'Now BA follows rival Virgin'

15 October 2008 12:09pm

British Airways joined rival carrier Virgin Atlantic in reducing passenger fuel surcharges.

Virgin announced it was cutting charges for its economy and premium economy passengers.

BA said it was reducing surcharges for its economy class (world traveller) and premium economy (world traveller plus) passengers on long-haul flights.

The economy-class changes will mean that the surcharge for long-haul flights of more than nine hours will drop by £13 per flight from £109 to £96.

The economy-class surcharge for long-haul flights of less than nine hours will drop by £10, from £78 per flight to £68.

For premium economy passengers on long-haul flights under nine hours the charge comes down from £88 to £83, while for flights of more than nine hours it is reduced from £121 to £114.50.

Charges for BA's business-class and first-class passengers remain the same - at £98 per flights on long-haul flights of less than nine hours and at £133 for flights of more than nine hours.

For Virgin Atlantic travellers, surcharges for economy passengers on the airline's shorter sector routes will come down from £78 to £68, while economy longer-route charges will dip from £109 to £96.

Premium economy charges on shorter routes dip £5 to £83 and come down £6.50 to £114.50 on longer routes.

Charges to upper class passengers stay the same - £98 for shorter routes and £133 for long ones.

© The Press Association