Originally Posted by
MaxiStoat
It's not. Everyone seems to be allocated a seat automatically in advance of check-in, so when check-in opens there are almost no seats to be selected. Not because people with higher status or paid seat assignments have taken them, but because even those on hand baggage only tickets have been automatically allocated the seats.
I don't think anyone particularly minds if there is not much left because others have chosen to pay for a seat or been able to select one as a result of status, but when almost every other spare seat is already allocated to people on tickets which do not offer seat selection and likely don't care where they sit anyway, you can see why the original poster is somewhat annoyed.
If this is how it's done now, then fine - but they do need to stop saying seats are automatically allocated to ticket holders without seat assignment entitlement at check-in as it seems that it now happens before this point.
if you have the cheapest economy ticket then you won't have free seat selection at all. Here is the text on the booking page: Allocated seats or pay to choose anytime
Any other economy ticket will have free seat selection at checkin t-24 before your first segment of your flight. if you do a simple LHR-JFK then you are in a disadvantage position as all xxx-LHR-JFK passengers can checkin way before when you will be able to. So if you go to the checkin page and see the seat map you will be offered some other seats for free if anything left. Also theoretical seating will hide some seats from you depending of you status and hoe many people in your bookings. This is that BA wants to make sure that let say a family of 4 can sit more likely together. So BA might hide from a solo blue passenger some seats whilst if you are gold you can see more.
I think BA seat selection process works most of the time for most people but of course not everyone can be happy all the time.