British Airways just launched nonstop service from San Jose to London in response to the growing tech industry in London and the need for business and leisure travelers to get to London from the Silicon Valley.
Before the launch, potential travelers had to make a connection from San Jose to San Francisco and continue to London or get to San Francisco on their own and fly directly. The new route saves time for those customers, and offers a more direct route for the tech industry on both ends.
Many of the Silicon Valley tech companies have headquarters or offices in Europe. With British Airways providing a daily direct flight, these companies get easier access to London and easier connections to destinations in Europe as well.
There was also demand from leisure customers to have a direct long haul route to London, and now British Airways has been able to deliver to their customers. The flight #278 leaves daily from San Jose Airport at 8:05 pm arriving at Heathrow at 2:10 pm, and flight #279 leaves London daily @ 3:25 pm arriving at San Jose at 6:15 pm, all times local.
With this new addition, the tech industry on both sides of the pond should be better served which will continue to foster strong relationships with the rest of the world. As well as continue to allow London’s tech scene to grow. It’s also good to see that British Airways didn’t hesitate to add the route, and have avoided missing a lucrative opportunity.