steview111

Bronze member. Booked a long haul trip in Club with the then other half. Life happened and she is no longer coming with me. Found somebody else to take the ticket, but no name change allowed. Booked a whole new ticket for them in World Traveller, called BA to ask if they could accommodate the new travel companion in the Club seat that I'd already booked, but of course the answer was a straight no.

First question, is there any way at all BA will let them travel in the, now unoccupied, Club seat next to me, and if so what would be the best way to achieve this? Check the ex in to keep the seat 'occupied' and then ask the cabin crew? Ask at check in? The gate?

Secondly, I appreciate that we live in a world of corporate greed and 'terms & conditions', but surely there should be an element of flexibility and common sense in situations like this. I understand the reasons you cannot change the name on the ticket, but by booking a whole new ticket, why is there not the common sense to allow them to sit in the Club seat I've already paid for.

cheshirepete

I guess when they fail to check-in BA will then see the seat as Free for Upgrades. Why don't you ask them to note on your new companions booking (or do it at check in and get there early) to request they be upgraded next to you. If the Cabin isn't oversold they might be sympathetic.

ringingup

Sadly, I don't think there is any hope here. The only way to guarantee that your travel companion will travel with you would be to buy (revenue or Avios) a CW ticket.

Any expectations that BA will show some sympathy and therefore make an exception is, imho, unrealistic. Unless the boundaries in these circumstances are clear, not only would it be unfair towards other passengers, but it would just be non-sense from a commercial point of view.

If you don't want to pay for CW, the only hope is that your travel companion will be lucky and receive an operational upgrade. These are rare though, so it is very unlikely.

Even if you check-in online for the ex (which I don't think you should do unless you have her permission), if for example you travel out of terminals with conformance, the ex will still be offloaded before the flight and his seat will be potentially given to someone else.

BrianWBrazil

My understanding is that you did not buy the seat, rather, you bought passage. It's not yours to keep in the event you fail to show up.

fruitcage

Indeed. At least one story hit the media when a row occurred about someone who wanted to use a seat that they'd paid for but for which the ticketed passenger no-showed.

ptr120

Sorry but you paid for a ticket that didn't allow this level of flexibility. Airlines oversell because they know that things like this happen and that some people won't show up - if they didn't, your flight would be much more expensive. It is highly likely that the seat next to you will be occupied by someone else who has purchased a ticket - either someone who previously didn't have a seat assignment, perhaps someone who has miss-connected, or possibly someone flying standby (airline staff).

LondonElite

Unfortunately the CW seat will go back into inventory if your companion doesn’t check in.. It stinks, I know.

gms

As others have suggested, forget about any chance of convincing anyone to upgrade your new travel companion. I would suggest that you might as well contact BA, split your existing ticket and cancel the part that won't be used. At least you should get back a small amount of money in terms of taxes, less appropriate fees.

LondonAndy

I'm afraid it's not possible. Depending on the length they are prepared to go to, a legal change of name may be possible!

https://www.theguardian.com/money/20...nair-admin-fee

Steve_ZA

If you check you now non-flying companion in online and you are flying from T5, they will be "offloaded" when they don't pass conformance 35 minutes before departure. If WTP is oversold then someone will be upgraded at the gate.

A WT - > CW (double upgrade) is not impossible but quite rare and unlikely unless WT is also oversold.

ringingup

I was just about to write this.

steview111

Thanks for the replies - for a mere layman, can somebody explain the definition of ‘conformance’

Further, I see a lot of mention of oversold. I don’t know the loads on the flight, but what if it isn’t oversold? Do check in/gate staff have the privileges to upgrade anybody into empty seats, or are they directed by a computer that tells them who’s the highest priority?

UKtravelbear

for BA at LHR T5 it means the passenger must have scanned their BP at security 35 minuted before departure.

Fail to do that means the passenger is automatically off loaded. There really is no way around it.

With BA upgrades are determined by the computer and it generates a list. Staff cannot over ride that list. Things such as BA status are taken into account and IF they do upgrade it would be from WTP first.

But BA does not upgrade people just because there is an empty seat in a cabin. If you tried it yourself the CC would soon spot it and you new companion sent back to WT.

babats

If your new other half looks anything at all like your old other half, would your old orher half' consider lending your new other half his/her passport?

Steve_ZA

Blimey, that is a really bad idea before you even get into the reasons why the previous companion is not travelling.