British Airways scraps free baggage allowance on key European routes

[PAXboy]

Having been trialled at LGW, now extended to eight destinations from LCY and LHR.

Going budget? British Airways scraps free baggage allowance on key European routes - News & Advice - Travel - The Independent (http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/going-budget-british-airways-scraps-free-baggage-allowance-on-key-european-routes-8808746.html)

[Leftofcentre2009]

Vuelling already do this (An IAG company) so no surprise.

[crewmeal]

From 24 September, passengers travelling without checked baggage to Amsterdam, Barcelona, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Paris, Rome, Rotterdam and Stockholm will get a £10 discount on the cheapest tickets. One-way fares from Edinburgh to Heathrow are available for as little as £37, while the lowest price from London City to Amsterdam is £72.

Anyone choosing to check in a bag must pay £10 more, reflecting the additional costs in terms of time, money and fuel.

So passengers transiting at LHR from these places and connecting on long flights will be penalised for bringing checked in baggage? After all isn't that what LHR is a hub for BA flights? Good ad for Virgin I must say!

[Hotel Tango]

Sad to see legacy airlines going taking this route. A sign of the times I guess.

[fa2fi]

Interesting move. On the domestic route I fly BA on the onboard service consists of a "free" g&t and a packet of birdseed. Now I have to pay more to check in a bag. And I get the leftover scraps when it comes to selecting a seat. It s a shame there is no competition to fly to the smoke with. I think I'll start taking the train. Nothing wrong with LCC service but I do take issue with paying legacy fares for it.

[mixture]

PAXboy,

Haven't read the article, but assuming its the same as what's been going on at Gatwick, it is important to point out that BA are NOT scrapping it, they are introducing a "hand baggage only fare" which does what it says on the tin ! The "old" fares remain available, it is an additional fare for the tightwads.

I suspect its typical media hype over nothing.

[wowzz]

'Mixture' - quite correct! BA are offering a lower price if you want to travel without hold luggage, so I cannot see what the problem is. Also, the BA web-page clearly shows at the time of booking, what the fare will be with or without hold luggage, something that locos do not do.
My only concern is that at some time in the future, BA will go down the loco route, and show the cabin luggage only fare at theinitial booking stage, and then add on the hold luggage charge later in the booking process.

[Basil]

Yes, I noticed that a month or two ago - deary me :sad: