What should have happened? [Prepaid WT exit row seats not available on board]
Mar 29, 2015, 4:17 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 451
What should have happened? [Prepaid WT exit row seats not available on board]
Just heard an interesting story from a mate who flew back last night on BA 102 (YYC > LHR).
He, along with his wife paid extra at T-24 for emergency exit seats in WT. They arrived on-board to find the seats they had booked were in fact 1 row behind the exit row (i.e. normal seats). They asked to see the CSD who first of all accused them of booking the wrong seats...this was quickly put to rest by my friend showing him the receipt for the reserved exit seat. CSD then said he was sorry, but there was nothing he could do as the flight was full. Neither of them have any status with BA.
30mins after take off, a couple in the row behind my friend were both moved to WT+ when it turned out that one of the seats was broken and would not recline. My mate asked to see the CSD to find out what was going on. The CSD said if someone's seat is actually broken, they can exercise some discretion....he was quizzed on the sudden availability of seats up in WT+ when he had earlier said the flight was fully booked, but just brushed it off.
The cabin staff member (not CSD) who was looking after my friends later in the flight apologised profusely and said that in days gone by they would have been moved immediately.
What should have happened? It seems more than a bit off that a) the CSD lied to my friends and said there was no availability of other seats b) didn't handle the situation by moving my friends up to WT+ and the couple with the broken seat up to my friends old seats.
Obviously my friend has written to BA to request his Ł110 back...do you think he should expect some Avios too?
Cheers,
A
PS - the mate in question is a very polite a patient guy.....so no question of DYKWIA.
He, along with his wife paid extra at T-24 for emergency exit seats in WT. They arrived on-board to find the seats they had booked were in fact 1 row behind the exit row (i.e. normal seats). They asked to see the CSD who first of all accused them of booking the wrong seats...this was quickly put to rest by my friend showing him the receipt for the reserved exit seat. CSD then said he was sorry, but there was nothing he could do as the flight was full. Neither of them have any status with BA.
30mins after take off, a couple in the row behind my friend were both moved to WT+ when it turned out that one of the seats was broken and would not recline. My mate asked to see the CSD to find out what was going on. The CSD said if someone's seat is actually broken, they can exercise some discretion....he was quizzed on the sudden availability of seats up in WT+ when he had earlier said the flight was fully booked, but just brushed it off.
The cabin staff member (not CSD) who was looking after my friends later in the flight apologised profusely and said that in days gone by they would have been moved immediately.
What should have happened? It seems more than a bit off that a) the CSD lied to my friends and said there was no availability of other seats b) didn't handle the situation by moving my friends up to WT+ and the couple with the broken seat up to my friends old seats.
Obviously my friend has written to BA to request his Ł110 back...do you think he should expect some Avios too?
Cheers,
A
PS - the mate in question is a very polite a patient guy.....so no question of DYKWIA.
Mar 29, 2015, 4:28 pm
#3
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jan 2009
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1) More likely the CSD meant no availability of another exit row seat (or WT seat) rather than meaning there was no other seat on the flight.
2) It cannot reasonably be expected that an upgrade to WT+ (or above) would be forthcoming due to a pre-paid exit row issue. WT+ is a different cabin.
3) Broken seats are taken far more seriously, especially if they do not stay upright (which means they cannot be used for take-off or landing). If there is no other seat in WT, then the next cabin up is the only possibility. Not reclining on a long haul flight would also be taken far more seriously than not being in an exit row.
4) The customer services will give them a refund. They may or may not get some Avios as an apology.
2) It cannot reasonably be expected that an upgrade to WT+ (or above) would be forthcoming due to a pre-paid exit row issue. WT+ is a different cabin.
3) Broken seats are taken far more seriously, especially if they do not stay upright (which means they cannot be used for take-off or landing). If there is no other seat in WT, then the next cabin up is the only possibility. Not reclining on a long haul flight would also be taken far more seriously than not being in an exit row.
4) The customer services will give them a refund. They may or may not get some Avios as an apology.
