When does row 1 CE get released to non gold
May 22, 2018, 6:35 am
#31
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: UK
Programs: IC Hotels Spire, BA Gold
Posts: 8,668
I always board last anyway (due to claustrophobia) so will be easy to see if a front row seat is vacant. Have often seen pax simply move around once the "boarding is complete" announcement is made and up front the CC usually seem only interested that the overall headcount is correct for the cabin. I would probably ask the CC out of politeness too, but IMHE, very few do ask.
May 22, 2018, 6:48 am
#32
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Krakow
Programs: BAEC Silver, Miles and More(FTL), IHG(Platinum), Accor, HHonors(Diamond), SPG, Hertz Five Star
Posts: 5,924
Note that as a Silver, if 1a and 1C are both free at T-72,when you grab 1A then 1C will be blocked.
As the cabin fills the block in 1C would be released before the block beside a Gold sitting elsewhere
This weekend on my GLA-LHR, at T-72 as a Silver I could see 1A blocked and 1C occupied. I was in 3A. No matter how often I checked I did not see 1A become available. However when the plane left the seat was occupied, I suspect what happened was at OLCI row 4 was available for CE to select, however when we took off CE only had 3 rows, so maybe the people who had been in row 4 were moved to the blocked seats next to Golds
As the cabin fills the block in 1C would be released before the block beside a Gold sitting elsewhere
This weekend on my GLA-LHR, at T-72 as a Silver I could see 1A blocked and 1C occupied. I was in 3A. No matter how often I checked I did not see 1A become available. However when the plane left the seat was occupied, I suspect what happened was at OLCI row 4 was available for CE to select, however when we took off CE only had 3 rows, so maybe the people who had been in row 4 were moved to the blocked seats next to Golds
May 22, 2018, 7:01 am
#34
Join Date: Nov 2017
Programs: BA, Hilton
Posts: 2,091
Very true, we are perhaps drifting off-topic. It does seem that the opening up of Row 1 to all passengers is not particularly well known, I wonder if some people (especially Silvers/Bronzes who select at time of booking/T-7) will just assume it is always unavailable?
Oct 9, 2018, 2:18 pm
#35
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 215
Myself and the other half are on a fairly empty CE flight next week. We are currently row 2, and row 1 is empty but blocked for golds. We are both silver and on separate bookings.
At T-72 I'm planning on moving us forward. However as we are in seperate booking I will have to move one of us from 2A to 1A first, and then repeat for the second person. However I wanted to check if TS will place a block in 1C and 2A after the first move and then prevent either of us sitting next to each other?
Am I creating more potential problems for the sake of 1 row forward?
Thanks
At T-72 I'm planning on moving us forward. However as we are in seperate booking I will have to move one of us from 2A to 1A first, and then repeat for the second person. However I wanted to check if TS will place a block in 1C and 2A after the first move and then prevent either of us sitting next to each other?
Am I creating more potential problems for the sake of 1 row forward?
Thanks
Oct 9, 2018, 2:36 pm
#36
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Tees Valley, UK
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 68
Doing NCL-LHR-HEL on Friday and my domestic i had 3F, got moved to 3A last night (no idea why's... i like my right hand seat for the approach into LHR!) - was able to choose 1F tonight, looks like all of row 1 is wide open.
Oct 9, 2018, 3:27 pm
#37
Join Date: Oct 2017
Programs: Honors Diamond
Posts: 1,639
Myself and the other half are on a fairly empty CE flight next week. We are currently row 2, and row 1 is empty but blocked for golds. We are both silver and on separate bookings.
At T-72 I'm planning on moving us forward. However as we are in seperate booking I will have to move one of us from 2A to 1A first, and then repeat for the second person. However I wanted to check if TS will place a block in 1C and 2A after the first move and then prevent either of us sitting next to each other?
At T-72 I'm planning on moving us forward. However as we are in seperate booking I will have to move one of us from 2A to 1A first, and then repeat for the second person. However I wanted to check if TS will place a block in 1C and 2A after the first move and then prevent either of us sitting next to each other?
Oct 10, 2018, 3:28 pm
#38
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 215
Yes possibly. Couple of things you could try: First try around T-73. Sometimes the blocks are removed a little early. Not sure if when that happens TS also kicks in early but if there is a short window between the two events you might be able to take advantage of that. Secondly if you have ExpertFlyer you could move one of you to row 1 and set an alert for one of the seats being either taken or unblocked as the cabin fills to let you act on this.
Oct 10, 2018, 3:36 pm
#39
Join Date: Oct 2017
Programs: Honors Diamond
Posts: 1,639
The airport ticketing/service desks however might be able to help if on the off chance you happen to be passing through an airport with a BA desk on a differrent flight at the right time. They seem to have more power access to be able to do things in the system, even for flights not under airport control.
Apr 25, 2019, 2:25 am
#40
Join Date: Mar 2007
Programs: BAEC GFL, GGL, CCR; Marriott PFL, Ambassador; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,076
So, can I play seat Tetris here: my colleague (GGL) is currently in 1A and I (GGL) have 1D. I asked BA to reserve 1F for my daughter (Silver) who is on a separate booking but that doesn't have seemed to work. The other seats are still empty though.
So, if I move myself a row back just before T-72, will 1F become free? I can then assign that to my daughter and quickly move myself back to 1D (the things we do)?
So, if I move myself a row back just before T-72, will 1F become free? I can then assign that to my daughter and quickly move myself back to 1D (the things we do)?
Apr 25, 2019, 2:37 am
#41
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,821
I would just wait until T-72 and see what comes up then. Silvers can't normally get there until then. Also if BA are doing a TCP move then it can take several days for it to actualise.
Apr 25, 2019, 2:42 am
#42
Join Date: Mar 2007
Programs: BAEC GFL, GGL, CCR; Marriott PFL, Ambassador; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,076
Thanks. T-72 passed about 15 mins ago and the seats haven't freed up. As a matter of interest, if BA are doing a TCP move and it takes several days, what is to stop a Gold grabbing that seat now? Nothing I guess.
Apr 25, 2019, 2:59 am
#43
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,821
Not much rather than nothing. Sometimes it's just a display issue, the seat seems available but if someone tried to move on the seat it wouldn't stick - the TCP seat is already there. Then at OLCI it all works correctly. You could call up if it's that important and if the daughter is under 14 then you better do so.
Apr 25, 2019, 4:19 am
#45
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Krakow
Programs: BAEC Silver, Miles and More(FTL), IHG(Platinum), Accor, HHonors(Diamond), SPG, Hertz Five Star
Posts: 5,924
You could try moving and see what happens but you may even find if your daughter is silver that you may not be able to go back beside her if the cabin is quiet, TS would put a block beside her that may or may not block a Gold. By all means give it a try and let us know how you get on
Last edited by scottishpoet; Apr 25, 2019 at 4:25 am