Not to be outdone by budget airline Norwegian and other competitors, the United Kingdom’s own flag carrier British Airways have also launched their own cheap air tickets for long-haul routes from Singapore to London, and vice versa.
One-way flights between the two destinations go from as low as £230 (S$428), a “basic fare” specially introduced for passengers who travel light. Complimentary food and drinks will still be served, and passengers will still have access to in-flight entertainment, blankets, and headphones. Two items of hand luggage can be brought on board too.
Being a no-frills fare, anything more than that will incur costs. Checking in a bag will cost from £80 (S$150), and seat selection starts at £20 ($37).
“Someone traveling for a short meeting or leisure break, who isn’t planning to check in a bag and is happy for us to allocate them a seat, will appreciate the option to secure a lower fare,” said British Airways’ chief commercial officer Adam Daniels to reporters.
Aside from Singapore, the basic fares will be available from London to Austin, Boston, Delhi, Denver, Dubai, Hong Kong, Oakland, Philadelphia, Punta Cana. London to Dubai is the cheapest flight, costing £143 ($268).
Despite accusations of British Airways turning itself into a budget airline, chief executive Alex Cruz insists that they remain a “premium airline”, and that they’re just trying to become more competitive with low-cost rivals.
