BRITISH AIRWAYS has launched an attack on the budget-travel market, cutting fares by as much as half to more than 65 European destinations.
The cuts will mean BA remains more expensive than rivals such as Ryanair and easyJet on many routes, but BA tickets will include food and drink and the carriage of baggage, for which other budget airlines charge extra. “This is not a short-term gimmick, but a long-term commitment,” Martin George, British Airways’ commercial director, said. “There are no hidden extras and air travellers will receive the same excellent standards of service that are the hallmark of British Airways.”
The airline said its one-way fares within Britain and Europe have fallen by an average of 70 per cent in the past 10 years, as European outfits modelled on America’s SouthWest Airline’s no-frills business changed the face of the industry. A spokesman for Europe’s third largest airline said that BA Connect, the new name for CitiExpress, will offer a single class of ticket on all aircraft and one-way fares from as low as 25 pounds sterling throughout the year, and that it would also offer a business and frequent flyer service called BA Connect Plus.
