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We can be a bit hard on the national carrier sometimes here at InsideFlyer UK, though we like to think we are a ‘firm but fair’ bunch really, and the new British Airways Kids Fly Free promotion deserves some credit.

If you book between now and 1st October 2017 for flights between 1st June – 31st October 2017, up to 2 children (aged 12 or under) can fly free in Economy to/from the following airports when travelling with a paying adult:

• London Heathrow (LHR)
• Leeds Bradford (LBA)
• Newcastle (NCL)
• Inverness (INV)
• Edinburgh (EDI)
• Belfast (BHD)
• Billund, Denmark (BLL)

Hand Baggage Only fares are eligible.

Note that blackout periods apply for the Inverness (INV) route: 1 July – 5 September 2017 and 1 – 15 October 2017; and for the Edinburgh (EDI) route: 24 June -30 July 2017 and 13-23 October 2017.

What are the savings like?

Really good!

What I mean is that when BA says that “kids fly free” they actually mean it:

£87.57 for 1 adult and 2 children for Return flights from Leeds to London for a Summer weekend is excellent value. It works out at an average of just £14.60 each per flight!

Now, before we all start getting too misty-eyed with BA, I did notice one odd quirk.  The promotion terms state that children “aged 12 and under” fly free, but the BA website defines Children as being aged 11 and under, with 12-16 year olds being classed as “Young Adults”.

This means that 12-year-olds don’t actually fly free as far as I can tell – but when I searched for 1 Adult and 1 Young Adult this is what I saw:

The Young Adult is only paying the base fare of £23 Return! This is particularly odd because I wasn’t asked to put an age in, so looks like it may apply not just to 12-year-olds but teenagers up to 16 too – unless the site reprices when you put the passenger info in maybe?

It even works when travelling with 2 (free) children too!

Conclusion

The British Airways Kids Fly Free promotion is great for families and could actually save you a fair bit of money between now and the end of October.

Remember that Kids travel for free with an adult on the Heathrow Express, and can eat for free at many Heathrow restaurants as well!

British Airways Kids Fly Free Terms

1. Kids can eat FREE at Huxleys and other selected restaurants at London Heathrow, Terminal 5. Full terms and conditions apply.
2. Kids eat free Giraffe offer valid for British Airways customers only travelling on the selected ‘Kids Fly Free’ routes. Customers must present their boarding pass on the day to identify their destination and eligibility for the offer during the promotional period of 1 June to 31 October 2017. One free children’s meal with each main course purchased, valued at £9 or over. Maximum of four free children’s meals per party. Each child needs to be accompanied by an adult spending £9 each or more on a main meal. Valid for children 10 years and under. Not valid on takeaway. Not valid in conjunction with any other offer. Subject to availability, no substitute available or cash alternative. Management reserve the right to amend offer at any time.
3. Kids stay free at participating Hilton Hotels. Full terms and conditions apply. 4.This Promotion is only open to Eligible Participants. An Eligible Participant is a resident in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland or Denmark, aged over 18, who books a Qualifying Flight, (see definition below) for a maximum of 2 children aged 12 and under and themselves or other adults who also travel on that flight. BA reserves the right to verify the eligibility of Eligible Participants. By taking part in this Promotion, Eligible Participants confirm that they accept the terms and conditions set out below.
5. On Qualifying Flights booked in accordance with these Terms and Conditions, the children aged 12 and under shall travel for free. British Airways reserves the right to refuse travel, charge an additional fee or cancel the entire booking if this offer is abused and the child(ren) do not travel on the same booking as the adult. For the purposes of this paragraph, the offer is abused when it is booked with no intention that the child or children named in the booking shall travel on the flight.
6. For safety reasons, the offer is valid for a maximum of 2 children per adult.
7. Prices include all taxes, fees and carrier charges, correct as of 1 May 2017.
8. The Promotion, and Qualifying Flight applies to direct, one way or return flights in economy between the following airports:

a. London Heathrow (LHR)
b. Leeds Bradford (LBA)
c. Newcastle (NCL)
d. Inverness (INV)
e. Edinburgh (EDI)
f. Belfast (BHD)
g. Billund, Denmark (BLL)

9. Flights must be booked between 12:00 10 May 2017 and 23:59 1 October 2017 and travel must be taken between 1 June 2017 and 31 October 2017, for flights between the above listed airports in the economy cabin.
10. There are no minimum or maximum stay periods, however, the following blackout periods apply for the Inverness (INV) route: 1 July – 5 September 2017 and 1 – 15 October 2017; and for the Edinburgh (EDI) route: 24 June -30 July 2017 and 13-23 October 2017, where, for commercial reasons, this offer will not be available.
11. The Promotion applies only to flights on the routes specified above that are operated by BA from and to London Heathrow. The Promotion does not apply to travel on any other BA franchisee or alliance airline, or any flight operated by a codeshare partner.
12. This offer is not available when the routes mentioned in section 5 are booked as part of a connecting flight, except in the case of connecting flights to/from Billund (BLL) from/to the UK destinations Leeds Bradford (LBA), Newcastle (NCL), Inverness (INV), Edinburgh (EDI), Belfast (BHD).
13. Promotional travel must be booked, ticketed, started and finished in the UK, Ireland or Denmark.
14. The Promotion does not apply to group bookings (10 or more passengers in one booking).
15. Payment must be made in full at the time of booking. If booking direct with BA via telephone on 0844 493 0787 (option 2) or online at www.ba.com, payment by cheque will not be accepted.  Bookings made over the telephone will carry a non-refundable £10 offline booking fee per person (including children) per ticket from the UK and 250 DKK (Danish Krone) for offline bookings made from Denmark. Calls cost 7p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge from the UK. Calls from mobiles may vary.
16. Please note that some credit card issuers will not permit payment for air travel from the UK to be paid for on credit cards that they have issued if the billing address is outside the UK.   BA does not accept responsibility for the refusal of any card issuer to allow use of its cards for payment. Prices are based on debit card payments.  BA applies a charge for other payment methods, including credit cards and Paypal.
17. No cash or credit alternative is available. This Promotion has no cash value.
18. This promotion cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer, promotion, or deal, including but not limited to: (i) redemption bookings; (ii) travel agent or industry discount fares (including but not limited to agency, industry and employee discounts), inclusive holidays, group discount fares, children/infant fares, or senior citizen fares, whether or not booked in the qualifying classes; (iii) bookings made with vouchers (eg shareholder’s discount vouchers); (iv) upgrades or (v) Part-payments using Avios
19. All travel on BA flights is subject to BA’s General Conditions of Carriage for Passengers and Baggage (see ba.com) and the notice and conditions of contract contained on each ticket and itinerary.
20. Promotional materials form part of these terms and conditions. These terms and conditions, found on www.ba.com/kids-fly-free, shall prevail if there is any conflict between these and the promotional materials.
21. BA reserves the right to cancel or amend without notice the terms of this promotion and any tickets or vouchers issued free or at promotional prices in the event of major catastrophe, war, civil or military disturbance, strike, earthquake or any actual anticipated or alleged breach of any applicable law or regulation or any other circumstances beyond the reasonable control of BA.
22. British Airways is not liable for the reproduction of this offer or indirect access via third party websites of these terms and where such reproduction misstates or omits any of the information or terms and conditions connected with this promotion.
23. This promotion, and any non contractual obligations arising out of or in connection with it, is governed by English law and is subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts.
24. Promoter is British Airways Plc (“BA”), Waterside, PO Box 365, Harmondsworth, UB7 0GB. Registered No. 1777777 England.