Hong Kong Express, a budget airline under Cathay Pacific Airways, has announced a new baggage policy effective immediately. The airline unveiled on Facebook yesterday morning that they will be offering four tiers of ticket prices instead of two. The lowest tier, called “FlyLite,” allows passengers to carry only one piece of carry-on luggage weighing up to 7 kilograms.
According to HK Express, the ticket prices will now be categorized into “FlyLite,” “Economy Fly,” “Flexi Fly,” and “Super Fly,” effective immediately. Passengers under the “FlyLite” tier can only bring one piece of carry-on luggage weighing up to 7 kilograms, and the carry-on item must be able to fit under the seat in front, not in the overhead bin.
Under “Economy Fly,” passengers can bring one personal item plus one piece of carry-on luggage, with a combined weight limit of 7 kilograms. “Flexi Fly” allows one carry-on item weighing up to 7 kilograms and one checked baggage weighing 20 kilograms. Lastly, “Super Fly” permits one personal item plus one carry-on luggage, not exceeding 7 kilograms combined, and one checked baggage weighing 32 kilograms.
For example, for a flight to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport in June, passengers wanting to bring carry-on luggage need to upgrade to “Economy Fly” for an additional 50 Hong Kong dollars. To carry an additional piece of carry-on luggage and 20 kilograms of checked baggage, purchasing the “Flexi Fly” option will incur an additional 300 Hong Kong dollars over the “FlyLite” option. Opting for the most expensive “Super Fly” package, including 32 kilograms of checked baggage, one piece of carry-on luggage, and one personal item, will cost 628 Hong Kong dollars, which is 480 Hong Kong dollars more expensive than the “FlyLite” option. The price difference between the highest and lowest tiers is more than triple.
HK Express stated that the different plans allow passengers to make flexible choices according to their travel needs and help save unnecessary expenses. Passengers who made bookings on or before May 7 can still bring one personal item and one carry-on luggage weighing up to 7 kilograms.
At the shareholders’ meeting this morning, Cathay Pacific’s CEO, Lin Shaobo, also addressed the issue. He mentioned that HK Express belongs to the low-cost airline category, and the measures are in response to customers’ expectations on ticket prices when not checking baggage. He further stated that with supply and demand gradually normalizing, ticket prices have been decreasing, and he expects ticket prices to continue normalizing and trend downward throughout this year.