Dicksbits

WTP window seat on a 789 next to me two nights away is showing as free (I am Gold) whilst it had been showing as blocked. Cabin not remotely full and other seats and cabins showing the usual X. Wondered why this had happened? Route is 22:30 IAD - LHR

ahmetdouas

Just checked in my mom for an ATH-LHR (she has no status) and noticed that seating was wide open from row 18 to row 28 to choose whatever she wanted.
Default setting was 18E, nice try BA for those that don't bother checking in online!

A big difference since the last time I used TS for Y about a year ago when I could only choose one row without status! Is this due to the load factor or simply a case of different algorithms?

corporate-wage-slave

Load factors would be my guess, assuming she hasn't got an expensive ticket, or an IT glitch perhaps. February is usually a dire month for European airlines and ATH is traditionally particularly poor. That said you are right at the back of the bus which would irk many passengers (somewhat unreasonably).

ahmetdouas

Just a quick refresher as I haven't done this in a while. I am flying club this week ATH-LHR, since I am a lowly blue I am sure they are going to give me the option to sit in the very back, like row 7 or 8 as its 8 row business class from what it seems. Last time I printed the boarding pass and issued it and just asked at the airport if any seats were free and managed to secure 1A. Should I just do that?

Or play the roulette and choose my seat but not print my boarding pass and keep on checking later.


If I print out the boarding pass, I assume I can only change the seat at the airport check in desk correct?

Frequentflyer99

I thought that the the idea of this was to give status pax a better shot at good seats. However, I and Mrs FF99 are both Gold and in ET have the window and aisle of an exit row with an empty seat between us. Miss FF99 has no status and is on a separate (Avios) ticket. She can - for a price - pre-select any free seat on the plane, including the empty seat between us. Is that how it is meant to work ??

If I do not call up to TCP, will Miss FF99 just be stuck with any old seat the system throws at her, and unable to change at OLCI ?

As an aside and OT to this thread, will there be any problem with Miss FF99 going through the BP scanner in the T5 F check-in area when she checks in with us, or is the scannner going to reject her as she does not have status ?

corporate-wage-slave

There isn't too much roulette on CE, unless of course the CE cabin gets pushed back to the exit row, which has been known on that route. That would then give you several target areas. You're right that if you print the boarding pass only the airport check in desks can change seats (in practical terms) so I would check in at the first moment, but print / App your boarding pass perhaps 2 hours before departure, nabbing the best seat as and when they show. It sounds a bit tedious doing this repeatedly, it's not something I want to do, but usually about a third of passengers (very round numbers) check in in the first 2 hours; another third overnight, and a third or less at the airport. So there can be rapid changes in the first few hours, and then the rate of change typically slows down somewhat.

ahmetdouas

Out of ATH I nabbed 1A last time, but on the LHR return at the airport it was completely full and had to stick with 7A, so will do as you say check in (they will initially probably give 7 or 8 A) then not print until a few hours before departure and failing that just ask at the airport if any seats further up are open.

dcmike

I would never disagree with CWS, but I would check in, not print, and then see at the airport. I sit in row 1 frequently ATH-LHR and there is often at least one seat free.

ChemicalWoody

I’m a Gold now and have seats reserved in the front row of CE on several flights.
Next month I’ll be downgraded to silver.
Does anybody know whether we’re likely to get bumped out of those seats when the downgrade happens?
Hopefully as long as we never touch anything until check in we should be ok?

BertieBadger

That is my understanding although an expert will be along soon if I'm talking cobblers.

From what I've read the only time you'd be 'ejected' is 1A/K longhaul.

scottishpoet

Theoretical seating does not kick in till t-72, so yes, if you book seats A and C, then prior to T-72 the B seat is likely to be available for selection.

BA, probably correctly, believes that prior to t-72, anyone who wants to buy a seat is unlikely to pick a middle seat between 2 occupied seats.

if you do not TCP then Miss FF99 would probably get a limited set of seats to choose from at OLCI but she should get some choice.

ahmetdouas

That's what I did and I got it last time when I asked the agent he gave me 1A! Hope I can manage it again this time.

Calloway

Just wanted to add something I found out first hand last week. I booked 2 economy flights and most of the seats were unavailable when reserving seats. When I got on the plane I could see that the plane (767) was, at most, only 25% full which puzzled me. Anyhow, the pilot announced that even though the plane was extremely lightly loaded we should stay on our designated seats until after takeoff and before landing due to weight distribution considerations. In between, however, he announced that we were free to move to any available seat. So, it looks like seats are also sometimes blocked based on load and weight distribution regardless of status.

pennineuk

IAN-UK

When were those last days? Since moving north, I've found the lack of easy options for getting to Gatwick has been a travel frustration.