Club World seat reservations not free?
May 12, 2017, 9:29 am
#31
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 11
Horses for courses....
After racking up Virgin Gold several times over this year, I thought I'd take a look at alternate options.
In a why not sort of way I booked AA business to Dallas and it spat out a BA code share for the outbound.
Continuing the why not theme, I went with it, the opportunity of experiencing two alternatives to my VA / Delta combinations.
Soon after booking, I realised why not...
Wanting to charge another £100 on top of a £4k ticket for an assignment is not cool however you want to dress it up. Nor are the very weak curry or chicken options that AA emailed me about under the heading of, It's time to book your entrée....
I did though take the time to call and check if this really was the case and if it was likely to lure me away from VA and a very unhelpful BA bod informed me of the policy and said tough (I'm sorry you don't like the policy, but all I can do is tell you about it and you book your assignment were the words used).
Still I'm sure the rest of the hard product and soft, lounge and staff, are going to give me the right sort of warm and fuzzy to dispel the Ryan Air cloud that is associated with BA these days.
I did also mention this to a United Global Services flyer and had a good laugh at BAs expense, so as for the horses for courses mentioned in another post, more like tired old nag destined for the knackers...
In a why not sort of way I booked AA business to Dallas and it spat out a BA code share for the outbound.
Continuing the why not theme, I went with it, the opportunity of experiencing two alternatives to my VA / Delta combinations.
Soon after booking, I realised why not...
Wanting to charge another £100 on top of a £4k ticket for an assignment is not cool however you want to dress it up. Nor are the very weak curry or chicken options that AA emailed me about under the heading of, It's time to book your entrée....
I did though take the time to call and check if this really was the case and if it was likely to lure me away from VA and a very unhelpful BA bod informed me of the policy and said tough (I'm sorry you don't like the policy, but all I can do is tell you about it and you book your assignment were the words used).
Still I'm sure the rest of the hard product and soft, lounge and staff, are going to give me the right sort of warm and fuzzy to dispel the Ryan Air cloud that is associated with BA these days.
I did also mention this to a United Global Services flyer and had a good laugh at BAs expense, so as for the horses for courses mentioned in another post, more like tired old nag destined for the knackers...
May 12, 2017, 9:48 am
#32
Join Date: Sep 2015
Programs: LH SEN; BA Gold
Posts: 8,407
I disagree with the policy but I can only laugh about the people throwing a tantrum because they can't select a seat in advance. You know that there were times where you got to pick your seat at the airport and only at the airport on a first come, first served basis, right?
May 12, 2017, 9:56 am
#33
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Silver, SPG Gold, Hilton Gold, Melia Gold, Shangri-La Jade, BA Amex PP, Iberia+, Nandos Card
Posts: 1,523
Welcome to the forum! Not sure about destined for the knackers though, they seem to do quite well charging for seats and continuing with what is seen as an inferior J product as others have noted...
May 12, 2017, 9:57 am
#34
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Silver, SPG Gold, Hilton Gold, Melia Gold, Shangri-La Jade, BA Amex PP, Iberia+, Nandos Card
Posts: 1,523
I disagree with the policy but I can only laugh about the people throwing a tantrum because they can't select a seat in advance. You know that there were times where you got to pick your seat at the airport and only at the airport on a first come, first served basis, right?
May 12, 2017, 11:17 am
#35
Join Date: Mar 2017
Programs: BA, EK, UA, MK
Posts: 85
I too recently found this out the hard way – after years of Gold status I stopped using BA and went all the way back to Blue while my business went elsewhere. Dipped my toes back in the water last week with LHR-PHX return in F (so no issues with seat selection there). Made a CW booking for LGW-OAK in Sep and discovered the policy wrinkle. Other posters have set out BA’s rationale for this, and having been on the other side when I had status, I have no issue with it. Useful to be aware (as I’m sure all the experts on these pages are) that if travelling with a Silver on the same reservation, or with Gold or higher even if reservations are separate, then seat reservations are still free at time of booking. When I tried the latter for my OAK trip as the other three members of my party have appropriate status, after enduring multiple circles of hell in the form of visits to the BA call centre, email exchanges etc, I could take no more and paid my £160…! Having looked around the forum (as you can see I’m new to this…) my expectations on the route are low so I’m hoping they are at least met….. And I see that after my latest trip I've now reattained the dizzying heights of Bronze and so could theoretically cancel my reservation and reselect for free at T-7, but I'm not sure my reserves of patience are sufficient for that 
May 12, 2017, 11:23 am
#36
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 11
Yawn
Tantrum? Merely observations, there was also a time when people banged rocks together. The economics say otherwise, earning per passenger, taking a fight that can't be won against Norwegian and Ryan Air, trying to participate in a business class fight that is long lost and instead juicing an existing base who get their rocks off on the highly entertaining twenty tier boarding process.
Of course I may be wrong, I might love being assigned a seat next to the bassinets in business, the crusty chicken might be a hit, the lounge a whizz and the crew be thrilled to be working and I will become their biggest fan....
Of course I may be wrong, I might love being assigned a seat next to the bassinets in business, the crusty chicken might be a hit, the lounge a whizz and the crew be thrilled to be working and I will become their biggest fan....
May 12, 2017, 2:23 pm
#37
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 43,025
Tantrum? Merely observations, there was also a time when people banged rocks together. The economics say otherwise, earning per passenger, taking a fight that can't be won against Norwegian and Ryan Air, trying to participate in a business class fight that is long lost and instead juicing an existing base who get their rocks off on the highly entertaining twenty tier boarding process.
Of course I may be wrong, I might love being assigned a seat next to the bassinets in business, the crusty chicken might be a hit, the lounge a whizz and the crew be thrilled to be working and I will become their biggest fan....
