BA to start charging for baggage on certain routes

[whatmeworry]

Not a good thing when a legacy airline in Europe starts charging for baggage.

When full-service airlines go budget

 

[ChrisFlyer]

Not often that the media actually tries to make Qantas look good... it's nice for a change!

Out of curiosity, are LGW flights generally more leisure-orientated, as opposed to flights ex-LHR?

 

[casanovawa]

No, one of the few lines they have going for them is about when you add up all the LCC charges its not that far beneath a full service airline... Not once you have to pay for baggage on both of them...

 

[The Rok]

No, one of the few lines they have going for them is about when you add up all the LCC charges its not that far beneath a full service airline... Not once you have to pay for baggage on both of them...

Exactly. So if you don't travel with checked luggage, why should you pay for it? It just evens the playing field!

 

[Mal]

Out of curiosity, are LGW flights generally more leisure-orientated, as opposed to flights ex-LHR?

Yes. It's a cheaper base for BA, and generally the flights are more leisure orientated.

 

[ChrisFlyer]

Yes. It's a cheaper base for BA, and generally the flights are more leisure orientated.

Interesting - I never knew that!

Introducing ancillary charges on leisure routes that have been palmed off to an operation with a lower cost base... sound familiar, anyone?

In all seriousness, it is somewhat unfortunate - with QF/JQ, you can at least choose one or the other... in this case, BA is directly reducing the standards of their mainline product. Luckily the new alliance-wide OWE allowances should cover a number of us on here if we ever need to travel on those routes!

 

[samh004]

It's not mentioned in the article, but I assume elite members of Executive Club (is it still called that) will get at least one free checked bag?

I'm not against this model, it works very well for AA, but I think giving your FF's a free ride is worth it, and perhaps your partners FF's as AA does. Not considering travel at this stage, but this sort of BS (especially coming long haul from Australia before short haul to wherever else I wanted to go) would make me think twice about giving them revenue. I may be just one, but I'm sure a lot would feel the same. This despite my OWE-extra bag.

 

[dajop]

Interesting. I guess QF did a similar thing on its low yielding routes quite a few years ago (and continues to do so .... SYD-AYQ recently), just that it went one step further and handed them completely to jetstar instead of diluting the brand like BA seem to be doing. Although one suspects given the intense competition from Easyjet, Ryanair and miscellaneous others, this might be just testing the water with expansion imminent, with the potential to end up where US carriers are today.

 

[Mal]

It's not mentioned in the article, but I assume elite members of Executive Club (is it still called that) will get at least one free checked bag?

Nope. It's exempted on these fares.

From Speedbirdclub (Their travel agent site)

I am a Gold Executive Club card holder and normally get an additional baggage allowance when flying in economy, will this apply if I purchase a hand baggage only fare?
No. Gold & Silver Members will continue to have a minimum two item baggage allowance when purchasing standard fares (which include a baggage allowance). If a hand baggage only fare is purchased then the zero bag allowance will apply.

 

[ChrisFlyer]

Nope. It's exempted on these fares.

Wow... how does that work with the new OWE entitlements when flying on a carrier other than one's own? Surely they would have to honour the alliance benefit, even if they exclude their own FFs from the benefit (a la AA domestic lounges)?

 

[Mal]

Wow... how does that work with the new OWE entitlements when flying on a carrier other than one's own? Surely they would have to honour the alliance benefit, even if they exclude their own FFs from the benefit (a la AA domestic lounges)?

Well they think they can... When you attempt to book a fare, OW members are directly listed:

The baggage allowance for this fare is:

1 piece of hand baggage, plus 1 laptop sized bag or handbag
A collapsible pushchair and one car seat if you are travelling with small children or an infant
No checked baggage. Executive Club Gold, Silver and oneworld equivalent members' additional checked baggage allowance does not apply to this fare.

 

[samh004]

Nope. It's exempted on these fares.

From Speedbirdclub (Their travel agent site)

It's early days, but perhaps it really is the end of alliances, as this sort of thing doesn't make me want to fly with them... that said, so long as the normal fare isn't a heap more expensive and doesn't rise (so these fares are "actually" less), then it doesn't matter, other than the fact they should be challenged

 

[casanovawa]

Exactly. So if you don't travel with checked luggage, why should you pay for it? It just evens the playing field!

It would even out the playing field with their LCC competition if they dropped their prices for hand luggage only flights to make them more competitive with other LCC flights like Ryan Air and Easy Jet but i imagine it will be more of a case of the current price will quickly be the hand luggage only flight and will cost extra if you take checked luggage, which will only make the gap between LCCs and BA greater...

 

[whatmeworry]

BA has extended this trial to all routes out of LGW.

British Airways expands 'hand-luggage only' fares

 

[dajop]

BA has extended this trial to all routes out of LGW.

British Airways expands 'hand-luggage only' fares

Wow that didn't take long!

 

[whatmeworry]

Not even a month. BA must be desperate. This was the airline that even promoted the fact you didn't have to pay for luggage.