BA is the first international airline to transfer all its operations to the airport, which will officially open this September.
The huge new airport, around 50km from Beijing city centre, will include four runways and one terminal building with more than 300 shops and restaurants. In the future, it is set to include an additional three runways and a second terminal building, serving 100million customers each year.
Eligible BA passengers will have access to a brand-new partner lounge. For customers transferring to other flights, it will also be the only through check-in airport for foreign airlines in China.
The move strengthens BA’s codeshare agreement with China Southern Airlines, which will also be based at the new airport.
British Airways’ Executive Vice President in Greater China and the Philippines, Noella Ferns, said: “Not only will the new airport offer our customers flying to and from Beijing a world-class experience, with state-of-the-art facilities including an improved lounge for our Club World and First customers, but it will also support our ambition to increase leisure and business travel between China and the UK.”
The airline has also unveiled a new passenger lounge at San Francisco airport, following the opening of its First and Club lounge at New York JFK’s Terminal 7. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer views of the runway, and a granite feature bar offers deli snacks.
First Class customers benefit from an exclusive boutique dining room with fine wines and a gourmet menu. There’s also a new study area for business travellers with wireless printing facilities.
It is the fifth lounge to open under the new design concept after the airline’s Club and First lounges in New York’s JFK, Rome in Italy and Aberdeen in Scotland.
A new lounge in Johannesburg is due to open next, with further investment planned in Geneva, Chicago and at the airline’s hub in London Heathrow.
This week, BA was fined £183million by the Information Commissioner’s Office for a customer data breach that saw personal information from 500,000 customers stolen from its website and mobile app.
