BA Flight - problem getting/paying for upgrade
Aug 8, 2017, 9:26 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: New Orleans, LA
Posts: 8
BA Flight - problem getting/paying for upgrade
On June 24th we took BA 1443 from EDI to LHR and then BA 225 from LHR to MSY coming back home from a vacation to Scotland. On the flight outward we flew AA flights from MSY to CLT to JFK to EDI.
When my travel agent booked the flight she booked us Main Cabin Extra on all 3 AA flights on our way to EDI. We also requested the same (i.e. Premium Economy) on the flights back. She was unable to book premium economy for some reason but we were able to get exit row seats for the leg room.
Here's the odd part I'd like comments on... when we arrived in EDI for checkin I inquired about upgrading (not for free) to Premium Economy on the longer flight. The attendant at the desk said that she couldn't do it there but that I would have to go to the desk at the boarding area and ask if I could do it in LHR. Fine... I said...I'll inquire there. As soon as an attendant got to the BA desk at the gate (ever so shortly before we were able to board) I, immediately went to the desk and inquired about paying for upgraded seats. She said she couldn't do it and I'd have to go all the way back to the reservation check in desk to inquire. I mentioned that the reservation check in desk sent me to her. She shrugged and said it wasn't possible.
After boarding the flight, we noticed that there were a significant amount of empty seats not only in the whole plane but definitely in Premium Economy. A flight attendant was sitting right in front of us and I inquired to her and she was confused as to why they wouldn't sell me 2 seats.
Does anybody have any idea why BA wouldn't sell me (or my travel agent) Premium Economy seats? It's the first time I've flown BA since they instituted a direct flight from LHR to MSY.
When my travel agent booked the flight she booked us Main Cabin Extra on all 3 AA flights on our way to EDI. We also requested the same (i.e. Premium Economy) on the flights back. She was unable to book premium economy for some reason but we were able to get exit row seats for the leg room.
Here's the odd part I'd like comments on... when we arrived in EDI for checkin I inquired about upgrading (not for free) to Premium Economy on the longer flight. The attendant at the desk said that she couldn't do it there but that I would have to go to the desk at the boarding area and ask if I could do it in LHR. Fine... I said...I'll inquire there. As soon as an attendant got to the BA desk at the gate (ever so shortly before we were able to board) I, immediately went to the desk and inquired about paying for upgraded seats. She said she couldn't do it and I'd have to go all the way back to the reservation check in desk to inquire. I mentioned that the reservation check in desk sent me to her. She shrugged and said it wasn't possible.
After boarding the flight, we noticed that there were a significant amount of empty seats not only in the whole plane but definitely in Premium Economy. A flight attendant was sitting right in front of us and I inquired to her and she was confused as to why they wouldn't sell me 2 seats.
Does anybody have any idea why BA wouldn't sell me (or my travel agent) Premium Economy seats? It's the first time I've flown BA since they instituted a direct flight from LHR to MSY.
Aug 8, 2017, 9:30 am
#2
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Gloucestershire
Programs: BA Gold (ex-GGL, maybe future Silver), Hilton Diamond
Posts: 6,199
Your travel agent: possibly because you were on the AA codeshare, and AA sometimes has problems with premium economy on BA metal (whcih is a separate cabin, not just MCE).
At the airport - you probably spoke to someone who wasn't ticketing trained. They should have been more helpful. Of course, it may not have been financially viable if there were no discounted airport upgrades available. Were you in a lounge by any chance (getting exit row seats suggests you're an AA Executive Platinum)?
At the airport - you probably spoke to someone who wasn't ticketing trained. They should have been more helpful. Of course, it may not have been financially viable if there were no discounted airport upgrades available. Were you in a lounge by any chance (getting exit row seats suggests you're an AA Executive Platinum)?