KENYA AIRWAYS CUTS BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE FOR ECONOMY CLASS PASSENGERS TO JUST ONE BAG
(Posted 15th May 2018)
(Just one piece of free checked baggage leaves passengers with stark choices as they face ‘Fee instead of free‘)
What started off a year ago with cutting the baggage allowance for economy class passengers on regional flights from two 23 KG bags to just one, has now apparently been extended to all other flights out of Nairobi to African destinations.
Still struggling with balancing the books after years of massive losses has the airline obviously decided to dig the pockets of their economy class passengers and in a cynical statement offers them a 20 percent discount if affected passengers ‘buy‘ a second bag fee in advance.
The company CEO Mikosz reportedly commented that: ‘The new baggage policy is part of Kenya Airways’ strategy to provide simplified and discounted competitive prices‘.
Given that traffic from across Africa accounts for a massive proportion of the airline’s ticket sales will this latest measure no doubt drive passengers to fly with other African airlines such as Ethiopian and RwandAir, which continue to allow their economy class passengers two pieces of checked baggage.
Commented a leading travel agent from Nairobi: ‘They have started to behave like a low cost carrier but their fares remain high. In Europe some airlines have put lower fares on the market which restrict baggage allowances but then you get to fly much cheaper. Here, your allowance is cut and you still fly expensive. This is a strange way to get more African passengers which have choices these days and can opt out of KQ and fly with airlines with the same or better service standards which give them two pieces of checked baggage. In my view is this not a smart move at all‘.
https://atcnews.org/2017/03/24/rwandair-main-beneficiary-of-kenya-airways-cut-in-baggage-allowance/
