British Airways launches flights for £29

British Airways is launching cheap flights to a range of European destinations starting at just £29 one-way.

The move – a bid to compete with low-cost airlines like Ryanair and Easyjet – means that its one-way fares are up to 86 per cent cheaper than ten years ago.

In 1996 one-way flights to Naples in Italy and Nice in France would have cost £286 and £237 respectively, but flights to both cities now start at just £39.

Manchester and Bordeaux are among the destinations where flights start at just £29, while flights to Amsterdam start at £32.

Unlike some of their low-cost rivals, BA's tickets will include an in-flight meal and they will not charge for checked-in luggage.

The tickets will also be changeable up to the night before the flight, for an administration charge of £30.

"This is not a short-term gimmick, but a long-term commitment to our millions of customers to offer irresistible low fares every day of the year," said BA commercial director Martin George.

"There are no hidden extras and air travellers will receive the same excellent standards of service that are the hallmark of British Airways."

Other benefits include free carriage of golf clubs and skis, free use of debit cards when paying for flights and free seating allocation.

The announcement comes only days after BA increased its fuel surcharge on long-haul flights from £30 to £35.

The move drew criticism from Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary, who said: "Over the past two years as oil prices have doubled from $35 to $70 a barrel, British Airways’ fuel surcharges have increased fourteen-fold from £2.50 per sector to £35 per sector. This is price gouging of consumers."

The fuel surcharge applies to tickets issued from today. XXX