BA reducing baggage allowance

[Katys Grandad]

Looks like BA's money worries are beginning to feed through to passenger charges.

Free checked baggage allowance in economy to the US will be just 1 bag each weighing no more than 23kg. Each additional bag will cost £35 and if any 1 bag weighs between 23-30kg it will attract a further fee of £30.

Even if you keep within the weight limit, a family of 4 with 2 checked bags each will now pay £280 more on a return trip.

New charges take effect for trips booked after 6 October 2009. In November, Airport Departure Tax will also go up.[msnsad]

[website link edited]

[jolliffee]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Katys Grandad
Looks like BA's money worries are beginning to feed through to passenger charges.

Free checked baggage allowance in economy to the US will be just 1 bag each weighing no more than 23kg. Each additional bag will cost £35 and if any 1 bag weighs between 23-30kg it will attract a further fee of £30.

Even if you keep within the weight limit, a family of 4 with 2 checked bags each will now pay £280 more on a return trip.

New charges take effect for trips booked after 6 October 2009. In November, Airport Departure Tax will also go up.[msnsad]

[website link edited][/quote]Bit of an opps there!
The allowance you refered to does not apply to the USA plus some other countries where the min checked bagged allowance is regulated. The min allowance is still 2 bags at 23Kg per person to & from the USA. The other changes were made or published quite some time back now.

[Katys Grandad]

Well, here's what BA's website saysMY highlights)


# Customers travelling in [u]World Traveller on flights to and from the Americas* (except Brazil) will have a free allowance of one bag weighing no more than 23kgs.</u> This means that the World Traveller allowance will be the same for the majority of British Airways routes
# World Traveller customers travelling to and from Brazil, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria and on through-checked journeys between India and the USA, Canada and Bermuda will retain a two-bag free allowance of up to 23kgs per bag
# Gold and Silver Executive Club cardholders will be entitled to two pieces of luggage on all routes when they travel in World Traveller, Euro Traveller and Domestic
# There will be a reduction in charges for the first bag in excess of the free allowance on longhaul
# The cost of extra bags on UK domestic routes will be brought in line with other shorthaul European services at £35 per bag
# Heavy bag charge for bags between 23kgs and 32kgs will increase from £25 to £30. The special bag charge for items that exceed the maximum dimension will no longer apply.
[u]
* Americas routes affected: USA,</u> Canada, Bermuda, Argentina, Mexico and the Caribbean

Not sure what you mean by an 'opps' but I'm just posting what BA's site has said since Saturday.

When I look closer, it's actually not precise on what the charge will be but does say it will be 'reduced' so my £35 might be overstating it. Even so, I don't see how it can possibly be concluded that this doesn't apply to USA-UK flights.

[Jill]

My understanding from this link on the BA site, which covers the new baggage rules, is that we will keep our 2 bags as standards [website link edited]

Unfortunately whereas several countries have removed APD tax to help boost tourism our government seems to want to increase it, on the grounds it is a green tax.[msnmad]

[Katys Grandad]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Jill
My understanding from this link on the BA site, which covers the new baggage rules, is that we will keep our 2 bags as standards[website link edited]

Unfortunately whereas several countries have removed APD tax to help boost tourism our government seems to want to increase it, on the grounds it is a green tax.[msnmad][/quote]I'm sure that link won't last on the thread Jill but I don't see how you can come to that conclusion. I did look at it and it says that the allowance is 1 bag in World Traveller except for:

"Brazil, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and direct connections between India and the USA, Bermuda and Canada" (which remain at 2 checked bags)

For reasons I don't understand, it seems that you have to fly direct to the USA from India to get the 2 bag allowance!

[Katys Grandad]

Just checked with BA Customer Relations - definitely just 1 free checked bag up to 23kg for economy bookings to and from USA made after 6 October.

What with the new policy on in flight meals, BA's beginning to look more like a low cost carrier every week.

[ellie]

Wow, BA certainly know how to entice passengers back! Wonder if they have thought of charging for using the loos like Ryan air considered. They could make a mint from that on a transatlantic fight!

[Sniff]

I certainly read that as affecting routes to USA [msnsad]

[pieman790]

We are booked to fly to MCO via Gatwick with BA in November/December. Can you confirm this is for bookings made after 6 October 09 that will be affected?

[Katys Grandad]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by pieman790
We are booked to fly to MCO via Gatwick with BA in November/December. Can you confirm this is for bookings made after 6 October 09 that will be affected?
[/quote]

Yes. BA tell me that it's when you BOOK that matters so anything in place now or booked before 7 October will keep the 2 bag allowance. I suspect that there'll be a bit of a mess at check-in until all those bookings are exhausted - given that you can book almost 12 months in advance, that will take a while.

I fear that other airlines will follow this lead but in the meantime you won't find me flying economy on BA.