by Victoria Pollitt | Apr 2, 2019 | News
British Airways has become the first UK airline to be hailed autism-friendly.
Flying abroad can be hard work for all parents but for the mums and dads of children with autism, the experience is often harder.
So British Airways has been making improvements to help make the travel experience easier for those on the autistic spectrum.
And today the airline has become the first in the UK to be officially recognised as autism-friendly by the National Autistic Society.
The award was revealed on World Autism Awareness Day (April 2).
British Airways has been working closely with a number of specialist charities, including the National Autistic Society and has implemented numerous enhancements.
These include working on a social story to help explain the travel process for customers with autism and other hidden disabilities.
Carolina Martinoli, British Airways’ Director of Brand and Customer Experience, said: “We welcome nearly half a million customers who require special assistance each year and we’ll be prioritising further improvements for these customers throughout our centenary year.
“This includes a new, specialist team in our customer contact centres, accessible information on ba.com and further training for colleagues.
“We also understand that our customers with autism often find new environments stressful and overwhelming and that’s why we’re creating a step-by-step guide of the British Airways journey experience, which I’m looking forward to sharing with customers very soon.”
Tom Purser, National Autistic Society’s Head of Campaigns and Public Engagement, said: “The airline has worked hard to achieve our prestigious Autism Friendly Award, making changes to staff training, the kind of information available to customers and the process of getting on and off a British Airways aircraft.”
Earlier this year, British Airways launched its ‘Beyond Accessibility’ campaign, its biggest ever global accessibility training programme for staff.
The airline also endorses the ‘Sunflower’ hidden disability lanyard, a subtle way for customers to let British Airways customer service agents know they have a hidden disability and may require extra help.
Have you found an airline to be autism-friendly? Or do you have any bad experiences to share? Get in touch below, we’d love to hear from you.
by Stuart | Jul 10, 2018 | Transport
Compare the cost of booking your seat on Ryanair, Easyjet, British Airways, Jet2 and the rest
Let’s be honest – paying to choose your seat is a tax on families.
Business travellers and even couples are not as bothered about sitting together for flight, but when you have young children, you have no choice.
Airlines have to do their best to sit families together but this is not always possible. And there are reports of airlines scattering passengers who haven’t prepaid for seats around the plane to deter them from risking it again.
How much does it cost to choose your seat on an airline?
So what is the cost of booking your seat?
We assessed the cheapest available on a route from Manchester to Spain in June.
| Airline |
Price per person |
| Ryanair |
from £3 |
| EasyJet |
from £4.49 |
| British Airlines |
from £6 |
| Flybe |
from £6.50 |
| Norwegian |
from £7 |
| TUI |
from £8 |
| Jet2 |
from £9 |
| Thomas Cook |
from £13 |
In conclusion
The price is fairly varied with a £10 difference between the cheapest Ryanair and the most expensive Thomas Cook.
It doesn’t sound much but multiply that by four or more seats and double it for the return and you could be looking at £80 extra for your holiday.
Don’t forget there are special deals for families on some airlines and offers to buy a deal including luggage, seat and meal which can be better value.
The most comprehensive chart on airlines is this one from the Civil Aviation Authority.
by Stuart | Jul 9, 2018 | Transport
Check the prices of hold luggage from Ryanair, EasyJet, British Airways, Jet2 and the rest
Hold luggage is the most expensive hidden cost on a low air fare ticket.
Unlike business travellers and couples, most families need to take at least one suitcase in the hold to carry all the extra bits and pieces children need.
So we decided to test all the major airlines to find out the true cost of a suitcase.
Our search assumed one 20kg or nearest equivalent bag on a short haul flight to Spain or equivalent distance travelling in June.
Is Ryanair among the cheapest?
The results
| Airline |
Bag weight |
Price |
Cost per kg |
| Ryanair |
20kg |
£25 |
£1.25 |
| Flybe |
23kg |
£24 |
£1.04 |
| Jet2 |
22kg |
£26 |
£1.18 |
| EasyJet |
23kg |
£24.61 |
£1.07 |
| British Airways |
20kg |
£30 |
£1.50 |
| Norwegian |
20kg |
£20 |
£1 |
| Thomas Cook |
23kg |
£20 |
£0.86 |
| TUI |
20kg |
£22 |
£1.10 |
In conclusion
Our winner was Thomas Cook, followed by Norwegian.
What our sample shows is the airlines have clearly come to a view of a rough price they can get away with for luggage.
They aren’t really competing on this cost, unlike the headline fare price.
The luggage price per kilo is fairly similar with the overall price ranging from £19 to £26.
Some of the airlines offer deals for families and cheaper luggage for children, for example, so always do your own check.
There are special deals for buying luggage, seats and meals which could reduce the overall cos too.
See our hand luggage comparison guide here.
*The most comprehensive chart on airlines is this one from the Civil Aviation Authority.
by Stuart | Mar 29, 2018 | Transport
Read our results to find out which airline offers the best carry-on luggage allowance.
It is a minefield – is your hand luggage bag too big, too heavy or the wrong shape?
In our experience, hand luggage bags are rarely checked or weighed but we have been caught out before so get it right before you leave home.
Here is our guide to major European budget airlines hand luggage limits.
Our hand luggage comparison guide
| Airline |
Maximum size |
Maximum weight |
| Ryanair* |
35x20x20cm |
10kg |
| Flybe |
55x35x20 |
10kg |
| Vueling Airlines |
55x40x20, plus smaller handbag |
10kg |
| Wizz Air |
42x32x25 |
10kg |
| Jet2 |
56x45x25 |
10kg |
| EasyJet |
56x45x25 |
No weight limit |
| British Airways |
56x45x25 and a laptop bag/handbag |
23kg |
| Norwegian |
55x40x23 |
10kg |
| Thomas Cook |
55x40x20 |
6kg |
| TUI |
55x40x20 |
5kg |
*If you want a bigger bag you pay £5 each way to guarantee priority boarding to bring it on the plane or put it in case in the hold for free.
In conclusion
The best overall winner for size and weight is Easyjet.
Easyjet is the winner in this category
But any airline allowing a bigger bag and 10kg limit should be fine – it can be very difficult to hit 5 or 6kg limits on baggage as often the cases themselves weigh 2 or 3kgs.
The most comprehensive chart on airlines is this one from the Civil Aviation Authority.
See our hold luggage comparison guide here.
