Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Miles&Points > Airlines and Mileage Programs > British Airways | Executive Club
Reload this Page >

HBO fares - Have to pay to select seat in advance [free for GCH/SCH/BCHs @ 14 Jun 17]

Old Aug 7, 2015, 5:53 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
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.
    Print Wikipost

    HBO fares - Have to pay to select seat in advance [free for GCH/SCH/BCHs @ 14 Jun 17]

    Old Mar 2, 2015, 12:04 pm
      #301  
     
    Join Date: Jul 2014
    Location: Edi
    Posts: 2,203
    Originally Posted by secretplantofightinflation
    How incredibly snobby

    There is nothing wrong with Gatwick.
    Nothing wrong with Chavwick you say? It's a windowless hell. Add some windows and yes, it could be lovely.
    Calum is offline  
    Old Mar 2, 2015, 12:05 pm
      #302  
     
    Join Date: Feb 2006
    Location: London
    Programs: BAEC
    Posts: 2,644
    Originally Posted by paulwuk
    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.
    The difference between a HBO fare, and the corresponding non-HBO fare in the same class is minimal (around 20?). The changes affect all HBO tickets, even for the more expensive fare classes. You can be on a cheap ticket that includes a bag, where you can select a seat, or you could be on an expensive fare (which has a much better yield for BA) that is HBO. There is no correlation between the fare class and if it is an HBO or not. Expensive last minute HBO exist.

    e.g. tomorrow morning at 0705, BA charge 497 for a HBO o/w ticket to FRA (Y class) - PAID seat for Gold/Silver/Bronze
    But on Thursday at 1445 from LCY, BA will charge you 101 for a non-HBO ticket (O class) - free seat for Gold/Silver/Bronze

    Where is the logic and link between fare, yield and HBO?

    It seems BA have taken the arbitrary decision to change seat selection for HBO, where in fact they should have (well, if they need to do something) changed the seat choices for those on cheaper fares, where the deciding factor is fare class, not HBO/non-HBO. Checking in a bag has nothing to do with seats, and I guess not much to do with yield.

    Last edited by shefgab; Mar 2, 2015 at 12:11 pm
    shefgab is online now  
    Old Mar 2, 2015, 12:07 pm
      #303  
    Ambassador: Emirates Airlines
     
    Join Date: Sep 2004
    Location: Manchester, UK
    Posts: 18,554
    Anybody started a petition yet?
    DYKWIA is online now  
    Old Mar 2, 2015, 12:13 pm
      #304  
     
    Join Date: Apr 2012
    Location: not far from MUC
    Posts: 6,620
    Originally Posted by shefgab
    e.g. tomorrow morning at 0705, BA charge 497 for a HBO o/w ticket to FRA (Y class) - PAID seat for Gold/Silver/Bronze
    But on Thursday at 1445 from LCY, BA will charge you 101 for a non-HBO ticket (O class) - free seat for Gold/Silver/Bronze

    Where is the logic and link between fare, yield and HBO?
    Let's not forget that those wizards in Revenue Management are currently offering 9 ET seats for sale on BA902 tomorrow morning ...

    ... at 4500 Avios + 17.50 ...

    ...with free seat selection, and luggage
    shorthauldad is offline  
    Old Mar 2, 2015, 12:21 pm
      #305  
     
    Join Date: Jun 2013
    Location: Russia
    Programs: BA Silver
    Posts: 125
    Originally Posted by popmagnet
    I'd want it to be quite a bit less, taking into account the respective quality of food on offer. An extra 20 in the pocket to spend on some decent pub grub and a proper pint, or mass catered pasta and finger sandwiches in the lounge? Not really a contest.
    Oh, yes! It's not necessarily the quality but sometimes the choice.
    I used to buy Itsu sushi at T5 and eat them in the lounge and cackle looking at those who were struggling with the choice of two rolls.
    Ivanerr is offline  
    Old Mar 2, 2015, 12:22 pm
      #306  
     
    Join Date: May 2013
    Posts: 6,349
    Originally Posted by secretplantofightinflation
    How incredibly snobby

    There is nothing wrong with Gatwick.
    Give me Gatwick any day over T5.
    simons1 is offline  
    Old Mar 2, 2015, 12:25 pm
      #307  
    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: 30,348
    Originally Posted by paulwuk
    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.
    Enjoy. You can also look forward to fewer frequencies or higher fares as HBO becomes a less attractive proposition and a proportion of passengers switch to competitors, reducing the sustainability of BA schedule or pushing them to further lower HBO fares at the expense of those already "expensive tickets" to ensure drive bookings back up.

