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, 6:07 am
#63
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: London, UK
Posts: 5,655
This really is pathetic on BA's part. As another GGL, I'm equally very unhappy about this. Coincidentally, I've actually run down my BA balance, and other than being on 25K LTTP, I see little reason to hurry towards the final 10K, nor work towards renewing a further 3K from April.
I really don't understand BA's reason for doing this? It must cost them very, very little to offer this.
I really don't understand BA's reason for doing this? It must cost them very, very little to offer this.
Mar 2, 2015, 6:09 am
#64
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: UK
Programs: BD Gold, BAEC Gold, Hilton HHonors
Posts: 869
Surely this is an early April fool's joke.
This is an absurd change that I sincerely hope gets binned as soon as possible. Surely at least Golds should be able to select their seat at the point of booking!
For short-haul there's an ever-reducing distinction between BA and Easyjet / Ryanair, and if anything the distinction with Swiss / Lufthansa / KLM is now against BA.
Really stupid move BA - and frankly ludicrous to introduce it just weeks after the Avios devaluation (and implementing it before the Avios stuff comes into effect)
This is an absurd change that I sincerely hope gets binned as soon as possible. Surely at least Golds should be able to select their seat at the point of booking!
For short-haul there's an ever-reducing distinction between BA and Easyjet / Ryanair, and if anything the distinction with Swiss / Lufthansa / KLM is now against BA.
Really stupid move BA - and frankly ludicrous to introduce it just weeks after the Avios devaluation (and implementing it before the Avios stuff comes into effect)
Last edited by so3003; Mar 2, 2015 at 6:10 am Reason: typo
Mar 2, 2015, 6:09 am
#65
Community Director
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Norwich, UK
Programs: A3*G, BA Gold, BD Gold (in memoriam), IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 8,476
I was about to throw another couple of thousand pounds BA's way to maintain Gold for next year, but this sort of behaviour hardly encourages me to do so.
Given BA seems to think I love being in a window seat, in spite of my profile stating just the opposite, I don't hold out much hope that whatever algorithm handles the allocation will get it right (much more likely it'll 'punish' me by sticking me in a middle). Looks like most of my SH flying is heading towards *A from here, where at least there's free seat selection on check-in worst case and a decent chance of a middle seat block on a great many airlines.
If the algorithm is going to be really clever and distribute HBO passengers around the cabin to utilise overhead space, it'll still never work - I would assume a very large number of people who travel HBO are actually on more flexible fares because their business plans could change at very short notice, and consequently they're able to choose seats anyway.
Great thinking BA ...
Given BA seems to think I love being in a window seat, in spite of my profile stating just the opposite, I don't hold out much hope that whatever algorithm handles the allocation will get it right (much more likely it'll 'punish' me by sticking me in a middle). Looks like most of my SH flying is heading towards *A from here, where at least there's free seat selection on check-in worst case and a decent chance of a middle seat block on a great many airlines.
If the algorithm is going to be really clever and distribute HBO passengers around the cabin to utilise overhead space, it'll still never work - I would assume a very large number of people who travel HBO are actually on more flexible fares because their business plans could change at very short notice, and consequently they're able to choose seats anyway.
Great thinking BA ...
Mar 2, 2015, 6:10 am
#67
Join Date: Dec 2009
Programs: BA Gold Guest List, Concorde Room Card, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 728
I'm pricing up an upcoming work trip to IST, where a semi-flex K-class HBO return is £502. To pay that out and not be able to select a seat as a Gold, is just bonkers.
This change would be slightly more palatable if it applied to the lower fare buckets, rather than HBO.
This change would be slightly more palatable if it applied to the lower fare buckets, rather than HBO.
Mar 2, 2015, 6:12 am
#68
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 3,838
BA isn't following the LCCs, in actual fact they've pretty much followed every step that Flying Blue have implemented in the last 3 years. Gut earning rates, gut burn rates, reduce on-board service etc.
AF introduced the "no seat selection for elites" last year on its cheapest fares and it was the final straw for me.
AF introduced the "no seat selection for elites" last year on its cheapest fares and it was the final straw for me.
Mar 2, 2015, 6:12 am
#69
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 4,477
The first thing I did this morning was to remove my BA numbers from all my BA bookings on RJ.com and inserted my AA number instead. Any new bookings in near future will go towards AA.
Mar 2, 2015, 6:13 am
#70
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: UK
Programs: BD Gold, BAEC Gold, Hilton HHonors
Posts: 869
Mar 2, 2015, 6:14 am
#71
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 932
But the thing you need to remember is that HBO fares are DIRT CHEAP.
