Seat Selection Nightmare
Oct 4, 2013, 3:13 am
#16
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London
Programs: Mucci. Nothing else matters.
Posts: 38,644
I'm not sure why you'd want to vent to BA staff about the consequences of your own choice, particularly when in a few days time you will reap the benefit of the seating policy for yourself and begin to appreciate its advantages.
Oct 4, 2013, 3:28 am
#17
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2007
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 12,046
Completely agree! Seat selection buys peace of mind and the privilege to get a good choice for free as a Silver represents a genuine money saving and incentive to keep flying BA for me.
Oct 4, 2013, 3:33 am
#18
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Edinburgh
Programs: BAEC Silver Hilton Diamond
Posts: 197
Thanks for the advice so far guys. For the record I really don't care where I sit but would like to sit together!!
Yes I took a risk, yes its my fault, yes I will have a different outlook when I get bronze and then silver. To be clear I have no intention of ranting at the staff merely call on their better nature to help if they are able which I feel they will. (it won't actually ruin my team I was using the for effect!)
The seat selection cost is clearly a sore button on here - I don't have an issue with the status side of things but paying to me is not what I would expect from the BA brand. I would also expect that booking 2 seats, especially in a premium cabin will be together.
Yes I took a risk, yes its my fault, yes I will have a different outlook when I get bronze and then silver. To be clear I have no intention of ranting at the staff merely call on their better nature to help if they are able which I feel they will. (it won't actually ruin my team I was using the for effect!)
The seat selection cost is clearly a sore button on here - I don't have an issue with the status side of things but paying to me is not what I would expect from the BA brand. I would also expect that booking 2 seats, especially in a premium cabin will be together.
Oct 4, 2013, 3:37 am
#19
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: London
Programs: BA BLUE BADGE
Posts: 1,324
If not sitting together was going to ruin your anniversary then it would definitely been worth paying to avoid. The peace of mind and surety is what you pay for.
Having said that - I hope it works out - and have a great trip!
Having said that - I hope it works out - and have a great trip!
Oct 4, 2013, 3:40 am
#20
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: BA - Blue > Bronze > Silver > Bronze > Blue
Posts: 6,812
WTP is the one cabin, where it is perhaps wise to Book seats. That said I never did it even when a blue and never missed out sitting together, so hopefully your experience will be the same.
The flight tomorrow looks utterly rammed, so I suspect there may well be some movement forward into CW (hopefully you! but if not...) that will free up some seats so that at OLCI, esp from EDI, you may well have more options than you think in regards to where you sit.
Otherwise politely enquire at both EDI and LHR if they can re-seat you (which may in itself help op up chances) or at least perhaps make a note on your booking to seat you together, if others are op up'd late on.
The flight tomorrow looks utterly rammed, so I suspect there may well be some movement forward into CW (hopefully you! but if not...) that will free up some seats so that at OLCI, esp from EDI, you may well have more options than you think in regards to where you sit.
Otherwise politely enquire at both EDI and LHR if they can re-seat you (which may in itself help op up chances) or at least perhaps make a note on your booking to seat you together, if others are op up'd late on.
Oct 4, 2013, 3:42 am
#21
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Edinburgh
Programs: BAEC Silver Hilton Diamond
Posts: 197
Call me stupid but I never thought that we would end up apart (especially on a premium BA flight!) - I now realise that stupidity!!
Oct 4, 2013, 3:57 am
#22
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,849
Just to emphasize something referenced above: if 2 seats do crop up over the next few hours which are ok but not perfect (e.g. either side of the aisle) then select them and complete online check in, so you at least have those in the bag. However do not print, email or PDF Save the options, since you can still keep checking, move and perhaps improve on the options. The print (etc) options appear as the final screen on OLCI.
If there are really no good or barely torlerable options then steer clear so as to give maximum options to other passengers.
Typically there will be a lot of movement in the hour or two after 24 hours before the London (not Edinburgh) departure time, so keep looking. Let us know how you get on.
Oct 4, 2013, 4:24 am
#25
Join Date: May 2008
Location: YYZ
Posts: 2,636
With expert flyer showing no availability in any of the premium cabin booking codes and the seat map pretty full, (1A/K open in F, 17K open in J, and 11K/12E in W) I'd say the flight is very well overbooked and there will be some shifting going on as people show up or fail to show up at the airport. What you don't want happening and what would probably really put a damper on your trip is a downgrade with both of you at opposite ends of the cabin in middle seats in Y. So I'd take the available seats now and then ask the staff politely if there's anything they can do.
