Select bassinet row for last minute flight
Dec 30, 2021, 2:56 pm
#1
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: TPA/ABZ
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold. GGL/CCR.
Posts: 13,251
Select bassinet row for last minute flight
Hello, I have just booked a last minute flight for my daughter, partner and infant using AA miles. The flight departs in less than 48 hours and the row with the bassinet seats are showing as blocked on one side. The AA ticketing agent saids it was under airport control. As they have an infant, is there anyone we may contact who would be able to assign those seats to them prior to check-in? Thanks.
Dec 30, 2021, 3:04 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2010
Programs: AA
Posts: 14,740
Per AA's website, they are only available for assignment at the gate https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/...g-children.jsp
Dec 30, 2021, 4:34 pm
#5
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Arizona
Posts: 5,689
"You will get one for sure" is about as sure as someone saying "I will respect you in the morning" on a one night sleep over. It is AA and the gate agents are tired and airports are crowded. Good luck AA is not BA which has more class and respect. Hey you guys actully que in line where it is a free for all in the USA.
Dec 30, 2021, 5:28 pm
#6
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: TPA/ABZ
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold. GGL/CCR.
Posts: 13,251
The part I didn't understand (and still don't) is that I had selected the bassinet seats for them on the flight I had booked them on later in January. If the policy is that they are handed out at the gate then why was I able to select them for those flights? She has oneworldstatus so can select seats ahead of time but I doubt that includes the bassinet seats. Also, some of the bassinet seats on the flight on 1/1/22 have already been selected suggesting that there is a method to choose them prior to gate assignment.
Dec 30, 2021, 6:18 pm
#7
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"You will get one for sure" is about as sure as someone saying "I will respect you in the morning" on a one night sleep over. It is AA and the gate agents are tired and airports are crowded. Good luck AA is not BA which has more class and respect. Hey you guys actully que in line where it is a free for all in the USA.
Dec 30, 2021, 6:47 pm
#8
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Arizona
Posts: 5,689
The English culture is much more civilized than USA when it comes to transport. In England people que up in line to get on a bus versus USA where it is free for all. The OP will not necessarily get a baby bassinet with AA.
Dec 30, 2021, 7:08 pm
#9
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: NYC
Posts: 9,125
BA will block and allocate those seats for pax traveling with an infant. Aa will likely provide them to whoever asks first, checks in first, especially if they have status. Which for people on a connecting flight could well be before your daughter gets to check-in. It's hit and miss.
Dec 30, 2021, 7:13 pm
#10
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: TPA/ABZ
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold. GGL/CCR.
Posts: 13,251
BA will block and allocate those seats for pax traveling with an infant. Aa will likely provide them to whoever asks first, checks in first, especially if they have status. Which for people on a connecting flight could well be before your daughter gets to check-in. It's hit and miss.
Dec 30, 2021, 8:19 pm
#11
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Arizona
Posts: 5,689
The English culture is much more civilized than USA when it comes to transport. In England people que up in line to get on a bus versus USA where it is free for all. The OP will not necessarily get a baby bassinet with AA.
Dec 30, 2021, 10:36 pm
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
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Posts: 11,256
BA will block and allocate those seats for pax traveling with an infant. Aa will likely provide them to whoever asks first, checks in first, especially if they have status. Which for people on a connecting flight could well be before your daughter gets to check-in. It's hit and miss.
Lot of drama and generalizations here.
Dec 30, 2021, 11:39 pm
#13
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 6,338
That is a staggering generalisation which is most certainly not true of my experiences in 50 plus trips to the USA...
Dec 31, 2021, 8:38 am
#14
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Houston
Programs: UA 1K and Million Miler, *A Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, Hertz Five Star,
Posts: 1,301
Jan 2, 2022, 7:40 pm
#15
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
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Join Date: Nov 2010
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Posts: 13,251
Our daughter and partner and lap infant had selected row 18 with a view to being moved into row 17.
They asked when they arrived at the first airport. Not surprisingly, the agent said to ask at LHR. They asked again at the gate at LHR well before boarding. They asked an FA onboard.
The gate agents said the flight was full and those seats had already been assigned. The FA onboard said that the people in those seats had paid substantially more than my daughter which is not surprising as I used my AA miles to purchase these tickets which were effectively free apart from some taxes/fees.
None of the passengers in row 17 had an infant.
It all seems a bit odd to me.