The airline has still to confirm changes, which will take place from mid-April, but they will bring BA more into line with easyJet in making it easier for passengers who buy the bag inclusive fares to change tickets without paying an extra fee.
A source told TTG: “Currently, if you want to change a flight, you pay £60 plus the fare difference. Under the new rules, if you want to change days beforehand, there is no change fee, but you pay the fare difference and on the day you travel, there is no penalty if you want to come home on an earlier flight.”
Passengers with bags will also be able to select their seats for free 48 hours before departure instead of the current 24, giving them the choice 24 hours earlier than those who buy the hand baggage fare.
BA will also rebrand the two fare categories, which are currently shown on booking systems as “Hand baggage only” and “With checked bag”. Agents are being briefed on changes they will need to make to Global Distribution Systems ahead of next month.
The airline said: “We’re advising the travel trade of some positive changes we’ll be making to our short-haul fares to streamline them in response to customer feedback. We’re telling the trade now so they are able to update their systems ahead of launching the fares with a phased approach throughout March and April.
“We’ll be communicating with customers as soon as all the changes are live in the selling systems.”
BA’s changes are designed to make its fares simpler and more attractive against competitors like easyJet, which offers Standard and Flexi fares. EasyJet’s Flexi fares allow unlimited changes to flights provided new flight times are between a week before and three weeks after original travel date.
EasyJet allows changes more than two hours before the original scheduled departure time and more than two hours prior to the changed flight’s departure time. Flexi tickets also permit free route changes plus any difference in fare.
