JD1905

Thanks for this. Went to check-in and it sent me to an empty row 14. In quite a rush tomorrow so want to be as far down the front as possible so just re-selected an aisle seat in a full row 6.

emcampbe

Completely new to BA, so hoping can get some insight with our situation.

we are booked on a basic (hand baggage only) fare LHR-EDI in April. A family of 4, with two adults and two young kids (7 and 3). We are only going for ~24 hours, so will only have small backpacks and perhaps a carry-on size roller, so no need really to go up to plus fares.

can anyone explain how we can expect to have seats allocated. Honestly, it’s a short flight so not really concerned too much about what part of the aircraft they actually put us in. My understanding from what I’ve read, including in this thread, is that because of the kids, we will be allocated seats prior to free selection opens to those with plus fare, and while we won’t have a choice in location (again, that’s totally fine…I know what I was buying), we are pretty much guaranteed to be with the kids - not necessarily as a group of 4, but with at least 1 minor with 1 of the adults. Is this correct? I do understand we have to pay if we want specific seats, but the important thing is just that we aren’t split up to the point where we have 4 seats split across the economy cabin. Based on experience, should we expect to be in 2 groups of 2, or will they attempt to put as together (ie, ABCD of a row) if that is available at the time? Also, any experience on whether regardless of open seats at the time, they will put us further toward the back?

Again, just trying to get expectations in check. Appreciate whatever you are willing to share to Ba newbies.

corporate-wage-slave

Yes, you will end up with at least one adult plus one child, even if that has to be done on board the aircraft. Theoretical Seating (see separate thread) will normally keep you together anyway, but what you should do is when you are 3 days from departure, and no later than 2 days from departure, call up BA and see if the agent can double check that everything is ok and that the computer has done the right things. If you did nothing then the Inflight Lead or Manager (silver tie or cravate) will help you to arrange things on the aircraft.

prh

I will be flying Club from the US to LHR in a few months on an Avios Ticket. While my BA status is Blue, I’m AA Platinum, meaning I’m OneWorld Sapphire. My understanding is that entitles me to free seat assignments, but how do I get my AA Platinum # into my Avios reservation information?

CarefreeBA

I've heard that you can input your booking reference into Finnair's website and change it there, but it doesn't always work for me. I would just call British Airways and ask them. It takes a matter of seconds.

DeeGee26.2

Hi folks, I'm hoping this is the correct place to post.

I'm BA Blue, so no status of any value at all. I have two itineraries coming up in a few months. I'm flying in Y on both.

First flight is a solo RFS redemption from MAN-ORD via LHR. I'm travelling over the Chicago Marathon weekend, out on the Thursday during the day and back on the Monday overnight. I'm being offered the chance to pay for seats now or wait until check-in. There's still plenty of space available when I look at the seat map, in both directions, but I'm conscious that it could be a busy flight nearer the time.

Much as I enjoy looking out of the window while the plane is taxi-ing and taking off/landing, I'm not sure I'll get the benefit from a window for the whole 8 and a bit hours, I won't sleep during the day so I'll just chillax with a beer and a movie, so I'm thinking I'd prefer to get myself a seat on the aisle, preferably on the outside of the middle three. Am I best off just sitting on it and keeping checking nearer the time? Do prices go up? Also, if I wait until check-in, can I check n and book my seats 24 hours before the first departing flight, the one that gets me from MAN-LHR, or will I have to wait until 24 hours before LHR-ORD to check in and select my seat?

Second itinerary is a cash booking with my family, LHR-CAI. We're 2 adults, a 12yo and a 6yo. I'm conscious that the 6yo will be put next to one of us, but ideally, on the 3-3 seating configuration, I'd like to have both kids with one parent on the same set of 3, while the other parent could reasonably be elsewhere on the plane. Again we're flying in Y. Would it work if I paid just for the two kids, say, seats A and C, and then they'd have to put one of the adults in the middle? Or is there no need to worry about booking at all?

I don't want to pay unnecessarily, and I don't want to use Avios, as I'm saving them to hopefully take me to New York in 2023.

nickab

Does anyone know the official policy on bassinet position allocation? I'm traveling on an A388 in F with my infant, and all the couples seats are taken (not blocked, taken), including the only bassinet position, 4F. Unfortunately while BA blocks the bassinet seat for only reservations with ticketed infants in J and Y, they do not block it in F, which is probably why we're in this situation.

I've heard a few things from the agents on the phone, but almost all of them say that this gets handled at checkin and there's nothing I can do before then. I've also had one of them leave a "check in request" whatever that is. I'm guessing at T-72 or something there's a team that looks at seating requests and makes changes ahead of the airport.

Does anyone know the official policy for day-of at the airport? My current understanding from reading some threads and talking to phone agents is:
- Passengers without infants will be removed from their assigned bassinet seat on day of departure.
- If there are multiple babies, they will be prioritized where the youngest babies will get top priority. So if you have a bassinet seat assigned in any cabin and you have an infant, if there aren't enough bassinet seats available, you will be removed from that seat for a younger infant.

Is that right?

momoflyingguy

We are 2 adults flying LHR - ATH in club europe, booked with avios. 2 separate bookings.1 adult with an infant, so eligible for free seat selection, and the other adult (me) alone on separate booking, so no free seat selection.
On the infant booking, the free seat selection shows the entire row 1 available, plus a few more seats dotted around.
However, on my booking, i can pay for seat selection but only 9a and 9c available,
and even after doing online check in, my only choice is 9c or 9a, while my wife and infant are in 1d and 1f.
Why is this?
Thank you.

scottishpoet

theoretical seating means people on different bookings will seat different seats available within 72 hours of departure, so for sure at online check in.

Lots of detail in the 1st few posts of this thread :

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brit...ts-status.html

Compliment

Every time I book BA and assign exit seats for free(OWE) they somehow change it ever few weeks and put me up or down a row. This is the third time I have to assign my seat to exit again for the same booking. What kind of game is this? Do they want you to not notice so they can sell these seats instead? Frustrating to check this every few weeks because obviously you don't get a mail about this.

SonicStar817

If I had a guess, it would probably be "curtain roulette"

scottishpoet

check your spam, i do get an email when it happens to me.

LancashireFlyer

2 Adults 2 Children (7&14) currently have legroom seats booked on 777. Son is across the aisle on his own as he's too young for emergency exit row.

Flight is now under Airport control and all 4 middle bulkhead seats have opened up and available for me to select. 2 are bassinet seats.

There's 6 in total in Y, 1 is already occupied. It would suit us massively to move into all 4 bulkhead seats as it keeps us all together, plus we still keep the legroom. But I'm concerned that one or more of us will get bumped for an Infant - but that would be perfectly reasonable and we certainly wouldn't DYKWIA! But if that happened we'd get shipped somewhere else in the plane.

Don't know whether just to keep what we've got just to be safe. Son is GCH so hopefully TS will keep the seat next to him blocked!

Wed like to think anyone travelling with an Infant would've paid to select their seats!