Stan1980

Hi guys,

I was about to book a return Business class flight from AMS-CPT.
During the booking process, I found out that you have to pay for a seat selection in Club World.

I know that BA doesn't have the best Business Class product out there, but I was like REALLY??!?

So, in all my disbelief, I want to ask you experts: Do you really have to pay for a Club World seat selection/reservation?

Thanx for your kind replies!

Paralytic

Yes, unless you're BA Bronze (can book seats for free from T-7 days), Silver, Gold or One World equivalent. Anyone else can choose their seat at T-24 hours.

Plenty of threads (including a lot of support) on the topic here if you search.

ajeleonard

Yeah...really.....

rossmacd

Yes, you do. Protects the best seats for the frequent flyers, who generally book closer to departure. It is a great system, one of the few things that is still positive about BA.

Numerous threads on this subject, if you want to search

SteveF

Yes if you want to choose a seat now, no if you are prepared to wait until OLCI at T-24 hours and you are happy to choose from what's left for free.

corporate-wage-slave

One of the party favourites here, this topic, apologies in advance for some comments which may ensue downthread! Here is my favourite previous thread on the topic, there may be a few others too:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...ess-class.html

You don't have to pay. You get free seat selection at Online Check In stage, and starting from AMS you have a few hours' advantage over those starting from London since online check in will open a bit earlier for you.

But yes, unless you have a corporate deal or status on oneworld then you do have to pay for seat selection. Some here hate it, some here love it (I do!), and there won't be much meeting of minds, until you get a shiny card or two, I guess.

If you fly more than a few times a year, get yourself at least a BA Bronze card, or another oneworld Ruby level card, it's mainly occasional leisure travellers who get hit by this. Or wait until OLCI.

Phil the Flyer

Fly QR!

AAtticus

Yes, and I've said it before. It's actually a great benefit for loyal customers so the preferred seats are kept available.

Ldnn1

At least Stan1980 has sought clarification before booking his flights, rather than booking first and then moaning about the oh so cruel injustice of it all...

Now over to you to make the decision Stan

mikeyfly

For a couple of non status holders - i imagine this could cost £300 to secure two return seats. Don't like that? Book elsewhere. If you ignore, factor it into the "flight price" and consider it part and parcel, and you're still happy with the price / convenience then it's no great drama.

Cymro

The AMS-LHR-CPT timings on BA are so much better than the QR layover, however!

Not the best product, by any stretch, but it's not too bad. If you're going to pay, pay for the upper deck - go big or go home! (Or at least take any cheap/free seat on the lower deck).

The good news is that if you do AMS-LHR-CPT you'll be very close to bronze and free seat selection seven days out. Do it twice in a tier point earning year and you'll be knocking on the door of silver and free seat selection at the time of booking.

(Also, both HKG and CPT are 5,995 miles from LHR - coincidentally or not, flights that are over 6k miles earn more tier points!)

HIDDY

Yes definitely look at alternatives. Paying extra for a direct flight in J would be far better no matter the airline.

Cymro

£1,500 return in J, ex-AMS, for an overnight both ways, with a foolproof back-to-back, sounds very good compared to £1,800 in WTP ex-LHR, or £4k+ non-stop.

HilFly

Yes, they keep all of those best seats for frequent flyers.....unless someone wants to pay for them. Apart from a handful of seats on the UD.

corporate-wage-slave

And though KLM do offer a few dates in Business at £1,845, you are more typically looking at £2,700 plus from AMS. So HIDDY is defying the national stereotype here.