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BA backs down on £240 bag charges
Last updated at 21:22pm on 13.02.07
Climbdown: BA has scrapped it's plan to charge for baggage - until September
British Airways waived its new £240 excess baggage fee yesterday to give passengers a chance to get used to the changes.
Those flying long haul in economy class and checking in two or more bags were due to be charged £120 each way under rules announced last week.
Read more... • BA to charge £240 for checking in more than one bag
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But on the day the tariff was introduced, those stowing more than one bag in the hold were spared the extra charge.
BA said it was being ' sympathetic' to customers confused by the new regime - but stressed that the charges would still stand.
'Clearly if someone turns up with two bags that are way over the weight limit, they will have to pay the excess.
'We have not dropped the policy,' a spokesman said. 'We are showing flexibility and being sympathetic to our customers who may be confused at this early stage.'
Some passengers who had carefully scaled down their luggage to meet the new rules seemed even more confused at check-in yesterday.
From September 30, those in economy will be limited to just one bag of no more than 23kg in weight. Until then, the limit will be one bag of 32kg.
The charge for economy passengers who check more than one bag into the plane's hold will be £120 on short-haul return flights and £60 on domestic returns.
BA insisted it was simplifying its baggage- check rules and said most passengers would be better off under the revised system.
The spokesman said: 'In the vast majority of instances, the new policy will be cheaper or comparable for customers who wish to fly with excess baggage on top of their free allowances.'
Economy passengers will in fact generally be the losers under the system while business and first- class passengers will be better off.
On long-haul economy flights, it could be cheaper to buy an extra seat in some instances than to pay the new £240 excess charge.
Passengers flying first and Club (business) class on long-haul flights can check in up to three bags free of charge, with the total weight allowance rising by 29kg and 39kg respectively.
Those flying Club to the Continent can check in two bags free of charge and will see the total weight allowance increased by 16kg.
Infants will be allowed to check in one bag, plus a collapsible baby buggy and a car seat, free of charge in all classes on all routes.
Passengers will be able to carry one piece of sporting equipment on to the plane, as well as stowing one bag in the hold.
This has led experts to suggest that one way around the new rules is for passengers to pack a golf bag with their excess baggage.
There are no changes for passengers on flights to the U.S., Bermuda, Canada, the Caribbean, Nigeria, Brazil and Mexico. They will still be able to check in two bags, provided they weigh a maximum of 23kg each.
Those in first or Club World class can check three bags.
Reader views (19)
Here's a sample of the latest views published.
And BA continue to blunder from one PR disaster to another. The simple solution is to vote with your feet(and wallet). I've just booked 40 people on a skiing holiday with Virgin in principle. Total cost was about £20,000. Fortunately, this news broke last week before I was in a position to make the booking with BA as I intended. BA will never even know I've done it, and I suspect they don't care.
- Rob Mcnish, Edinburgh, Scotland
The whole point of travelling on a bigger and better airline and paying so much for a ticket is that an excellent baggage allowance is given to customers with all the other frills provided (unlike the budget ones and BMI) but now it seems it is becoming more of a budget airline where they are cutting corners. No wonder it is not the world's favourite airline anymore!
- Tabish, London, UK
When is all this going to end? BA gets it wrong every month. Their management is so arrogant that it is beneath them to be interviewed to explain, and recover any goodwill that is left. One has to wonder if, in the light of this attitude, whether safety is being compromised.
I recently flew on a middle eastern airline in business class...what a difference. All aspects of the service were better than BA...and my bag arrived! It is time for BA to wake up before they become ''the worlds least favorite airline''...or is it too late?
- Tony West, London UK
In response to Suzanne, London, BA is recognised as a Scheduled Carrier. It used to be that Scheduled Carriers allowed 2bags @ 32Kg EACH. Charter Airlines usually allow a 20Kg bag.
It seems that the rising cost of fuel has lead to airlines reducing the baggage allowance. Put simply, more weight requires more fuel burn, thus more cost. This in mind, it seems BA is punishing those who wish to travel with more than 23Kgs.
Ultimately, this is totally unfair. The good thing is that, here in the UK, there plenty of other airlines to choose from.
- Luigi, London
BA are often cheaper than many of the "low cost" carriers. Most passengers only travel with one suitcase anyway so what is the big drama. In addition BA have INCREASED the amount you can carry on. No weight limit as long as you can lift it. Now that beats the 4-8 kilo maximum on most airlines. Seems to me like BA are fighting a war with the press right now who seem determined be anti BA. And business class and First get a much better deal. BA is still great, they just need to sack their marketing people who are adept only in their bad timing!
