TORONTO — A new summer deal from British Airways offers savings worth up to $150 for clients booking both flight and hotel, and flight and car packages for travel through 2017.
The promotion runs until July 25 for travel departing from all four of British Airways’ Canadian gateways up to Dec. 31, 2017.
The airline says passengers can secure vacation packages with a low deposit and pay the balance in installments. British Airways’ ‘Customize Your Trip’ service allows customers to create a multi-destination vacation of their choice with flexibility to combine flights in and out of different airports, book multiple hotels and select car rental for any part of their vacation.
Passengers save $100 when they spend $1,500 to $2,499. They can save $150 when they spend $2,500 or more.
The deal comes as VisitBritain once again reports strong growth from Canada in the first three months of 2017, with visits from this market up 33% to 132,000. Spend was down by 17%, likely a reflection of fluctuations in the exchange rate.
Britain saw a record first quarter for overall inbound visits and spend, with 8.3 million visits, up 10%, a new Q1 record, and Q1 spending jumped up by 16% to $7.4 billion compared to January to March last year, a new Q1 spending record and $984 million more than in Q1 2012.
Bookings overall for international arrivals to the UK this summer are currently tracking 9% ahead of the same period last year.
“These strong numbers show how much Canadians enjoy exploring the culture, heritage, cities and countryside of Britain,” said VisitBritain Interim Executive Vice President, The Americas, Paul Gauger.
“We are seizing the opportunity to build on this, showcasing the many special events and anniversaries being held in Britain this year: from the 70th anniversary of the Edinburgh Festivals, to the 20th anniversary of the first Harry Potter book, to commemorating the 200th anniversary of the death of beloved writer Jane Austen.
“As Canada celebrates its 150th birthday in 2017, we are highlighting the heritage and cultural links between Canada and Britain on our Canada150 hub. We encourage Canadians to explore their ancestral links to Britain.”