Mar 29, 2015, 4:38 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: London
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Posts: 451
3) Broken seats are taken far more seriously, especially if they do not stay upright (which means they cannot be used for take-off or landing). If there is no other seat in WT, then the next cabin up is the only possibility. Not reclining on a long haul flight would also be taken far more seriously than not being in an exit row.
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I can completely see how they would have been really annoyed to see this happen..
Mar 29, 2015, 4:42 pm
#5
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The CSD would not have moved your friends because they will get a refund for the fee they paid, I don't think they lied but I think your friend misunderstood what the CSD said about being full.
If a seat is broken we have discretion to move a customer but this must be entered on the iPad with the reason we moved someone to a higher cabin.
If a seat is broken we have discretion to move a customer but this must be entered on the iPad with the reason we moved someone to a higher cabin.
Mar 29, 2015, 4:48 pm
#6
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
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Free upgrade is not something that would be forthcoming for an exit row mess, although they may well be forthcoming for a broken seat as it did in this case. It's just the way things are, regardless of what we think should happen.
Seat shuffling more people than necessary is probably not something that would be done much, either.
I can completely see how they would have been really annoyed to see this happen..
Mar 29, 2015, 4:51 pm
#8
Join Date: Feb 2013
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What should have happened?
The CSD probably meant that WT was full, not the whole aircraft. BA's standard resolution to paid seat selection not delivering as planned is to give a full refund of the selection fees, as advertised. That's what the passengers will get upon contacting BA.
A broken seat is a more serious issue than an exit row turning out not to be at an exit. In those circumstances the priority should be to place the affected customers in the same cabin, and if not, to place them in the next highest cabin, and so on.
The cabin crew member who undermined the CSD was very unprofessional, IMO.
A broken seat is a more serious issue than an exit row turning out not to be at an exit. In those circumstances the priority should be to place the affected customers in the same cabin, and if not, to place them in the next highest cabin, and so on.
The cabin crew member who undermined the CSD was very unprofessional, IMO.
Mar 29, 2015, 5:00 pm
#9
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I don't think the cabin crew member was unprofessional, they are correct in the past we had a lot more freedom to resolve problems without having to document everything, now days everything has to be documented.
Our guide says that we can upgrade if there are no other spare seats in that cabin.
Our guide says that we can upgrade if there are no other spare seats in that cabin.
Mar 30, 2015, 3:31 am
#10
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So out of interest in terms of the OP's question, what should have happened in this situation? Would they have just had to claim a refund?
Mar 30, 2015, 3:46 am
#12
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 932
Just kidding of course, but maybe your friend should have broken the seat the didn't like if they wanted to be moved??
Agree with others that a refund is all you can expect. But BA really shouldn't have got this wrong. Was there an equipment change??
Agree with others that a refund is all you can expect. But BA really shouldn't have got this wrong. Was there an equipment change??
Mar 30, 2015, 3:47 am
#13
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IMO just getting a refund for the exit row seat fees paid is not adequate. They didn't pay the fee to get onto some list to possibly get an exit row seat if BA felt like it on the day of travel. Instead, they paid for a "guaranteed" exit row seat.
Mar 30, 2015, 3:51 am
#14
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Ipswich
Posts: 7,543
I always think it's a bit off when companies simply refund when failing to deliver a paid service.
If someone got caught shoplifting, should the shop be happy if the person just puts the item back? That puts both parties back in the same start position.
BA took the money for a service and failed to deliver it through no fault of the pax. Getting their money refunded is the bare minimum action and a decent company would do something extra by way of apology.
If someone got caught shoplifting, should the shop be happy if the person just puts the item back? That puts both parties back in the same start position.
BA took the money for a service and failed to deliver it through no fault of the pax. Getting their money refunded is the bare minimum action and a decent company would do something extra by way of apology.
Mar 30, 2015, 3:51 am
#15
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 935
Also the fact that they have to "apply" for a refund. Do BA not know what they are selling and thereafter not providing?