Of course I may be wrong, I might love being assigned a seat next to the bassinets in business, the crusty chicken might be a hit, the lounge a whizz and the crew be thrilled to be working and I will become their biggest fan....
May 12, 2017, 8:52 pm
#38
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 17
I encountered this too. Charging to choose seats in J is a ridiculous. This used to be a wonderful J class product, I guess it's not anymore.
Between the YQ taxes and now this, my Avios are essentially useless to me on BA. I used to fly BA heavily in J, and now I regret doing that.
Between the YQ taxes and now this, my Avios are essentially useless to me on BA. I used to fly BA heavily in J, and now I regret doing that.
May 12, 2017, 10:44 pm
#39
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: London, UK
Programs: BAEC GGL/GFl, HH Diamond, BW Diamond, Virgin Voyages Deep Blue Extra, Blue Peter Badge Holder
Posts: 3,937
Tantrum? Merely observations, there was also a time when people banged rocks together. The economics say otherwise, earning per passenger, taking a fight that can't be won against Norwegian and Ryan Air, trying to participate in a business class fight that is long lost and instead juicing an existing base who get their rocks off on the highly entertaining twenty tier boarding process.
Of course I may be wrong, I might love being assigned a seat next to the bassinets in business, the crusty chicken might be a hit, the lounge a whizz and the crew be thrilled to be working and I will become their biggest fan....
Of course I may be wrong, I might love being assigned a seat next to the bassinets in business, the crusty chicken might be a hit, the lounge a whizz and the crew be thrilled to be working and I will become their biggest fan....
Incidentally, it's Ryanair not Ryan Air just so you don't face future embarrassments within your posts.
Last edited by navylad; May 12, 2017 at 10:55 pm
May 13, 2017, 5:25 am
#42
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Ireland
Programs: No longer bothered chasing FF status.
Posts: 2,345
I think that in fairness, given that virtually no other (if any at all) airline has a charging policy for business class seats, it's not unreasonable for someone looking to book BA CW for the first time, to come unstuck by this.
When no other airline that a passenger may have flown with, charges for advance seat assignments in J, why would they be expected to feel the need to spend "more than 2 seconds" drilling through all the terms & conditions, to seek out what is a very unique policy in the market.
It's all very well for those on flyertalk, who have a more than average interest & knowledge in this sort of thing, than the vast majority of passengers. I would think that a lot of the newly registered posters who come on here to either ask about or vent over the policy, have arrived here from a google search initiated, once the klanger of paid seat assignments in CW becomes apparent after booking BA for the first time.
BA's seating policy is a very unique one in the Business Class marketplace & while it certainly has it's merits for frequent flyers, it no doubt catches people out when flying BA for the first time & would I imagine leaves quite a bad "Ryanair'esque" taste.
When no other airline that a passenger may have flown with, charges for advance seat assignments in J, why would they be expected to feel the need to spend "more than 2 seconds" drilling through all the terms & conditions, to seek out what is a very unique policy in the market.
It's all very well for those on flyertalk, who have a more than average interest & knowledge in this sort of thing, than the vast majority of passengers. I would think that a lot of the newly registered posters who come on here to either ask about or vent over the policy, have arrived here from a google search initiated, once the klanger of paid seat assignments in CW becomes apparent after booking BA for the first time.
BA's seating policy is a very unique one in the Business Class marketplace & while it certainly has it's merits for frequent flyers, it no doubt catches people out when flying BA for the first time & would I imagine leaves quite a bad "Ryanair'esque" taste.
May 13, 2017, 5:29 am
#43
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 43,025
I think that in fairness, given that virtually no other (if any at all) airline has a charging policy for business class seats, it's not unreasonable for someone looking to book BA CW for the first time, to come unstuck by this.
When no other airline that a passenger may have flown with, charges for advance seat assignments in J, why would they be expected to feel the need to spend "more than 2 seconds" drilling through all the terms & conditions, to seek out what is a very unique policy in the market.
It's all very well for those on flyertalk, who have a more than average interest & knowledge in this sort of thing, than the vast majority of passengers. I would think that a lot of the newly registered posters who come on here to either ask about or vent over the policy, have arrived here from a google search initiated, once the klanger of paid seat assignments in CW becomes apparent after booking BA for the first time.
BA's seating policy is a very unique one in the Business Class marketplace & while it certainly has it's merits for frequent flyers, it no doubt catches people out when flying BA for the first time & would I imagine leaves quite a bad "Ryanair'esque" taste.
When no other airline that a passenger may have flown with, charges for advance seat assignments in J, why would they be expected to feel the need to spend "more than 2 seconds" drilling through all the terms & conditions, to seek out what is a very unique policy in the market.
It's all very well for those on flyertalk, who have a more than average interest & knowledge in this sort of thing, than the vast majority of passengers. I would think that a lot of the newly registered posters who come on here to either ask about or vent over the policy, have arrived here from a google search initiated, once the klanger of paid seat assignments in CW becomes apparent after booking BA for the first time.
BA's seating policy is a very unique one in the Business Class marketplace & while it certainly has it's merits for frequent flyers, it no doubt catches people out when flying BA for the first time & would I imagine leaves quite a bad "Ryanair'esque" taste.
We can only hope they take more care over other similarly large purchases in their life.
May 13, 2017, 9:13 am
#44
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Ireland
Programs: No longer bothered chasing FF status.
Posts: 2,345
So I think the often written remark on here to someone who coming to BA for the first time & getting caught out by the seating policy, that they should have researched what they are getting, so "tough titty" is unfair. Particularly, in light of the fact that BA are alone in this.