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BA seeks to justify new excess bag charges
British Airways has denied discriminating against passengers with its new excess baggage policy from next Tuesday.
The revision to the charging policy is being introduced to simplify existing policies, the airline claimed.
BA confirmed the fees as £30 per extra bag on domestic flights, £60 per extra bag on European flights and £120 per extra bag on long haul flights (see previous TravelMole story). Travellers will get a 30% discount on these rates if they pre-pay online. The changes will not come into full effect until September.
“British Airways has absolutely no intention of discriminating against passengers who cannot comfortably carry a 23kg bag. Where it is clear that a passenger cannot manage one bag, we will let them check in an additional bag (or more) provided the total weight is within the 23 kg limit,” a statement said.
The airline estimates that more than 98% of passengers travel within their free luggage allowance.
“The majority of these customers check in no more than one item of luggage per person. For these customers, there is no change,” BA said.
The airline added: “For the two per cent of customers who wish to exceed their free allowances, we have decided to simplify the charges they pay to make them easier to understand.
“At present charges vary according to weight, route and class of travel. We are replacing these with three simple rates for bags additional to the free allowance.
“Our free luggage allowances, for both carry-on and checked-in luggage, remain among the most generous in the aviation industry. Many other airlines offer smaller free allowances and charge for additional items such as skis, golf bags or other sports equipment.”
In the vast majority of instances, the new policy will be cheaper or comparable for customers who wish to fly with excess baggage on top of their free allowances, the airline claimed.
by Phil Davies
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