Last edit by: Prospero
AA Flyers and Seat Selection on British Airways Operated Flights
Link to FlyerTalk British Airways | Executive Club / BAEC forum guide thread with Wikipost: BA Seating Policy Guide
Link to BAEC forum Dashboard, including seating guides for BA aircraft. Please make enquiries regarding BA aircraft seats in the appropriate thread in the BAEC forum, not here in the AA forum, for better response.
Link to britishairways.com page "Choosing your seat" (policies and how to).
Link to BA Speedbird Club (agent site) seat policyFor Country select "Global"; for IATA number, press on "I don't have an IATA"
Also from the BA website:
Selecting seats can be done via the BA "Manage My Booking" tool (link) which may recognize your AA PNR (you will need your PNR and last name to log on to MMB). If not, you can get your BA PNR by calling AA, or you can go to the Qantas website, enter your AA PNR and you will be presented with your BA PNR.
Updated 26 Oct 2016 - JDiver
Link to FlyerTalk British Airways | Executive Club / BAEC forum guide thread with Wikipost: BA Seating Policy Guide
Link to BAEC forum Dashboard, including seating guides for BA aircraft. Please make enquiries regarding BA aircraft seats in the appropriate thread in the BAEC forum, not here in the AA forum, for better response.
Link to britishairways.com page "Choosing your seat" (policies and how to).
Link to BA Speedbird Club (agent site) seat policyFor Country select "Global"; for IATA number, press on "I don't have an IATA"
Code:
The Passenger should be advised BA will pre-seat the customer subject to availability & seat requests are never guaranteed and always subject to operational needs Subsequent seat change Should an aircraft or configuration change generate an automated operational seat change that separates the party, the ‘request seat’ process must be initiated again. The travel agent would need to remove and re-enter the TOGT keyword.
Code:
Members of the Executive Club and other oneworld frequent flyers are able to reserve seats at different stages, depending on their tier. Tier Seat selection Gold/oneworld Emerald Free seat selection from the time of booking for everyone in your booking and friends and family on other bookings, who are travelling with you in the same travel class and on the same flight*. Silver/oneworld Sapphire Free seat selection from the time of booking for everyone in your booking*. Bronze/oneworld Ruby Free seat selection from seven days before departurefor everyone in your booking*. *You must be travelling on the booking (or in the case of Gold Members, one of the bookings) for these benefits to apply. They apply to British Airways flights only and are not available on Basic (HBO / hand baggage only) fares or group rate bookings. Exit row seats are not available to Silver or Bronze Members on long haul flights until 24 hours before departure. On some occasions, exit rows seats on short haul flights may not be available in advance due to operational reasons.
Updated 26 Oct 2016 - JDiver
BA Seat Selection Issues for AA Flyers - charges, seating, award, etc.
#16
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: MSY (finally); previously NYC, BOS, AUH
Programs: AA EXP, 6MM; BA GLD
Posts: 17,251
One thing to consider is whether you'd be willing to pay a few hundred bucks to upgrade to premium economy. As discussed in the following thread, BA offers same-day, space available upgrades at check in. If it's available, and if you're willing to pay it, I think (though I'm not 100% sure) you don't get any credit for any amount you paid previously to pre-select a seat. I also am unsure of the impact (if any) upgrading has on baggage fees. I'm sure someone out there can answer both of these questions.
Airport Upgrades (AUP) promotion 2020 thread
Airport Upgrades (AUP) promotion 2020 thread
#17
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: JAX
Programs: Ex-BA/AA/CP/LY staff, BA Executive Club Blue, IHG Diamond, Marriott Silver, Chick-fil-A Red
Posts: 3,596
Main Cabin includes checked bag -- Will there be any additional fees for the bag, the way there are with the seat assignment?
Should I cancel and book AA Basic Economy, and then suck it up and pay BA's baggage fee and seat assignment fee (which I'd be paying anyway in order to get a seat assigned outside the 24h window)?
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: n.y.c.
Posts: 13,989
Three different AA agents have given me 3 different answers about whether Main Cabin gives me an advance seat assignment.
It's as if no one has ever worked a reservation where AA has sold a ticket on a BA flight
It's as if no one has ever worked a reservation where AA has sold a ticket on a BA flight
#19
Join Date: Apr 2019
Posts: 979
Airlines have gotten really greedy. They go as far as to perform misleading advertising, as it appears to be the case here.
#20
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: SNA
Programs: AA EXP, UA 1K (until it expires then never again), *wood Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 9,240
BA charges for seat selection, even in J (Club World), the only cabin that gets free advance seat selection is First (though 1A/K is blocked for Gold/OWE). Besides First only BA Gold/OWE gets free seat selection at booking in all cabins, there's many a thread/post about this on the BA forum that debate the pros/cons of this policy. In short my read on it is that it breaks down along status lines, those who have Gold/OWE like this arrangement, especially in J since BA has only a couple J seats that don't suck on each plane, and it means that those booking late (and paying the most) or are Gold/OWE often can select the better seats. BA also has 'theoretical seating' where they block seats next to Gold/OWE pax to try and keep the adjacent seat empty. Personally, I like the BA system as it has benefited me but if I was not OWE pretty sure I'd not like it . Moral of the story is if picking your seat ahead of time is important to you and you do not want to pay for you seats then you might want to avoid BA, AA has a number of their own flights from JFK-LHR to pick from.
