Unnecessary daggers thrown...
Aug 16, 2018, 8:55 am
#31
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: London
Programs: BAEC bouncing from Blue to Gold to Blue VSFC Red CXGreen Club Accor Platinum Hilton Silver.
Posts: 914
It never ceases to amaze me when ever I've been asked to swap seats it's always for a less desirable seat, and when I have politely suggested offer swapping with the other seat where their partner is sitting they never seem to try that suggestion.
John
John
Aug 16, 2018, 9:18 am
#35
Join Date: Feb 2008
Programs: BA (GGL/CCR)
Posts: 1,256
I must admit the collective moral attitudes here on FT seem to me to be confusingly inconsistent sometimes. On this thread the overwhelming (and in my view correct) attitude is that OP had every right to object to being asked to move seats and to the unpleasant treatment he endured when he said no. Yet on another thread an OP whose principal complaint is that, despite numerous requests, no-one at BA would forcibly move others to accommodate the seating preferences of their travelling party, also receives strong support, and the few who dare to suggest that expecting others to be shifted represents something of a surfeit of 'sense of entitlement' are attacked for their mean spiritedness. Which is it to be?
Aug 16, 2018, 9:26 am
#36
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,754
I must admit the collective moral attitudes here on FT seem to me to be confusingly inconsistent sometimes. On this thread the overwhelming (and in my view correct) attitude is that OP had every right to object to being asked to move seats and to the unpleasant treatment he endured when he said no. Yet on another thread an OP whose principal complaint is that, despite numerous requests, no-one at BA would forcibly move others to accommodate the seating preferences of their travelling party, also receives strong support, and the few who dare to suggest that expecting others to be shifted represents something of a surfeit of 'sense of entitlement' are attacked for their mean spiritedness. Which is it to be?
Aug 16, 2018, 9:29 am
#37
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: UK
Programs: Lemonia. Best Greek ever.
Posts: 2,274
CCayley,
I don't understand your logic.
It is all very, very simple.
If I want someone else to do something for me, like move to a worse seat, then they must do so. If someone else wants me to move to a worse seat, then they can go whistle. Simples!
However, much of this is down to "attitude" . The OP here is told that they should move to a worse seat. Because the goldie darlings want to sit together. Which, of course, they could have done when making the booking. Or they could sit together downstairs.
In the other thread, the OP, a parent, wanted BA/CC/Other entitled slf to move around. So they could sit together. (They already had a bassinet seat). BA caused that problem, but why should everyone else suffer?
I don't understand your logic.
It is all very, very simple.
If I want someone else to do something for me, like move to a worse seat, then they must do so. If someone else wants me to move to a worse seat, then they can go whistle. Simples!
However, much of this is down to "attitude" . The OP here is told that they should move to a worse seat. Because the goldie darlings want to sit together. Which, of course, they could have done when making the booking. Or they could sit together downstairs.
In the other thread, the OP, a parent, wanted BA/CC/Other entitled slf to move around. So they could sit together. (They already had a bassinet seat). BA caused that problem, but why should everyone else suffer?
Aug 16, 2018, 9:33 am
#38
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Canary Wharf, London
Programs: MyWaitrose, IC Spire Ambassador, Hilton Diamond & BAEC Gold
Posts: 2,685
I think the two situations are different CCayley. Someone needing a bassinet seat and wanting to sit with the rest of their family due to a BA change is very different to a couple who fly a lot, know the system and expected someone to give up a much better seat. I wouldn't be surprised if there were seats they could have had on the lower deck too, but they decided to try this move instead.
BA should really block the seat next to the bassinet one too, so a couple can sit there if needed, and free it up for others closer to departure if it's still not taken,
BA should really block the seat next to the bassinet one too, so a couple can sit there if needed, and free it up for others closer to departure if it's still not taken,
Aug 16, 2018, 9:35 am
#39
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Londinium
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 930
I've gotten nasty treatment for refusing to switch seats - usually in economy when I have gone through the trouble to book exit row/extra legroom (I'm over 6'3"). It's amazing how people feel like being married to someone gives you the right to demand that solo passengers move.
Worst ever was 20 years or so ago flying AF BOS to CDG in Y. This was the first time I'd flown long haul in several years, and I was very excited. I went to the airport very early to get the exit row, as that's what you did in those days. After boarding a man asked me to move so he could sit next to his wife. I said I didn't really want to because it was a long flight. The FA then came up and basically told me I had no choice in the matter.
