British Airways today launched special fares from RMB 2,380 to the UK in celebration of the ‘Unexpected Britain’ campaign just launched in China in collaboration with VisitBritain. The unexpected fares, part of a series of promotional activities to encourage Chinese travellers to explore Britain’s endless attractions, are available for booking on ba.com from now until December 2, 2014, and are valid for travel between November 5, 2014 and June 10, 2015. World Traveller economy class tickets start from just RMB 2,380 from Chengdu, RMB 2,780 from Beijing and RMB 2,980 from Shanghai. Tickets in World Traveller Plus premium economy class start from RMB 8,280 from Chengdu and RMB 8,680 from Beijing or Shanghai. The long travel window provides customers with the opportunity to experience several key Chinese and western holidays in the UK, including Christmas, New Year’s Day, Spring Festival, Valentine's Day, Easter and Labour Day. “British Airways is pleased to launch these great fares in conjunction with our ‘Unexpected Britain’ campaign. The United Kingdom’s diverse world-class tourist attractions turn it on for the festive season, making it an ideal destination for travellers to come and expect the unexpected,” said Richard Tams, British Airways executive vice president China. “Britain is a country with a great tradition of preserving its culture and history, but we often overlook how Britain balances this alongside world-class creativity and innovation to bring you an authentic British experience. The ‘Unexpected Britain’ campaign will give Chinese travellers an insight into the uniqueness of modern-day Britain and inspire them to explore a varied and vibrant Great Britain from the moment they step onto a British Airways flight. This campaign will show those who have never visited us before how much more there is to see & do beyond the main sights, and give others who have been before a reason to come back again to explore the surprises hidden throughout the diverse countries of England, Scotland and Wales. “ said Robin Johnson, China Project Director for VisitBritain. In addition to the ’Unexpected Fares’, a four-week competition called #Unexpected Britain# is being staged on the Sina Weibo platforms of both British Airways (weibo.com/britishairways) and VisitBritain (weibo.com/visitbritain). Participants are encouraged to share their interesting travel experiences in the UK to be in the chance to win the grand prize of two British Airways return tickets in World Traveller economy class to the UK. Customers are encouraged to book flights on ba.com early, as the special rates are limited. Notes to editors Terms and conditions of special fares offered by British Airways Offer must be booked by the midnight of December 2, 2014 and is available for outbound travel from Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu between November 5, 2014 and June 10, 2015. Limited seats available. UK destinations: London, Aberdeen, Benbecula, Belfast, Barra, Campbeltown, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Islay, Inverness, Isle of Man, Jersey, Kirkwall, Leeds Bradford, Manchester, Newcastle, Newquay, Shetland Islands, Stornoway, Tiree and Wick. Fares do not include taxes and other surcharges. Fares are subject to change of exchange rate fluctuations. High season surcharge applies. Date changes permitted at CNY1200, except for the outbound journey. A fare difference and change fee can be paid to make date changes on the outbound journey. Offer cannot be combined with any other promotions or discounts. Offer subject to government approval. Other terms and conditions apply. Terms and conditions of online competition Please visit weibo.com/britishairways or weibo.com/visitbritain for more details of the online competition. About British Airways British Airways’ route network currently serves more than 179 destinations in 75 countries. The airline has been flying to mainland China for over 30 years and currently offers daily flights from Beijing and Shanghai to London, and five flights a week in summer schedule as well as three flights a week in winter schedule from Chengdu to London. Now travellers can also book flights on ba.com to travel to the UK and Europe from Chongqing, Changsha, Fuzhou, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Nanjing, Sanya, Wuhan, Guangzhou and Xiamen via Beijing, Shanghai or Chengdu on Air China, China Eastern Airlines or Hainan Airlines or via Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific or Dragonair. British Airways is half way through its £5 billon investment in new aircraft, smarter cabins, elegant lounges and new technologies to make life more comfortable in the air and on the ground. The airline operates the majority of its flights from Terminal 5, its state-of-the-art home at London Heathrow. This terminal is capable of handling 30 million customers a year and is the size of 50 football pitches. In March 2014, Terminal 5 was named by Skytrax as the Best Airport Terminal for the third year running, based on surveys of 12 million frequent travellers and also won the Best Airport Shopping award. In October 2014, British Airways has triumphed in the 2014 Business Traveller Awards, winning Best Airline, Best Short-Haul Airline and Best Frequent Flyer Programme. The airline has held on to the top spot for another year after winning these three categories at the 2013 awards. In February 2014, British Airways was named the UK’s Consumer Superbrand of 2014, securing the top position against 1,500 other brands and becoming the first airline or travel brand to win the prestigious title.  For further information on British Airways, please visit ba.com. British Airways press office contacts Paradigm Communications Beijing Office　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Shanghai Office T: (010) 8580 0783　　　　　　　　　　　T: (021) 6360 5511 Cherry Zhang 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Seara Zhong E: cherryzhang@paradigm.com.hk　　　　E: searazhong@paradigm.com.hk Cassie Chen　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Shaley Han E: cassiechen@paradigm.com.hk　　　　E: shaleyhan@paradigm.com.hk About VisitBritain VisitBritain is the national tourism agency, responsible for marketing Britain worldwide and developing Britain’s visitor economy. It works with partners in the UK and overseas to ensure that Britain is marketed in an inspirational and relevant way around the world. Our partners include government agencies such as UKTI and British Council, airlines and operators, global brands such as Samsung and the English Premier League as well as the official tourism bodies for London, England, Scotland and Wales. The official shop of the British national tourist authority, VisitBritainShop.com has over 150 products on Britain including travel and transport, sightseeing tours and attraction tickets. A one-stop-shop enabling the planning and purchase of products before arrival, VisitBritainShop.com ensures customers spend their time in Britain enjoying it and not waiting in a queue. For further information, please contact VisitBritain: Shanghai Office: Bonnie Hua, Tel: 021 3279 2093; Email: bonnie.hua@visitbritain.org Eva Shen, Tel: 021 3279 2064; Email: eva.shen@visitbritain.org