British Airways - Baggage
One bag no bigger than 56 cm x 45 cm x 25 cm (22 inches x 17.5 inches x 9.85 inches) (including wheels, pockets and handles)
In addition, one briefcase or laptop-sized bag
BA/ VS Fuel Surcharges Get Your Money Back!
Following the little debacle about fuel surcharges, it has now been decided that you can claim back from British Airways and Virgin Atlantic between £4 and £20 a return (there-and-back) ticket and a bit less on a single. This applies for the period starting on the 11th August 2004 and the 23rd March 2006 - more or less a two year period.
You will, however, have to work for it - or get your travel agent to work for it. You will need to establish all the long haul trips you made in this period. Long haul means either a) Across the Pond (either way) or b) anything not within Europe ("short haul") Short haul would be say, London to Munich or London to Bucharest. All Virgin Atlantic flights are, de facto, long haul. Note that these MUST be on Virgin or British Airways "metal" (the nasty, smelly noisy thing) with BA or VS "paper" the name of the carrier on the paper ticket - or eticket. This means all tickets claimable will start EITHER 125 (and a long number) or 932 (and a long number) if your ticket starts with anything else, don't bother - in other words not a QANTAS flight pretending to be BA or a Continental flight pretending to be Virgin. You can usually also tell these so-called "code-share" flights usually have a four digit flight number.
Next up, you will need to show you took the flights. Now, you sure as anything have not kept all you ticket stubs, but there are other ways - your frequent flyer records, your credit card records or travel agency invoices. With invoices, you may also need proof of payment. The airlines may try and make heavy weather of this but given how one can tell these days when you last went to the toilet or had a word with Aunty Flo about your cat's boil, any such jerrymandering will be more fluff than substance.
If you get your travel agent to do the legwork, you will get a charge. Firstly, it will take a good while to get all the info together and if one travel regularly long haul across the pond - well, there's no such thing as a free lunch. I
When you have assembled everything then call 0800 043 0343 or write to Air Passenger Settlement, c/o Epiq Systems, PO Box 62677, London, EC2P 2UB. There is a website, www.airpassengerrefund.co.uk
In theory, you have up to 2012 but getting this all together is better done sooner rather than later - especially if you are a company as there may be a lot of dusty records to go through - and the info is not always kept together as well as it should be. Once you have claimed, the you do give up further rights to sue. If you choose not to give up the right to sue, then you must exclude yourself in writing to the address mentioned, along with a valid reason why you must have taken leave of your senses. Queries must be refrerred to the administrator, not the airlines involved.
Corporate Travel
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British Airways
AIRLINE NOTES & UPDATES
Customers travelling in World Traveller on flights to and from the Americas* (except Brazil) have a free allowance of one bag weighing no more than 23kgs. This means that the World Traveller allowance is the same for the majority of British Airways routes.
World traveller (i.e. economy) customers travelling to Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria and connecting flights between India and the USA, Canada, Bermuda retain a two-bag allowance up to 23kgs per bag.
Customers travelling to and from Brazil and First, Club World and Club Europe customers on all routes are entitled to a 32kgs free checked baggage allowance at no additional charge. (Surprise, surprise!)
Gold and Silver Executive Club members are entitled to two pieces of luggage up to 32kgs on all routes when they travel in World Traveller, Euro Traveller and Domestic.
If you are travelling to or from Algiers or Tripoli you will be charged the international rate for extra bags over your free checked allowance.
There is an online discount of at least 20% when you pay for your extra baggage online before you check in.
From 10 November 2009 the online charge to check in a second extra bag above your free allowance will increase to £72 ($112) or the local equivalent.
The cost of extra bags on UK domestic routes is the same as shorthaul European services at £35 per bag.
Heavy bag charge has increased from £25 to £30 for bags weighing between 23kgs and 32kgs. The special bag charge for items that exceed the maximum dimension no longer applies.
* Americas routes affected: USA, Canada, Bermuda, Argentina, Mexico and the Caribbean
Changes to British Airways sporting policy (sic):
If you booked your flight from 31 July for travel from 7 October 2009
If you check in an item of sporting equipment in addition to your free checked baggage allowance, you will be charged £40 per bag on longhaul or £35 on shorthaul flights at the airport. A discount of at least 20% is available if you pay online for extra baggage before check-in.
If you booked your flight before 31 July for travel from 7 October 2009
You can still take your sporting equipment for free if you bring your original e-ticket receipt, created at the time of booking, with you to the airport.
Customers must ensure that all liquid containers do not exceed 100ml and are carried in a clear, re-sealable plastic bag no bigger than 20 cm x 20 cm that can be easily closed.
A maximum hand baggage weight of 23Kg applies and customers must able to lift the bag into the overhead lockers in the aircraft cabin unaided.
Restrictions on the quantity of liquids allowed through airport security search remain in place.
British Airways customers can carry the following as hand baggage from all worldwide destinations and from Heathrow, GATWICK, London City, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester and Nooocastle:
