night is awarded. If you choose to close your account before moving to the Creation Credit Card, you can still claim your Anniversary Night as long as you’ve spent £10,000 since your last Anniversary date.

You may still be charged your annual fee up to and including 27 June 2023, but a pro-rata refund against your annual fee will be given.

Thanks to Jonathan.