BahrainLad

I think it speaks to the entitlement culture amongst a large number of middle class Brits these days - I want all of the benefits of a product (in this case a unified booking) without actually paying for it, and I expect the rules to be bent in my favour when it goes wrong otherwise I will inconvenience everyone else who plays by them.

And then even when it's finally resolved, I'll run to the newspapers.

Kgmm77

Whilst I don't agree with how they handled it or running to the media, to most travellers the concept of single PNR protection, IDBs etc is alien.

One of the causes here is the BA pricing engine treatment of HBO fares.

lorcancoyle

As someone who swore never to fly Cityjet again after being stuck in a cramped first row on a 146 with all 3 seats filled this would be a massive disincentive.

Now they are narrow seats!

Swiss Tony

Sorry I can barely keep a straight face given that someone saving a few bob is deemed by so many to be a "cheapskate" whereas we have people happy to admit everything from stealing a packet of crisps to dropping the final leg of an ex-EU ticket, depriving BA of thousands of pounds of revenue???

Hey, guess what?

I booked 5 seats on an intra-Asia flight split over 2 PNRs because I could only get 4 award seats. I paid cash for the last one, so I guess I'm a cheapskate too? I then sent the airline a note, they did a TCP and no one is any the wiser.

It's BA who are the cheapskates here for electing not to offer TCPs IMO. The family are just exercising their right as consumers not to have to pay for something they don't want...

callum9999

It's threads like this that make me realise I have very little in common with the "typical" person using this board... Particularly the post by c-w-s - that was rather jarring for someone who is usually so over-the-top friendly in welcoming new posters on here!

The only thing that I can see that they did wrong was to ask people if they can take the empty seat next to them. I hardly think that enough to justify the vitriol thrown at them by people on here...

dnajockey

"used to be"

All E170s and E190s now (aside from a very rare wet-lease)

JohnnyColombia

I don't know why people are getting a little bent out of shape over this. Simon Calder is a legend and this is an ideal mainstream media story which combines some septic tedium such as HBO fares, split PNRs and BA's CE product, with some human interest things such as a crying toddler, an accommodating pair of CE pax, a testing situation with overbooking and my favourite part, the middle seat pax claims to have started some sort of networking conference with his new CE companions.

The Independent published it because they thought their readers would enjoy it. I thought it was a giggle.

layz

CityJet is the Irish airline formerly part of Air France. They still use the Avros.

DELLAS

I think you are mixing up Cityjet www.cityjet.com and CityFlyer.

srbrenna

Sadly you are completely correct.

HIDDY

It's Flyertalk, that's why.

The dumping ground for stupid stories like this.

Disco Volante

.....

HarryHolden68

Indeed. I recently flew domestic on a HBO fare. A change to my plans meant that I needed to take a camera case and tripod as well as an overnight bag. They first two were pushing it for cabin luggage, not to mention having 3 bags. So I did the decent thing, and paid to check them.

I nearly fell over when the agent told me that the cost was Ł40 per bag per sector. Likewise, the check in agent informed me that status benefits do not apply, and as a GCH, there was no second "free" bag. I had to pay for both. Imagine my thoughts on the return sector in the front cabin of a 767 with only 14 passengers in the cabin. All that empty locker space that I respectfully preserved.

As the agent said, there is an incentive to buy the right fare. I agree - no complaints, but the application seems ill contrived. Same could be said to Misty.

South London Bon Viveur

I am surprised that BA would overbook Ibiza as it is not the sort of flight that I would expect many no-shows on, being, I imagine, a flight used almost exclusively by leisure travellers.

mario

I for one don't understand this point of view. Why is it so bad that this family wanted to save a few quid? What they did is perfectly legitimate and I can't see why they all shouldn't expect a seat on board that aircraft.

Where does it say on ba.com "Ensure that you book everyone together if you want them all to travel"?

It is BA who is at fault there. Not the poor people that booked the separate tickets.