- Mark, London
40 - 50 flights a year long and short haul for 35 years equals at least 1,400 flights with BA. Long haul 1st or business class, so a profitable customer to BA. This is, I'm afraid, the end. Strikes, cancellations and now bag "surcharges" in addition to fuel surcharges, constantly lost, damaged or pilfered bags. When there are so many alternatives, why chose BA? Why? Does this airline have a death wish? It used to be great. But today...
- Graeme, Switzerland
Well done BA, you have now officially alienated the remaining few of your customers. I have yet to see what the justification is for this - green tax by any chance?
- Ag, London
I've never flown with BA - too expensive and I've never heard anything positive about the company - and admittedly I don't fly often, but I'm surprised to hear that some flights allow two bags. Whenever I've been away it's been with a 20kg weight allowance (plus hand luggage, which I assume is as usual even with BA) and anything more than one bag was excess baggage. Being allowed 23kg sounds like luxury to me!
- Suzanne, London
Have Tony Blair and Gordon Brown taken over running BA? The airline has turned into another national joke and has the same greedy policies as Labour! I gave up flying BA years ago after I constantly found the staff rude and unhelpful. Now I travel Virgin, no problems, friendly and helpful staff. Maybe BA should have a word with Richard Branson he might be able to point them in the right direction.
- Sue, East London
I don't think many people have a problem paying more if they are over their weight allowance but restricting this to one bag is unreasonable. Even if I travel to my destination with one bag I may well purchase items whilst away which won't fit into one bag. Even if I'm still under my weight limit I'll now be charged coming home. I for one just won't risk it and won't be considering BA when I fly. BA are no longer a full service airline.
- Andy Corgan, London
I used to be a gold card holder so knew BA well. I travel less now but when I can, I go by by Easyjet. Unlike BA they fly on time. BA has not understood how greatly its reputation with regular flyers has diminished in the past year or so. Time keping is apalling and courtesy is all but gone in the economy cabins. They simply do not have the strength of loyalty to pull a stroke like this latest baggage charge. Mr Walsh, for the good of the great airline it once was, get your directors out of their offices and into the terminals and talk to your unhappy customers. Ther is much to learn
- Jonathan Hawkins, SW20
Whilst I sympathise a little with BA for trying to simplify the excess baggage fiasco, they aren't delivering. No pun intended. I think the second bag should only be charged for if the combined weight exeeds the allowance. This varies on route and class I believe. It seems to me another way of them to boost their income. I think they should rethink or run the risk of alienating themselves from their customers.
- Mark Howard, London, UK
The principle is reasonable as most people take more clothing, shoes, etc. than they need, but the cost is excessive.
To be equitable, BA should reward passengers with under 32kg.
- John Jones, Hampton
I only ever flew BA once and that was almost cancelled due to strike action, which they apear to be plagued by.
Does BA ever get into the news for a positive reason?
Given their declining public image, it's amazing that they would deliberately introduce a policy that seems actually designed to alienate their customers
If I was a BA shareholder I would be seriously worried by this sort of management misjudgement and be hoping to see some board-level resignations. BA cannot trade on its past reputation forever in such a competitive marketplace.
- Tim, London
This is what happens when you fill the executive team with ex-employees from Ryan Air, if you want to fly BA, it is now comparable to the cheap budget airlines rather than a national flag carrier to be proud of. I am a Gold card Executive club member of BA, and will now after 20 years of travel with BA switch to other airlines.
- Seki, London
I couldn't agree more... it's rip off time. I fly an average 20 times a year and always with BA. I plan to cease flying with them with immediate effect.and use any other airlines.
Charging such outlandish sums is simply unjustifyable.. good riddance to BA..
- Chris, London
The new man running BA won't last if the other directors have any sense. The company is no longer a reliable carrier. Flying with them is a hope and a prayer. It's either fog, or security, or Gate Gourmet, or a strike, or them being silly about an employee wearing a cross, or something equally daft. They are also not competitive. These new charges are, in more senses of the word than one, the straw that broke the camel's back. And, then, to cap the whole ghastly experience of using BA, you cannot pre-book your seat at the time of ticket purchase as you can with other airlines like American. You just have to take pot luck. They give you less leg room than American too! Aaarrrggghhh!!
- Jim, Menton, France
What I can't understand is the logic. When I went to the States a couple years ago with Virgin, the weight allowance was 64 kg BUT you HAD TO HAVE no more than 32kg per bag because of health and safety so the baggage handlers didn't put their backs out. Why ENCOURAGE people to pack heavier?
- Marianne, SW France
It's a rip-off - period!
- Paul, London
