Having just checked in my girlfriend for a short haul economy flight (avios booking, no status) I was greeted by a seatmap where there was one aisle seat and most of the emergency exit rows available (at £18 per seat) and nothing else. She had been placed in a middle of one of the exit rows and I then moved her to the available aisle seat.

Two days prior the seat map had been wide open from row 15 back (of 28) so I assumed there would be no problems if she checked in 2 minutes after OLCI opened which was the case.

reading the BA policy it appears with basic fares seats get allocated when OLCI opens, and not when they checkin, meaning on a full flight with lots of basic fare flyers all the seats may be filled immediately leaving those with plus fares and no status with no choice. Is that really correct as that certainly seems to be what happened!