Aug 7, 2015, 5:53 am
Last edit by: NWIFlyer
Hand Baggage Only fares (HBO) are available on domestic and EuroTraveller routes. They are offered at a lower price to those able to travel without checked baggage on point to point journeys only - they are not offered with connections, stopovers or with Club Europe. There isn't a special fare bucket for HBO, it's just a discount to all domestic/ET fare buckets, so even expensive flexible tickets offer HBO. The discount varies depending on route. For example, going HBO on LHR-DUB gives a £10 discount; £15 on LHR-PRG; and £20 on LHR-ATH. Online Travel Agents often book into these fares (including building stopovers) and are sometimes less than transparent about the baggage restrictions during the booking process. HBO fares do not earn OnBusiness credits.
BAEC status passengers from Bronze upwards get advance seat choice with these tickets.
How to get seat allocation if HBO and without status:
- Pay up. You can pay up at OLCI if you don't like the seat. Costs vary from £7 to £21 per sector as a minimum, with differential pricing employed for better seats (e.g. an exit row on LHR-DUB was £23 in June 2017). Usually, but not always, this invalidates the cost saving of HBO. You can also pay up in Manage My Booking (MMB) before OLCI.
- Cancel OLCI at the "confirm contact details" stage. Go in again and/or later and you may be offered another seat.
- Corporate travel bookings still offer seating to HBO in some cases. Sometimes this ability is temporary and doesn't stick.
- Ask check-in or the lounge agent for a better seat, so far this seems to be possible. Lounge agents won't be able to assist where they aren't part of the ground handling for BA (e.g. LBA).
- If your airport has a Self Service Check In (SSCI) machine AND you do not print your boarding pass (see below) then you can select another seat there provided check-in is still open, typically up to 46 minutes before take off. So if you are being allocated a rotten seat and you can see better seats available, you can take a risk and complete/commence check-in later.
SSCI machines are available at: LHR, LGW, LCY, MAN, EDI (on the general purpose airport machines, but only those by the BA check-in area), NCE, BRU, OSL, BLL, AAR, MUC, AMS.
They are NOT available at: ABZ, BHD, GLA, LBA, NCL, DUB, CDG, ORY, SVG, DUS, TXL, MAH, CFU, OLB, CTA, CAG, FDH, ANE, UIP, BIO, HER, SVQ, PMI, BRI.
You can also do this operation the night before at LGW and LHR, details here.
By "printing boarding pass" we mean not selecting that option at OLCI, or saving, emailing, faxing and/or downloading the boarding pass on the App.
HBO fares - Have to pay to select seat in advance [free for GCH/SCH/BCHs @ 14 Jun 17]
Aug 29, 2016, 5:10 am
#1742
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: LHR
Programs: QF Platinum
Posts: 43
Not sure if this data point has come up before, however I was able to allocate a seat on a domestic HBO fare (Q, O codes) prior to the booking being ticketed - note that this was booked via a corporate TA. I quickly snapped up 1F on both legs, however once ticketed it started asking for the £9 fee. Interestingly, that has since disappeared and I am free to move about throughout the cabin - OWE status, so all seats available.
The baggage restrictions still appear on the booking, so I am definitely still HBO, however I am somehow behind the paywall, so to speak.
Time will tell if the reservation is actually honoured - proof will be in the pudding at OLCI. Trip is not until 30 September, will provide an update after the flight itself.
The baggage restrictions still appear on the booking, so I am definitely still HBO, however I am somehow behind the paywall, so to speak.
Time will tell if the reservation is actually honoured - proof will be in the pudding at OLCI. Trip is not until 30 September, will provide an update after the flight itself.
Aug 29, 2016, 5:15 am
#1743
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,857
Yes, that's fairly normal with corporate deals, they have free seat selection included, even for non status passengers. And yes it is mentioned up thread, but I can certainly see why you may not want to wade through 1100 posts to find it! Q and O are not HBO related, the Basic fares run all over the fare buckets, as do the Plus fares.
Aug 29, 2016, 5:20 am
#1744
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: LHR
Programs: QF Platinum
Posts: 43
Yes, that's fairly normal with corporate deals, they have free seat selection included, even for non status passengers. And yes it is mentioned up thread, but I can certainly see why you may not want to wade through 1100 posts to find it! Q and O are not HBO related, the Basic fares run all over the fare buckets, as do the Plus fares.
Interesting that it wasn't an instant benefit, it has only appeared a week or so later.
Aug 29, 2016, 5:31 am
#1745
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,857
Some corporate systems allow direct seat selection, so it is immediate for them. Otherwise it needs your ticket to be issued, which for corporate TAs is usually the day before the ticketing deadline, a week wouldn't be odd.
Aug 29, 2016, 6:50 am
#1746
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: London Stratford, E7
Programs: BAEC Gold! Thanks to FT
Posts: 3,384
Yes, that's fairly normal with corporate deals, they have free seat selection included, even for non status passengers. And yes it is mentioned up thread, but I can certainly see why you may not want to wade through 1100 posts to find it! Q and O are not HBO related, the Basic fares run all over the fare buckets, as do the Plus fares.
