British Airways plans to add capacity on African routes, introduce new lounges and enhance catering for African customers.
The airline will add 680 seats a week to its London-Johannesburg route by operating an all-A380 service in October, allowing travellers a choice of two flights a day.
In addition to the Johannesburg route, the airline will operate its expanded Cape Town schedule with three weekly flights from Gatwick, over the 2017/2018 Southern hemisphere summer.
BA has increased the frequency of flights to Mauritius from Gatwick from three to five Boeing 777 services a week.
Customers flying into Gatwick will arrive in the south terminal, where a new premium check-in area has been created. The check-in area features leather bench seating and ample power supplies.
In Heathrow’s Terminal 5, BA has launched a new ‘First Wing’ check-in area with dedicated two-lane security, which will help speed up the journey.
The airline has revamped its lounge at OR Tambo and will build a new lounge at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, and will be shared with American Airlines.
In addition to all the enhancements BA will introduce a new on-board service menu in September.
Alex Cruz, BA chairman and ceo said: “We need to focus on enhancing premium class – offering contemporary service, improved catering and lounges and a consistent experience. In economy, where we know that price is the driver, we need to focus our efforts on delivering more seats at the lowest fares and giving customers choices.”