Bumped from chosen seats; wife upset; what to say to purser?
Feb 10, 2018, 10:37 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Piedmont, Italy; Cheshire, UK
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Bumped from chosen seats; wife upset; what to say to purser?
Yes, it's a 1st world problem: We're flying on today's daytime flight from BOM to LHR. Originally booked 1st using Avios. BA then 'cancelled' saying that 1st cabin had been cut. Rebooked on Business and got partial Avios refund. Reserved 'preferred' seats and all was good. On checking-in on line learned that the 1st cabin has now been reinstated on this flight (which must have happened very recently) and we've been reallocated seats in the middle of the cabin. Now in lounge and Mrs Up In The Air feeling negative about BA. If the purser does his/her personal greeting and asks if everything's ok, she's likely to complain rather than say that everything's fine thank you.
Feb 10, 2018, 11:17 pm
#2
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: GYD
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I might be more inclined to tell your wife to get a grip and remind her she's leaving a country where the vast majority of the population have a lot more important things to get 'upset' about than where they are sitting in a premium cabin of an aircraft.
Feb 10, 2018, 11:24 pm
#3
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,550
Tell her that seats are not guaranteed and can be changed - if the seats are that bad, perhaps there is someone in economy that would switch for the crappy business class seat ( or crappy 1st class seat if she has been rebooked back into 1st class )
Feb 10, 2018, 11:50 pm
#5
Join Date: Sep 2016
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I would try to get better seats if possible (unless the flight is full), but other than that I would try to have your wife realize that these things happen and convince her that the best recourse would be to write into BA since the purser won't be able to do much at the point where you're already on the aircraft. An alternative is to let the wife talk to the purser and mention it, as long as a scene is not caused I don't see any harm with mentioning being disappointed as long as it's done politely.
Feb 11, 2018, 12:10 am
#6
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: London
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Posts: 561
OP if it were me and I was proactively approached by the CSM or whoever then I'd certainly mention it. I'm of the opinion that unless you give constructive feedback, how do you expect things to change and possibly work better in the future. You only have to see the numerous threads on seating to demonstrate that quite a few people are picky about where they sit on the plane. If seat location wasn't important, BA wouldn't charge for it and passengers wouldn't pay for it.
Feb 11, 2018, 12:15 am
#7
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Once sitting in 3A in a 747, an elderly lady was op-upped to 4E. She made it clear she was unhappy being "dumped" in a middle seat, as she "carefully" had selected 17A for her flight. "It is a window seat", she articulated, both loud and clear.
The CSD was soon there to greet and apologize if she was unhappy with the seat, but as the only non-assigned seat in the F cabin was 5F, there was no window seat available. "But, if you so wish, Madam, I can ask the passenger now sitting in 17A to switch seats with you, so you can have your window seat".
The lady grumbled, but reluctantly agreed to stay. After a couple of G&Ts, quickly bolted down, she slept for the entire flight.
The CSD was soon there to greet and apologize if she was unhappy with the seat, but as the only non-assigned seat in the F cabin was 5F, there was no window seat available. "But, if you so wish, Madam, I can ask the passenger now sitting in 17A to switch seats with you, so you can have your window seat".
The lady grumbled, but reluctantly agreed to stay. After a couple of G&Ts, quickly bolted down, she slept for the entire flight.
Feb 11, 2018, 12:49 am
#8
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: GYD
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I don't understand these kind of responses in the context of this site, because literally every single post on FT fails this kind of test. I'm sure there are many fora to discuss global poverty and other issues of importance, but this is not one of them.
OP if it were me and I was proactively approached by the CSM or whoever then I'd certainly mention it. I'm of the opinion that unless you give constructive feedback, how do you expect things to change and possibly work better in the future. You only have to see the numerous threads on seating to demonstrate that quite a few people are picky about where they sit on the plane. If seat location wasn't important, BA wouldn't charge for it and passengers wouldn't pay for it.
Feb 11, 2018, 1:02 am
#9
Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club, easyJet and Ryanair
Join Date: Sep 2011
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Yes, it's a 1st world problem: We're flying on today's daytime flight from BOM to LHR. Originally booked 1st using Avios. BA then 'cancelled' saying that 1st cabin had been cut. Rebooked on Business and got partial Avios refund. Reserved 'preferred' seats and all was good. On checking-in on line learned that the 1st cabin has now been reinstated on this flight (which must have happened very recently) and we've been reallocated seats in the middle of the cabin. Now in lounge and Mrs Up In The Air feeling negative about BA. If the purser does his/her personal greeting and asks if everything's ok, she's likely to complain rather than say that everything's fine thank you.
Feb 11, 2018, 3:19 am
#13
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: LONDON
Posts: 415
Logically if you have been put into F for a C price, albeit through some sort of seating gymnastics, you've won. Explain to wife that you've got a head start on the next trip. If you are in Flub it's still a win.
If you find yourself in C I'm sure there are grounds for complaint but at least you are both not upset and can discuss how to tackle the issue clearly. It certainly seems unfair in that instance.
If you find yourself in C I'm sure there are grounds for complaint but at least you are both not upset and can discuss how to tackle the issue clearly. It certainly seems unfair in that instance.