Thomas Cook Airlines is launching 'Economy Light' fares on its long-haul routes, promising they will be the 'lowest and most competitively priced' available.

The new fares will be available on Thomas Cook Airlines in the UK and Condor in Germany and go on sale on November 1.

In addition, it is adding a flexible option, Economy Flex, to its regular economy tickets, which turns a on-refundable fare into a flexible ticket.

Economy Light fares include a 6kg cabin bag and a personal item such as a handbag, but not hold baggage. The Economy Light option is available for online check-in only.

However, the on-board experience remains the same as regular economy and people can add extras such as signature James Martin meals and inflight entertainment.

A typical Economy Light Manchester-New York flight would start from £299.99 return, compared to £359.99 return in economy.

Commercial director Henry Sunley said: "We wanted to ensure that we provide fares that support the different needs of our customers, which can differ from trip to trip.

"Economy Light offers an option for those customers who want fewer amenities for their journey but want to benefit from fantastic cost savings.

"They are the first fares that we have introduced on a pan-European scale across Thomas Cook Group Airline for our seat-only business."

Thomas Cook Airlines is also introducing an Economy Flex option to its economy fares for customers who want more flexibility with their booking.

Adding Flex turns a non-refundable fare into a flexible ticket that allows cancellations and removes penalties and charges for date and route changes.

Sunley added, "Economy Flex fares have been available with Condor for a number of years and are a great option for business and leisure travellers alike. We believe that our UK customers will welcome the chance to add extra flexibility to their trip if they wish to.

"With Economy Light and the option to add flexibility with Economy Flex, we are providing more choice than ever for our customers."

Courtesy of Travelmole