Rebelyell

I'm interested in booking an extra or "comfort" seat for an upcoming BA transatlantic flight. At 200 pounds I'm not that fat, but the flight is going to be on a 787, which from my one other experience is pure misery. I'm traveling with my son and two of his friends.

I only paid $290 for my round-trip tickets, which I think comes out to zero dollars plus taxes and fees. If I understand, the minimum BA charges for extra seats on flights like this is Ł300, so I'll be paying for for the extra seat than my own, but I can live with that.

Now for my questions:

1. How will the extra seat be assigned? Will I need to pay for seat reservations for everyone in order to use the extra seat?

2. The rules allow one to purchase an extra seat for an item. Does this mean I can bring on an extra personal item? (I want to travel with a carry on, a smallish laptop pack, and a somewhat large wedge pillow that I hope to use to sleep).

3. Will the extra seat show up as a "passenger" in my booking, so that I can go online and perhaps move our seats around if I wish?

Thanks for any information from anyone with experience in this matter.

babats

Not sure of any specific answers but surely you'd have been better off if you'd booked both tickets on the same PNR. Having separate tickets, even if paying for seat selection, doesn't guarantee the seats remain together.

Just out of curiosity what name did you put on the extra booking?

highpeaklad

You need to ring and they will put the extra seat on your booking. It's cheaper as you don't pay tax/charges on it.

You don't book it yourself otherwise you may be refused travel like the girl who booked a seat for her cello and gave it a name. She didn't fly due to lack of esta for the Mr Cello or whatever name she used.

Jimmie76

I posted this in my original baggage thread that has since been expanded on.

The BA site (http://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/...ving-your-seat) says:

KenJohn

So that also means you have to pay the extra service fee for a telephone booking.

RGS5526

Probably not - as far as I konw the charge is only for things that you could have done online.

windowontheAside

Not so. The charge is waived when the functionality is available online but not working for some reason. If it's not offered online then the fee is due, although historically it has often been waived.

JAXBA

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rebelyell

I'm interested in booking an extra or "comfort" seat for an upcoming BA transatlantic flight.

I only paid $290 for my round-trip tickets, which I think comes out to zero dollars plus taxes and fees. If I understand, the minimum BA charges for extra seats on flights like this is Ł300, so I'll be paying for for the extra seat than my own, but I can live with that.

Not clear if you already booked the EXST as a DIY job or if you're still in the planning stages. As others have mentioned, please don't try and book EXST yourself online as a fictitious person - if you've already done this, call BA to get this corrected, or you may have issues at check-in.

Quote:

Now for my questions:

1. How will the extra seat be assigned? Will I need to pay for seat reservations for everyone in order to use the extra seat?

If properly setup as an EXST, BA will assign the seats for your two seats. Your companions will not have seats assigned.

Quote:

2. The rules allow one to purchase an extra seat for an item. Does this mean I can bring on an extra personal item? (I want to travel with a carry on, a smallish laptop pack, and a somewhat large wedge pillow that I hope to use to sleep).

An EXST does not have any extra baggage/carry-on allowance. You will be one item over. Can one of your companions carry it for you, as one of their pieces?

Quote:

3. Will the extra seat show up as a "passenger" in my booking, so that I can go online and perhaps move our seats around if I wish?

Whether it shows up depends on how it is booked. If you already have all the human seats booked but now need to add another, it won't show. You will not be able to change the seating either.

Ideally, this is booked as 2 seats one human in one PNR, everyone else in a separate PNR. You may consider splitting your companions on a separate PNR - then they can do paid seating if desired.

simons1

Is the extra seat entitled to EU261 compensation?

JAXBA

No, as it's extra product (space), not an extra passenger. EU comp is per person, not per seat/per square inch...

tuff

We've just got a quotation for an extra seat for a trip to Gran Canaria next year; pretty good rate. If we can get the emergency exit seats we will probably go with it. The alternative is Row 1 with easyJet but with BA the extra luggage allowance helps swing it. Lounges are better in the UK with BA but it's the same one in LPA. By then we will buying on board with BA which is the same as easyJet. The cost of flying Club was too high.

corporate-wage-slave

Did you look at booking N in HBO and UuAing to CE? And I think it would assist others if you could put the quotes for the extra seat up.

aceman

What is the purpose of the extra seat?

If its lateral room I don't see how row 1 easyjet will help since its narrower then a normal seat. If its for legroom, I don't see how an extra seat helps? I suppose emergency exit is a fairly good compromise between the two.

If luggage swings things, don't forget to factor in that upfront seats with easyjet let you have an additional piece of hand luggage and speedy boarding.

JAXBA

Quote:

Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave

I think it would assist others if you could put the quotes for the extra seat up.

Don't know what they were quoted of course but an EXST is essentially the base fare added in again; two fares, one set of taxes/fees/charges.

However, that's as long as the EXST is booked both ways - if only oneway on a return, or only on shorthaul flights connecting to a longhaul, then it gets messy and expensive.

MSPeconomist

If the extra seat is for a COS, the carrier might not allow that person to sit in an exit row.