British Airways Reveals Gatwick Airport is Top Choice for Families This Year

CRAWLEY, England, July 20, 2011 -

British Airways has revealed that more families than ever are
choosing to fly from Gatwick airport as they jet off on holiday
this year.

The airline has already seen a ten per cent increase in family
bookings compared to last year and the trend is set to continue
through the summer.

In July and August, British Airways will serve around 7,000
child meals on its long haul and European flights from Gatwick, and
cabin crew will give out over 26,000 special Paddington Bear
Skyflyer packs to keep its young customers entertained.

Florida is the number one destination for British Airways from
Gatwick during the school holidays, offering 14 flights a week to
the Sunshine State, with daily flights to Tampa and Orlando.

Parents travelling with children can benefit from family
check-in and the chance to choose seats together free of charge 24
hours before departure.

On long haul flights children also have their own television
channels as well as a choice of family movies on the in flight
entertainment system.

Gatwick is the only UK airport to join a new Family Friendly
scheme, launched by the Family and Parenting Institute, which aims
to make the UK more family friendly.

Over the past 18 months, the airport has rolled out a number of
family friendly initiatives to help take the stress out of travel
for families, particularly those with young children in tow.

In Spring 2010, Gatwick became the only UK airport to create
separate security lanes - “Assistance lanes” - to give families
travelling with young children in buggies extra help through
security after checking-in.

Earlier this year, it also created dedicated “kids zones” in the
departure lounges of both terminals for children aged between 0-5
years to enable parents and guardians to relax while their children
are kept entertained.

Stewart Wingate, Chief Executive of Gatwick Airport, said:
“Millions of families choose to travel through Gatwick airport
every year.  We realise that travelling with children can be
stressful, so we’re going out of our way to make their journey
through the airport more enjoyable. That’s why we’re proud to be
supporting the Family Friendly scheme.”

The second most popular long haul holiday hot spot for British
Airways customers is Barbados and there are still some family
holidays in Barbados available there and many other destinations
from Gatwick, including many with free night offers and kids stay
free.

British Airways has also introduced the family favourite
destination of Malaga to its Gatwick schedule, moving the service
from Heathrow and almost doubling frequency to 27 flights a
week.

About British Airways:

British Airways plc offers a wide range of worldwide
destinations - including href="www.britishairways.com/travel/holidays-in-dubai/public/en_gb">
holidays in Dubai, href="www.britishairways.com/travel/holidays-in-maldives/public/en_gb">
holidays in Maldives, href="www.britishairways.com/travel/holidays-in-amsterdam/public/en_gb">
holidays in Amsterdam, href="www.britishairways.com/travel/holidays-in-prague/public/en_gb">
holidays in Prague and href="www.britishairways.com/travel/flights-to-berlin/public/en_gb">
flights to Berlin, hotels, flights, car rental with Avis and
experiences. Customers can save time and money with ba.com when
booking ATOL protected holiday packages, 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.

Press Contact:
Claire Ioannou
Astral Towers
Betts Way
London Road
Crawley
RH10 9XA
+44(0)1293-722513
www.ba.com

.