Seat Selection/Change facility withdrawn for some International flights
 

I have a number of future bookings on my BAEC account. Two of these are transatlantic trips. Both have been booked for some time. Earlier in the year I logged into one of the bookings and was less than happy to find my 2 WTP window and aisle seats had been swapped for 2 aisle seats (at each end of a row of 4) presumably down to a change of aircraft although why the drastic difference I don't know. I changed the seats to a window and aisle again which I was happy with.
Since I didn't receive any notification of the change I've made a habit of checking every so often to make sure BA haven't decided to move me again.

So yesterday I logged into an upcoming (Sept) flight only to find I couldn't see any seat assignments at all, just a message saying the facility was unavailable . I then checked the second TATL trip (Dec) to find the same so I gave BA a call. The response I got was that as a security enhancement passengers will no longer be able to view or change seat assignments on selected flights. When I asked if it was certain destinations I was told it may be specific destinations, specific types of aircraft or specific passengers who have this restriction applied.

I'm all for enhanced security however now a bit concerned that I may end up with a really poor seat assignment which I'm stuck with as apparently BA staff may no longer be able to make changes at check in either. I did ask the adviser to confirm that my seats hadn't changed from my previous selection however apparently she was unable to do this for security reasons. So looks like my seat allocation may be a mystery until I get to the airport.

Has anyone else come across this?

That's interesting. For the last couple of days I haven't been able to change my seats to HAJ (Hannover) either but I wouldn't have expected that to be a high risk route.

Interestingly I have a flight to FRA on Sunday but I get the following message when trying to change my seat:

Flight is ticketed and I can change the seat for the return flight on the same PNR (CDG - LHR) so perhaps it's just a glitch?

I was just checking on seats for my upcoming AMS flight and had the same. After the third try it worked so it appears that there are gremlins in the BA seating tool again.

I just got the same message (Unfortunately it is not possible for you to choose a seat at this time) as well trying it on a flight to EWR. It still shows my selected seats in MMB though.

The return CWLCY is fine though :confused:

The system has been inconsistently up and down for me all day today. I suggest trying again tomorrow! Seems it takes 2 or 3 goes for me to get onto the seat map.

hmm- I think I'll just keep trying. Hopefully it's just a glitch.

The adviser seemed quite certain about her facts. There certainly wasn't any hesitation in the explanation she gave although my husband would point out that I am at my most emphatic and authoritative self when the reality is I'm winging it so maybe her and I have something in common!

Machiavelli would point out that these days "a security issue" is a great excuse for, well, just about anything.

Yes, it was the same for me.

Also, have been trying to change a flight for the last couple of days and kept getting "Sorry our systems are not responding, please try later". :mad:
In the end I called BA to make the change for me.

I've noticed this is happening for me where I have bookings on European flights operated by 767s at the moment. It will stop allowing seat selection, and then a few hours later, allow it.

This may be something to do with there not being enough short-haul config 767s to cover the Summer flying programme, which means Long Haul 767s are getting sent out. Common routes for the Long Haul aircraft are where 767s are booked to fly to FRA, MAD, FCO and ARN. Occasionally ATH will get one.

FCO in particular is reliably getting one Long Haul 767 a day, though it varies between the two rotations booked for the 767.

ARN (780/781) is producing a LH aircraft roughly 50% of the time for the last couple of weeks, and this aircraft usually works the morning rotation to MAD before it works ARN.

Note that it's more unusual to see Long Haul 767s on UK Domestic (e.g. EDI), and almost unheard of to fly one to LCA vice the Euro-config (I couldn't resist the chance to get a LCA reference in!).

The "Enhanced Security" thing seems like a fob-off. To me, it seems more likely that BA are freezing seat selection on routes where an equipment change is in the offing.

Cheers,
Mike