    Originally Posted by paulwuk
    So, yes, all good ^

    If only BA hadn't decimated the exec club last month.
    I know. It is also sadly comical how the oldest trick in the trade, "divide and conquer", never fails to perform.
    orbitmic is offline  
    Old Mar 2, 2015, 12:26 pm
      #308  
     
    Join Date: May 2013
    Posts: 6,349
    Originally Posted by paulwuk
    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.
    I'm in a similar position and I suspect it is even better than that. The HBO seats won't be pre-allocated until OLCI so unless HBO types pay up there will be more seats for other people to select.
    simons1 is offline  
    Old Mar 2, 2015, 12:27 pm
      #309  
     
    Join Date: Dec 2009
    Location: Perth WA/ UK
    Programs: BA Gold, Priority Club Gold, Accor Silver, Virgin Australia Gold
    Posts: 1,739
    This airline has made it clear during 2015 that they care not for loyalty. Fine
    I and others care little for them. They have kicked loyalty into touch as they have little or no idea on how to run a future business model worse than a low cost airline ever has. I am once completed my current batch of long and short haul finished with them.its not even that their service generally is even good!the HBO were always a red herring in terms of cost. They resembled what it used to be with baggage then simply increased the with baggage cost to make is all think we had a good HBO offer. Sneaky and callous. Ah that is BA.
    nivsy is offline  
    Old Mar 2, 2015, 12:30 pm
      #310  
    FlyerTalk Evangelist
     
    Join Date: Apr 2009
    Location: where lions are led by donkeys...
    Programs: Lifetime Gold, Global Entry, Hertz PC, and my wallet
    Posts: 20,315
    Originally Posted by BA6948
    To which email address can I send such a complaint?
    [email protected]

    Silver Fox is offline  
    Old Mar 2, 2015, 12:31 pm
      #311  
     
    Join Date: Sep 2008
    Location: Seattle
    Programs: United 1K, Alaska MVP 75K, HH Diamond
    Posts: 633
    Wow, so after the recent great exec club deval now this?

    I'm surprised at a carve out for free seat selection for status card holders.

    Free seat selection at the time of booking is one of our supposed perks so what point and purpose does it serve to exempt this perk on HBO fares?

    Utterly barking mad and illogical in my view.
    rajsbasi is offline  
    Old Mar 2, 2015, 12:32 pm
      #312  
     
    Join Date: Sep 2014
    Programs: BA Silver
    Posts: 85
    Originally Posted by shefgab
    The difference between a HBO fare, and the corresponding non-HBO fare in the same class is minimal (around 20?). The changes affect all HBO tickets, even for the more expensive fare classes. You can be on a cheap ticket that includes a bag, where you can select a seat, or you could be on an expensive fare (which has a much better yield for BA) that is HBO. There is no correlation between the fare class and if it is an HBO or not. Expensive last minute HBO exist.

    e.g. tomorrow morning at 0705, BA charge 497 for a HBO o/w ticket to FRA (Y class) - PAID seat for Gold/Silver/Bronze
    But on Thursday at 1445 from LCY, BA will charge you 101 for a non-HBO ticket (O class) - free seat for Gold/Silver/Bronze

    Where is the logic and link between fare, yield and HBO?

    It seems BA have taken the arbitrary decision to change seat selection for HBO, where in fact they should have (well, if they need to do something) changed the seat choices for those on cheaper fares, where the deciding factor is fare class, not HBO/non-HBO. Checking in a bag has nothing to do with seats, and I guess not much to do with yield.
    Yes but it is all relative to the non-HBO fare which is 10 or 20 more than the HBO fare.

    I still find this hoohah a bit silly, because status holders - in particular Golds - with all their qualifying flights should have piles of Avios, so why don't they do RFS?
    stevehh is offline  
    Old Mar 2, 2015, 12:34 pm
      #313  
     
    Join Date: Mar 2014
    Location: Londinium
    Programs: BAEC
    Posts: 929
    I love the "I [usually my employer] pay more than you..." theme in this forum.
    SCSA is offline  
    Old Mar 2, 2015, 12:35 pm
      #314  
     
    Join Date: Sep 2014
    Programs: BA Silver
    Posts: 85
    Originally Posted by shorthauldad
    Let's not forget that those wizards in Revenue Management are currently offering 9 ET seats for sale on BA902 tomorrow morning ...

    ... at 4500 Avios + 17.50 ...

    ...with free seat selection, and luggage

    Yes - why not forget about HBO altogether and do these? No-one would be forcing you to check a bag in - you can just bring hand baggage.

    I really think that BA HBO fares were primarily aimed at casual non-BAEC flyers - not Gold and Silver card holders.
    stevehh is offline  
    Old Mar 2, 2015, 12:36 pm
      #315  
     
    Join Date: Mar 2014
    Location: Londinium
    Programs: BAEC
    Posts: 929
    Originally Posted by stevehh
    Yes but it is all relative to the non HBO fare which is 10 or 20 more than the HBO fare.

    I still find this hoohah a bit silly, because status holders - in particular Golds - with all their qualifying flights should have piles of Avios, so why don't they do RFS?
    For starters, the flight you want may not be available as an RFS.
    SCSA is offline  

    Thread Tools
    Search this Thread

    Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

    This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.