BA Launches Cheaper Long Distance Fares
- Hand-luggage only fares for long haul flights
- Customers won’t be able to select a seat
- Up to £60 cheaper
British Airways has launched a new long-haul basic fare for customers who only want to bring hand luggage on to a plane.
The flights will be up to £60 cheaper, but customers won’t be able to check-in luggage, or select a seat in advance.
The new basic fare tickets are available now, and are for a range of BA flights.
They work similarly to BA’s short haul basic fares- you get two bags for hand luggage and this is cheaper than paying for another bag to check in.
The cheapest fare under the new pricing is to Dubai, which will cost just £143 each way, or £286 overall.
Basic fare customers will still be given meals and allowed two pieces of hand luggage.
BA has insisted that this is a genuine fare cut, as opposed to putting up the prices of standard tickets.
Adam Daniels, chief commercial officer, said, “Someone travelling for a short meeting or leisure break, who isn’t planning to check in a bag and is happy for us to allocate them a seat, will appreciate the option to secure a lower fare.
"They'll still receive our generous hand baggage allowance, a seat allocated to them in advance, complimentary food and drink, in-flight entertainment, blankets and headphones, all at no extra cost.
“And those looking to make even more savings can use Avios towards the flight too."
How Much Luggage Can You Take?
You’ll be able to bring the same amount of luggage as you can in BA’s basic fare short-haul flights.
If you’ve got one of the basic fares, your hand luggage allowance is one handbag or laptop bag, and one additional cabin bag.
The handbag or laptop bag can be a maximum or 23 kilos, and up tp 40x30x15cm, and the cabin bag is also a maximum or 23 kilos, with a size of 56x45x25cm.
How Does the Fare Work?
The basic fares can be combined with other fare types.
You can buy a standard fare one way, and a basic fare the other way.
If you are travelling as a family or a group, BA says it will try to sit you all together, although your group may be split across aisles or rows.
Children under 12 will always be seated with an adult on the same booking.
Ryanair also made changes to its baggage policy this year, although these changes weren’t good news for customers.
