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British Airways’ new wet lease
Reader Jonathan alerted me to the fact that BA has a new wet-lease agreement coming up. A wet lease is when an airline leases not just the aircraft but also the crew to accompany it. All BA wet leases should have the same BA food and, on short haul, the same middle seat free in business class layout. The chances of there being wi-fi, I imagine, are slim.
The airline in question is Danish Air Transport which it is quite heard to find much information on. BA has been leasing Finnair aircraft but this is due to end soon, so I’d expect more wet leases in the future. So far, the routes that it will operate on seem to be some leisure routes from Heathrow, such as Athens, Malaga, Corfu, Chania, Barcelona, Dubrovnik, Faro, Ibiza Marrakesh, Naples, Nice, Palermo, Zakynthos, Thessaloniki, Preveza and Palma. It is also on non leisure routes such as Berlin, Bologna, FRankfurt, Lisbon, Hamburg, Milan, Munich, Copenhagen, Rome, Pisa, Madrid, Lisbon, Stockholm, Riga Toulouse and Warsaw.
There is little information about DAT online, and they appear to only have one rather ancient 25-year-old A321, which BA are leasing. It is not clear which one of their A320 they are leasing as well. The average age of their A320 is 13 years so this should be a bit better. Legroom looks like it is more generous than BA as they have less rows. You can see some of the interior in this Youtube video.
It has not been formally announced yet, so if you have one of these flights scheduled, I would wait a week or so before approaching BA to switch to a BA-operated flight if that is what you want to do. BA usually issue a policy allowing you to switch. You check your booking in Manage my booking and it should show whether the flight is operated by BA or someone else.
Best Business Class deals & Australia/New Zealand from €2,274
The prices below are all for return business class seats per person based on the cheapest price in the next six months. There are some decent deals around if you are prepared to start your trip outside the UK. There are also good Cape Town and Seychelles deals from London.
From London
- Aruba £1879 KLM
- Bogota £1487 Air France
- Buenos Aires £1980 ITA
- Cape Town £1579 Ethiopian
- Johnannesbury £1476 Ethiopian
- Windhoek £1817 Ethiopian
- Seychelles £1617 Ethiopian
- Maldives £2425 Etihad
From Dublin
- Maldives £1992 Turkish
- Costa Rica £1694 American
- Turks & Caicos £1805 American
- Nassau £1718 American
- Cancun £1694 British Airways
- Miami £1409 TAP
- Orlando £1450 Air Canada
- Boston £1658 Aer Lingus
- Los Angeles £1563 Aer Lingus
- Chicago £1743 American
- Phoenix £1882 American
- Portland £1578 Air Canada
- Las Vegas £1740 British Airways
- Vancouver £1883 British Airways
From Paris
- New York £1,184 Aer Lingus
- Orlando £1,872 JetBlue
- Boston £1,577 Iberia
- Seattle £1,886 Aer Lingus
- Montego Bay £1,779 Lufthansa, Condor
- Nassau £1,668 JetBlue
- Dubai £1,443 SWISS
- Muscat £1,624 Etihad
- Tokyo £1,768 China Southern
- Bangkok £1,629 Finnair
- Kuala Lumpur £1,494 Malaysia Airlines
