Baggage rules shake-up

Ayra Wang

HK Express passengers can now only bring one small carry-on item that must fit under the seat without paying an extra fee after the budget airline canceled the arrangement for free cabin baggage.

Cathay Pacific's sister airline divided fares into four tiers from yesterday, with the cheapest - "ultra lite" - allowing passengers to carry one small personal item with a maximum weight of seven kilograms.

It should be no bigger than 40 centimeters by 25cm by 20cm - such as a handbag, laptop bag or a small backpack.

Passengers will be charged around HK$50 more per trip if they bring a suitcase or bag to be placed in the overhead compartment.

Under the "lite" fare category, passengers can bring a carry-on suitcase and a personal item, but they cannot exceed a total of seven kg.

The airline said the new rules allow passengers to make more flexible choices and save "unnecessary" expenses.

It added: "The new options, which offer a variety of affordable fares and higher allowances for checked baggage and standard seat bookings, are designed to meet the needs of those who want to travel light or be well-prepared for the journey.

"Customers can also opt for various ancillary services according to their itinerary and budget, such as additional checked baggage allowance, preselecting seats and preorder meals."

The two pricier options include "essential," which allows passengers to bring one small personal item no heavier than seven kg and one piece of 20kg checked baggage without additional cost.

While "max" allows passengers to bring one check-in bag weighing 32kg, carry a small personal item weighing seven kg, and select seats.

The "essential" and "max" options cost HK$300 and HK$480 more, respectively, than "ultra lite."

The airline said customers who had booked tickets before May 7 can still bring up to one small personal item and one cabin baggage weighing seven kg without extra fee.

Ronald Lam Siu-por, chief executive of Cathay Pacific, said the launch of the new fare categories is to meet passenger expectations and referred to the practices of other budget airlines in Asia.

Lam said some passengers have also asked if HK Express could offer cheaper tickets if they have no cabin bag.

"HK Express is the only low-cost airline in Hong Kong and its vision is to provide the most favorable ticket prices for Hong Kong passengers," he said.

The airline will continue to open new routes to destinations that passengers cannot fly directly to, with details to be bared in the second half, he added.

Lam noted that he is confident Cathay will reach the target of recovering its capacity to prepandemic levels by the first quarter of next year as the company has already reached 80 percent this quarter.

Andrew Yuen Chi-lok, a senior lecturer at Chinese University's aviation policy and research center, said the change would help provide more choices for customers and increase the airline's profit.

Hongkonger Chung said the new arrangement is acceptable, but he will still choose the lowest fares when traveling.

HK Express' competitor Greater Bay Airlines said it will maintain its current baggage measures. Its passengers can bring a personal item and one cabin bag with a maximum weight of seven kg and no longer than 115cm without additional cost.

Japanese low-cost airline Peach Aviation said it will continue to offer free carry-on baggage service to passengers with one personal item and a bag, both weighing a total of seven kg.

ayra.wang@singtaonewscorp.com