British Airways launches ‘no suitcase’ fares from Gatwick – first step to a low-cost model?

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• Paul Goffin says:

  20 Feb20 February 06:49

  BA have confirmed in the t&c’s that if gold or silver card holders book a ‘hand baggage only’ fare they won’t be able to check a bag for free.

• Tom says:

  20 Feb20 February 07:59

  More pressure on hand luggage stowage on short haul..just what we need!

• jms says:

  20 Feb20 February 08:21

  If you proceed with a booking, this message pops up:

  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.

• Andy S says:

  20 Feb20 February 08:29

  Just done a quick search on the LGW to AMS route, BA want £38.79 yet easyjet want £43.99 on 04/03/2013

• Johnny5a says:

  20 Feb20 February 08:41

  What will happen if they run out of overhead locker space? I assume this will be the start of cabin baggage size enforcement. My Samsonite is precisely the size of the sizer frame, more often I’ve seen bags much bigger! than mine being dragged onto the flight. More recently Tunis!

  • Andy S says:

    20 Feb20 February 13:25

    Never seen BA ever actually check cabin baggage size, guess they will have to start checking hand luggage size now

• Blackberryaddict says:

  20 Feb20 February 18:54

  “And is this even a real discount, or have the fares with a case actually been bumped up by £10-£11?”

  Having had a look on the LGW-AMS – they are indeed cheaper than before. It changes the equation a little vs the Reward Flight Saver tickets – I’ve just cancelled an Avios booking and bought the hand-luggage only tickets.

  • Andy S says:

    20 Feb20 February 19:55

    At £39 its better to pay cash than use avios points at these prices plus you earn the standard rate of avios at points for economy – not reduced!

    • Raffles says:

      20 Feb20 February 22:09

      That’s a fair point … AMS is a poor use of Avios even with RFS at these levels, unless you need flexibility.

      Let’s see if those fares stay so low, though!

      • Blackberryaddict says:

        20 Feb20 February 22:24

        Yes, so that what I did. But I was miles rich and cash poor, and needed 4 tickets. It was marginal anyway, but with these fares the margin slipped away.

        • Lorcancoyle says:

          20 Feb20 February 22:42

          Would be interested to hear what (if?) the online upgrade offer was for this fare – could help with TP runs

        • Blackberryaddict says:

          20 Feb20 February 23:11

          £69. Same as usual I think.

• World Traveller says:

  20 Feb20 February 20:35

  BA introduced the ‘self bag tag’ option at London City quite some time ago. It surprises me why it’s taken airlines so long to introduce this when Swissair and Sabena were doing it back in 2000.

  The no suitcase fare is actually BA copying Air France’s Mini fares which they launched back in January. “With our Mini offer you will enjoy a simplified service at great fare, starting from 50 EUR* one way.”

  If you buy this fare and then decide you want to take luggage you can providing you pay – online before departure for €15 or at the airport for €30.

  You don’t get Flying Blue Miles whilst you do get Avios & status points with BA’s no suitcase fare.

• Thunderbirds says:

  21 Feb21 February 07:49

  I think that BA should continue to un-bundle their prices which is what is happening here. To a large extent Low Cost airline simply means no legacy costs, it has nothing really to do with levels of (paid for) service.

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