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, 10:37 am
#256
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Somewhere between 0 and 13,000 metres high
Programs: AF/KL Life Plat, BA GGL+GfL, ALL Plat, Hilton Diam, Marriott Gold, blablablah, etc
Posts: 30,541
I wholeheartedly agree. There is a smell in the air that is not very pleasant, it suggests a rather disturbing modus operandi from BA in its quest to pinch the pennies.
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.
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, 10:38 am
#258
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: In the air
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy LT Plat, Hilton Gold, GHA Tit, BA Gold, Turkish Elite
Posts: 8,720
I don't fly in middle seats and the BA booking engine puts me in middle seats at least 50% of the time, so I'm not going to book any HBO fares from now on - and when I am forced to take the lowest available ticket on a flight for work I'll have to fly other airlines which I'm guessing will affect 10-20 flights a year.
Given an example from just yesterday of a £310 single HBO fare, this is going to cost BA at least £1-2K annually from me if the interpretation that you can't change seats at OLCI is correct.
Given an example from just yesterday of a £310 single HBO fare, this is going to cost BA at least £1-2K annually from me if the interpretation that you can't change seats at OLCI is correct.
Mar 2, 2015, 10:41 am
#259
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: London
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 2,644
You can change at OLCI if you pay for it, assuming there are any good seats left to change to
Mar 2, 2015, 10:43 am
#260
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Milan
Programs: BA Gold (CCR), Cartafreccia, HH Diamond, Esselunga Fidaty Gold
Posts: 443
Are there airlines willing to status match a worthless BAEC Gold with their top tier FF program?
I will be happy to switch my loyalty to them, or to start flying again EZY or RYR after a 5 years time lapse.
Anyway I am very happy with this BAEC devaluation: I don't have to justify to my company some creative 5 hours long itineraries like LIN-LHR-FRA or LIN-LHR-BRU just to fly BA and accrue avios. No need to connect again via LHR (the worst airport in the world for connections) and some money saved for my company flying AZ or LH on direct flights...
I will be happy to switch my loyalty to them, or to start flying again EZY or RYR after a 5 years time lapse.
Anyway I am very happy with this BAEC devaluation: I don't have to justify to my company some creative 5 hours long itineraries like LIN-LHR-FRA or LIN-LHR-BRU just to fly BA and accrue avios. No need to connect again via LHR (the worst airport in the world for connections) and some money saved for my company flying AZ or LH on direct flights...
Mar 2, 2015, 10:44 am
#261
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Somewhere between 0 and 13,000 metres high
Programs: AF/KL Life Plat, BA GGL+GfL, ALL Plat, Hilton Diam, Marriott Gold, blablablah, etc
Posts: 30,541
you can add item 3 since there are no longer debit card fees on FR and Easyjet.
As regards credit card fees, BA is usually more expensive on cheap fares, since it is a fixed fee whereas Easyjet and FR charge a 2% fee. You need to have a fare higher than £250 for the BA credit card fee to be cheaper than either Ryanair or Easyjet.
As regards credit card fees, BA is usually more expensive on cheap fares, since it is a fixed fee whereas Easyjet and FR charge a 2% fee. You need to have a fare higher than £250 for the BA credit card fee to be cheaper than either Ryanair or Easyjet.
Mar 2, 2015, 10:44 am
#262
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Londinium
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 930
Mar 2, 2015, 10:45 am
#263
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Surrey, UK
Programs: BA Gold....er now Silver...er now Bronze....er now Blue
Posts: 3,507
Mar 2, 2015, 10:45 am
#264
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: HEL
Programs: lots of shiny metal cards
Posts: 14,107
The choice is really ours, but not in a way you seem to suggest (or BA seem to think) There's the choice of not flying BA and not using BAEC. For their non-LON and non-UK pax even more so.
Mar 2, 2015, 10:48 am
#266
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: In the air
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy LT Plat, Hilton Gold, GHA Tit, BA Gold, Turkish Elite
Posts: 8,720
I could take an UberLux to the airport instead of the HEX or I could fly BA on an HBO fare vs. Easyjet.
Mar 2, 2015, 10:49 am
#267
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold, VS Silver, Alitalia Freccia Alta, Starwood Gold, Hilton Diamond, Accor Platinum
Posts: 408
They seem to have mis-implemented it. They said "For bookings made from 26 March".
I am now being asked to pay seat changes for my HBO to Dublin on 3 April, which I booked last week.
I thought at first it was related to my temporary demotion to Bronze (now reversed). At least it's kept the seat assignments I have.
I am now being asked to pay seat changes for my HBO to Dublin on 3 April, which I booked last week.
I thought at first it was related to my temporary demotion to Bronze (now reversed). At least it's kept the seat assignments I have.
Mar 2, 2015, 10:52 am
#269
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: HEL
Programs: lots of shiny metal cards
Posts: 14,107
Turkish Airways will match it to their Elite level (*G) Currently Etihad, Gulf, airberlin, Qantas are also matching (either straight from BA or via TK and some with caveats), though none of them to the top level - but GC is not BA's top level either.
Mar 2, 2015, 10:56 am
#270
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: London & Amsterdam
Programs: BA Gold, Flying Blue ivory
Posts: 148
Totally agree. 
Here's the complaint I've just sent in:
Dear BA
I felt it was only fair to inform you that I am falling out of love with you for the following reasons:
- Your hand baggage only fares have made short haul flights a misery as a scrum develops to stow luggage. Passengers are grumpy and cabin crew even more so.
- Your new short haul seat is an insult. It is too upright and the leg room is mean, particularly in Club Europe. The only comfortable row on the plane is the exit row.
- Today, I received an email from you saying that you will be charging Gold card holders for seat selection.
I'm afraid this is too much for me, so I'm afraid I'm switching to other airlines. I have a few Avios left to spend, but as you can see from my account I am already experimenting with Qatar. My short haul business goes to KLM from now on.
I fear that many other frequent flyers will vote with their feet too.
Please either send me a genuine response or no response at all. I do not appreciate your cut-and-paste replies about how "the latest enhancement was in response to strong customer demand". We all know they're cut and pasted, because usually each paragraph has a different font size.
Here's the complaint I've just sent in:
Dear BA
I felt it was only fair to inform you that I am falling out of love with you for the following reasons:
- Your hand baggage only fares have made short haul flights a misery as a scrum develops to stow luggage. Passengers are grumpy and cabin crew even more so.
- Your new short haul seat is an insult. It is too upright and the leg room is mean, particularly in Club Europe. The only comfortable row on the plane is the exit row.
- Today, I received an email from you saying that you will be charging Gold card holders for seat selection.
I'm afraid this is too much for me, so I'm afraid I'm switching to other airlines. I have a few Avios left to spend, but as you can see from my account I am already experimenting with Qatar. My short haul business goes to KLM from now on.
I fear that many other frequent flyers will vote with their feet too.
Please either send me a genuine response or no response at all. I do not appreciate your cut-and-paste replies about how "the latest enhancement was in response to strong customer demand". We all know they're cut and pasted, because usually each paragraph has a different font size.