British Airways Official Podcast

In our first episode of 2023, our podcasters check in with British Airways Holidays to find out if the role of Destination Manager truly is the coolest job at British Airways Holidays. Is it all sunsets and sun loungers or is there serious work to be done too? And when really is the best time to bag a bargain and book a holiday?Hear from our guests, Olivia, Robyn and Emma, about the many benefits of booking a package and discover more about our British Airways Holidays Customer Excellence Awards.

As we begin the winter season our podcasters Julian, Molly and Paul go behind the scenes to find out more about how our Global Operations team plan and manage weather events. Our Head of Operational Readiness and Accountable Manager Operations, give us an insight into the complexities involved both in the run-up to a weather event and on the day, sharing examples from the UK and the US East Coast. They also chat about the close relationships with the MET office and Heathrow Airport, essential for working through the many pieces of the operational jigsaw, to minimise disruption for our customers and operation.

Tune in as our podcasters Molly and Caroline talk Black History Month (BHM) with Carol Llewellyn and Kurt Morlese from BA’s Being of a Minority Ethnicity (BeME) network.As BHM celebrates its 35th year, Kurt and Carol talk about their own heritage, why Black History Month matters and what we can do to make a change. Kurt also tells us why educating the younger generation is vital, what Notting Hill Carnival is really about and how he celebrates with his own family. Meanwhile, Carol reveals the reaction she sometimes receives to her Welsh surname, why Black History should be celebrated all year round and expresses her vision for diversity in the future.

Our podcasters take The Check In on tour, to British Airways Engineering Wales (BAEW).Colleagues in Cardiff take Paul, Caroline and Julian on an exclusive tour of BAEW to share the incredible work that goes on at their base. We bring the podcast to life in our first video episode, giving you the chance to see a stripped out aircraft cabin, find out more about the black box on board...and you won't believe how many different parts make up an aircraft toilet!A huge thank you to Sarah-Jayne Worley, Henryk Golaszewski, Aaron Papantoniou, Alexander Lewis and Jan Cegielski for featuring on the podcast, and a shout out to the whole team at BAEW who contributed to the tour and helped make it happen. 

Since her accession to the throne, Her Majesty visited 116 countries and we are honoured that she flew with us for many of her historically momentous trips. As we proudly stand together with the United Kingdom, to thank Her Majesty for her service, some of our colleagues have come forward to share their stories from over the years. In this special edition episode, hear from Jim Davies, a volunteer at our Speedbird Heritage Centre, Lorraine Longden and Sally Kennedy, who both operated as cabin crew for many of Her Majesty’s royal visits, Jock Lowe, a former Chief Concorde Pilot, and Marleen from Brussels, Marianne from Bermuda and Gina from our BA headquarters.

To round up celebrations for Her Majesty The Queen’s Jubilee, our podcasters caught up with Jim Davies from our British Airways Museum.Hear about flights Her Majesty has taken over many years with BA. Jim also recalls his personal account of the day the Queen visited Waterside to mark our 100-year anniversary and gives a great insight into the heritage collection on display in the Speedbird Centre; including the one piece of memorabilia Jim would love to still find!

Our podcasters chat with our Community Investment Manager, Mary Brew, to get the latest on all the community work going on at British Airways, focusing on our recently launched Community Fund and how we've been supporting the crisis in Ukraine. Listen to find out how much our colleagues have raised on board for the record-breaking Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Ukraine Appeal, and hear directly from Simon at the DEC about how the funds are helping those affected by the crisis. Caroline, Molly and Paul also chat with Jackson, the founder of Fantasy Wings, and Mandy Fox, one of our Global Ops community champions. 

As part of the wider 50th anniversary of the Apollo 16 landing, astronauts including Charlie Duke, Dr Sian Proctor and Susan Kilrain joined our British Airways podcasters to talk about all things space and the similarities with aviation.