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British Airways Launches Melbourne and Colombo, Boosts Cape Town, Tokyo and Barbados: New Routes, Avios Prices, and What to Book Now
- Sam
- 3 minutes ago
- 6 min read
This is a big one.
British Airways has just announced a major expansion to its winter 2026 long-haul network, and it is comfortably the most significant route launch we've ever covered on Points Well Made.
Two brand new destinations. Frequency increases across 11 existing routes. A nine per cent growth in long-haul flying. And for the first time in 20 years, BA is flying to Melbourne.
At the time of hitting publish, these routes have not yet been added to the BA website, but expect these to be added mid-morning. So you've got an hour or so to come up with your crazy holiday plan, about five minutes to convince your other half, and then its time to act.
I will update here when the routes are for sale.
Let's go through everything.
What are British Airways' new routes?
Melbourne, Australia
The headline. BA is returning to Melbourne for the first time in two decades.
Flights launch on 9th January 2027, operating daily from Heathrow via Kuala Lumpur. This piggybacks on the KL route that launched last year.
BA is using a 787-9 on the route, and with the Club Suite refurbishment progressing well across the fleet, there's a good chance your aircraft will have the new seating by the time services start in January.
Here are the flight times:
Outbound
Departs Heathrow 9:10pm, arriving Kuala Lumpur at 6:05pm the next day. After a layover of about an hour and 40 minutes, the flight continues at 7:45pm, landing in Melbourne at 6:40am the following morning.
Return
Departs Melbourne 4:35pm, arriving Kuala Lumpur at 9:35pm the same evening. The next leg departs at 11:15pm, getting you back into Heathrow at 5:20am.
Return fares start from £1,130 in economy.
What does Melbourne cost on Avios?
Melbourne will be priced the same as Sydney. Based on the current Avios pricing structure, a one-way ticket should cost:
187,000 Avios + £399.50 in Club World (peak)
159,500 Avios + £399.50 in Club World (off-peak)
126,500 Avios + £275 in World Traveller Plus (peak)
88,000 Avios + £275 in World Traveller Plus (off-peak)
60,500 Avios + £160 in World Traveller (peak)
55,000 Avios + £160 in World Traveller (off-peak)
That's a lot of Avios, but if you've been building your balance, this is exactly the kind of redemption that delivers serious value.
A word of warning: don't hang around. BA releases a fixed number of Avios seats on every flight it operates. That's four in Club World, two in World Traveller Plus, and eight in economy. Because Melbourne is a tag on from the existing Kuala Lumpur service, those Avios seats are shared across both destinations on the same aircraft. So you're not just competing with other people who want Melbourne. You're competing with everyone who wants KL on that same departure too. Four Club World seats between two high-demand destinations is going to go very quickly.
Colombo, Sri Lanka
BA is launching flights from Gatwick to Colombo three times a week (Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays) from 23rd October 2026, for the winter only. As its Gatwick, there are three cabins available: economy, premium economy, and Club World.
Sri Lanka has been steadily climbing the destination rankings over the past couple of years (this is the one I might book). It's a winter sun destination with a bit of everything; beaches, wildlife, culture, and great food. Colombo is also the hub for SriLankan Airlines, a oneworld partner, which opens up onward connections across the region bookable with Avios.
One thing to be aware of: as this is a Gatwick route, the Gatwick 777 fleet still runs the older Club World yin-yang seating, and that's not changing any time soon. If business class comfort is a priority, you'll want to manage your expectations on this one.
Flight times:
Outbound
London Gatwick departs 5:30pm, arriving Colombo at 9am the next morning.
Return
Colombo departs 11am, arriving Gatwick at 5pm the same day.
Return economy fares start from £620.
What does Colombo cost on Avios?
This pricing band will be the same as BA's India routes. For a one-way ticket, expect to pay:
110,000 Avios + £249.50 in Club World (peak)
99,000 Avios + £249.50 in Club World (off-peak)
74,250 Avios + £200 in World Traveller Plus (peak)
52,250 Avios + £200 in World Traveller Plus (off-peak)
38,500 Avios + £85 in World Traveller (peak)
33,000 Avios + £85 in World Traveller (off-peak)
The off-peak economy pricing is notable. 33,000 Avios and £85 to Sri Lanka is very reasonable, and it makes Colombo one of the better value long-haul Avios redemptions on BA's network.
