BA says cheaper tickets now for sale on some long-haul routes

British Airways said cheaper fares were now for sale on certain long-haul routes, launching its new "basic" ticket price in a bid to compete with low-cost carriers on trans-Atlantic routes. BA said Wednesday that a "basic" one-way fare, a ticket which excludes a check-in bag and does not allow customers to select their seat, would cost from GBP175 between London and Boston in the US. That compares to low cost carrier Norwegian's GBP145 cheapest available fare according to its website on that same route. BA is launching the fare in conjunction with its trans-Atlantic joint business partner airlines, American Airlines, Finnair and Iberia, in a move designed to counter rising competition. BA said that the new basic fare would also be available on flights to Oakland, Denver and Philadelphia in the US, as well as some other global destinations, but not yet on tickets between London and New York.<br/>