BA may charge passengers to carry skis - Car Rental News
BA may charge passengers to carry skis
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Car Rental News - 02/10/2008
British Airways considers a move to charge a fee for sports equipment, such as golf clubs and skis.
Willie Walsh, the BA chief executive, commented that the airline is considering adding this charge, when speaking a London meeting of budget carriers last week.
Sports equipment charges are current levied by Ryanair, at £64 on a return fare, and by easyJet, which £50 return.
Although he said that BA hasn’t set a fee at this time, insiders say that a charge of £25 is being considered.
A spokesperson for the Ski Club of Great Britain has countered that the charge may well make BA a less desirable travel option for some ski enthusiasts. She did acknowledge though that "a few airlines do charge for equipment, like easyJet and Ryanair.”
The club’s spokesperson added: "Those people who have been taking BA because they could bring their equipment for free might look at other options. Swiss doesn't charge and…some might even thing of taking the Eurostar."
The fact that the charges are being considered by British Airways is a sign of the continuing cash problem faced by the airline and its competitors in the industry, as operating costs have reached record levels due to the price of fuel.
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