DIEGEM, BELGIUM — Brussels Airlines is the latest airline to offer a barebones Economy fare designed for budget-conscious travellers.

Dubbed ‘Economy Light’, the new fare is now available on its North American destinations (Toronto, New York, Washington D.C.) together with Austrian, Lufthansa and Swiss as well as with it’s A++ joint venture partners Air Canada and United.

Ideal for those who are travelling with hand luggage only and do not require ticket flexibility, Economy Light is a “further development of our efforts to offer individualized solutions to cater to the needs of our different types of guests,” said Dirk Janzen, VP Pricing & Revenue Management, Distribution and Commercial Steering.

Janzen also noted that the new fare was a “logical step” after having introduced a similar hand luggage-only fare on its European routes in 2014. “From now on, guests on our North American destinations will be able to only pay for the product they actually use.”

Economy Light passengers have the option to individually book a piece of luggage or reserving a particular seat against a fee, and to personalize their experience by adding services that best meet their needs, said the airline.

Meals and drinks remain free of charge for all passengers onboard. Economy Light fares start at €383 for a return flight to New York JFK.

Brussels Airlines’ move is in line with several other airlines that have launched basic no-frills fares within the past couple of years, including British Airways, Air France KLM, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United. Most recently, WestJet introduced its Econo (Lowest) fare in February 2018 following Air Canada’s similar Economy Basic fare just a week prior.