Originally Posted by
FrancisA
I always pay for CE actually as I value a guaranteed empty middle seat.
What happens to couples or families who chose not to pay for seat selection is their business and not something that is of any concern to me or the business of other passengers. There is no need to play an emotional card that is entirely at odds with the realities of the situation. I fail to understand how allowing someone to sit in an empty middle seat between two total strangers in anyway helps this scenario - no one has said that was the reason.
In this case BA have been specifically mentioning this as a benefit at GGL events. For LH this is a stated benefit. AB also does the same but do not publish it as a benefit. I do not make the rules or raise expectations; BA's management do this by saying that this is their policy.
I would hope that BA both publish this as a policy and provide guidance on the policy to crew.
I am not really sure why this causes so much angst - you get what you pay for and GGL doesn't come cheap. Perhaps time to face reality that some customers are more important to a business than others and therefore receive preferential treatment?
Indeed. So:
1. You buy a CE seat to guarantee an empty middle seat rather than rely on an unpublished benefit. Sounds wise.
2. What happens to families is not your concern, fair enough. I am sure it is vice versa too and that passengers being moved are similarly unconcerned.
3. It may have been discussed at GGL events but it is not a published policy. As a traveller what may have been shared with GGLs is of no relevance to me and I would feel perfectly free to move to another seat in the cabin in which I had purchased travel.
I would encourage anyone looking for an empty seat to do exactly as you do, pay for it, rather than trying to cheapeskate it in Y hoping it works out.