British Airways just announced a second daily route to Australia starting January 9, 2027, and this one comes with a unique twist. The airline will fly London to Melbourne via Kuala Lumpur on the Boeing 787-9, creating a fifth freedom route that passengers can book between Malaysia and Australia independently.
Flight Schedule and Details
The new route operates daily year-round with convenient timing:
Outbound (London to Melbourne)
- BA33 departs London (LHR) at 9:10 PM, arrives Kuala Lumpur (KUL) at 6:05 PM +1
- BA33 continues from Kuala Lumpur at 7:45 PM, arrives Melbourne (MEL) at 6:40 AM +1
Return (Melbourne to London)
- BA34 departs Melbourne at 4:35 PM, arrives Kuala Lumpur at 9:35 PM
- BA34 continues from Kuala Lumpur at 11:15 PM, arrives London at 5:20 AM +1
The aircraft features 215 seats across four cabins: 8 first class, 38 business class, 39 premium economy, and 130 economy seats.
Why This Matters for Points Enthusiasts
Fifth freedom rights mean you can book the Kuala Lumpur to Melbourne segment separately from the London connection. This creates interesting redemption opportunities, especially since British Airways is a oneworld partner alongside Malaysia Airlines, which hubs in Kuala Lumpur.
British Airways Club Avios, American Airlines AAdvantage miles, and other oneworld program currencies can potentially book these segments. The route returns British Airways to Melbourne after a 20-year absence.
Book With the Right Card
Planning to book this route? Consider using a card that earns transferable points to maximize your options. The Chase Sapphire Preferred earns 5x points on travel booked through Chase Travel and 2x on other travel, and transfers to the British Airways Club at 1:1. The American Express Membership Rewards program also transfers to British Airways and 20+ other airline partners.
For frequent British Airways flyers, the British Airways Visa Signature Card earns 3 Avios per dollar on flight purchases made directly with British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus, according to British Airways' and Chase's pages for the card.
This route complements British Airways' existing Sydney service (also a fifth freedom flight via Singapore) and joins recent Melbourne additions from Turkish Airlines and Finnair, both using different Asian connection points.
Updated September 30, 2026: We corrected the Melbourne arrival time, the British Airways Visa Signature Card's 3 Avios categories, the Chase Sapphire Preferred's travel earning and the program's name, now the British Airways Club, from British Airways' and Chase's own pages.
