[Cedric_Statherby]

Good point Capetonianm – I had overlooked the charges that the airlines face from the baggage handlers for checked bags. I assumed they were fairly minimal, but I now gather not …

Which of course means that despite all appearances to the contrary, and despite the chaos in the cabins that it causes, and despite the risk of confrontation and unpleasantness for their poor front line staff (gate monitors and cabin staff) who have to enforce baggage rules and intermediate in any dispute; and despite the added clutter and obstructions that luggage everywhere causes in the event of an emergency evacuation, the airlines actually prefer people to take cabin luggage because it saves them a few pounds in handling fees.

Why am I not surprised that airlines put their own bottom line above their staff’s working environment, their customers’ experience and even safety: less cost for the airlines, even if shambles for the passengers and aggravation for their staff.

[MartynSinclair]

The only airport where I constantly see cabin baggage rules being enforced and I have also been victim (quite rightly so) are the BA gates at AMS. NOTHING gets past these eagle eyed gate agents, irrespective whether you are in club or economy. It is also enforced to dead heading crew in uniform who have been for a shop …

I know they are 3rd party agents, but it shows the cabin baggage policy can be enforced. Perhaps the AMS staff should train the LHR gate staff..

[openfly]

Martin +1

[AMcWhirter]

The final pieces of the jigshaw are coming together.

United has announced that it will introduce transatlantic HBO fares later this year.

No definite date has been announced.

With United going HBO we can expect the Lufthansa Group airlines (with whom United operates a JV) to follow.

[Tom Otley]

Obviously this has now moved on with so many other airlines introduing the HBO fare.

To recap, and using British Airways as the example, if you are looking for a cheap fare, the best way of doing so is using the cheap fare finder

If you look for, say, a cheap return economy ticket to New York, you’ll find that in November 2018 you can get fares for £348 return.

Go through to find those fares, and you click on the first flight that says £174 (because that’s the low fare you are looking for, being half of the £348.

When you do it reminds you it is a HBO fare, which is fair enough (fare enough?).

To add baggage takes it to £267. So the bag is costing you an extra £93, which is strange, because BA said it would cost you £30 when it introduced HBO.

But then, if you click on a fare that isn’t the least expensive, once again, you find it’s an HBO fare, but then the extra for adding the bag is only £30.

So either way, you end up paying roughly the same price.

For people who don’t know the website, they will choose the cheapest fare, realise they want a bag, click on that, and end up paying £97×2 to check a bag to New York and back (£194).

I know the HBO fare is so the airline doesn’t get beaten on price in the GDS systems.

But to use that fare as a way of tempting someone in and then add £194 for the bag for the return trip seems….

[Author]

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