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]
Mar 2, 2015, 10:06 am
#241
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Near Edinburgh
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 9,034
I think you are being really silly here.
I just checked and BA is showing Malaga on a non HBO discounted fare at £69 (8th Sept 2015) so the fundamentals of this ad remain the same! The £69 fare still retains the seat choosing and the checked in bag as before.
The HBO equivalent for the same flight is £50.
I just checked and BA is showing Malaga on a non HBO discounted fare at £69 (8th Sept 2015) so the fundamentals of this ad remain the same! The £69 fare still retains the seat choosing and the checked in bag as before.
The HBO equivalent for the same flight is £50.
Mar 2, 2015, 10:10 am
#242
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: 63,830
Welcome to Flyertalk IJetlagged
Welcome to Flyertalk IJetlagged, thanks for joining us here, it's a busy thread so I hope you don't feel too swamped over by the other comments. Welcome in particular to the BA forum, and despite the issue at hand (or possibly because of it!) I hope that you will continue to participate here. Welcome on board. As you will have noticed, your views are very similar to many other participants of this thread.
Mar 2, 2015, 10:11 am
#243
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: London
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 2,644
I think you are being really silly here.
I just checked and BA is showing Malaga on a non HBO discounted fare at £69 (8th Sept 2015) so the fundamentals of this ad remain the same! The £69 fare still retains the seat choosing and the checked in bag as before.
The HBO equivalent for the same flight is £50.
I just checked and BA is showing Malaga on a non HBO discounted fare at £69 (8th Sept 2015) so the fundamentals of this ad remain the same! The £69 fare still retains the seat choosing and the checked in bag as before.
The HBO equivalent for the same flight is £50.
Mar 2, 2015, 10:11 am
#244
Join Date: Jan 2015
Programs: None
Posts: 103
I spent 18 months doing Glasgow to Bristol weekly commute, since Augsut I've been doing Glasgow to LHR as I'm now in Maidenhead. Being in Maidenhead it's really my only option.
Easyjet was cheaper.
Easyjet took 30mins less
Easyjet had much better punctuality
Easyjet let me change the outbound of a return flight without changing the inbound
Easyjet boarded the plane quicker
Easyjet unboarded the plane quicker
With Easyjet I got a much better choice than crisps, nuts or shortbread
For anyone who has a choice, there really is no competition.
I bought into the BAEC/avios, got an AMEX, Clubcard etc, but from April it won't be worth ther hassle. LCC all the way for me.
Easyjet was cheaper.
Easyjet took 30mins less
Easyjet had much better punctuality
Easyjet let me change the outbound of a return flight without changing the inbound
Easyjet boarded the plane quicker
Easyjet unboarded the plane quicker
With Easyjet I got a much better choice than crisps, nuts or shortbread
For anyone who has a choice, there really is no competition.
I bought into the BAEC/avios, got an AMEX, Clubcard etc, but from April it won't be worth ther hassle. LCC all the way for me.
Mar 2, 2015, 10:12 am
#245
Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club, easyJet and Ryanair
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: UK/Las Vegas
Programs: BA Gold (GGL/CCR)
Posts: 15,928
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.
We are being courted at the moment by a number of airlines who are trying to poach our BA business. Whilst the HBO fares are not likely to affect me the noise coming from BA in recent weeks with its continued 'enhancements' is just too loud.
I fear there is even more bad news on its way - when there is a lot of bad news BA historically feeds it to us on the drip. We've already had much dripping in the last few weeks coupled with a number of onboard service downgrades. Are the so embarrassed about the changes that they feel the need to do it on the drip? They need to stop insulting us by trying to sell much of these changes/devaluations as enhancements and tell us what they are doing. Why have they not announced the changes to Avios and TP earning on partner airlines? I have become fed up with BA treating us like idiots. My patience is wearing very thin at the moment and I fear it's only a short time before we jump ship and move all our business away from BA.
I've been very happy with BA for many years but what they have done, and the way they have done it, in recent times is causing me and my company to get very itchy feet.
Mar 2, 2015, 10:13 am
#246
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold, HHonors Gold
Posts: 230
I have always tried to fly BA since I started travelling for work in the mid 90's. I have a mix of flights booked by others and some booked by myself, typically in WT+ or higher. Slowly, with each email from the exec club, I'm drifting towards other carriers. I have 3 return J flights to Asia coming up over the next few weeks, plus a few short hops to and from Europe, all booked recently and none of which are with BA. I haven't tried to influence this as I would have done this time last year. I have spent a good few thousands with BA already this year. Let's see where this spend goes next year.
Mar 2, 2015, 10:15 am
#248
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: London. Or a plane.
Programs: "Only" 50,000 TPs until BA GGLfL
Posts: 2,779
HBO fares are by no means the "cheapest". HBO works at a small discount to the "full fat" fare, so on the same flight you can have one person paying £40 for a 'Full Service' Q fare and another paying £400 for an "HBO" Y fare.
