Traveling light? It could save you more money than you think. British Airways will start charging less for passengers who only carry hand luggage.
Following in the footsteps of budget airline carriers, British Airways is offering cheaper fares to passengers who don't check luggage. This will initially be offered on flights from Gatwick Airport to Amsterdam, Dubrovnik, Jersey, Tunis and Turin, the Daily Mail reports.
Those who travel with luggage that they want to check in will not pay more to compensate for the lower hand baggage only fares.
This move is likely being done so that BA can compete with low-cost airlines like Ryanair and Easyjet which charge more for passengers who check in luggage and charge less for those who don't.
"The introduction of our hand baggage only fare is all about giving our customers more freedom to choose the kind of flying they want," Peter Simpson, director of Gatwick for British Airways said according to the Daily Mail.
"Many British Airways customers on Gatwick short-haul breaks choose not to check in a bag as they're already taking advantage of our generous two-bag hand luggage policy," Simpson said. "Those who still want to check in a bag will simply pay the same price they do now."
The amount of the discount will vary depending on the flight. It can range from $13.73 to $22.88.
These lower fares will start being offered on February 26. Prices start at $59.48 for a one-way trip to Amsterdam to $105.24 for a one-way to Turin.
Passengers can start benefitting from the lower fares from Tuesday (February 26), with starting prices ranging from £39 one-way to Amsterdam to £69 one-way to Turin.
"This is an interesting move for BA which is clearly looking at other ways to position its offering to price-sensitive customers," Bob Atkinson, a travel expert at Travelsupermarket.com, said according to the Daily Mail.
"However passengers who take up the offer to travel without checked luggage will still benefit from a generous hand luggage allowance plus free on board food and drink," Atkinson continued.
This move comes particularly after Cutch airline KLM started charging customers who check in luggage on short flights.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
