flabound

my son is getting married next July and wants to go to JNB (safari) on the 380 flying out on a Tuesday.

he is looking at Y v Premium, wondering if Y loads are light and they might get a row to spread out on rather than the fixed arms in PE

does anyone have any idea how busy ,in general, that flight is midweek in July ?

TIA

skywardhunter

Waaaay too far out but while not as busy as Southern Summer (December) it's around the time of school holidays in SA, mid-Juky this year was the end of the holidays so flights packed with families returning to SA

windowontheAside

I think it's very risky to hope to get a row of seats in Y on any long haul flight these days.

Revenue management seem to do a pretty good job of filling planes, and with theoretical seating the chances of getting multiple empty seats next to you without status is pretty skinny.

ahmetdouas

On my LHR-LAX A380 experience, I noticed the plane was pretty much completely full in Y, but for some reason 2 rows at the middle top back mini cabin section of the plane wasn't, so your best bet would be there if the plane isn't 100% full!

Mike P

I wouldn't bank on any flight to South Africa having much spare capacity, it's a busy route, even at that time of the year. I would try and bag a deal in J, possibly with QR or an ex EU deal.

BApilotinsider

With SAA on the brink of collapse, expect the BA flights to be even busier than normal.

WorldLux

Empty rows on a long haul flight is probably a movie myth. It's probably more likely that people are left at the gate than that a L/H flight would leave with empty seats.

florens

Why not try Iberia? I've seen prices as low as Ł400 in Eco on exEU-MAD-JNB.

Pascoe

Generally true, but I got on a 744 LHR >> JFK a few years back, late Nov, early afternoon flight. Was travelling on my own, on a rare journey in WT, and at check in I asked about upgrade options on a whim.

The lovely check in lady said she could more than happily sell me a seat in WT+ or even J, but that she suggested I take a look at the current loadings in WT before I made my decision.

When she turned the screen around it became apparent that I would be one of only something like 3 or 4 pax in the whole of that back cabin.

I therefore took the decision to forgoe the last remaining seat in the WT+ cabin in favour of a choice of any one from maybe 30 entire rows to stretch out in.

So I had a fully flat seat plus a dedicated member of cabin crew to myself. Who was of the 'more red wine sir?' persuasion.

By a country mile the oddest and best long haul economy experience I have ever had. At the start of a three week trip of self pampering, food, beer and scuba. Perfect.

sammyg901

I've had a couple of similar experiences over the years, usually on Virgin to NYC in the winter. But I have to say BA do a great job of filling their planes (despite all our complaints!) I really struggle to remember a flight that hasn't been full or pretty much full and these days with theoretical seating as someone has mentioned it'll have to be very quiet before you get a look in!

Sam Bee

Unless it's Tuesday 3rd July, I would say no chance at all of the flight not going out 100% full in Y or Y+. As I mainly fly Y I am very successful at getting banks of seats to myself (i'm 6ft6) and would assume no chance for those dates so would be prebooking early, and prebooking emergency exits.

Currently BA's cheapest fares in Y and Y+ are available up to 4th July (by that I mean T Class in Y+ and N Class in Y (cheapest current fares).

Might be worth looking at these on a creeping basis (i.e. assume tomorrow that 5th July cheapest seats are available) and so on, and check the prices when you've worked out his Tuesday should be available, and if affordable, consider booking. No guarantees, but worth checking.