Well done BA. Way to needless confuse and irritate your clients for marginal gain. When LX introduced HBO there was an incident with me and mrs alexwuk with LX at GVA which resulted in (a) LX paying me more than £1000 in cash & (b) BA getting all my business to and from GVA for 18 months.
How many weeks will it be until a bunch of other people have the same thing with BA?
Well done BA. Way to needless confuse and irritate your clients for marginal gain. When LX introduced HBO there was an incident with me and mrs alexwuk with LX at GVA which resulted in (a) LX paying me more than £1000 in cash & (b) BA getting all my business to and from GVA for 18 months.
How many weeks will it be until a bunch of other people have the same thing with BA?
Mar 2, 2015, 10:19 am
#249
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: 63,830
My initial thoughts are a mix of:
1) See how it goes - what seats do I end up in really? And will the occasional credit card deployment mean that overall it still works out OK?
2) BA is a business, I am a consumer. BA can change its rules, I can make a pragmatic choice whether I go along with that, or pay a bit more, or go off to KLM/Air France/Easyjet. This is a "don't panic" statement, we are all consenting adults here.
3) It probably makes a difference by route. LHR to BRU, am I bothered? Nope. Yesterday's GIB to LHR, one of the longest 10 TP flights out there? I guess I can pony up the £15/£20 or sweet-talk my way into an upgrade perhaps.
But I haven't decided one way or the other. I'll probably raise it with BA's leadership team however. Seat selection at OLCI would be a reasonable compromise, perhaps.
Mar 2, 2015, 10:20 am
#250
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 115
Well then surely it’s BA’s fault for selling unprofitable fares. If a can of beer and a bowl of mass catered Thai green curry eradicates their margin then that ticket is too cheap!
Mar 2, 2015, 10:20 am
#251
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: London
Programs: BA CCR/GGL, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 3,483
It's the slippery slope - and this will be the straw that breaks the camel's back. For my domestic travel in future (particularly flying from the regions to London) there is no reason for me to fly BA - I'll get virtually no Avios, I can't choose a seat, and the lounges I can get into with a Priority Pass are as good as the BA ones. Also, I normally fly for the weekend with hand luggage only.
Looking at a random Sunday (17 May), when I may be travelling from Belfast to London:
BA: £81 HBO / £91 with checked bag
Flybe: £55 Just Fly / £78 with checked bag and seat selection.
Why would I bother flying BA? It's my own money and, if this happened after the Avios slashing and taking away seat selection, the answer is I wouldn't. I've recently sold all my IAG shares as I think they are at the top of the rollercoaster and although the profits are currently good, they are slashing too far - people who can vote with their wallets soon will.
Looking at a random Sunday (17 May), when I may be travelling from Belfast to London:
BA: £81 HBO / £91 with checked bag
Flybe: £55 Just Fly / £78 with checked bag and seat selection.
Why would I bother flying BA? It's my own money and, if this happened after the Avios slashing and taking away seat selection, the answer is I wouldn't. I've recently sold all my IAG shares as I think they are at the top of the rollercoaster and although the profits are currently good, they are slashing too far - people who can vote with their wallets soon will.
Mar 2, 2015, 10:21 am
#252
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Hampshire
Programs: BA (Gold)
Posts: 41
I can't usually be bothered to write in and complain, but this time I have done. Not that it will do any good.
https://www.britishairways.com/trave...m/public/en_gb
https://www.britishairways.com/trave...m/public/en_gb
Mar 2, 2015, 10:25 am
#253
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: East Anglia, England
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 2,056
I'm struggling to figure out the purpose of the change. Making people spend just a little bit extra for seat allocation, I can understand as it seems to be the trend to charge for just about everything ('Come Fly With Me' anyone 
). But what I cannot wrap my head around is why do it to SCH+ (T-7 for BCH) at the time of booking. Actually, this new change means the change can never been done without paying.
It just smacks of being absolutely petty towards BCH+. Even if it is a small proportion. Is the outrage that this is causing really worth it? I doubt it.
H
). But what I cannot wrap my head around is why do it to SCH+ (T-7 for BCH) at the time of booking. Actually, this new change means the change can never been done without paying.It just smacks of being absolutely petty towards BCH+. Even if it is a small proportion. Is the outrage that this is causing really worth it? I doubt it.
H
Mar 2, 2015, 10:29 am
#254
formerly fdemoulin
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: UK
Programs: SPG Lifetime Platinum, BA Silver, Virgin Flying Club Red
Posts: 916
Just got the email myself, this has made up my mind, BA wont miss as am not a high spender (even though have retained silver almost constantly for 15 years). Easyjet where I can choose my seat (ok you pay for it but at least I can book an exit seat at the time and their fares are half of BA's). Due to lack of avios availability will now choose QR, Ethiad or Emirates who offer much cheaper premium fares and a much better service. Guess they wont care but I think there will many others looking at this new 'enhancement' and feel disgusted with BA.