- Singapore £1,902 Oman Air, Malaysia Airlines
- Seychelles £1,642 Air France
- Cape Town £1,547 Air France
- Maldives (Male) £2,051 Etihad
- Johannesburg £1,539 Air France
- Sydney £2,522 China Southern
- Melbourne £1,944 China Southern
- Hong kong £1,515 Cathay Pacific
- Seoul £1,713 Finnair
From Amsterdam
- Orlando £1,789 JetBlue
- Boston £1,728 Aer Lingus
- Montego Bay £1,798 SWISS, United
- Dubai £1,138 SWISS
- Abu Dhabi £1,717 Turkish Airlines
- Muscat £1,376 Austrian, Oman Air
- Tokyo £1,986 LOT
- Bangkok £1,593 Turkish Airlines
- Ho Chi Minh City £1,976 Turkish Airlines
- Maldives (Male) £2,062 Lufthansa,Edelweiss Air
- Sydney £2,709 China Eastern
- Melbourne £2,697 China Eastern
From Helsinki
- New York £1,809 Turkish Airlines
- Boston £1,766 Turkish Airlines
- Dubai £1,475 Finnair, Qatar Airways
- Abu Dhabi £1,204 Turkish Airlines
- Muscat £1,456 Lufthansa, Austrian, Oman Air
- Bangkok £1,678 Scandinavian Airlines, SWISS
- Ho Chi Minh City £1,839 Air France
- Singapore £1,799 Turkish Airlines
- Seychelles £2,138 Finnair, Qatar Airways
- Cape Town £1,812 Turkish Airlines
- Johannesburg £1,627 Lufthansa
- Hong kong £2,021 Scandinavian Airlines, SWISS
- Seoul £1,660 Scandinavian Airlines, LOT
- Jakarta £1,737 Lufthansa, Oman Air
From Sofia
- New York £1,629 LOT
- Los Angeles £1,689 LOT
- Rio de Janeiro £1,863 ITA
- Dubai £1,111 Lufthansa
- Abu Dhabi £1,214 Qatar Airways
- Muscat £1,447 Austrian, Oman Air
- Tokyo £1,821 LOT
- Bangkok £1,670 Lufthansa
- Singapore £1,849 Lufthansa
- Seychelles £2,474 Lufthansa, SWISS, Emirates
- Johannesburg £1,959 SWISS
- Melbourne £2,336 Lufthansa
- Hong kong £1,472 SWISS
- Seoul £1,710 LOT
- Phuket £2,095 Austrian
From Oslo
- New York £1,604 Turkish Airlines
- Orlando £1,800 Scandinavian Airlines, United
- Los Angeles £1,566 Turkish Airlines
- Antigua £1,866 British Airways
- Dubai £1,260 Qatar Airways
- Abu Dhabi £1,128 Scandinavian Airlines
- Muscat £1,574 Austrian, Oman Air
- Bangkok £1,351 Finnair
- Kuala Lumpur £2,017 SWISS
- Hanoi £1,728 Air France
- Singapore £1,625 Turkish Airlines
- Seychelles £1,767 KLM
- Mauritius £2,033 Turkish Airlines
- Cape Town £1,569 KLM
- Maldives (Male) £1,983 Scandinavian Airlines, Austrian
- Johannesburg £1,481 SWISS
- Sydney £2,860 Scandinavian Airlines
- Perth £2,933 Air France
- Melbourne £2,971 Turkish Airlines
- Hong kong £1,531 Turkish Airlines
- Seoul £1,706 Finnair
- Jakarta £1,630 Scandinavian Airlines, Oman Air
- Phuket £1,649 Lufthansa
From Stockholm
- New York £1,358 Scandinavian Airlines
- Orlando £1,566 Scandinavian Airlines, United
- Los Angeles £1,654 Turkish Airlines
- Boston £1,446 Scandinavian Airlines
- Punta Cana £1,265 Lufthansa, United
- Dubai £1,482 Qatar Airways
- Abu Dhabi £1,483 Qatar Airways
- Muscat £1,296 Lufthansa, Edelweiss Air
- Bangkok £1,406 Finnair
- Kuala Lumpur £1,810 KLM
- Ho Chi Minh City £1,590 Air France
- Hanoi £1,732 Air France
- Singapore £1,588 Finnair
- Mauritius £2,031 Turkish Airlines
- Cape Town £1,795 KLM
- Maldives (Male) £2,209 British Airways
- Johannesburg £1,745 KLM
- Hong kong £1,446 Turkish Airlines
