Originally Posted by
ESFLYER95
Whenever I have done this, they have always wanted to speak to the person you are trying to get seating for. This was because of as you say ' data protection'.
Either that or you are added to their booking as an authorised person.
I have done these in the past and data protection was not an issue. However, I did one a few months ago and the agent told me it was so I wonder whether BA call centres have been told that they can no longer just take requests after speaking to the GCH.
In terms of the process itslef, "linking bookings" (called TCP - To/Total Complete Party) is available to any status, it is not a gold specific benefit. All TCP'ing two bookings does though is add a note on one referencing the other. It is not any kind of merging of the bookings, and nor does it provide any protection for connections when linking two separate sequential bookings. The linking can be done by the BA agent on the phone.
However, what is a BA gold benefit and not available for OWEs or other BA tiers is free seat selection for the non-gold/silver booking passenger. If you are a GCH and there is someone travelling on the same flight and in the same cabin on a separate booking, you can request free seat selection for the other person so that you can sit together. This second step, after doing the TCP, is usually sent off to the infamous back office to process and takes a few days to do.
The benefit is mentioned on BA.com:
http://www.britishairways.com/en-us/.../gold-benefits
free seat selection at the time of booking for everyone in your travel party, whatever cabin you're travelling in (except on hand baggage only fares). This even includes family or friends on other bookings as long as they’re travelling in the same cabin and on the same flight
Finally it appears a TA can action a TCP & seat request as set out on Speedbirdclub.com:
http://www.speedbirdclub.com/nl/rese.../baseatreqinf/