Why is TCP (seating) so difficult for BA?
Sep 4, 2018, 6:10 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Ireland
Programs: VS Silver, EK Gold, BA GGL/CCR
Posts: 487
Why is TCP (seating) so difficult for BA?
Warning - rant ahead.
Once a a year I bring my son (13) on a work trip with me and it’s naturally something I really look forward to. this year we’re off to the air show in Miramar (California) and I don’t know which of us is looking forward to it more.
I’m working and he’s on avios so no alternative to having two bookings. Joker and GUF used, flights booked, all good.
I allocate seats for myself and send the GGL team (who are usually excellent) a request to seat us together giving them both PNRs and the seats I’m requesting to be allocated for junior (no gold protected seats etc).
Four emails and and three phone calls later it’s still not done. Excuses ranging from seating are busy and it may take 72 hours (we’re now two weeks plus into this saga) to “we can’t contact seating by phone”.
I understand BA have chosen to put protecting revenue ahead of empowering employees to actually help customers, but if you make this choice then at least have efficient processes?
End of rant.
Once a a year I bring my son (13) on a work trip with me and it’s naturally something I really look forward to. this year we’re off to the air show in Miramar (California) and I don’t know which of us is looking forward to it more.
I’m working and he’s on avios so no alternative to having two bookings. Joker and GUF used, flights booked, all good.
I allocate seats for myself and send the GGL team (who are usually excellent) a request to seat us together giving them both PNRs and the seats I’m requesting to be allocated for junior (no gold protected seats etc).
Four emails and and three phone calls later it’s still not done. Excuses ranging from seating are busy and it may take 72 hours (we’re now two weeks plus into this saga) to “we can’t contact seating by phone”.
I understand BA have chosen to put protecting revenue ahead of empowering employees to actually help customers, but if you make this choice then at least have efficient processes?
End of rant.
Sep 4, 2018, 6:49 am
#2
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: London
Programs: BA CCR/GGL, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 3,483
I must say that I've never had a problem doing this - even when two members of the group were in a cabin (and therefore not eligible for seat selection under TCP) they were kind enough to do it.
Sep 4, 2018, 7:14 am
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Somewhere between 0 and 13,000 metres high
Programs: AF/KL Life Plat, BA GGL+GfL, ALL Plat, Hilton Diam, Marriott Gold, blablablah, etc
Posts: 30,531
I think it’s actually easier to achieve this on ba than on most other airlines.
Sep 4, 2018, 7:56 am
#4
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: living near Malaga
Programs: BA Gold , Mucci recipient. Coffee Drinker, Blue Sky Thinker
Posts: 2,111
I am on the same S/H flight as my father. Complete coincidence and different bookings. I called the Gold line and they moved him to an extra leg room seat next to me for free within 24 hours. I was delighted with the ease of the TCP procedure.
Sep 4, 2018, 10:58 am
#5
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 2,659
Warning - rant ahead.
Once a a year I bring my son (13) on a work trip with me and it’s naturally something I really look forward to. this year we’re off to the air show in Miramar (California) and I don’t know which of us is looking forward to it more.
I’m working and he’s on avios so no alternative to having two bookings. Joker and GUF used, flights booked, all good.
I allocate seats for myself and send the GGL team (who are usually excellent) a request to seat us together giving them both PNRs and the seats I’m requesting to be allocated for junior (no gold protected seats etc).
Four emails and and three phone calls later it’s still not done. Excuses ranging from seating are busy and it may take 72 hours (we’re now two weeks plus into this saga) to “we can’t contact seating by phone”.
I understand BA have chosen to put protecting revenue ahead of empowering employees to actually help customers, but if you make this choice then at least have efficient processes?
End of rant.
Once a a year I bring my son (13) on a work trip with me and it’s naturally something I really look forward to. this year we’re off to the air show in Miramar (California) and I don’t know which of us is looking forward to it more.
I’m working and he’s on avios so no alternative to having two bookings. Joker and GUF used, flights booked, all good.
I allocate seats for myself and send the GGL team (who are usually excellent) a request to seat us together giving them both PNRs and the seats I’m requesting to be allocated for junior (no gold protected seats etc).
Four emails and and three phone calls later it’s still not done. Excuses ranging from seating are busy and it may take 72 hours (we’re now two weeks plus into this saga) to “we can’t contact seating by phone”.
I understand BA have chosen to put protecting revenue ahead of empowering employees to actually help customers, but if you make this choice then at least have efficient processes?
End of rant.
Also when you are calling and speaking to agents we are simply sending the requests to seating. The booking is sent and from there what order or how long seating take varies a lot in my experience.