BAEC Profile Preferences - What's the Point?
 

The seating preference in my BAEC profile is, and has always been, for an aisle seat.

So why for f***'s sake, since I went from Silver to Blue, have I always been pre-allocated a window seat when I go to OLCI.?

Do you book through a t/a? Ours holds a profile which sometimes overwrites FFP preferences.

OLCI will not pick up your seat preference so will stick you anywhere. Your Exec club preference only works with Amadeus seat rqst and as a blue, the only way you'd get this if you were on a full fare, travelling in First, etc.

Yes, this booking was with Expedia.


It is an R class booking in CE.

In which case, is there is no point in having my seat preference in my BAEC profile?

FWIW, my OLCI seat allocation was 2A, at which time 2C was also occupied. as was 1A.

1C, 3A, 3C, 4A, 4C, and all D and F seats up to the curtain were unallocated.

Thanks for the explanation xxxxx - I never knew there were so many conditions attached to matching the seat location in ones profile to what was actually given.
That'll explain why I never get an aisle seat either.

OLCI doesn't know that you want an aisle seat though, just the same as if you check on on a kiosk, or at a desk and the agent doesn't specify which seat you want.

Your seat request means nothing unless you're eligible for advance seat assignment.

Does BAEC Profile Preferences allow you to specify particular seats (i.e. not just aisle or window)?

I generally consult expertflyer.com seat maps before making a booking anyway to see what Upper Deck availability there is; but it's then a ball-ache, having finalised and paid for the ticket, to have to go into MMB and change the seat ba.com has allocated me to, for example, 64K. I suppose I should consider myself fortunate that I'm able to pre-select seats (at no additional cost) at all.

I put windows seat as my seating preference in my BAEC profile, and I've never been given a middle or aisle seat on any flights when the system plonks me wherever in that cabin at OCLI.

All my flights have been booked via ba.com

No you just get to specify Aisle/Window and Shorthaul/Longhaul and that is it.