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, 2:55 pm
#376
Join Date: Jan 2011
Programs: BAEC GGL/CCR, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 395
I really am inclined to believe this is simply penny pinching on the IT rather than a conscious effort by BA to screw over status holders - even really high value GGLs etc. It just doesn't make sense.
Not that this makes it any better but surely they wouldn't be this petty. Surely.
Not that this makes it any better but surely they wouldn't be this petty. Surely.
Mar 2, 2015, 2:58 pm
#377
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 really am inclined to believe this is simply penny pinching on the IT rather than a conscious effort by BA to screw over status holders - even really high value GGLs etc. It just doesn't make sense.
Not that this makes it any better but surely they wouldn't be this petty. Surely.
Not that this makes it any better but surely they wouldn't be this petty. Surely.
If it is indeed pure laziness and incompetence (and frankly, I find it hard to imagine that BA IT would not be able to sort out something that even AF IT manages), IMHO, it would indeed be a rather pathetic excuse.
Mar 2, 2015, 2:59 pm
#378
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: scotland/EDI
Programs: BAEC , M&M , VIRGIN FC , FLYING BLUE
Posts: 1,438
often I cannot believe that many of the bags are within limits but that's only the judgement of my own eye
in my opinion BA made a big mistake when they first introduced HBO fares
HBO fares should have been a budget/non status ticket eg no free seat selection
Mar 2, 2015, 3:00 pm
#379
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: BA Bronze, United 1K, HH Gold, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 3,477
Mar 2, 2015, 3:00 pm
#380
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Tonbridge
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 2,034
I read at as BA are adopting EZ style seat assignments, as in you have to pay even at T-24. Next stop will be charging for premium seating in forward rows.
Mar 2, 2015, 3:01 pm
#381
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: London
Posts: 17,007
Mar 2, 2015, 3:05 pm
#382
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 8,772
I really am inclined to believe this is simply penny pinching on the IT rather than a conscious effort by BA to screw over status holders - even really high value GGLs etc. It just doesn't make sense.
Not that this makes it any better but surely they wouldn't be this petty. Surely.
Not that this makes it any better but surely they wouldn't be this petty. Surely.
Mar 2, 2015, 3:07 pm
#383
Join Date: Sep 2014
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 32
I am but a lowly SCH, however this change is aimed directly at EC Status holders and in my opinion attacks one of the last remaining privileges for SCH. I appreciate it must hurt the GCH and above even more, however I now feel there is very little left at all for the SCH!
Mar 2, 2015, 3:07 pm
#384
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
Those that think status passengers don't fly HBO really don't get it. Having status makes the HBO fare even more attractive, especially now that Club Europe has been turned into a sad excuse for business class. I'm sure there is a large number of Silver/Gold passengers who fly using these fares regularly, particularly choosing exit row seating. I often see business passengers on the LHR-VIE route seated in those seats.
I've already decided that my Longhaul flights next year will be non-BA, and as a passenger who doesn't usually check in luggage, this new enhancement means that I'll be looking to book European flights with other airlines like Iberia, NIKI/airberlin. Avios earnings will now be the same, but you can select seats, get seats blocked, and generally there is less hassle with crammed cabins and late departures/arrivals at Heathrow.
BA is making healthy profits at the moment and management seem to think that they are invincible, but where the hell are they leading this company?
I've already decided that my Longhaul flights next year will be non-BA, and as a passenger who doesn't usually check in luggage, this new enhancement means that I'll be looking to book European flights with other airlines like Iberia, NIKI/airberlin. Avios earnings will now be the same, but you can select seats, get seats blocked, and generally there is less hassle with crammed cabins and late departures/arrivals at Heathrow.
BA is making healthy profits at the moment and management seem to think that they are invincible, but where the hell are they leading this company?
Mar 2, 2015, 3:08 pm
#385
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: London
Posts: 17,007
Have you ever tried to get a refund?
Or have a ticket reissued following an upgrade?
These are processes that can take weeks. Because the IT is not capable of doing it and they are done by hand.
Mar 2, 2015, 3:16 pm
#386
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: London
Programs: Sir Ratechaser Seigneur de la Patience d'un Saint (Mucci), BA Silver, Starbucks Gold
Posts: 2,569
Got to be better than letting all those riff-raff GGLs in ET sit in them for free... get back to 25B where you belong!
Mar 2, 2015, 3:19 pm
#387
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 8,772
I know the IT's crap, but my point is I can't see what IT issue would drive this particular change. By far the biggest impact is on status-holders - if they didn't want it to have that impact, surely they wouldn't have bothered doing it.
Mar 2, 2015, 3:28 pm
#389
Join Date: Oct 2008
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 887
BA will be banking on the 23kgs carry on baggage allowance plus a laptop bag as a reason why people will stick with them and the HBO fares despite the latest enhancements.
KLM in comparison is 12kgs total across 2 items in economy and 18kgs total across 2 items in business.
KLM in comparison is 12kgs total across 2 items in economy and 18kgs total across 2 items in business.
Mar 2, 2015, 3:33 pm
#390
Formerly known as Tim Farrell
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: GLA
Posts: 93
Interesting point concerning the 23kg hand baggage allowance. I flew BA2966 to GLA tonight and after reading this thread noticed a sticker in the overhead lockers stating that the total allowed weight for one compartment was 38kg. I think this covered 3 rows (max 9 people) of which one was an exit row so no underseat baggage.