KBW

I booked 2 CE tickets LIS>LHR using BAEC miles. Although I hold OW sapphire status through AA, I was told that the usual OW benefit for priority seat assignments did not apply on award tickets booked through BAEC if I did not hold BA elite status. Has anyone else encountered this and/or found a way to work around it?

where2travel

I have not had a problem assigning seats for free using my AA Plat status on a BAEC award booking.

However, there are lots of reports on people having trouble doing a similar thing on the CX Gold status/Amex thread.

Try going to the Finnair website, the manage my booking section, add your AA number and then go back to the BA website and see if it has recognised your OW status.

KBW

Thanks, I'll try that route.

KBW

Try going to the Finnair website, the manage my booking section, add your AA number and then go back to the BA website and see if it has recognised your OW status.[/QUOTE]

This worked like a charm. Thank you so much.

JohnnyColombia

That's an amazing tip thanks where2travel
Incredible how Finnair lets me select seats for an upcoming revenue trip on LAN when LAN tells me that seats cannot be selected despite my having bought it on LAN.com

Shame it does not work for AA flights. At the same time it is a shame that AA does not offer preferential seating to other airlines' OW elites

Flythe96flag

Do all OW airlines give Sapphires free seating, also the "premium" seats, whatever the FFP?

JohnnyColombia

No!

I was looking at oneworld's website last night and listed as a bonus is "preferential seating*"

The asterisk is "Subject to individual partner airlines" Bit of a crappy benefit though given the variation in policy, but looks like it worked out for the OP

I have AA flights booked in October with my LA FF linked to the reservation, I have no rights to preferential seating and on the daunting DFW HNL segment there aren't even any seats left for me to choose, only purple preferential seats which I have no access to.

On LA nobody can pre-select preferential seats, they are saved for elites and blocked out until check in, so even if I choose a seat for a flight next week, at check in they will offer me a better seat and rip up my boarding pass. I believe this is available to any OW elite.

Awfully nice of BA to allow preferential seating to OW elites and let them book it online ^ even though the process has a few lumps in it.

where2travel

You're welcome, I'm pleased it worked out okay.

Flythe96flag

Thanks for the answer!

I think that really sucks, I think the thing OW lacks at the moment is CONSISTENCY. When they learn how to be consistent with rules and regulations, I shall be satisfied. Also a common "currency" would be nice, although I realize different FFP's give their miles or points or avios a different value, it would make it less confusing.

LTN Phobia

No, unfortunately not. For instance, QF do not even let their platinum members select exit row seats on international flight free of charge, let alone other OW elite members.

Dave Noble

Qantas does charge for exit row seating, however they do have preferential seating based on status. Status will make a difference to what seats are available to select from. Exit rows are a special case where they are made available for additional cost internationally

mia

Thank you very much for this suggestion. I had to log out of ba.com to force it to recognize the status for each booking (or else I was merely impatient), but after a few minutes work we are assigned to sit in my preferred Club seats .