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Frequency growth across the network
Beyond the British Airways' two new routes, they're also adding capacity across a long list of existing destinations. Here's the full breakdown of what's changing, when it starts, and what each route costs on Avios.
Cape Town
Three daily flights to Cape Town. BA is another service from Heathrow starting 13th December, bringing the total up to 21 flights per week. The 787-9 means First Class and Club Suite are both on the table as the 787 refurbishment is progressing well.
Was: 17 flights per week Now: 21 per week (three daily) Avios (one-way): From 33,000 + £85 in economy (off-peak) to 110,000 + £249.50 in Club World (peak). First Class from 93,500 Avios.
Tokyo Haneda
If you've been struggling to find Avios availability to Japan, this should help. BA is going from 10 flights a week to double daily (14 per week) from 25th October. The existing A350-1000 continues, and the new frequency is a 787-8 with Club Suite, which is a perfectly good way to get to Tokyo. Double daily also means more Avios seats released each day, which is the bit that matters most.
Was: 10 per week Now: 14 per week (double daily) Avios (one-way): From 38,500 + £110 in economy (off-peak) to 121,000 + £299.50 in Club World (peak).
Barbados
This is a new daily Gatwick service launching 25th October for the winter season, running alongside the existing Heathrow flights. It's a 777-200, so expect the old Club World seating. The Gatwick to Barbados flight will also tag on to Grenada, Guyana, and Tobago, which opens up more Avios options across the Caribbean.
Was: Heathrow only Now: Daily from Gatwick (winter) plus existing Heathrow service Avios (one-way): From 33,000 + £85 in economy (off-peak) to 110,000 + £249.50 in Club World (peak).
St Lucia
This is more of a restructure than a new route. St Lucia currently operates as the next stop on another service, and BA is splitting it out into its own standalone daily Gatwick flight from 25th October, running year-round. Because it's technically the same route being reorganised rather than a brand new service, additional Avios seats may not appear.
Avios (one-way): From 33,000 + £85 in economy (off-peak) to 110,000 + £249.50 in Club World (peak).
Costa Rica (San Jose)
Nearly doubling, from three to five flights a week starting 25th October. These move to Heathrow and the 787-8s on this route now have Club Suite. Good news if Costa Rica has been on your list.
Was: 3 per week | Now: 5 per week Avios (one-way): From 33,000 + £85 in economy (off-peak) to 110,000 + £249.50 in Club World (peak).
Delhi
Delhi stays at three times daily from Heathrow, maintaining the 50 per cent capacity boost that was introduced earlier this year. The 787 fleet rotates across all three Dreamliner variants on this route.
Was: Double daily | Now: Three times daily Avios (one-way): From 33,000 + £85 in economy (off-peak) to 110,000 + £249.50 in Club World (peak).
Kingston, Jamaica
One extra weekly Gatwick flight from 25th October. 777-200, old Club World.
Was: 3 per week | Now: 4 per week Avios (one-way): From 33,000 + £85 in economy (off-peak) to 110,000 + £249.50 in Club World (peak).
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Same story. Three to four per week from Gatwick on the 777-200.
Was: 3 per week | Now: 4 per week Avios (one-way): From 33,000 + £85 in economy (off-peak) to 110,000 + £249.50 in Club World (peak).
Baltimore
Goes daily from Heathrow from 25th October. 787-8 with Club Suite.
Was: 6 per week | Now: Daily Avios (one-way): From 27,500 + £60 in economy (off-peak) to 99,000 + £199.50 in Club World (peak).
New Orleans
Three to four per week from Heathrow. 787-8 with Club Suite.
Was: 3 per week | Now: 4 per week Avios (one-way): From 33,000 + £85 in economy (off-peak) to 110,000 + £249.50 in Club World (peak).
Houston
One additional weekly flight.
Was: 11 per week | Now: 12 per week Avios (one-way): From 33,000 + £85 in economy (off-peak) to 110,000 + £249.50 in Club World (peak).
Abu Dhabi
BA's daily Heathrow to Abu Dhabi service returns for its planned winter schedule from 25th October.
What should you do right now?
If any of these were on your wishlist, today is the day to act. These flights should be added onto the BA website throughout the morning.
You can book up to 355 days in advance, which right now takes you into early March 2027. That covers the full winter season and then some.
Get your Avios ready. This is as good as it gets.
Sam
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