Cathay Pacific's HK Express charges cheapest-fare fliers extra for carry-on suitcase

By Minh Hieu May 8, 2024 | 04:40 pm PT

HK Express, the budget airline of Cathay Pacific, will charge passengers extra if they want to travel with a carry-on suitcase, a feature no longer available for those flying on the cheapest fares.

Under a new baggage policy effective from Wednesday, the airline expanded its fare categories from two to four. Passengers choosing the cheapest "Ultra Lite" option are only allowed one small personal item weighing less than 7 kilograms, according to Hong Kong newspaper The Standard, citing HK Express' announcement.

The item must fit under the seat in front and adhere to size limits of 40cm in length, 25cm in width, and 20cm in height.

The option to bring a carry-on suitcase and one small personal item with a combined weight under 7 kilograms will be available to the other three categories: "Lite," "Essential," and "Max."

Lite fliers must pay extra for checked baggage, whereas Essential and Max tickets come with checked baggage allowances of 20 and 32 kilograms, respectively.

Customers who booked their tickets on or before Tuesday can still qualify for previous allowance of one small item and one piece of cabin baggage with a maximum weight of 7 kilograms.

HK Express introduced these fare categories to cater to customer demand for more budget-friendly flights without checked baggage, the South China Morning Post reported Cathay Pacific CEO Ronald Lam Siu-por as saying.

The airline is currently operating at 80% of its pre-pandemic capacity, aiming to return to 100% in the first quarter of 2025.