Cathay Pacific to introduce new fare structure with revised checked baggage allowances

Hong Kong-based carrier Cathay Pacific is set to roll out changes to its fare structure, including the rebranding of select fare buckets and the introduction of new baggage allowances across all cabin classes.

Under the new fare structure, Economy Save — Cathay Pacific’s cheapest option — will be rebranded as “Economy Light” and will see its checked baggage allowance decreased from 30kg to one bag weighing 23kg.

The next cheapest option, Economy Core, will become known as “Economy Essential”, while its checked baggage allowance will be increased from 30kg to 46kg, or two bags weighing 23kg each. Economy Flex, the most expensive economy class ticket type, will also see its checked baggage allowance increased to 46kg, but will retain its current branding.

Premium economy class passengers, meanwhile, will soon see an increased checked baggage allowance of 46kg (up from 35kg), while First and Business Class passengers will be allowed to check bags weighing up to 64kg, up from 50kg and 40kg, respectively.

Sources claim that the new fare structure is intended to get passengers to shell out more money, rather than instinctively choosing the cheapest fare.

Cathay Pacific has yet to formally announce the new fare structure, though an email had already been sent to travel agents across Hong Kong. 

According to a report by the South China Morning Post (SCMP), these changes are expected to impact most Cathay Pacific flights except for those to and from the Americas and New Zealand as they operate on a different baggage allowance system. It is also still unclear how these changes will affect Marco Polo Club Silver and Gold members, who enjoy a more generous checked baggage allowance as part of their benefits.

Cathay Pacific confirmed its plans to revamp its fare structure and baggage allowance rules on Monday.

“We are reviewing our economy class fare structure and all the fare attributes to provide more choices for customers in accordance with their needs, and baggage allowance is one of them. The change is planned to be rolled out progressively in different markets and more details will be shared in due course,” said a company spokesperson.