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 3, 2015, 2:52 pm
#616
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: LHR- ish
Programs: MUCCI, BA Blue
Posts: 4,295
I'm not impressed. My guess is that the non paying HBOers will be shoved to the back of the plane where there is less competition for overhead space. At the moment I sit at the back to take advantage of the lack of other people
Mar 3, 2015, 3:01 pm
#617
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: scotland/EDI
Programs: BAEC , M&M , VIRGIN FC , FLYING BLUE
Posts: 1,438
maybe I am fortunate in not being as restricted as some travellers in that on domestics for instance I can choose to travel off peak so airports are quieter loads are less so hence over head locker space is less of an issue and waits for luggage has never been seriously long
and when not on domestics I honestly have not had many problems
maybe I am one of the lucky ones
Mar 3, 2015, 4:21 pm
#618
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 6,349
Sadly not - I was a GCH up to 2006 but switched away from BA. Primarily to EK but to a number of others.
Very refreshing to choose my flights based on price, schedule and product rather than due to status, addiction to Avios etc etc. That means BA is a rare selection on my list.
Let's be honest, 80% of the people moaning on here will still be with BA in a year's time.
Very refreshing to choose my flights based on price, schedule and product rather than due to status, addiction to Avios etc etc. That means BA is a rare selection on my list.
Let's be honest, 80% of the people moaning on here will still be with BA in a year's time.
Mar 3, 2015, 4:33 pm
#619
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: US Air, UA BA LH AI DELTA MARRIOTT CHOICE SGP
Posts: 9,883
Wonder if they will wake up before the LCCs going up and BA heading down on a graph cross.....? Let's hope for the best.
Mar 3, 2015, 5:19 pm
#620
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: LCY-ORY
Programs: BMI/SQ/AFKL/PC RAmbo®/Oyster/B&Q
Posts: 1,250
Dont really understand BA s business logic - namely irritating your best customers for very little revenue in return .Personally not bothered as i use avios for short haul - but still .
Mar 3, 2015, 5:25 pm
#621
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: London
Posts: 17,007
Mar 3, 2015, 5:46 pm
#622
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Ealing
Programs: Usual Amex Cent. GGL.
Posts: 1,483
Only time will tell. Currently IAG has dropped nearly 4% at COB but who knows why?
Mar 3, 2015, 6:06 pm
#623
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: London
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 1,279
After mulling it over for a day , I've came to the conclusion this is an irritating decision and a step too far. My BA Amex was cancelled today and I've switched over to Amex gold.
I've had done great trips on BA, however I'm finding the new Shorthaul product cramped , and with the avios devaluation , they won't be my airline of choice anymore. They have tipped the scales in their competitors favour.
I've had done great trips on BA, however I'm finding the new Shorthaul product cramped , and with the avios devaluation , they won't be my airline of choice anymore. They have tipped the scales in their competitors favour.
Mar 3, 2015, 6:25 pm
#624
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: London
Posts: 17,007
I was being charitable.
Mar 3, 2015, 7:07 pm
#625
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: HKG
Programs: BA GGL & CCR
Posts: 600
Sadly not - I was a GCH up to 2006 but switched away from BA. Primarily to EK but to a number of others.
Very refreshing to choose my flights based on price, schedule and product rather than due to status, addiction to Avios etc etc. That means BA is a rare selection on my list.
Let's be honest, 80% of the people moaning on here will still be with BA in a year's time.
Very refreshing to choose my flights based on price, schedule and product rather than due to status, addiction to Avios etc etc. That means BA is a rare selection on my list.
Let's be honest, 80% of the people moaning on here will still be with BA in a year's time.
Mar 3, 2015, 7:15 pm
#626
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,549
as far as losing passengers goes, perhaps some people's belief in their importance to the company is not the same as the company's view in the customer's importance to it
Maybe some will leave , some will just accept the lack of customer selectable seating and some will just pay the charge to select a seat or book a fare which includes the option for a passenger holding status to select seats in advance. I think that once teddy throwing dies down, that the number of customers BA loses over this will be minimal
Mar 3, 2015, 7:17 pm
#627
Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club, easyJet and Ryanair
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: UK/Las Vegas
Programs: BA Gold (GGL/CCR)
Posts: 15,913
I'm not sure, having spoken to a number of GGLs (and not of the TP running variety either) they are not very happy with much of the "enhanced" product of recent times. There is a veritable feeling that the product and benefits being offered fall well short and their displeasure in BA is festering.
Mar 3, 2015, 7:36 pm
#628
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: SE1, London
Posts: 23,413
I'm not sure, having spoken to a number of GGLs (and not of the TP running variety either) they are not very happy with much of the "enhanced" product of recent times. There is a veritable feeling that the product and benefits being offered fall well short and their displeasure in BA is festering.
I've already checked out and shall be making zero effort to renew GGL. There is a stack of Avios to be burned. I'm even looking at trying U2 for a forthcoming weekend away.
Mar 3, 2015, 11:14 pm
#629
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: London
Programs: BA Executive Club
Posts: 999
Unless you run the company you don't know the real rationale behind the decision.
Mar 3, 2015, 11:18 pm
#630
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Canada, USA, Europe
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 31,452