I have just booked LHR-OSL HBO for £85 each. Used 18,000 Avios to knock £120 off the total price (really only 12,000-ish Avios because we will earn some back), and my family of 4 gets an extra holiday this year for only £220 plus 12,000 Avios. Compare that with £140 + 60,000 or £200 +120,000 for a redemption flight and you see that these fares are an absolute steal. Compared with Norwegian (of whom I am generally a fan) and BA still looks very good because Norwegian flies from the less convenient Gatwick and BA will give you a free beer and flatbread.
If these extra charges are the price to pay for such low fares then I honestly don't mind. And for people who do mind there are other fares, both redemption and non-redemption available.
So long as it is clear what you are getting when you book, I don't have a problem with this at all and if the side effect of this is that HBO travellers are allocated generally more towards to back of the cabin, then they will find that overhead space is much less of an issue.
I have just booked LHR-OSL HBO for £85 each. Used 18,000 Avios to knock £120 off the total price (really only 12,000-ish Avios because we will earn some back), and my family of 4 gets an extra holiday this year for only £220 plus 12,000 Avios. Compare that with £140 + 60,000 or £200 +120,000 for a redemption flight and you see that these fares are an absolute steal. Compared with Norwegian (of whom I am generally a fan) and BA still looks very good because Norwegian flies from the less convenient Gatwick and BA will give you a free beer and flatbread.
If these extra charges are the price to pay for such low fares then I honestly don't mind. And for people who do mind there are other fares, both redemption and non-redemption available.
So long as it is clear what you are getting when you book, I don't have a problem with this at all and if the side effect of this is that HBO travellers are allocated generally more towards to back of the cabin, then they will find that overhead space is much less of an issue.
Mar 2, 2015, 6:17 am
#73
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: London-etc
Posts: 3,893
I think that's been around for a while, and is mainly a safety thing - I don't think the overhead lockers could support something heavier. I think 23kg is a lot to fit into a suitcase of that size.
There is another thread on here where security at LHR called BA to check if a passenger could have 40-something kg in his carry on. The official rule was that any weight as long as the passenger can put it into the overhead lockers themselves. It was a US marine had packed spare parts for his car into his carry-on to take them to Germany.
There is another thread on here where security at LHR called BA to check if a passenger could have 40-something kg in his carry on. The official rule was that any weight as long as the passenger can put it into the overhead lockers themselves. It was a US marine had packed spare parts for his car into his carry-on to take them to Germany.
Agree, that is a lot to lift. When I had a bad shoulder I was so afraid to travel alone because I knew I would not manage to lift even 10kg. Wow, 40kg that would be something.
Mar 2, 2015, 6:19 am
#74
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: scotland/EDI
Programs: BAEC , M&M , VIRGIN FC , FLYING BLUE
Posts: 1,438
yet to receive my email from BA on this one
this is an interesting one which wont really affect me as I tend not to travel HBO unless its a domestic daytrip return
it will be very interesting to hear from fellow golds when this begins and find out exactly what sort of seats they are allocated---I can think of quite a few on here who will be furious if they don't get their usual row 1 seat
maybe it will put an end to the overhead locker space problems we hear about on domestics---as pax may not want to risk getting a bad seat--and pay the extra £10 or so for a regular ticket
BUT how would that impact on BA s costs for luggage handling
if I booked an HBO I would be a bit concerned but as its unusual for me to do so on the whole I don't have a big problem with this change
like all things in life there are winners and losers
losers-----status holders who usually buy HBO
winners-----anyone who buys a regular ticket
this is an interesting one which wont really affect me as I tend not to travel HBO unless its a domestic daytrip return
it will be very interesting to hear from fellow golds when this begins and find out exactly what sort of seats they are allocated---I can think of quite a few on here who will be furious if they don't get their usual row 1 seat
maybe it will put an end to the overhead locker space problems we hear about on domestics---as pax may not want to risk getting a bad seat--and pay the extra £10 or so for a regular ticket
BUT how would that impact on BA s costs for luggage handling
if I booked an HBO I would be a bit concerned but as its unusual for me to do so on the whole I don't have a big problem with this change
like all things in life there are winners and losers
losers-----status holders who usually buy HBO
winners-----anyone who buys a regular ticket
Mar 2, 2015, 6:20 am
#75
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: UK
Programs: BA GGL, BA Amex Prem, Amex Plat, Hilton Diamond, Sir Crazy8534 de l'ordres des aides de Pucci
Posts: 4,444
6 months! We're on. 
So have I got this right: a domestic HBO saves £10 in each direction and choosing a seat will cost £7 each direction? And as a gold will I still be able to choose the front row or will I be limited to the row 5 and back or whatever is the usual?
So have I got this right: a domestic HBO saves £10 in each direction and choosing a seat will cost £7 each direction? And as a gold will I still be able to choose the front row or will I be limited to the row 5 and back or whatever is the usual?