#21
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: n.y.c.
Posts: 13,989
So when the AA Agent tells me there is a process where AA can secure me a BA advance seat assignment, since it is Main Cabin and not Basic Economy, are they just mis-informed/pulling rules out of their nether regions?
#22
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 21,068
I have booked JFK-LHR/EDI-LHR-JFK purchased on AA.com
1) JFK-LHR is codeshare on BA metal
2) EDI-LHR-JFK are BA flights
I purchased Main Cabin - AA says I have the ability to choose my seats. BA says that even though I have the ability, I still have to pay extra for advance seat assignments. Am I interpreting this correctly?
Main Cabin includes checked bag -- Will there be any additional fees for the bag, the way there are with the seat assignment?
Should I cancel and book AA Basic Economy, and then suck it up and pay BA's baggage fee and seat assignment fee (which I'd be paying anyway in order to get a seat assigned outside the 24h window)?
1) JFK-LHR is codeshare on BA metal
2) EDI-LHR-JFK are BA flights
I purchased Main Cabin - AA says I have the ability to choose my seats. BA says that even though I have the ability, I still have to pay extra for advance seat assignments. Am I interpreting this correctly?
Main Cabin includes checked bag -- Will there be any additional fees for the bag, the way there are with the seat assignment?
Should I cancel and book AA Basic Economy, and then suck it up and pay BA's baggage fee and seat assignment fee (which I'd be paying anyway in order to get a seat assigned outside the 24h window)?
Many threads on BA seating policy. You pay for (pre) seat selection even on BA business class, unless mid top level status.
#23
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: n.y.c.
Posts: 13,989
AA forum master thread--> BA Seat Selection Issues for AA Flyers - charges, seating, award, etc.
Many threads on BA seating policy. You pay for (pre) seat selection even on BA business class, unless mid top level status.
Many threads on BA seating policy. You pay for (pre) seat selection even on BA business class, unless mid top level status.
#24
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: SNA
Programs: AA EXP, UA 1K (until it expires then never again), *wood Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 9,240
In this instance, booking on a BA codeshare, what you're paying for with main vs basic is that your ticket is changeable (with fee) vs basic where what you book is what you must fly and no changes are allowed. I'd agree with you that AA could be more transparent in this, especially in this case where this is one of their closest partners and they have a JV. The seat selection page on the booking flow on aa.com tells you that you need to contact BA to get seats but is silent on the fact that said seats may come at a cost.
#26
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: YYZ/MGA
Programs: AA 1MM Lifetime Gold, AA Platinum, WS Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 7,607
Tier Seat selection
Gold/oneworld Emerald Free seat selection from the time of booking
for everyone in your booking and friends and family on other bookings, who are travelling with you in the same travel class and on the same flight*.
Silver/oneworld Sapphire Free seat selection (excluding exit row seats on long haul flights) from the time of booking
for everyone in your booking. Exit row seats on long haul flights can be selected for free from 24 hours before departure*.
Also according to BA Flex Plus seats are free.
#27
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: SBA
Programs: UA Gold 1MM, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat, Hertz PC
Posts: 947
Hi Everyone - came across this thread and wanted to double check the current policy. I booked business class using American miles and is it true I cannot select a seat on the BA segment without paying extra? It will just be assigned to me at some point?
I don't have any status with AA / BA.
TIA!
I don't have any status with AA / BA.
TIA!
#28
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,676
Hi Everyone - came across this thread and wanted to double check the current policy. I booked business class using American miles and is it true I cannot select a seat on the BA segment without paying extra? It will just be assigned to me at some point?
I don't have any status with AA / BA.
I don't have any status with AA / BA.
BA's policy can be found at https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb...ving-your-seat
#29
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: SBA
Programs: UA Gold 1MM, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat, Hertz PC
Posts: 947
That is partly correct. You cannot select seats on the BA flight,until online check in opens. Once check in opens, you can select a seat without charge
BA's policy can be found at https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb...ving-your-seat
BA's policy can be found at https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb...ving-your-seat
#30
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: SEA once more (previously CDG and NRT)
Programs: Former DL DM and UA 1k, now a J class free agent (UA Gold, AS MVP Gold)
Posts: 2,451
I've got a BA flight booked next month LHR-SEA in business class. I've recently obtained AA Platinum Status. But BA isn't seeing my AA status, and so is trying to charge me for seat selection. When I call BA and talk to them they aren't able to see my OWS status. Any suggestions on what I need to do? I've already had BA try removing and re-adding my AAdvantage number.
Last edited by SEA-Flyer; Jul 3, 2021 at 3:52 pm