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British Airways changes its baggage rules – effective today, no notice given

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British Airways changed its baggage policy last night with literally no notice.  Even the travel trade was not informed until yesterday.

For all BA bookings made from today, the Most Generous Allowance luggage policy no longer exists.

The Most Generous Allowance policy allowed you to retain the biggest luggage allowance from any flight on your itinerary and have it apply to all flights.

The most common use of this would be if you flew outbound in one class and inbound in another.  Fly out in Euro Traveller but back in Club Europe and, as long as the entire flight was on the same ticket, you got the higher Club Europe baggage allowance for both legs.  No longer.  You will now have to pay for extra baggage on the Euro Traveller leg.

This does NOT apply to tickets with a connection on the inbound or outbound.   If you are flying domestically from Manchester to Heathrow and then onwards in Club World, you still get the Club World baggage allowance on the domestic flight.

Except …. this no longer applies if you have a stopover of more than 24 hours.   Fly from Manchester to London on Monday, with your onward flight in Club World on Wednesday, and you do NOT get a higher baggage allowance on the Manchester to London flight.  You will need to pay.

Here are two example from BA’s own travel trade site:

Gatwick to Barbados – outbound in World Traveller, returning in Club World

Previously:  2 x 32kg allowance on both flights

From today:  1 x 23kg allowance outbound, 2 x 32kg allowance inbound

Edinburgh to Barbados, with the domestic leg to Gatwick in Euro Traveller and a Club World onward flight and a stopover in London

Previously: 2 x 32kg allowance on all flights

From today:  1 x 23kg allowance on Edinbugh – Gatwick, 2 x 32kg allowance on Gatwick – Barbados

For clarity, in the 2nd example it is the stopover that causes the problem.  If the passenger is connecting immediately then they keep the higher allowance on all flights.

Existing tickets booked before today are not affected.  British Airways has said that, even if such tickets are amended, they will retain the old rules.

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Category

British Airways and Avios

Comments (101)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • Billy says:
    18 Oct18 October 09:05

    It’s hardly surprising given the proliferation of exEU bookings…

    • Sean says:
      18 Oct18 October 09:07

      Surely you’d book ex-EU to go in J all the way?

      • Alex W says:
        18 Oct18 October 21:49

        I think most would agree that booking the short haul leg in club Europe was, and still is, a waste of money unless you need the extra baggage or tier points.

  • Neil says:
    18 Oct18 October 09:07

    I’m assuming Gold and Silver luggage allowances haven’t been affected?

  • Carol says:
    18 Oct18 October 09:09

    No more ski holidays with BA then.

  • Volker says:
    18 Oct18 October 09:21

    Will soon be flying FRA-LHR-GLA in Club Europe and then onwards with Loganair to one of the Scottish islands – in Eco (highest available class on the last leg). Everything is booked on one BA cash ticket with BA flight numbers. Will I be able to check two bags all the way through to my final destination? Even Loganair’s premium passengers are only allowed one bag on individually booked Loganair flights (unless they pay extra for a second bag).

    I’m not holding my breath for the flight leaving the island: “When passengers are connecting directly on to a British Airways service to London or beyond the luggage allowance will be 1 piece at 23kgs per person.” (Loganair website).

  • Tord Nilson says:
    18 Oct18 October 09:25

    That’s incredibly annoying. I fly with skis a lot during the winter season for work and one around paying extra is paying for Club Europe the cheapest way. I guess I’ll go back to flying Swiss…

  • Tom says:
    18 Oct18 October 09:59

    Question, so if I book a hand baggage only return in ET and then proactively upgrade one of the sectors to CW, would I still be HBO on the ones sector I’m in ET?

  • totaltool says:
    18 Oct18 October 10:04

    O/T sorry but could not see a “Bits” article today. Last year Virgin East Coast ran a campaign with Nectar Points where you could transfer any number of Nectar points for East Coast vouchers and then half were returned to Nectar. Am sitting on a considerable number of Nectar points and would like to do something similar. Unfortunately I did not put dates in my diary so can’t recall exact dates and I assume its a yearly occurrence(?). Can anyone else recall?

    • Genghis says:
      18 Oct18 October 10:08

      It was Oct last year
      http://www.shopperpoints.co.uk/2016/10/08/1p-nectar-points-virgin-trains-east-coast/

      It’d be great if they could wait till late Nov / early Dec for such an offer when my wife and I will have a good amount of nectar points from the life insurance deal that ran over the summer.

      • totaltool says:
        18 Oct18 October 10:11

        Thanks Genghis, slightly concerned as its more than a year ago so may not run again but not sure how often these run (I was new to HFP this time last year)

    • JamesB says:
      18 Oct18 October 17:19

      Nectar seems to be all bad news on spend these days but earnings have been good this year. I’m not too inclined to hold onto the points, redeeming at standard rates on argos 342 on toys or Sainsburys 50% toy sale which startdd today is not a bad option for anybody witn kids in the family. Saibsbury double up hopefully coming soon too.

      • thomas says:
        18 Oct18 October 19:03

        would be interested to hear what readers suggest to do with 200,000 nectar points..

        • JamesB says:
          18 Oct18 October 20:26

          I would second TRH1, consider discontinued lego sets such as star wars or technic that can be a good investment.

        • Rob says:
          18 Oct18 October 22:08

          …. but only when there is a special offer on (if you can hold off) where you get 1p instead of 0.5p.

          Failing that, 350 points for any Caffe Nero coffee is a better deal than using them at Sainsburys, albeit it will take you a while to work through them!

      • Rob says:
        18 Oct18 October 22:09

        Agree. Oddly I have, without trying, picked up quite a few points this year – almost all from the regular ‘500 points for a Virgin trains booking’ offers which come along very frequently, usually when I need to head back north.

  • Gavin says:
    18 Oct18 October 10:29

    Very annoying change for ski holidays as some have mentioned. Need two checked bags. I’m currently Silver so i’m OK, but once my card lapses i’ll be more likely to use Swiss who still offer free ski carriage in addition to the standard luggage allowance.

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