Flybe unveils "fair deal" for hand luggage fliers

Flybe passengers without checked-in luggage will save £1 per flight from February 2006, after the no-frills airline introduced its new Fair Deal on Baggage initiative.

The low-cost airline currently levies a £1 charge on all tickets to cover the cost of checked-in luggage.

But in what it calls a "pioneering move", Flybe will cut £1 from the cost of tickets of passengers only carrying hand baggage - thus "undoing an historical inequity".

Those with checked-in luggage will have to carry the tab, however, by paying £2 per item if they book in advance, or £4 if they don't book in advance.

Flybe is quick to point out it won't profit from the move, as the airline currently carries an even proportion of passengers with hold luggage and non-hold luggage.

"For the first time passengers checking bags onto flights will pay for the service they use rather than the cost being unfairly spread across all people on the aircraft," said Flybe's CEO Jim French.

The system will also allow Flybe to accurately predict the volume of baggage to be carried, meaning it can handle flights with the right level of resources.

This will reduce turnaround time and costs, allowing Flybe to slash ticket prices further.

The Fair Deal for Baggage initiative will also see Flybe hoist the hold baggage weight limit to 25 kilos – the highest of any budget airline. The hand baggage limit will also be doubled.

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