BA flights with hold bag cheapest via ba.com?

michaels

SO if I search direct flights to Kingston Jamaica the only option is BA.  The search engines give other travel agents (trip, expedia, skyscanner etc) with lower prices, about 5-10% than BA but this is only for no hold bags.  They then allow hold bags to be added for £100 per bag each way, £200 total.  On the BA website you can add bags for £30 each way.  Once you add a bag the BA website price is obviously way cheaper.

Is there no way to book through an agent and get a cheap price that includes a hold bag?

JGB1955

I would avoid booking via a third party agent at all costs.  Booking direct seems like a no-brainer.

daveyjp

The agents advertise 'cheap' headline prices to get you to book through them.  Now airlines offer 'menu' pricing initial prices can appear very cheap.

Add in hold bags, cabin bags, seats selection costs, flexibility and prices can jump.  Its over charging for these extras where the online agents make money.  Avoid agents and just use the airline website.

Caz3121

michaels said:

On the BA website you can add bags for £30 each way.  Once you add a bag the BA website price is obviously way cheaper.

If you book a Hand luggage only fare the baggage shows as £80 for first checked bag booked online or £95 at the airport - this would be for each way...if you book these through an agent they will want their fee on top hence the £20 difference
The £30 appears to be the cost difference between buying a fare that includes baggage
It is usual for the fare including baggage to be less than one without plus additional baggage fee...random date search in February and £100 cheaper to buy the fare than includes baggage
I would also avoid third parties and book direct with BA

bagand96

Try looking at BA Holidays too. These can work out very good value by adding a hotel or a car hire to your flight. 

Holidays include hold baggage and with making it a BA Holiday you only have to pay a deposit with the balance due 7 weeks before travel.

michaels

Caz3121 said:

michaels said:

On the BA website you can add bags for £30 each way.  Once you add a bag the BA website price is obviously way cheaper.

If you book a Hand luggage only fare the baggage shows as £80 for first checked bag booked online or £95 at the airport - this would be for each way...if you book these through an agent they will want their fee on top hence the £20 difference
The £30 appears to be the cost difference between buying a fare that includes baggage
It is usual for the fare including baggage to be less than one without plus additional baggage fee...random date search in February and £100 cheaper to buy the fare than includes baggage
I would also avoid third parties and book direct with BA

But why is it not possible to book a with bags fare anywhere but ba.com and so be forced to buy a bag separately? This is long haul where I suspect most do take a bag so it seems odd that the other ticket sellers are unable to sell a sensibly priced option. It must reduce competition and lead to higher prices?

Caz3121

Expedia do give you an option of Economy Basic and Economy Standard (including baggage)
random search 20th-27th February
Economy Basic - BA £996.58 Expedia £969
Economy Standard - BA £1056.58 Expedia £1027

Many other third party ticket sellers choose to advertise the cheapest fare attracting those that are searching for the cheapest price...as you have discovered the cheapest fare plus additional baggage charges is usually more than purchasing the fare that includes baggage

born_again

michaels said:

Caz3121 said:

michaels said:

On the BA website you can add bags for £30 each way.  Once you add a bag the BA website price is obviously way cheaper.

If you book a Hand luggage only fare the baggage shows as £80 for first checked bag booked online or £95 at the airport - this would be for each way...if you book these through an agent they will want their fee on top hence the £20 difference
The £30 appears to be the cost difference between buying a fare that includes baggage
It is usual for the fare including baggage to be less than one without plus additional baggage fee...random date search in February and £100 cheaper to buy the fare than includes baggage
I would also avoid third parties and book direct with BA

But why is it not possible to book a with bags fare anywhere but ba.com and so be forced to buy a bag separately? This is long haul where I suspect most do take a bag so it seems odd that the other ticket sellers are unable to sell a sensibly priced option. It must reduce competition and lead to higher prices?

CLICK BAIT

No bags is the bait to get people to click on their site. They then load the extra's so people may spend more than booking direct. 
Booking direct is better if any problems as you are dealing direct with air line, rather than a 3rd party, who may well be using another company to book flights with airline.

michaels

Caz3121 said:

Expedia do give you an option of Economy Basic and Economy Standard (including baggage)
random search 20th-27th February
Economy Basic - BA £996.58 Expedia £969
Economy Standard - BA £1056.58 Expedia £1027

Many other third party ticket sellers choose to advertise the cheapest fare attracting those that are searching for the cheapest price...as you have discovered the cheapest fare plus additional baggage charges is usually more than purchasing the fare that includes baggage

Thanks, will take a look. I normally start with Google flights and then I already seem to be taken down a path where I can only add bags at an exhorbitant price. Will try starting on the individual sites. The reason for wanting to go via this route is to get cashback.

Alan_Bowen

You should look for specialist agents, not the mainstream ones. For Kingston, there are three in London, Newmont Travel, Sackville Travel and Club Caribbee. .Airlines tend to offer special fares to agents who sell large numbers of tickets to a limited area, and can usually beat the likes of Expedia

eskbanker

michaels said:

Caz3121 said:

Expedia do give you an option of Economy Basic and Economy Standard (including baggage)
random search 20th-27th February
Economy Basic - BA £996.58 Expedia £969
Economy Standard - BA £1056.58 Expedia £1027

Many other third party ticket sellers choose to advertise the cheapest fare attracting those that are searching for the cheapest price...as you have discovered the cheapest fare plus additional baggage charges is usually more than purchasing the fare that includes baggage

Thanks, will take a look. I normally start with Google flights and then I already seem to be taken down a path where I can only add bags at an exhorbitant price. Will try starting on the individual sites. The reason for wanting to go via this route is to get cashback.

If you're motivated by cashback then presumably that should just be fed into the overall financial evaluation of which fully-loaded option is most cost-effective, rather than being a prerequisite as such?