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, 11:40 am
#286
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Russia
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 125
The math now is perfectly simple.
With the reduced rates for tier points and avios, the only significant difference between BA and EZY on s/h economy now is the lounge access.
If the difference between the fares is less than one would spend in a café before a flight, then one should stick to BA.
Since I see that many people are not particularly gluttonous in the lounges and sometimes basically sit and enjoy their laptops with a cup of coffee I can understand that a part of BAEC, who primarily fly s/h economy, will move to a real LCC.
With the reduced rates for tier points and avios, the only significant difference between BA and EZY on s/h economy now is the lounge access.
If the difference between the fares is less than one would spend in a café before a flight, then one should stick to BA.
Since I see that many people are not particularly gluttonous in the lounges and sometimes basically sit and enjoy their laptops with a cup of coffee I can understand that a part of BAEC, who primarily fly s/h economy, will move to a real LCC.
Mar 2, 2015, 11:43 am
#288
Ambassador: Emirates Airlines
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Manchester, UK
Posts: 18,600
The 0 points for UUA has been around since I started on FT (over 10 years). One of the BA staff once gave quite a technical description of why it was difficult to fix (something to do with having to store 2 pieces of data in a field that was designed for one IIRC).
Mar 2, 2015, 11:44 am
#289
Join Date: Feb 2008
Programs: BA (GGL/CCR)
Posts: 1,256
Mar 2, 2015, 11:50 am
#292
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: MAN/BHX
Programs: ABBA
Posts: 6,027
Well I don't fly ryanair tickets, despite often travelling HBO, so I couldn't give a stuff. However will this affect me - by pre-allocating seats for HBOs it means fewer seats for those of us who book the expensive tickets last minute. If these seats are all along the lines of 17E, that's great, a genuine improvement ^^^^ -- more seats in the front rows and exit rows for those that pay the most.
However I fear this won't be the case, and just means fewer good seats to pick from.
However I fear this won't be the case, and just means fewer good seats to pick from.
Mar 2, 2015, 11:52 am
#293
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: London
Posts: 17,007
Well I don't fly ryanair tickets, despite often travelling HBO, so I couldn't give a stuff. However will this affect me - by pre-allocating seats for HBOs it means fewer seats for those of us who book the expensive tickets last minute. If these seats are all along the lines of 17E, that's great, a genuine improvement ^^^^ -- more seats in the front rows and exit rows for those that pay the most.
However I fear this won't be the case, and just means fewer good seats to pick from.
However I fear this won't be the case, and just means fewer good seats to pick from.
Mar 2, 2015, 11:55 am
#294
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: not far from MUC
Posts: 6,620
Mar 2, 2015, 11:56 am
#295
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: not far from MUC
Posts: 6,620
Mar 2, 2015, 11:57 am
#296
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 115
The math now is perfectly simple.
With the reduced rates for tier points and avios, the only significant difference between BA and EZY on s/h economy now is the lounge access.
If the difference between the fares is less than one would spend in a café before a flight, then one should stick to BA.
With the reduced rates for tier points and avios, the only significant difference between BA and EZY on s/h economy now is the lounge access.
If the difference between the fares is less than one would spend in a café before a flight, then one should stick to BA.
Mar 2, 2015, 12:00 pm
#297
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: MAN/BHX
Programs: ABBA
Posts: 6,027
However, yes I missed this part
"When travelling on these great value fares, your seat will be allocated when check-in opens."
So, yes, all good ^
If only BA hadn't decimated the exec club last month.
Mar 2, 2015, 12:01 pm
#298
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: SE1, London
Posts: 23,418
The Tesco moment is slowly approaching for BA when the cumulative weight of the cuts, changes and enhancements tips enough customers over the edge. Such a shame.
Mar 2, 2015, 12:01 pm
#299
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Yorkshire
Programs: BA Gold & HH Silver
Posts: 1,465
Mar 2, 2015, 12:02 pm
#300
Join Date: Jun 2014
Programs: Executive Club: Gold - Flying Blue: Gold
Posts: 1,382
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.