British Airways New Route Gatwick to Oakland USA

Made in Chelsea star Stephanie Pratt brings a Californian glow to Gatwick to celebrate British Airways’ new route to Oakland, San Francisco Bay.

Stephanie, who went to college in San Francisco, stuns in a photoshoot to mark the airline’s first route from Gatwick to California, and its fifth service from London to the ‘golden state’. The route takes off from March 28 with flights launching from £210 each way based on a return fare. The 30-year-old reality TV queen teamed a rose gold dress from her own Goddiva clothing line with Christian Louboutin court shoes, as well as a navy dress from her collection teamed with navy sandals from Alexandre Birman.

Stephanie, who studied at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, said: “I absolutely loved studying in the Bay Area as Oakland and San Francisco are both such cool cities. Oakland is super edgy, it’s like the Californian equivalent of Brooklyn as there are just so many quirky shops and cool bars and restaurants. It’s less than a 20 minute car ride from San Francisco and the perfect place to start a road trip to Napa Valley, Yosemite or Lake Tahoe.”


The former Hills star shares her insider guide on where to go:

  • I love NFL so whenever I’m in town I’ll always book tickets to cheer on the Oakland Raiders at the Coliseum. Go Raiders!
  • For the most incredible southern soul food head to Brown Sugar Kitchen. Their shrimp and grits are amazing. Nido Kitchen & Bar serves the best Mexican food in the city and a trip would not be complete without a visit to Donut Savant – their donuts are to die for!
  • Lake Merritt is a beautiful park right in the middle of Oakland and a great place to go to if you want to chill with a book or go for a jog. You can also take an Italian gondola ride across the lake.
  • If you can, time your trip to fall on one of the first Friday’s of the month so you don’t miss out on First Fridays, the Oakland Art Murmur walk. It’s a block party where you can stroll around all the art galleries in West Oakland and live music and gourmet food trucks line the route.

Perfectly placed in North California, Oakland also makes a good starting point for road trips, with San Francisco, San Jose, San Diego and Los Angeles, all within easy reach for fly-drive enthusiasts. British Airways offers multi-destination bookings, allowing customers to fly in and out of different airports.

For those wanting a taste of the cool Cali lifestyle British Airways Holidays has the following packages on offer:

  • British Airways Holidays offers five nights at the 4* Hilton Parc 55 San Francisco, from £699 per person, travelling November 1 to November 30. Includes World Traveller return flights from Gatwick and accommodation. Book by March 30. For reservations visit ba.com or call 0344 493 0122.
  • British Airways Holidays offers seven days, from £479 per person, travelling November 1 to November 30. Includes World Traveller return flights from Gatwick and an Economy car. Book by March 30. For reservations visit ba.com/car.

For more information or to book a flight or holiday, please visit ba.com