An AF staffer at CDG later told me that it was my fault because I wasn't able to speak "friendly French" to the FA asserting my right to the seat. I've never forgiven AF for this (obvs)
Worst ever was 20 years or so ago flying AF BOS to CDG in Y. This was the first time I'd flown long haul in several years, and I was very excited. I went to the airport very early to get the exit row, as that's what you did in those days. After boarding a man asked me to move so he could sit next to his wife. I said I didn't really want to because it was a long flight. The FA then came up and basically told me I had no choice in the matter.
An AF staffer at CDG later told me that it was my fault because I wasn't able to speak "friendly French" to the FA asserting my right to the seat. I've never forgiven AF for this (obvs)
Aug 16, 2018, 9:39 am
#40
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: Brighton UK
Programs: BAEC-Silver, AMEX-BA Prem' Plus & Standard, Accor Gold, HH-Silver, IHG,IBIS On Business
Posts: 955
Aug 16, 2018, 9:57 am
#41
Join Date: Feb 2008
Programs: BA (GGL/CCR)
Posts: 1,256
I assume you're referring to 'bassinet-gate'. I think you're wrong in that the two cases are wildly different. In bassinet-gate a whole family HAD reserved the seats needed to accommodate family inc baby, only to have equipment change throw those plans into disarray. BA could have done more to help them however in the end they ended up with half of what they wanted and did the right thing trying to get the family back together again in one row. They did nothing wrong. In this case though, well...I think we know who is doing something wrong and it boggles the mind that a GCH doesn't pre-book seats anyway? It's not going to cost anything.
Aug 16, 2018, 10:11 am
#42
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,754
But perhaps the two situations only appear different because we are hearing of them from different perspectives?@:-) We have no idea how the villainous couple in this thread came to be separated - maybe BA cancelled their originally booked flight on which they had reserved seats together, who knows? And so far as the other thread is concerned, we have no idea what claim the people who ended up assigned the seats OP wanted may have had - was it a last minute random allocation or did they have a decent claim to those seats? All we got was the perspective of an OP who apparently thought the presence of a baby in the travelling party meant that all of his/her travelling companions (I assume regardless of number) had a claim on the seats they wanted that trumped everyone else.
Aug 16, 2018, 10:18 am
#43
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Kyiv, Ukraine
Programs: Mucci, BA Gold, TK Elite, HHonors Lifetime Diamond
Posts: 7,691
Aug 16, 2018, 10:26 am
#44
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 23
My wife and I paid £200 to book our seats on UD(53A/53B) over 7 months ago for our flight in October. I would be rather annoyed to say the least to be asked to move, unless it was obviously really going to help someone in a situation. Not sure I’d have been as tolerant as the OP
Aug 16, 2018, 11:05 am
#45
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: NCL
Programs: BAEC and Hilton mostly
Posts: 655
You've absolutely put my experience yesterday afternoon into context.
I was in 1F CE and some guy from an aisle seat a few rows back told me that he had to sit next to his work partner who was in 1D. I responded politely that I wasn't inclined to move.
Guy from a few rows back tells the CSM that he needs to move me so that he and his work colleague could sit together, again by saying loudly "we're both Gold Card holders".
The CSM is great and says that I don't need to move. Guy from a few rows back then moves to 2C and proceeds to talk very loudly at 1D for the entire 90-minute flight. I don't think 1D even got more than 10% of the conversation but it meant that me, 2F and probably most of the cabin were treated to a nearly 90-minute loud monologue about some very tedious work subjects, interspersed now and again with "this would be easier if we were sitting together" comments.
I thought I was annoyed about this, but having read your story, I was reminded that my flight was only 90 minutes and mine didn't involve a husband who felt he was being slighted...
I was in 1F CE and some guy from an aisle seat a few rows back told me that he had to sit next to his work partner who was in 1D. I responded politely that I wasn't inclined to move.
Guy from a few rows back tells the CSM that he needs to move me so that he and his work colleague could sit together, again by saying loudly "we're both Gold Card holders".
The CSM is great and says that I don't need to move. Guy from a few rows back then moves to 2C and proceeds to talk very loudly at 1D for the entire 90-minute flight. I don't think 1D even got more than 10% of the conversation but it meant that me, 2F and probably most of the cabin were treated to a nearly 90-minute loud monologue about some very tedious work subjects, interspersed now and again with "this would be easier if we were sitting together" comments.
I thought I was annoyed about this, but having read your story, I was reminded that my flight was only 90 minutes and mine didn't involve a husband who felt he was being slighted...
