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British Airways Reveals the Second Centennial Livery With 1960s-Inspired A319

March 04, 2019
•
5 min read
NK - BA BEA Livery LHR GRADE (18 of 20)
British Airways Reveals the Second Centennial Livery With 1960s-Inspired A319
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British Airways has rolled out the second aircraft featuring a unique livery to celebrate the airline's 100-year anniversary in 2019.

The aircraft, an Airbus A319, sports the colors of now-defunct British European Airways (BEA), which was originally designed by Mary De Saulles in 1959, when the airline received its first jet-powered aircraft, and was used until 1968.

BEA operated European as well as some North African and Middle Eastern routes until 1974 when it merged with BOAC to become British Airways.

British Airways special BEA livery Airbus A319. Photo by Nicky Kelvin / The Points Guy

TPG was at London Heathrow to welcome the Airbus, with the registration G-EUPJ, as it arrived, freshly painted from Shannon, just after 10:30am on Monday. Just like BEA did, this single-aisle Airbus will serve European and North African routes.

British Airways special BEA livery Airbus A319. Photo by Nicky Kelvin / The Points Guy
British Airways special BEA livery Airbus A319. Photo by Nicky Kelvin / The Points Guy

While it was a cold and windy March morning at Heathrow, the skies briefly cleared as the aircraft taxied to the original BEA hangar, providing a fantastic backdrop for the special arrival, which stood out even amongst the huge and diverse range of airlines at one of the world's busiest airports.

This aircraft will retain the special livery until it is retired next year.

The A319 may not be as instantly recognizable or impressive in size as the iconic 747 Jumbo Jets receiving the other centennial liveries, yet the special BEA livery looked fantastic on the smaller aircraft. Although BEA did not operate any A319s, which were built two decades after the airine's demise, the adaptation remained mostly true to the original, minus some small modifications to reflect modern safety and identification requirements.

British Airways special BEA livery Airbus A319. Photo by Nicky Kelvin / The Points Guy

This livery follows the first centennial one, a Boeing 747-400 painted in the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) design unveiled last month.

As with the BOAC livery event, the BEA unveiling featured some unique historical literature from the original airline, with menus, route maps, staff induction guides and timetables to destinations like Amsterdam, Ankara, Nicosia and Zurich.

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Photo by Nicky Kelvin / The Points Guy
Photo by Nicky Kelvin / The Points Guy

The aircraft resumes normal operations from Monday afternoon, with its first stop being Manchester (MAN) as BA1396 before returning the same day, followed by other short-haul European destinations from London Heathrow. You can track the aircraft's location and scheduled operations through FlightRadar.

British Airways special BEA livery Airbus A319. Photo by Nicky Kelvin / The Points Guy

BA has a total of 42 A319s in its sizable fleet of almost 300 aircraft.

British Airways special BEA livery Airbus A319. Photo by Nicky Kelvin / The Points Guy
British Airways special BEA livery Airbus A319. Photo by Nicky Kelvin / The Points Guy
British Airways special BEA livery Airbus A319. Photo by Nicky Kelvin / The Points Guy

The third centennial livery, to be unveiled in April, will be the Landor design used during the 1980s and 90s, which will again be painted on a Boeing 747.

British Airways special BEA livery Airbus A319. Photo by Nicky Kelvin / The Points Guy
British Airways special BEA livery Airbus A319. Photo by Nicky Kelvin / The Points Guy

As well as celebrating the centennial year, 2019 is a big year for British Airways, with the delivery of the first Airbus A350 featuring the highly-anticipated new Club World seat.

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Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

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  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.