We are used to the no frills airlines charges us for just about anything that they can come up with but up until now we haven’t faced fees from UK traditional airlines.

Now BA has joined the club.

From October 7^th you will have to pay if you want to specify a window, aisle or emergency exit seat.  Within Europe, the cost will be £10. On long haul or business class (just short haul) the fee would be £20. In business class on long haul flights it will be £60.

Needless to say there has been lots of comment with most being critical.

Will it work is more to the point? Can the consumer get around this? And what does it mean long term?

I have just flown Qantas from Sydney to Singapore and then Singapore to London. They operate a charge for exit row seats and those where there is extra legroom, I was told, by an academic who regularly does the Sydney-Singapore flight.  In my part of the economy cabin (I’m talking about 15 seats that I could see) all were free because people refused to pay. As soon as we were airborne, there was a scramble for those seats. Maybe that is how passengers will get around this but they will have to be nimble. So I have some forlorn hope that maybe it won’t work too well.

Long term, I think airlines over this side of the Atlantic have been waiting for the opportunity for someone to make the first move. BA has done that and I fear many will follow if BA can successfully make us pay.