Results from ExpertFlyer.com
Results from ExpertFlyer.com
Not saying that it will happen to you, but OLCI does help your chances at an op-up ex LHR according to BA Executive Club (Nicci) and recent experiences posted here on FT indicate that this route does see people get lucky: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...pgrade-x2.html
Results from ExpertFlyer.com
Code:
Flight Availability Search
Departing LHR on 10/05/13 12:00 AM for LAS
Flying BA
Direct/Non-Stop Only
Frequency
Flight Stops Depart Arrive Aircraft Reliability Available Classes
0 Connections
BA 275 0 LHR LAS 744 Unavailable F0 A0 J0 C0 W0 Y2 B2 H2 K0 M0 G0
10/05/13 4:45 PM 10/05/13 7:15 PM 50% / 34m
Code:
Seat Map Search:
Departing LHR on 10/05/13 for LAS
Flying BA flight 275 in First, Business/Club, Premium Economy
A E F K
1 + +
2 - -
3 - -
4 - - - -
5 - - - -
A E F K
A B D E F G J K
11 - +
12 - - - + - - - -
13 - - - - - - - -
14 - - - - - - - -
15 - - - - - - - -
16 - -
A B D E F G J K
A B D E F G J K
17 W - - - - - - - + W
18 W - - - - - - - - W
19 W - - - - - - - - W
20 W - - - - - - - - W
A B D E F G J K
A B J K
60 U - - - - U
61 U - - - - U
62 U E - - - - E U
63 U E - - - - E U
64 U - - - - U
A B J K
Seats
Premium Only P
Available +
Handicap-Accessible H
Paid & Premium #
Occupied -
Blocked X
Lavatory L
Paid $
Location
Exit Row E
Wing W
Upper Deck U
Last edited by evanderm; Oct 4, 2013 at 4:38 am
Oct 4, 2013, 4:28 am
#26
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Peak District
Programs: BAEC / Hilton Honors / Accor
Posts: 552
Most important advice: Do not let this relatively small issue spoil your holiday in the USA.
Step 1: When OLCI opens see if there are any pairs available.
Step 2: If no pairs are available, do not select a seat and cancel check in.
Step 3: Check again on the morning of your flight since some people might have cancelled or moved - if there are pairs then select them and proceed as normal, if not cancel check in.
Step 4: Proceed to airport and see if they can help you there.
Step 5: See if you can swap onboard.
Step 6: If nothing is possible, take your individual seats and look forward to your time together in the USA - not sitting together on a plane represents only a few hours of your life and I would not let it spoil the holiday.
Finally: to avoid future disappointment, pay now for ASR on the way back!
Step 1: When OLCI opens see if there are any pairs available.
Step 2: If no pairs are available, do not select a seat and cancel check in.
Step 3: Check again on the morning of your flight since some people might have cancelled or moved - if there are pairs then select them and proceed as normal, if not cancel check in.
Step 4: Proceed to airport and see if they can help you there.
Step 5: See if you can swap onboard.
Step 6: If nothing is possible, take your individual seats and look forward to your time together in the USA - not sitting together on a plane represents only a few hours of your life and I would not let it spoil the holiday.
Finally: to avoid future disappointment, pay now for ASR on the way back!
Oct 4, 2013, 4:50 am
#27
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA gold, *A gold, SPG silver, HHonors gold
Posts: 1,438
If it means so much to you that not getting seats together 'ruins' your trip, I think you should probably have stumped up the £70 fee. It is clearly stated throughout the booking process that this is possible.
Oct 4, 2013, 4:56 am
#28
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Edinburgh
Programs: BAEC Silver Hilton Diamond
Posts: 197
OK so check in open and there are now 4 seats available but no pairs 11k, 12e, 15b and 14e.
So mixed advice so far - should I pick best 2 and those most likely to have someone swap with us and get seats locked in or wait until OLCI opens for the LHR LAS leg later on or just wait and pitch up at EDI tomorrow and do the nicely nicely thing?
tempted to get 14 and 15 as there isn't likely to be an objection to 14d swaping with 15b unless they are a party of 3?
So mixed advice so far - should I pick best 2 and those most likely to have someone swap with us and get seats locked in or wait until OLCI opens for the LHR LAS leg later on or just wait and pitch up at EDI tomorrow and do the nicely nicely thing?
tempted to get 14 and 15 as there isn't likely to be an objection to 14d swaping with 15b unless they are a party of 3?
Oct 4, 2013, 5:00 am
#29
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Kyiv, Ukraine
Programs: Mucci, BA Gold, TK Elite, HHonors Lifetime Diamond
Posts: 7,691
OK so check in open and there are now 4 seats available but no pairs 11k, 12e, 15b and 14e.
So mixed advice so far - should I pick best 2 and those most likely to have someone swap with us and get seats locked in or wait until OLCI opens for the LHR LAS leg later on or just wait and pitch up at EDI tomorrow and do the nicely nicely thing?
tempted to get 14 and 15 as there isn't likely to be an objection to 14d swaping with 15b unless they are a party of 3?
So mixed advice so far - should I pick best 2 and those most likely to have someone swap with us and get seats locked in or wait until OLCI opens for the LHR LAS leg later on or just wait and pitch up at EDI tomorrow and do the nicely nicely thing?
tempted to get 14 and 15 as there isn't likely to be an objection to 14d swaping with 15b unless they are a party of 3?
(I would also go for 15B and 14E)
Last edited by Andriyko; Oct 4, 2013 at 5:08 am
Oct 4, 2013, 5:01 am
#30
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Edinburgh
Programs: BAEC Silver Hilton Diamond
Posts: 197
Please read all my subsequent posts - It isn't going to ruin it, just disappointed, I have admited I was stupid as I didn't realise we would be split up just positioning but I maintain my view that this charge isn't what I would expect from a premium brand in a premium cabin more Ryan Air - it won't be an issue again as I will soon be all the way up to silver