Eurowings eases hand baggage rules in BASIC fare

Like other airlines, Eurowings adapts the hand baggage rules in its BASIC entry-level fare to the international industry standard. For flight bookings from August 31, 2021, passengers with BASIC fare can take one small piece of carry-on baggage on board.  This corresponds, for example, to a laptop bag, a medium-sized handbag, or a business backpack. The dimensions of this piece of baggage for personal necessities on board will in future be significantly larger than before: instead of the previously permitted 40x30x10 cm, the extended dimensions for this are now 40x30x25 cm. Larger hand baggage, such as trolleys, will no longer be automatically included in the BASIC fare. Of course, guests in the BASIC fare can book additional services flexibly and reasonably in addition to their flight – for example, a larger piece of hand baggage weighing up to 8kg (starting at just 10 euros), such as a trolley measuring 55x40x23 cm.

In addition, Eurowings responds to the wish of many passengers for more flexibility and will also offer BASIC fare customers the option of a smaller check-in bag of up to 12 kg at the end of this year. Passengers will then be able to add this to their flight flexibly from ten euros – for example, if they are only travelling for a short period of time.

SMART and BIZclass fares remain unchanged

With this adjustment, Eurowings differentiates the BASIC entry-level fare from the SMART and BIZclass fares. In the future, Eurowings guests will only pay for those service components they explicitly want and will thus be able to fly at maximum attractive conditions. Existing bookings are not affected by the new hand baggage rule.

Passengers who choose to add a second large piece of carry-on baggage will also benefit from “priority boarding,” which means they can board the aircraft as one of the first guests – guaranteeing quick and easy stowage of baggage.

Less congestion at the hand baggage compartments

The adjustment in the BASIC fare is also expected to result in less congestion at the hand baggage compartments, enabling faster boarding and deboarding. Surveys show that carry-on baggage is still one of the main drivers of delays, for example when trolleys must be subsequently loaded into the hold after boarding due to overcrowded overhead bins. The redesigned BASIC fare with reduced hand baggage makes a decisive contribution to further speeding up the processes onboard. Eurowings is one of the most punctual and reliable airlines in Europe – in June 2021, for example, the airline delivered passengers to their destinations on time on 93 percent of its flights.

The BASIC fare at Eurowings

The BASIC fare is the cheapest “entry-level” fare at Eurowings, to which passengers can flexibly book additional services at low cost according to their individual needs. In addition to the BASIC fare, customers can also choose between the SMART and BIZclass fares, which remain unchanged. These “all-round carefree” fares are specifically tailored to personal customer needs thanks to their comprehensive components and offer the greatest possible flexibility: the SMART fare, for example, already includes numerous included services – such as a preferred seat, priority boarding and two pieces of hand baggage on board.

30.07.2021