5/20/2008 New Luggage Price Structure
COLOGNE/BONN – Germanwings it to adopt a new price system for luggage to increase fairness in its pricing structure. The budget airline continues to rigorously pursue its cost saving policies by charging passengers only for services they actually use.
According to the new price system travellers with hand luggage will still be flying at prices starting from 19 euros including taxes, fees and charges. Those checking in heavy luggage will pay a surcharge of five euros for every item of luggage, this charge will go towards the airline’s rising fuel costs. Registration of each piece of luggage online, at a call centre or travel agent is free, however registration at the airport will cost ten euros per item. As a countermove Germanwings will be raising its excess luggage allowance from the present 20 to 23 kilograms per passenger.
With its new price structure for luggage Germanwings is adopting the European standard for budget airlines: the core product is the flight and extras such as food, drink or luggage are charged separately. Thus each passenger will pay only for the services actually used.
The luggage surcharge is also an attempt by Germanwings to reduce the overall weight of its aircraft in the face of record oil prices. Every additional suitcase on board increases the weight of the aircraft which raises fuel consumption. Passengers travelling only with hand luggage will pay the same as before.
Families and holidaymakers will benefit from these new regulations since Germanwings will be charging for excess luggage at the rate of seven euros per kilogram on bags weighing more than 23 kilograms.
The regulations in detail: for flights booked on 19 May 2008 or later, a surcharge of five euros will be made for each item of luggage checked-in if the booking is made on the Internet, at a call centre or at a travel agency. Registration at the airport will cost ten euros per item of luggage. The charge for excess luggage remains seven euros per kilogram. In future this amount will be charged only when luggage weighs more than 23 kilograms, previously 20 kilograms of free luggage were allowed. The total maximum of 50 kilograms of luggage per passenger remains unchanged.
The new regulations do not apply to flights booked before 19 May 2008, even if bookings are changed after the cut-off date.
