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 Ł10 discount; Ł15 on LHR-PRG; and Ł20 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 Ł7 to Ł21 per sector as a minimum, with differential pricing employed for better seats (e.g. an exit row on LHR-DUB was Ł23 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]
Mar 2, 2015, 5:39 am
#16
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: London UK
Programs: All Expired... :-(
Posts: 410
Iberia have been doing this since September. They at least still allow IB+ Gold (OWS, BA Silver equivalent) and above to chose a seat for free.
If BA don't allow this, then this would make their offering worse than EasyJet for a frequent flyer. At least once you've paid Ł180 for EasyJet+ you get priority boarding and the chance to chose your seat for all flights at the time of booking.
If BA don't allow this, then this would make their offering worse than EasyJet for a frequent flyer. At least once you've paid Ł180 for EasyJet+ you get priority boarding and the chance to chose your seat for all flights at the time of booking.
Mar 2, 2015, 5:39 am
#18
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: London
Programs: BAEC: Gold
Posts: 285
What exactly is this supposed to achieve?
Surely one of their revenue modellers reported a "+" instead of "-" here (in error).
It was bad enough having a de-facto removal of free baggage in the first place.
Surely one of their revenue modellers reported a "+" instead of "-" here (in error).
It was bad enough having a de-facto removal of free baggage in the first place.
Mar 2, 2015, 5:39 am
#19
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 4,477
So, does this mean officially Iberia has a better product across the board when compare with BA as an elite member? So far no mentioning of Iberia charge for seat selection for oneworld elite travelling HBO fares? Or maybe it will be implemented across IAG?
After the launch of HBO fares, we are to have TP reduced in lowest fares and seat selection gone. Are we to expect next quarter:
1>, Free food removed?
2>, Free snacks available for a charge?
3>, Alcoholic drinks to incur a charge?
Come on BA. I challenge you to do it at once for all and make HBO fares a truly Ryanair fare! Then I will have no regret to fly Ryanair since Ryanair will always be cheaper than you when paying by credit card!
After the launch of HBO fares, we are to have TP reduced in lowest fares and seat selection gone. Are we to expect next quarter:
1>, Free food removed?
2>, Free snacks available for a charge?
3>, Alcoholic drinks to incur a charge?
Come on BA. I challenge you to do it at once for all and make HBO fares a truly Ryanair fare! Then I will have no regret to fly Ryanair since Ryanair will always be cheaper than you when paying by credit card!
Mar 2, 2015, 5:40 am
#20
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: Battleaxe Alliance
Posts: 22,127
Multiple threads on this topic were merged but some posters have realised that there were existing topics while I was doing a merge, and deleted their post contents in the meantime, so the thread got rather confusing.
I have deleted any 'empty' posts or those that were no longer relevant as they were pointing out that there was an existing thread, and created a new thread, as the first post of the merged thread was 'deleted' by the member and therefore empty, so it all became quite confusing.
I hope I have not unintentionally affected other posts, but if you believe you posted in a thread on this topic, but you cannot find it, please post again, with my apologies for messing you around.
Thanks very much.
LTN Phobia
Moderator: BA forum
I have deleted any 'empty' posts or those that were no longer relevant as they were pointing out that there was an existing thread, and created a new thread, as the first post of the merged thread was 'deleted' by the member and therefore empty, so it all became quite confusing.
I hope I have not unintentionally affected other posts, but if you believe you posted in a thread on this topic, but you cannot find it, please post again, with my apologies for messing you around.
Thanks very much.
LTN Phobia
Moderator: BA forum
Mar 2, 2015, 5:40 am
#21
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 8,747
If I read the email correctly, it actually means that we will have to pay to select a seat even at/after OLCI - so not just in advance! (the thread title is a little too optimistic here)
If so this is a HUGE kick in the teeth for status holders. Very, very annoying.
If so this is a HUGE kick in the teeth for status holders. Very, very annoying.
Mar 2, 2015, 5:40 am
#22
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Edinburgh
Programs: Still a lowly Blue with BA but inching towards Bronze. Managed to get to KLM Silver!
Posts: 4,308
Mar 2, 2015, 5:40 am
#23
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Israel (some of the time)
Programs: BA GGL, CCR; AF/KLM FB Silver; M&M LH FTL; LY GLD; HH Diamond; SPG Gold; A-Club Silver; Avis PCI
Posts: 2,054
Mar 2, 2015, 5:42 am
#24
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
They obviously don't like status passengers who book cheap tickets sitting in the exit row seats.
I'm starting to get a little annoyed with BA now.
Mar 2, 2015, 5:42 am
#25
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Edinburgh
Programs: Still a lowly Blue with BA but inching towards Bronze. Managed to get to KLM Silver!
Posts: 4,308
your seat will be allocated when check-in opens. Should you wish to change your seat you can pay to do so at that time...
Mar 2, 2015, 5:42 am
#26
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Bristol
Programs: BA GGL, UA Plat, DL Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,380
I think this is terrible example (or an excellent example if you prefer) of the BA Brand people losing a fight with Revenue Management.
What little remaining brand perception BA has in the "flagcarrier" space (and we mustn't forget that significant numbers of people do still feel some degree of customer loyalty to the airline), it is severely dented by this sort of behaviour.
No doubt the business case has a handsome return and a comfortingly short-horizon payback, but the longer-term net position I think from this (and many other erosions of the proposition) can only be negative for IAG.
The main reason ? The LCCs (Easyjet especially, though Ryanair is catching) are on a golden ticket !! All they need to do is keep doing what they do, with the odd foray into extending their brand outwards and upwards, and BA will shake itself to death like a Bugatti lubricated with hair oil...
And don't even get me started on a "loyalty" scheme which actually penalises your for your loyalty
What little remaining brand perception BA has in the "flagcarrier" space (and we mustn't forget that significant numbers of people do still feel some degree of customer loyalty to the airline), it is severely dented by this sort of behaviour.
No doubt the business case has a handsome return and a comfortingly short-horizon payback, but the longer-term net position I think from this (and many other erosions of the proposition) can only be negative for IAG.
The main reason ? The LCCs (Easyjet especially, though Ryanair is catching) are on a golden ticket !! All they need to do is keep doing what they do, with the odd foray into extending their brand outwards and upwards, and BA will shake itself to death like a Bugatti lubricated with hair oil...
And don't even get me started on a "loyalty" scheme which actually penalises your for your loyalty
Mar 2, 2015, 5:44 am
#28
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: SE1, London
Posts: 23,413
I was toying with keeping GGL for another year. But do I really want to keep chasing status with an airline that is becoming ever more customer unfriendly? Not really.
In itself this step isn't a big deal. Viewed in the round and in the absence of any coherent strategy BA really are losing the plot.
In itself this step isn't a big deal. Viewed in the round and in the absence of any coherent strategy BA really are losing the plot.
Mar 2, 2015, 5:46 am
#29
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: London UK
Programs: All Expired... :-(
Posts: 410