One the one time that I booked through the same TA when I had no status I was able to select my own seat.
My latest trip was booked in July and is for travel in a couple of weeks its still only showing the ability to select seats for a charge but as its a LCY-GLA return I am not overly fussed as all the seats there are pretty good.
Aug 29, 2016, 5:51 pm
#1747
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 1,499
Not sure if this has been discussed already (looooong thread), but:
I (Silver) flew a return HBO journey with someone (Blue) on a separate booking, and noticed an interesting quirk.
On the outbound from LHR, I got a wide range of seats to choose from (both pay online and SSCI machine), but my travelling companion only got a choice of two (really bad) seats.
On the way back, our seatmaps had identical availability.
Perhaps something FLY related?
I couldn't understand why they would block the Blue passenger from being able to pay for (or, ahem, SSCI) one of the many available seats that I (as a Silver) had access to?? Seems odd for an airline hellbent on maximising as much profit as possible!
I (Silver) flew a return HBO journey with someone (Blue) on a separate booking, and noticed an interesting quirk.
On the outbound from LHR, I got a wide range of seats to choose from (both pay online and SSCI machine), but my travelling companion only got a choice of two (really bad) seats.
On the way back, our seatmaps had identical availability.
Perhaps something FLY related?
I couldn't understand why they would block the Blue passenger from being able to pay for (or, ahem, SSCI) one of the many available seats that I (as a Silver) had access to?? Seems odd for an airline hellbent on maximising as much profit as possible!
Aug 29, 2016, 6:37 pm
#1748
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,857
Perhaps something FLY related?
I couldn't understand why they would block the Blue passenger from being able to pay for (or, ahem, SSCI) one of the many available seats that I (as a Silver) had access to?? Seems odd for an airline hellbent on maximising as much profit as possible!
I couldn't understand why they would block the Blue passenger from being able to pay for (or, ahem, SSCI) one of the many available seats that I (as a Silver) had access to?? Seems odd for an airline hellbent on maximising as much profit as possible!
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/27133442-post18.html
Sep 1, 2016, 9:31 am
#1749
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Ipswich
Posts: 7,543
Looks like my corporate deal includes 2 checked bags as well as seat selection on a basic fare.
Strange really, given how keen the portal was to point out my fare included neither, but I guess it's two different processes at work.
Either way, I'm a happy bunny in my window (A side of course!) exit row with a blocked middle seat.
Strange really, given how keen the portal was to point out my fare included neither, but I guess it's two different processes at work.
Either way, I'm a happy bunny in my window (A side of course!) exit row with a blocked middle seat.
Sep 1, 2016, 11:05 pm
#1750
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Switzerland
Programs: AY+ Platinum, SK Gold, BAEC Silver, airbaltic VIP, Radisson VIP
Posts: 6,532
Probably it has been covered here already, but what I find strange is that I just complected OLCI for my daytrip tomorrow (BSL-LHR-BSL, BA751 and BA756) and I (BA Silver) couldn't change the allocated seats for either flight for free. It is a HBO, G fare flight. Is this new? I somewhat recall I was able to change the seats on other identical bookings earlier this year. Could it be that this is due to the return flight not being within the T-24 window yet, but just the flight to London?
Sep 1, 2016, 11:55 pm
#1751
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 8,774
Probably it has been covered here already, but what I find strange is that I just complected OLCI for my daytrip tomorrow (BSL-LHR-BSL, BA751 and BA756) and I (BA Silver) couldn't change the allocated seats for either flight for free. It is a HBO, G fare flight. Is this new? I somewhat recall I was able to change the seats on other identical bookings earlier this year. Could it be that this is due to the return flight not being within the T-24 window yet, but just the flight to London?
Sep 1, 2016, 11:56 pm
#1752
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Switzerland
Programs: AY+ Platinum, SK Gold, BAEC Silver, airbaltic VIP, Radisson VIP
Posts: 6,532
Sep 7, 2016, 2:09 am
#1753
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Wedged somewhere between BTS and VIE ✈
Programs: Star Alliance Gold (A3 Gold), Oneworld Emerald (BA Gold), Hilton Diamond
Posts: 6,338
I was told yesterday that if you book an open-jaw HBO fare you're able to select seats at the time of booking. Can anyone confirm that?
Sep 21, 2016, 4:58 am
#1754
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: OSL
Posts: 2,647
My partner and I are both silver. However, due to having to book separate tickets on both flights - cheaper - when I go to select seats on his booking, I am being asked to pay for seat selection.
I however, have access to exit rows. When he's attached to another booking I have, it is also free for both.
Anyone know what that's about?
I however, have access to exit rows. When he's attached to another booking I have, it is also free for both.
Anyone know what that's about?
Sep 21, 2016, 5:02 am
#1755
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,997
My partner and I are both silver. However, due to having to book separate tickets on both flights - cheaper - when I go to select seats on his booking, I am being asked to pay for seat selection.
I however, have access to exit rows. When he's attached to another booking I have, it is also free for both.
Anyone know what that's about?
I however, have access to exit rows. When he's attached to another booking I have, it is also free for both.
Anyone know what that's about?