- Seoul £1,451 Finnair
- Phuket £1,665 SWISS, Edelweiss Air
From Brussels
- New York £1,511 Scandinavian Airlines, Brussels Airlines
- Los Angeles £1,762 Aer Lingus
- Boston £1,688 Aer Lingus
- Seattle £1,755 Aer Lingus
- Abu Dhabi £1,601 Turkish Airlines
- Bangkok £1,536 Finnair
- Kuala Lumpur £2,072 KLM
- Seychelles £1,821 KLM
- Mauritius £2,150 Lufthansa, Condor
- Maldives (Male) £2,338 Lufthansa, Edelweiss Air
- Hong kong £1,436 SWISS
- Seoul £1,778 Finnair
- Phuket £1,846 Air France
From Munich
- New York £1,569 Scandinavian Airlines, Lufthansa
- Boston £1,612 Aer Lingus
- Nassau £1,872 British Airways
- St Lucia £1,745 American
- Antigua £1,713 American
- Abu Dhabi £1,587 Turkish Airlines
- Muscat £1,620 Etihad
- Bangkok £1,794 Finnair
- Kuala Lumpur £1,848 Turkish Airlines
- Ho Chi Minh City £1,992 Turkish Airlines
- Seychelles £2,016 Lufthansa, Brussels Airlines
- Mauritius £2,287 Turkish Airlines
- Cape Town £1,765 KLM
- Maldives (Male) £2,459 Turkish Airlines
- Hong kong £1,737 Lufthansa, Cathay Pacific
- Seoul £1,537 Finnair
From Rome
- New York £1,109 Aer Lingus
- Orlando £1,817 Aer Lingus
- Los Angeles £1,743 Aer Lingus
- Seattle £1,487 Aer Lingus
- Rio de Janeiro £1,777 ITA
- Abu Dhabi £1,723 Turkish Airlines
- Muscat £1,649 Turkish Airlines
- Tokyo £1,678 LOT
- Seychelles £1,884 KLM
- Mauritius £2,068 ITA
- Maldives (Male) £2,298 Qatar Airways
- Johannesburg £1,560 KLM
- Sydney £2,158 China Southern
- Melbourne £2,145 China Southern
- Hong kong £1,799 Finnair
- Phuket £1,712 Etihad
From Milan
- Rio de Janeiro £1,827 TAP Air Portugal
- Muscat £1,609 Turkish Airlines
- Tokyo £1,831 Cathay Pacific
- Bangkok £1,958 Etihad
- Kuala Lumpur £2,047 Turkish Airlines
- Ho Chi Minh City £1,867 Air France
- Hanoi £2,008 Turkish Airlines
- Seychelles £1,899 Etihad
- Maldives (Male) £1,902 Gulf Air
- Johannesburg £1,581 KLM
- Perth £2,752 Oman Air
- Melbourne £2,441 Turkish Airlines
- Hong kong £1,802 Finnair
- Seoul £1,882 Etihad
- Jakarta £1,751 Etihad
- Phuket £1,809 Etihad
From Frankfurt
- New York £1,580 Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines
- Las Vegas £1,710 Condor
- Los Angeles £1,838 Condor
- Boston £1,615 Aer Lingus
- Phoenix £1,718 Condor
- Seattle £1,812 Condor
- Rio de Janeiro £1,785 Iberia
- St Lucia £1,815 British Airways, American
- Antigua £1,750 Iberia
- Muscat £1,605 Etihad
- Singapore £1,840 Oman Air
- Seychelles £2,135 Air France
- Mauritius £2,310 Turkish Airlines
- Cape Town £1,690 KLM
- Maldives (Male) £2,165 Gulf Air
- Perth £2,816 Oman Air
- Hong kong £1,503 Cathay Pacific
From Copenhagen
- New York £1,421 LOT
- Los Angeles £1,671 LOT, Scandinavian Airlines
- Phoenix £1,897 Lufthansa, Condor
- Vancouver £1,881 Scandinavian Airlines, Condor
- Rio de Janeiro £1,706 KLM
- Dubai £1,525 SWISS
- Abu Dhabi £1,687 Turkish Airlines
- Bangkok £1,473 Finnair
- Kuala Lumpur £1,890 Turkish Airlines
- Singapore £1,760 Turkish Airlines
- Seychelles £1,813 Air France
- Cape Town £1,781https://www.turningleftforless.com/suggests/air-france/ Air France
- Maldives (Male) £2,209 Scandinavian Airlines, Lufthansa
