How to change seat selection after online check-in
Nov 4, 2017, 5:29 am
#7
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
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I will just post something here for those unfamiliar with BA's boarding pass system, the regulars will know all about this. But anyone searching this thread in the future.....
You can - and indeed should - check-in at the soonest opportunity and not get your boarding pass, just leave out the stage at the end where you are asked about whether you want a boarding pass on your screen/email/fax/download etc. Don't do that, or take the boarding pass on the App. That way the satus will say "checked-in", so you know you have a seat even if it's not a good one. Then up to about 90 minutes before departure you can continue to move around the cabin and select better seats as they become available.
In very round numbers, about a third of people only check-in at the airport (I really don't recommend this); another third check-in in the first 2 hours, and the remaining third check-in between 2 and 22 hours before departure. It can vary tremendously between sectors, if the sector is not full of BAEC members then more passengers will check in at the airport.
From what we have seen about Theoretical Seating there is an instant recalculation of options with every single person checking in. TS often only gives 1 or 2 decent options and half a dozen not-at-all decent options - though a lot more options if you are Gold or Silver. Therefore, if you take the previous paragraph as an example, if you check in at T-24 but leave the boarding pass alone, then after even 30 minutes you could get a lot more options presented.
So if I was in a duff seat, what I would do is check-in at T-24, don't download the boarding pass, check again after 30, 60, 90 minutes, then leave it a few hours, then another few hours. This advice also applies to people who are not offered a seat at all. Somewhere down the line, hopefully, you will get a better option.
If you are doing this on the App, and you see the following, be careful with Fat Finger Syndrome (and be careful on the Tube!) but it's important to press the "Add extra bags / change seats" button, not the big button below: that takes you straight to a boarding pass with no further seat selection possible.
There are reports that Contact Centres have been told not to offload people unless they are genuinely offloading themselves. However they can technically do it.
You can - and indeed should - check-in at the soonest opportunity and not get your boarding pass, just leave out the stage at the end where you are asked about whether you want a boarding pass on your screen/email/fax/download etc. Don't do that, or take the boarding pass on the App. That way the satus will say "checked-in", so you know you have a seat even if it's not a good one. Then up to about 90 minutes before departure you can continue to move around the cabin and select better seats as they become available.
In very round numbers, about a third of people only check-in at the airport (I really don't recommend this); another third check-in in the first 2 hours, and the remaining third check-in between 2 and 22 hours before departure. It can vary tremendously between sectors, if the sector is not full of BAEC members then more passengers will check in at the airport.
From what we have seen about Theoretical Seating there is an instant recalculation of options with every single person checking in. TS often only gives 1 or 2 decent options and half a dozen not-at-all decent options - though a lot more options if you are Gold or Silver. Therefore, if you take the previous paragraph as an example, if you check in at T-24 but leave the boarding pass alone, then after even 30 minutes you could get a lot more options presented.
So if I was in a duff seat, what I would do is check-in at T-24, don't download the boarding pass, check again after 30, 60, 90 minutes, then leave it a few hours, then another few hours. This advice also applies to people who are not offered a seat at all. Somewhere down the line, hopefully, you will get a better option.
If you are doing this on the App, and you see the following, be careful with Fat Finger Syndrome (and be careful on the Tube!) but it's important to press the "Add extra bags / change seats" button, not the big button below: that takes you straight to a boarding pass with no further seat selection possible.
There are reports that Contact Centres have been told not to offload people unless they are genuinely offloading themselves. However they can technically do it.
Nov 4, 2017, 5:58 am
#8
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Chichester, W. Sussex
Programs: BA Exec Club (Bronze)
Posts: 25
I frequently check-in as early as possible, but don't complete the final step as outlined above, to see if a better seat opens up.
I was interested in c-w-s's comment that TS recalculates after every check-in. I wonder if it would explain what happened to me several times (I'm Bronze, flying HBO ET, so now I don't have to pay to select seats, but it wasn't that long ago I had to). I would go to check in, to find that the only aisle seats available were a long way back. I would slightly reluctantly pay for the aisle seat, only to find when I'd completed the payment that suddenly aisle seats further forward would be available and I'd move myself forward. Never really understood why this should happen.
I was interested in c-w-s's comment that TS recalculates after every check-in. I wonder if it would explain what happened to me several times (I'm Bronze, flying HBO ET, so now I don't have to pay to select seats, but it wasn't that long ago I had to). I would go to check in, to find that the only aisle seats available were a long way back. I would slightly reluctantly pay for the aisle seat, only to find when I'd completed the payment that suddenly aisle seats further forward would be available and I'd move myself forward. Never really understood why this should happen.
Nov 4, 2017, 6:11 am
#9
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
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Yes, that's a combination of TS and the fact that you upgraded yourself into a higher seat selection band, hence other seats become available. TS seems quite complex, even now I'm still finding out more aspects about it.
Jan 14, 2018, 3:37 pm
#11
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Up North
Programs: BA Gold , Hilton Diamond
Posts: 157
Quick query linked to this thread:
My wife and I are flying F Tuesday and check in opens in the morning. We currently have 5 E/F. Our friends are also travelling in same cabin and currently have 1 A/K.
My wife would like to sit next to my friends wife so would like her to take my 5 F seat and I would like to sit near my friend so would take her 1A.
If we check in online and take our current seats, will we be able to swap 1A and 5F by consulting an agent in the lounge?
My wife and I are flying F Tuesday and check in opens in the morning. We currently have 5 E/F. Our friends are also travelling in same cabin and currently have 1 A/K.
My wife would like to sit next to my friends wife so would like her to take my 5 F seat and I would like to sit near my friend so would take her 1A.
If we check in online and take our current seats, will we be able to swap 1A and 5F by consulting an agent in the lounge?
Jan 14, 2018, 3:56 pm
#13
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 8,751
Jan 15, 2018, 6:48 am
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jun 2008
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I should mention that on my last two uses of the app, the app took me directly to the boarding pass without giving me the chance to change seat. This was not fat fingers (I'm pretty sure it wasn't the first time but absolutely certain the second as I precisely paid extremely careful attention after the mishap of a couple of days before). I have no idea what went wrong and if it is an issue that is more general or just a problem with the version that I have installed or something.