tomdelay

I love your analogy! Sadly, I think BA CS would probably improve if they started using astronauts!

timma1971

This thread has been mostly about Gold and Silver seat selection problems but is the glitch affecting Bronze customers as well? I have a CE/CW reservation from CPH to SFO (AA ticket, BA metal) but it looks like there’s no T-7 days free seat selection what so ever. Is this because of the AA ticket or the well-known glitch?

/Mark.

KARFA

If you have your BAEC number in the booking and it is showing on BA MMB you should be able to do free seat selection from 7 days before the flight when you look at the booking on BA MMB.

Are you saying there are no seats to select or that it tries to charge you if you select a seat within 7 days? Try calling if you are struggling online.

corporate-wage-slave

Welcome to Flyertalk, welcome to the BA forum timma1971. It's good to see you here, and hopefully you'll be getting some nice shiny cards off the back of the information provide hereabouts.

If Golds and Silvers are struggling, I imagine Bronze will as well. You can try putting your AA PNR into BA.com to see if it comes up, but I also suspect that a call may be easier. The 7 day period is exactly to the minute that, but based on local time / departure time.

timma1971

Thanks for your reply! So far I've tried both AA and BA PNRs without any luck. Have also checked the 7 days period which is ok (dep next saturday 6.05 GMT). On both legs there are several seats to choose from for 288 / 741 DKK but hate to pay for something that should be free. Luckily will get my Bronze tags upgraded to Silver after this trip.

MrMutton

Scrap that - got replies back now from the three queries sent in about separate upcoming flights (word for word the same question, just changing the flight concerned - flights are LHR to DUB/ABZ/CPH):

Response one:

The reason you're unable to select the exit row on our short haul flights at present is that the Club Europe cabin is changeable in size and we block anywhere up to row 12 on the basis that we might sell the seats as Club Europe tickets. The exit row is normally on row 10, 11 or 12 depending on the aircraft, which means it could be part of Club Europe. We can't offer you seat reservation in this section unless we're sure you'll be in the correct cabin or we'd end up having to move you. If we don't sell enough Club Europe tickets the exit row seats will be confirmed as part of the Euro Traveller cabin and released for pre-booking. Until this happens I have no way of reserving you a seat in this row and can only recommend you try again soon.

Although we advertise free seating as a complimentary benefit of a Silver Executive Club membership it is not guaranteed and covered in our conditions of carriage section 5E, 5E1, 5E2 and 5E3.

Response two:

Thank you for writing to us about your boarding pass and exit row seats booking query. Exit row / extra legroom seats can be reserved from 14 days to 4 days before the flight departure time, or during check-in directly at the airport. To occupy an exit row seat, you must meet certain physical and / or age requirements. The following ba.com page explains all about the requirements for these seats, and when / how to book them on ba.com, including the pre-assignment cost: http://www.britishairways.com/inform...sing-your-seat

Response three:

Thank you for writing to the Club about your seating query. Exit row seats are available in World Traveller (economy) and World Traveller Plus (premium economy) on longer international flights. They can be reserved from 14 days to 4 days before your flight departs, or during online check-in. Exit row seats have no seats directly in front of them, and so provide you with more personal space than standard seats. If you want to request an exit row seat you must meet certain physical and/or age requirements. Bulkhead seats are usually reserved for people with infants as this is where the bassinet table is positioned, so you may not be able to reserve these.

As others have said previously, some of the responses clearly miss the point, but the first one fits with increasing large CE cabins reported in another thread. However, it does not explain why the same thing is happening on a domestic flight, and I was disappointed that the final comment was "and our T&Cs cover us anyway so tough"

Its only a seat on a short flight, so I know that I need to get a life, but if these are the small perks that sway decisions as to who to fly with, and they are being eroded away or inconsistently applied, with different people at the airline saying completely different things, then it gets frustrating and people will start to look elsewhere.

kanderson1965

From the first reply it would seem that they have no obligation to provide what they advertise so, policy change or not, it seems like game over. This would also seem to preclude those who suggested it was false advertising from taking action against it, very astute BA. I would be interested to know whatever else they can choose not to provide, which has been advertised.

simons1

All standard letters. You can tell as the phrases are the same as responses received from others.

Probably been sent by some bored person in India who can't be bothered to understand the point you are making (hence three different replies).

One or two people on here were 'reassured' but almost 2 months in this is getting to the 'too hard to fix so lets make an enhancement' level. Lots of Golds saying how happy they are blah blah blah.

FrancisA

Daring to suggest as a mere accountant (I did acknowledge that I wasn't an expert) that it might cause BA some legal difficulties if they advertise some that they don't then provide, is causing a bit of a discussion in the introduction of paid food thread.

However, if we can get over who can or cannot comment (i.e. not claim to be providing a definitive legal opinion), then I personally think there is a subtle distinction here. With paid for food, BA have specifically stated in the booking pages during the booking process that you will get free food and drink. Here we seem to have a BAEC benefit which is available subject to operational restrictions. I would compare this with the hotel industry. Book this room now and you will receive breakfast for free; contrasted with status benefits such as upgraded rooms or late check out which are subject to capacity restrictions which may render them unavailable on occasion.

To my (ill-informed) mind adopting a common sense approach, if part of the offer to me offer includes a benefit which it is said will be available (and it is not said may be withdrawn in certain circumstances), my acceptance makes that a part of the deal. However, if I know in advance that a benefit is subject to a restriction and that restriction is correctly applied that seems fair enough to me.

I am sure someone far more knowledgeable will be along to show why this isn't as straightforward as that.

simons1

Well the ET section of the website refers to 'free drinks and snacks'. So presumably a choice of water and OJ and a biscuit would see them home and dry.

kanderson1965

Yes I did see that, seems like the legals were voting for a closed shop, ironic considering that their world is about debating opinions based on interpretation of the written word. I general I agree with your view, my issue is that knowing IAG's track record for re-defining the word "enhancement", what is clear now as a benefit or an included part of the package in your argument will become less clear as restrictions are added piecemeal until the clear benefit it no more.

cosmo74

I've received the same standard responses about booking 14 days in advance on longhaul and there not being any exit row seats on short haul planes. What's even more annoying is that the form they send you a link to to give feedback on their feedback doesn't work.

angeloedades

How are people getting their exit rows for the moment? Is it through ringing BAEC?

I tried to ring last night but was told that the flight was under airport control (Flight is on 2nd of April and was booked last night)!

/AE

corporate-wage-slave

From what I can make out, all seats are available at T-72 hrs (approx) in the usual way. Not all flights are affected.

henkybaby

Every time there is a new post here, I frantically click on it in the hope it is the 'all clear' signal.

Stop posting!