British Airways opens Avios bookings for Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar route
British Airways has opened Avios bookings for its new triangular Gatwick-Kilimanjaro-Zanzibar route launching in May 2027.
British Airways has launched Avios redemptions for its new triangular route from London Gatwick to Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar. The flights will operate three times weekly from 29 May 2027 until 31 October 2027.
British Airways announced the two new Tanzanian destinations twelve days ago. This marks the airline's first triangular route, flying from Gatwick to Kilimanjaro, then to Zanzibar, before returning directly to Gatwick. Each segment operates under flight number BA2163. There is a one-hour layover in Kilimanjaro and a three-hour stop in Zanzibar. The service runs on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
Avios redemption details and availability
Avios seats are now available on the new route. British Airways released the full complement of redemption seats: four in Club World, two in World Traveller Plus, and eight in World Traveller. Only two Club World seats are available per flight for reasons we will explain. These two premium seats are split between the destinations, with two allocated for Kilimanjaro and two for Zanzibar per flight segment.
Avios pricing is fixed and identical for both Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar, with separate peak and off-peak rates across all cabins.
| Cabin | Season | Avios Required | Cash Fee (Return) |
|---|---|---|---|
| World Traveller | Off-Peak | 66,000 | £190 |
| World Traveller | Peak | 77,000 | £190 |
| World Traveller Plus | Off-Peak | 104,500 | £460 |
| World Traveller Plus | Peak | 148,500 | £460 |
| Club World | Off-Peak | 198,000 | £599 |
| Club World | Peak | 220,000 | £599 |
How it compares to Qatar Airways
Redeeming Avios via Qatar Airways presents a significant alternative for travel to Kilimanjaro. A Qatar Airways business class redemption from London costs 130,000 Avios plus £740 in taxes for a return trip. This requires up to 90,000 fewer Avios than British Airways Club World, albeit with £141 in additional taxes.
The Qatar Airways product is described as light years ahead of the Club World seat offered on British Airways' Gatwick-based aircraft. However, the Qatar option involves an aircraft change and connection in Doha. Choosing the direct British Airways flight could therefore cost an extra 90,000 Avios.
Product and operational context
As a Gatwick-based route, passengers are guaranteed the older-style yin-yang Club World seat. This product lacks direct aisle access for all passengers. Gatwick is due to receive a new Boeing 787-10 fleet featuring modern, direct-aisle-access seating, but this upgrade is not expected until 2029. The aircraft used on this new route will be older 787s without this feature until that time.
The route operates three times a week on Monday, Thursday and Saturday using flight number BA2163 for each leg.
