ExclusiveHong Kong’s Cathay Pacific to cut baggage allowance for cheapest fares, while boosting it substantially for others

Sources say changes are a bid to get passengers to shell out more, including for more flexible economy tickets, rather than simply opting for cheapest fare

While changes may prove unpopular in certain quarters, they will position Cathay favourably compared to some global rivals

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Cathay plans to change its baggage allowance scheme, cutting weight for its cheapest tickets and boosting it for others. Photo: Felix Wong

Published: 2:23pm, 9 Aug 2021Updated: 11:36pm, 9 Aug 2021

Cathay Pacific is planning to cut the checked baggage allowance for its cheapest economy tickets from 30kg to 23kg, while all other cabin classes will be getting substantial luggage weight upgrades, the Post has learned.

Sources said the changes were formulated in an effort to convince passengers to shell out more, including for economy tickets offering greater flexibility, rather than instinctively opting for the cheapest fare – a move that may prove unpopular in some quarters.

However, the changes will also position Cathay favourably compared to some global rivals – such as Singapore Airlines and Emirates – by offering a more generous baggage allowance for almost all fliers.

Currently, economy, premium economy, business and first class tickets come with baggage allowances of 30kg, 35kg, 40kg and 50kg, respectively. Economy class is further broken down into three types of fares: “save”, “core” and “flex”, all of which enjoy the 30kg baggage allowance. While the latter two tickets are more expensive – with flex fares sometimes more than twice as much as save ones – they also offer travellers more flexibility.

Under the changes, Cathay will rebrand the three economy fares “light”, “essential” and “flex”. The baggage allowance for light fares will be cut by more than a fifth, to 23kg, while essential and flex tickets will get two bags weighing 23kg each, for a total of 46kg – a more than 50 per cent increase.

The baggage allowance for premium economy, meanwhile, will increase by nearly a third, to 46kg, while business and first class passengers will be allowed to check bags weighing up to 64kg – up 60 per cent and 28 per cent, respectively.

The changes are likely to ruffle feathers among customers conditioned to choose the cheapest fares, but will position Cathay favourably compared to some rivals. Photo: Winson Wong

Cathay has not yet set a formal date for when the changes will take effect, but the shake-up will impact most flights worldwide, with only New Zealand and the Americas, which operate on a different baggage allowance system, to be excluded.