I have booked a trip on BA with cash, flight only, for LHR-ALC via MAD.

I have done this same trip dozens of times since BA stopped the direct ALC flights from LHR, and always fly Business Class/Club Europe.

I have another trip exactly the same booked for October, but this one I just booked for September a new trip, and despite booking and paying for Business Class in both directions with total fare of �506.92 it has only given me Economy cabin on the Nostrum flight but has charged me for a Business class ticket!! See the attached screenshot. I only noticed after I did the booking and went to select my seat in Iberia. This is a con is it not???

Any advice to get moved into the correct business class cabin on Nostrum would be appreciated.

Thanks

Both of the Nostrum flights show me in 'Business' on MMB on the BA website.. but will only let me sit in Economy. I wonder what on earth is going on

What aircraft is it? It maybe is a CRJ which (IIRC) does not really have a J class?

PS And rereading your post, I think the distinction is that the cabin is in economy but the fare is business. Same seat but possibly still have other benefits with the fare e.g. fast track and Lounge.

Usually the first few rows are business which has free drinks and a small meal. Leg room in row 1 is good too

It's perfectly possible to get an economy seat on a segment despite a business fare - the fare is LON-ALC not LON-MAD-ALC and will use Y if there is no space in J on a particular leg. This will have been disclosed in the booking process, but it probably could be more obvious. There's no discount if this happens, because the fare is the same rather than being constructed leg-by-leg - but you should be able to cancel within 24 hours. Don't keep it in the hope of getting "put back in business" later - you will be told this is what you bought (and it is).

Will I at least get a free drink from the BOB trolly since I have paid for a Business Class ticket?

No, for all intents and purposes you have an economy seat on that leg

No, you're in economy for that leg - no-one on board will be aware or interested in the fact that you paid a J fare.

Whilst booking there would have been a few occasions that would have indicated that only the LHR-MAD flight was in Business class.




Outside of a pop-up alert to tell you, it�d be hard to say there is much more that could be done. Certainly wouldn�t say it�s a con. If you are unhappy and within 24hrs of booking you can always call up and cancel.

If you�ve only just booked this, probably best to cancel, and start again (within 24 hours). With a 2 hour 15 min connection in Madrid, it would certainly be quicker to get to Gatwick (however you usually get to LHR) and do the direct flight. Nicer lounges (except CCR) and the euroflyer CE experience seems to have stabilised somewhat.

I have had this - in fact I thought that there was no business on the plane until I got on it and then noticed.
It is really not that obvious in the new website. I think this defaults when business is full (which it was).
As others have said you will be treated as a Y passenger on this sector - you can ask at the ticket desk if there is a no show etc but don't hold your breath!
FD.

Yes it certainly did not show those messages that someone has posted further up. I booked via the desktop webpage and it was not obvious at all.


And strangely enough, I can book via Iberia Business Class on those flights and there its lots of availability !!

Availability can differ between the BA and IB codes - that's why they have different codes.

The Gatwick flight times to ALC are absolutely abysmal unless you fly Vuelling which as a Silver would not get my lounge access and also they don't have a business class cabin. As its a short trip I want to be in ALC as early as possible so the day has not gone by the time I get to Benidorm.

So I have done another dummy booking right ahead in March next year, so no chance the BA codes are sold out in business, and this is what it shows (which explains why I missed it when booking):




To find out you are being shoved in economy you have to click the 'Flight details' downwards arrow (which I didn�t do when booking because I knew the flight details) and then it shows you this:



That is hardly making it obvious when booking that despite selecting Business Class you are in fact getting Economy on this aircraft!!!