Bag the top long-haul bargain

Everyone’s offering super- cheap flights this year, but who is the best? Fred Mawer investigates...

FLI GHTS t o many l ong- haul destinat i ons with British Airways and Virgin are now available at significantly lower fares. The airlines have i nt r o duced t i c ket s t hat exclude checked-in bags – on most routes, return fares are £60 cheaper than standard economy.

With BA, these lower Basic fares are initially on offer on flights to Austin, Boston, Denver, Oakland and Philadelphia in the US; and the Dominican Republic, Dubai, Delhi, Hong Kong and Singapore. Key destinations with Virgin’s new Economy Light fares include New York, Los Angeles and Hong Kong.

Travelling further afield often means you’ll be away longer so you’ll need more than just a carryon bag. But one person in your party could travel with hand luggage on the cheaper fare, while another could check in a bag.

That said, if choosing different fare types, annoyingly you need to make separate bookings – once done, ask the airline to link them.

The other key thing to note with these new, reduced fares is seat selection. Under BA’s Basic fare, seats are allocated by the airline (unless you’re an Executive Club member). With Virgin’s Economy Light fare, you can select a seat at check- in ( online from 24 hours before departure). By then, options may be limited.

BA and Virgin have started offering these pared-down fares to compete with rivals such as Norwegian. Other low- cost players include Icelandic airline WOW Air (all of its transatlantic flights go via Reykjavik), and newcomer Primera Air, which has started selling flights from Stansted and Birmingham to some US and Canadian cities.

So shop around. As well as comparing headline prices, check carefully what’s included in airlines’ cheapest fares. As the chart above shows, there are big differences. For example, BA’s hand-baggage allowance is the most generous, and BA and Virgin fares include meals and drinks, unlike the other airlines. Note too that not all offer in-flight entertainment.

So while BA and Virgin may not be the cheapest – as the sample fares to Boston show – you may still think they are preferable.

Finally, consider charter airlines for affordable long-haul flights. I flew to New York last summer with Thomas Cook Airlines from Manchester, as it offered the cheapest flights on the dates I wanted. The airline has seven US destinations this summer, i ncluding a new Seattle service from Manchester.