ttama

I'm travelling on 2-4-1 award tickets in CW on a heavily booked flight on September 10th.
The current availability is: F1 A0 J0 C0 W0 Y9 B9 H5 K2 M2 L2 V1 G0

Are award tickets more likely to be bumped or downgraded than paid tickets? We're GCH and SCH, but I'm not sure if that counts for much if the flight is overbooked.

I appreciate availability might change before the 10th, but as usual I'm overthinking this and wondering if I need to be aware of other flight options in case we're denied boarding.

chris1979

chances are you wont be downgraded or bumped so I wouldn't lose a single second sleep over it.

it's rare that people get downgraded or bumped off a flight - BA are very good at managing these things and upgrade when needed.

if they need to move people down / off, as GCH and SCH, it is unlikely that it'll be you (award ticket or not).

enjoy the flights.

ttama

Thanks

dddc

You should be fine. Just check in online as soon as your ticket or status allows and don't leave bag drop until the last minute. Its often the last people checking in that may have some fun and games.

But saying that,

• I checked in at the airport last in the Y line on JAL and got upgraded to J. NRT-LHR.
• I was on AA Y tickets, but upgraded to J using VIP vouchers. At the desk they offered us cash to take the next days flight but we said no. At the gate we got beeped and taken aside and given F tickets MIA-LHR
• My brother, wife and niece were traveling J and Y(the daughter in Y) Europe to Australia on Emirates and they were last in line when they got taken aside and offered some spending money in Dubai Duty free if he and his wife would fly Y the first sub 4 hour leg. He declined. The offer got upgraded to exit row seats, J food and drink brought to them by the J staff and a pair of J class tickets Australia to Europe to be used in the next 12 months. Obviously he slummed it, absolutely fuming at this horrible treatment by Emirates...

.

So, don't fret, good things can happen. Of course none of these happened on BA....

JAXBA

I agree your chances of being selected are low. Time of check-in is important, and status is taken into account, amongst other things.

That said, there was a recent thread where a GGL was incorrectly downgraded from F out of KUL: Feeling p1ssed at KUL

It shouldn't happen.

frb98mf

I was the beneficiary of a DYKWMFI (do you know who my father is?) 16 year old flying TLV-LHR on daddy's Avios in J on the much-missed A321 mid-haul. J was oversold by 1, and they asked him first if he would take a chunk of cash to downgrade. He threw a hissy-fit, refused and said he would tell on them to daddy for picking on him. Really.

Anyway I got a few hundred quid, the exit row on the 321 which is about 8ft of leg room, empty seat next to me, Club food and drink, invitation to raid the Club Kitchen and use the forward lavs if I wanted, and DUT kicked me into F on one of my TATL legs! I thought of that sullen little brat shrivelled up in his hoodie and being refused any drink by the crew as I quaffed a pile of LPGS on that flight...

ttama

Thanks to everyone. I'll check in early, but I think I'll still make sure I know what the alternatives are. CW has been fully booked, on and off, for several weeks, and First has been cheaper than CW for longer. It looks pretty empty in both classes the following day.

Davidjonesk

Do you mind saying what route you're on?

ttama

LHR-YVR. Sept 10th is too early for the royal visit to BC, unless some of their entourage are going out early. I can't see any major conferences on. Maybe it's just a normal Saturday.

Swanhunter

There is normally a shakedown of inventory 3-4 days out and you might be surprised to suddenly see Club availability open up. If you have assigned seats and check in early you should be fine...and might even get an op-up.