BA Seating Policy Guide

Old Feb 4, 2015, 5:42 am
  #121  
 
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I currently have Gold status with QF (OneWorld Saphire) and am looking to book BA TXL-LHR-GRU in business class award seat. I will lose my status by the time of the flight. In the meantime will I be able to select upper deck business class seats for my girlfriend (non-status holder) and I and will it hold when my status expires?

As an aside I am tossing up between BA or IB TXL-MAD-GRU, which business class would you prefer?
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Old Feb 4, 2015, 7:29 am
  #122  
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Originally Posted by travelislife
I currently have Gold status with QF (OneWorld Saphire) and am looking to book BA TXL-LHR-GRU in business class award seat. I will lose my status by the time of the flight. In the meantime will I be able to select upper deck business class seats for my girlfriend (non-status holder) and I and will it hold when my status expires?

As an aside I am tossing up between BA or IB TXL-MAD-GRU, which business class would you prefer?
Yes you will currently be able to select seats for both of you based on your oneworld Sapphire status assuming you are on one booking. However BA does sometimes sweep seating allocations to check eligibility, although I think that is for a subseat of seats (Row 1 in F/J confirming oneworld Emerald status for example) so you may be ok.

If the price and schedules were the same I would consider IB on that route when travelling as a couple.
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Old Feb 4, 2015, 9:32 am
  #123  
 
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Is there a way for Gold/silver card holders to request seats on unticketed flights, or must they wait until it's ticketed? And what happens if we don't get ticketed until just before the flight, and all the good seats have gone, or we can't get seats together?
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Old Feb 4, 2015, 9:47 am
  #124  
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Originally Posted by ttama
Is there a way for Gold/silver card holders to request seats on unticketed flights, or must they wait until it's ticketed? And what happens if we don't get ticketed until just before the flight, and all the good seats have gone, or we can't get seats together?
Don't think so, you'll just have to take what is available when your ticket is issued.
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Old Feb 4, 2015, 12:00 pm
  #125  
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Originally Posted by nux
Originally Posted by ttama
Is there a way for Gold/silver card holders to request seats on unticketed flights, or must they wait until it's ticketed?
Don't think so, you'll just have to take what is available when your ticket is issued.
Golds and Silvers should be able to pre-allocate seats as soon as a reservation has been made. A ticket is unnecessary. (This has been my consistent experience.)

AIUI, an issued ticket is only needed for those who need to pay for seat allocations.
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Old Feb 4, 2015, 12:26 pm
  #126  
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Originally Posted by Globaliser
Golds and Silvers should be able to pre-allocate seats as soon as a reservation has been made. A ticket is unnecessary. (This has been my consistent experience.)

AIUI, an issued ticket is only needed for those who need to pay for seat allocations.
Similar here. I thinks the occasions where I have had to wait until reissue are where there is a reroute which seems to prevent me doing a seat selection until the new ticket is created.
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Old Feb 9, 2015, 12:42 pm
  #127  
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I am travelling LAS-LHR-MUC, return, in Business Class (LAS-LHR booked as fare class I, LHR-MUC booked as fare class J). Ticketed through AA, but all BA metal. No status on either BA or AA.

I've paid for seat assignments on the LAS-LHR legs. At the time, speaking with the BA rep, he was vague about seat selection on the LHR-MUC legs. When I log on to the BA website, it shows me with seat assignments to MUC, but I can't change them.

Is that normal?
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Old Feb 11, 2015, 3:13 am
  #128  
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Originally Posted by RJ1
I am travelling LAS-LHR-MUC, return, in Business Class (LAS-LHR booked as fare class I, LHR-MUC booked as fare class J). Ticketed through AA, but all BA metal. No status on either BA or AA.

I've paid for seat assignments on the LAS-LHR legs. At the time, speaking with the BA rep, he was vague about seat selection on the LHR-MUC legs. When I log on to the BA website, it shows me with seat assignments to MUC, but I can't change them.

Is that normal?
You should be able to change them online. As you are booked in J fare class for LHR-MUC you are entitled to free seat selection.
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Old Feb 21, 2015, 8:57 pm
  #129  
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Originally Posted by nux
You should be able to change them online. As you are booked in J fare class for LHR-MUC you are entitled to free seat selection.
Thank you.

There must be something wrong with my booking (through AA), because when I phoned BA, the agent also had trouble making a change. She was able to assign seats, but I still cannot make any changes myself online.

A followup question:

I believe my aircraft will be an A320. Apparently, Row 1 is blocked. When are these seats released for assignment? Any suggestions on getting these seats?
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Old Feb 28, 2015, 12:43 pm
  #130  
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Originally Posted by RJ1
I believe my aircraft will be an A320. Apparently, Row 1 is blocked. When are these seats released for assignment? Any suggestions on getting these seats?
The first couple of rows of Club Europe are typically held for oneworld Emerald passengers until 72 hours before departure.
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Old Mar 2, 2015, 12:24 pm
  #131  
 
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Am I correct in thinking I read somewhere that seat 1A on a 747 should open for non gold cards holders at T-72 ?

Our flight is now about T-67 and I'm in 1K but my blue card travelling companion is still unable to select 1A. Is this normal or shall I call the gold line and get them to sort it?
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Old Mar 2, 2015, 12:38 pm
  #132  
 
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Well ... this guide needs updating now ...
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Old Mar 2, 2015, 1:57 pm
  #133  
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Originally Posted by RedDevil83
Am I correct in thinking I read somewhere that seat 1A on a 747 should open for non gold cards holders at T-72 ?

Our flight is now about T-67 and I'm in 1K but my blue card travelling companion is still unable to select 1A. Is this normal or shall I call the gold line and get them to sort it?
Row 1 does open up but it isn't always exactly t-72 hrs. Sometimes it can be a few or even many bourse before, sometimes later than t-72. I presume 1a is showing as still available on the seat map? I would suggest keep checking at this stage and hopefully it should be available soon.
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Old Mar 2, 2015, 2:20 pm
  #134  
 
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Originally Posted by KARFA
Row 1 does open up but it isn't always exactly t-72 hrs. Sometimes it can be a few or even many bourse before, sometimes later than t-72. I presume 1a is showing as still available on the seat map? I would suggest keep checking at this stage and hopefully it should be available soon.
yes we currently have 1k & 2k.

1a is still showing as available so I'm just gonna keep trying every half an hour or so and just hope I'm lucky enough to snag it. It's my friends first ever trip in anything above economy, so to get him 1a on a 747 would make it a pretty special flight.
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Old Mar 2, 2015, 6:20 pm
  #135  
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Originally Posted by RedDevil83
Am I correct in thinking I read somewhere that seat 1A on a 747 should open for non gold cards holders at T-72 ?
Originally Posted by KARFA
... it isn't always exactly t-72 hrs. Sometimes it can be a few or even many bourse before, sometimes later than t-72.
Over and over again I say this, yet nobody listens: It is not T-72h. To describe it as that lends it the spurious air of precision that has misled RedDevil83.

These seats (like all other seats released at this time) usually become available at about lunchtime UK time on the day three days before the flight (eg Monday for a Thursday flight). This is not T-72h, although it might not be inaccurate to say that it's T-3d.
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