Ba To Charge £240 For Extra Bag

[Farma]

BA to charge £240 for extra bag

British Airways is planning to add up to £240 to the cost of a return long-haul flight if passengers want to check in an extra bag.

Travellers on shorter international trips will face a bill of £120 and those on domestic journeys, £60.

Analysts said the tactic was a way of the airline covering costs and possibly of smoothing its move to Heathrow's Terminal 5 next year.

But some said it may damage BA's image as a full-service carrier.

'Simpler'

Until now customers have been allowed to check in more than one bag as long as they did not go over weight restrictions.

The fees, which come in from Tuesday 13 February, will apply even if the combined weight of the two bags is below the allowance.

However passengers will be able to carry one piece of sporting equipment free of charge.

Continued here http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6341129.stm

[slimdog]

Full details can be found at the BA website:

http://www.britishairways.com/travel/bgpolicy/public/en_gb

Quick summary for Long haul passengers is:

FIRST and Club World

Customers will be able to check three bags into the aircraft hold free of charge.

Club Europe and World Traveller Plus

Customers will be able to check two bags into the aircraft hold free of charge.

World Traveller*, Euro Traveller, BA Connect & UK Domestic

Customers will be able to check one bag into the aircraft hold free of charge

Maximum weight per bag =<23kg.

Note:

To allow our customers to become familiar with our new baggage policy and weight limitations, we will continue to accept bags at check-in weighing up to 32kgs for travel completed by 30 September 2007

Also

World Traveller customers travelling / connecting to or from the US, Canada, Caribbean, Nigeria, Brazil and Mexico will continue to be allowed two checked bags in line with the local government regulations

Might be worth checking out the cost of an upgrade for some...

[ovenman]

Might be worth checking out the cost of an upgrade for some...

...or checking out the cost of shipping unaccompanied baggage.

[londonthai]

... or checking the other airlines who do not reap off their customers.

£240 can be as much as bying another ticket and having 2 seats for yourself and weight allowance 23+23

Edited February 8, 2007 by londonthai

[samtam]

I agree with londonthai. There are many other airlines out there and BA would always be my last choice. With their propensity to go on strike as well, better to choose a more reliable option. Arrival, departure, or even transit through London especially in the summer months, or other high season periods, is not a joy.

[Pattaya_Fox]

I am amazed that people want to fly with BA these days when there are so many alternative airlines which provide a better and more friendly service.

The continual threat of strikes must surely put many people off.

The chairman has probably just seen Ryan Air`s latest set of profit figures and decided to jump on the band waggon. Unfortunately he hasn`t realised that Ryan Air can get away with charging for baggage because their flight prices are so cheap compared to the BA exorbitant fares which we usually see.

Another self inflicted bullet in the foot for BA.

[libya 115]

British Airways are one of the worst airlines. They are just marginally better than Biman.

I would rather swim to Thailand from the U.K. than suffer the rudeness, arrogance, ugliness, and body-odour drenched uniform of some halitosis suffering steward/stewardess who actually believes that they are more than a waiter/waitress just because they can top-up a life belt with a rehearsed blow on a rubber tube and count to ten in a foreign language.

B.A. are just using this price increase to tap the unsuspecting customer who arrives at check-in with two bags. They will lose customer loyalty and ultimately will be bought out by easyjet in 2012.

[britmaveric]

Another reason not to fly BA

[roamer]

Another reason not to fly BA

Like another reason was needed ?

[sonthaya]

Another reason not to fly BA

You are so right, I would never fly BA, not even before this new issue, poor service and many other reasons.

[farangsay]

BA has been "customer oriented" for a while.

I flew back to Paris from London using BA.

As I had a fractured foot I was using crutches.

I got on the aircraft OK but had some difficulty

hoisting a shoulder bag in the overhead.

I noticed two cabin staff 10ft away who were

busy chatting. I glared at them until the

female came up to me and said "we are not

supposed to help passengers with their cabin

baggage".

"WELL DON'T F*CKING DO IT THEN" I replied

with a smile.

Come back Aeroflot , all is forgiven.

[onebir]

CNN's done a poll on the charge here:

http://www.cnn.com/POLLSERVER/results/30028.exclude.html

It's not good reading for them ;-)

Now where's the CNN poll on Thai visa policy?

[endure]

If you think BA are bad now you ought to have flown with them before they were privatised. I once flew LHR-SEA-SFO with them. We took off from LHR in the early afternoon, they fed us a meal then all went down the back of the plane and crashed out until SEA. If you asked for anything the answer was 'there's the galley, get it yourself'