- Johannesburg £1,989 SWISS
- Hong kong £1,718 Turkish Airlines
- Seoul £1,969 Finnair
- Jakarta £1,866 Turkish Airlines
From Belgrade
- New York £1,620 SWISS, Tap Air Portugal
- Dubai £994 Qatar Airways
- Abu Dhabi £993 Qatar Airways
- Muscat £1,429 Turkish Airlines
- Tokyo £1,781 LOT
- Bangkok £1,742 SWISS
- Kuala Lumpur £1,842 Qatar Airways
- Hanoi £1,939 Turkish Airlines
- Seychelles £2,179 Qatar Airways
- Mauritius £1,996 KLM, Air France
- Cape Town £1,935 SWISS
- Maldives (Male) £1,926 Lufthansa, Edelweiss Air
- Johannesburg £1,866 Austrian, Lufthansa
- Melbourne £3,065 Turkish Airlines
- Hong kong £1,978 Austrian
- Seoul £1,640 LOT
- Phuket £1,953 Turkish Airlines
From Warsaw
- New York £1,568 Scandinavian Airlines, LOT
- Bangkok £1,475 Finnair
- Kuala Lumpur £1,982 Lufthansa, Oman Air
- Ho Chi Minh City £1,827 Air France
- Hanoi £1,988 Air France
- Seychelles £2,406 KLM
- Mauritius £1,861 Turkish Airlines
- Cape Town £2,048 SWISS
- Johannesburg £1,995 KLM
- Perth £2,599 LOT
- Hong kong £1,779 LOT, SWISS
- Seoul £1,539 Finnair
- Jakarta £1,860 Lufthansa
- Phuket £1,785 Austrian
From Bucharest
- New York £1,616 Lufthansa, TAP Air Portugal
- Boston £1,682 Turkish Airlines
- Punta Cana £1,764 SWISS, Edelweiss Air
- Dubai £1,196 SWISS
- Abu Dhabi £1,396 Air France
- Muscat £1,387 Lufthansa, Oman Air
- Tokyo £1,609 LOT
- Bangkok £1,747 SWISS
- Kuala Lumpur £2,047 Lufthansa
- Seychelles £2,378 Air France
- Mauritius £2,264 Air France
- Cape Town £1,967 Air France
- Maldives (Male) £1,841 SWISS, Edelweiss Air
- Johannesburg £1,718 Air France
- Hong kong £1,902 Lufthansa, Cathay Pacific
- Seoul £2,014 LOT
- Jakarta £1,872 Lufthansa, Oman Air
- Phuket £2,071 SWISS
From Berlin
- New York £1,566 Scandinavian Airlines
- Orlando £1,892 Aer Lingus
- Antigua £1,749 British Airways, American
- Abu Dhabi £1,630 Air France
- Muscat £1,717 Turkish Airlines
- Bangkok £1,858 Air France
- Kuala Lumpur £2,093 KLM
- Ho Chi Minh City £2,000 Turkish Airlines
- Hanoi £2,025 Air France
- Singapore £1,938 Turkish Airlines
- Seychelles £2,011 Brussels Airlines
- Mauritius £2,270 Turkish Airlines
- Maldives (Male) £2,451 Turkish Airlines
- Johannesburg £2,011 Etihad
- Hong kong £1,727 Lufthansa, Cathay Pacific
- Seoul £1,379 Finnair
- Phuket £1,936 Austrian
From Budapest
- New York £1,297 Aer Lingus
- Los Angeles £1,722 LOT
- Boston £1,438 Aer Lingus
- Punta Cana £1,814 Finnair, American
- Costa Rica £1,836 Air France
- Dubai £1,562 Qatar Airways
- Abu Dhabi £1,564 Qatar Airways
- Muscat £1,578 Turkish Airlines
- Tokyo £1,952 SWISS
- Bangkok £1,624 Finnair
- Hanoi £2,014 Finnair
- Singapore £1,724 Finnair
- Seychelles £1,870 Lufthansa
- Mauritius £1,590 Air France
- Maldives (Male) £2,219 Turkish Airlines
- Sydney £2,936 Turkish Airlines
- Melbourne £2,523 Turkish Airlines
- Hong kong £1,456 Finnair
- Seoul £1,306 Finnair
- Jakarta £1,822 Lufthansa, Oman Air
Australia/New Zealand from €2,274
The latest good deal from Luxury Flight Club is to Australia and New Zealand on China Southern (review). You need to book by 15 April and can travel March to June or August to October 2o24.
From Paris
- Melbourne €2,274
- Sydney €2,389
From Rome
- Auckland €2,507
- Melbourne €2,515
- Sydney €2,530
- Brisbane €2,632
You can check the cheapest prices online using Skyscanner.
7 comments
Great list but why does India or Sri Lanka never appear?
I do feature both of those for individual airlines when they have a sale on. I will add in a couple of Indian destinations next time. Colombo I feature when there is a good deal usually. There are always really cheap deals to India so I tend not to always list them. Are there particular cities you’d like to see?
Cochin and Thinuvananthapuram to loink to Jaffna or Colombo
I have enjoyed my flights on the Finnair operated BA services. Their crew are consistently very good and I appreciate the extra leg room their A320s offer towards the front of the aircraft. The fact that the aircraft used for the lease are rotated through Heathrow via Finnair’s HEL-LHR services adds the reassurance that they are being well maintained.
This video is a few years old but it does make me a little apprehensive that DAT will not be able to offer, or sustain, the level of service Finnair has provided, especially if they have such a small fleet and only one A321.
I’m happy to be proved wrong.
https://youtu.be/5guLilwr1Xk?feature=shared
As keen watcher of TLFL, I have been taken by the concept of ex-Europe flights to utilise the better ticket prices for long haul business flights.
With a journey to Perth, Australia pending I did my research and bagged 2 SAS tickets from Oslo to Perth via Copenhagen and Singapore with Singapore Airlines for just over £3k each.
A bargain in comparison to the £6k each quoted from London.
With the savings we could have a couple of nights in Oslo- just to make sure we didn’t miss the flight.
What could possibly go wrong?
Well, what went wrong was that our positioning flight was from Aberdeen ( where we live) to Oslo with Loganair who then pulled all flights from their winter schedule.
With no other direct flight provision this caused major complications and inconvenience. Fairly easy on the way out, with KLM to AMS, then on to Oslo for the two nights.
The return was shaping up to be a Perth- Singapore-Copenhagen-Oslo-London-Aberdeen horror story!
A phone call to SAS, asking if we could drop the unnecessary Copenhagen to Oslo leg on the return, was answered with a ‘yes’, but at a cost of £2k each. Thanks, but no thanks. However the advice was ask for the luggage to be offloaded in Copenhagen and just don’t get on the last leg to Oslo.
A risky strategy to solve the problem.
However, it worked- with no questions asked as we only checked our baggage as far as Copenhagen with no mention of the Oslo leg.
On the whole, worth the hassle for the money saved.
Good to hear you saved some money. As you point out, there are risks associated with having two separate tickets but you were particularly unlucky here.
On the BA wet leases, the capacity offered by Finnair at present is way in excess of that which can be covered by DAT so any ideas how BA will plug the gap and what are Finnair going to do with their A320s which are not at anything like capacity in terms of needs once they are all home?
I do know from speaking to them that many of the Finnair crew hate working for BA and they see themselves as being away from home for far too long in one go when as short haul crew, they are only usually away for one night at a time.
Comments are closed.