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-   -   Fee for seat selection - How much? (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/british-airways-executive-club/1930312-fee-seat-selection-how-much.html)

Diogenes1789 Sep 12, 2018 10:22 pm

Fee for seat selection - How much?
 
I have not traveled much on BA - 1 TATL trip.. I am contemplating buying a business class ticket, SFO to LHR, and continuing - LHR to JNB. I understand that BA charges an extra fee to reserve a seat, even in Business Class. I have not been able to find out what the amount of the fee is, anywhere on the BA website. I even called BA, and although transferred to several "agent" personnel, no one could tell me what the amount of the fee would be. Only that "it varies. "Can anyone tell me what the range of this fee would be? I want to compare the overall airfare with that of other carriers.

Cymro Sep 12, 2018 11:06 pm

Doing a dummy booking for November, you can click through and pay for your seats as part of the overall purchase, so you’re not committed.

It it seems to be $111 per leg in this case though this may vary between seats and/or change over time.

It’s also worth mentioning that buying the flight with a hotel could save $1k or so on a 10-day trip and that you might want to wait for the flights to fill up before committing to seat selection (though these are both very full routes).

Finally, you’ll be only one AA domestic first away from BA silver status (OneWorld Emerald) after this trip.

EmsyDee Sep 13, 2018 6:50 am

I’m flying business on BA next month SFO - LHR return and didn’t pay to reserve seats at the time of booking. On this flight, prices to reserve seats are in 3 bands, £83, £91 and £100 depending on whereabouts in the businesses cabins you want to sit. Upper deck seats are all £100 and lower deck are all £83 or £91 except a pair at the front.

I’m not sure how much (if any) the fees vary between selection at time of booking amd after booking, but hopefully this helps to give a you ballpark idea.

cupsandsaucers Sep 13, 2018 12:38 pm

Point of note. I just flew SFO-LHR not 12 hours ago.
There are two flights out of SFO to LHR. One is a new a380 and one and old 747. So make sure you book on the A380!

mwp1 Sep 13, 2018 1:03 pm


Originally Posted by cupsandsaucers (Post 30200373)
Point of note. I just flew SFO-LHR not 12 hours ago.
There are two flights out of SFO to LHR. One is a new a380 and one and old 747. So make sure you book on the A380!

have to disagree, if there is a choice of either, I'd definately be booking UD on 747 over a380, as they won't be around forever , and the OP says he doesn't fly BA much

cupsandsaucers Sep 13, 2018 1:53 pm


Originally Posted by mwp1 (Post 30200456)


have to disagree, if there is a choice of either, I'd definately be booking UD on 747 over a380, as they won't be around forever , and the OP says he doesn't fly BA much

Em fair enough. But the 747s are old, loud and have dated cabins. Not sure why would want that over a quiet plane with better seats, humidity and air pressure.

rossmacd Sep 13, 2018 2:31 pm

I don't get this argument that 747s will not be around for much longer - the latest from BA is that the 747s will be around until approximately 2023. Considering we are still in 2018, this seems like a long time to me! :confused:

george77300 Sep 13, 2018 2:32 pm


Originally Posted by cupsandsaucers (Post 30200602)
Em fair enough. But the 747s are old, loud and have dated cabins. Not sure why would want that over a quiet plane with better seats, humidity and air pressure.

I disagree with a lot of that, age is irrelevant its the interior that matters. The High-J frames are not that dated and the mid-J are getting an upgrade. Also I would disagree on the better seats and say BA's best J seats are the Upper deck on the 747. Finally the air pressure/humidity isn't much different anyway between the two and it's the 787/350 which are slightly better in that regard. I would definitely take the upper deck business on the 747 over the A380.

george77300 Sep 13, 2018 2:34 pm


Originally Posted by rossmacd (Post 30200726)
I don't get this argument that 747s will not be around for much longer - the latest from BA is that the 747s will be around until approximately 2023. Considering we are still in 2018, this seems like a long time to me! :confused:

Actually February 2024 currently and possibly even longer. The last with be the High-J frames most likely on JFK routing. Options will certainly diminish and they may even be the last passenger operator if the -400 series and certainly the last major airline operator.

RGS5526 Sep 13, 2018 4:55 pm


Finally, you’ll be only one AA domestic first away from BA silver status (OneWorld Emerald) after this trip.
If the OP already has 20 or more TP in his BAEC account, for example by crediting the previous TATL trip he mentions if it falls within his current membership year, then he will have the 300 TP needed for Bronze membership shortly after arriving in South Africa. As a Bronze he will be able to reserve seats free of charge seven days before flying.

Although no good for the outbound trip, a USA domestic on AA, credited to BAEC, could net the base TP needed to qualify for free seat selection on the return legs for less than the seat reservation charge.

cupsandsaucers Sep 13, 2018 6:21 pm


Originally Posted by george77300 (Post 30200733)
I disagree with a lot of that, age is irrelevant its the interior that matters. The High-J frames are not that dated and the mid-J are getting an upgrade. Also I would disagree on the better seats and say BA's best J seats are the Upper deck on the 747. Finally the air pressure/humidity isn't much different anyway between the two and it's the 787/350 which are slightly better in that regard. I would definitely take the upper deck business on the 747 over the A380.

Each to their own then. That's all I can say to that.
I find the A380 vastly superior to the now extremely dated 747.

Flip42 Sep 14, 2018 1:34 am


Originally Posted by Cymro (Post 30198289)
Finally, you’ll be only one AA domestic first away from BA silver status (OneWorld Emerald) after this trip.

BA Silver is Sapphire, not Emerald.

Cymro Sep 14, 2018 2:14 am


Originally Posted by Flip42 (Post 30202184)
BA Silver is Sapphire, not Emerald.

Sorry, of course it is - slip of the fingers!

Globaliser Sep 14, 2018 3:53 am


Originally Posted by cupsandsaucers (Post 30201314)
Each to their own then. That's all I can say to that.
I find the A380 vastly superior to the now extremely dated 747.

Would you take a new large anonymous airliner rather than a dated private jet?

The 747 UD has the feel of a private jet, and it's probably the closest that most of us will ever get to experiencing that. For that alone (which is worth a lot for stress-free pleasant travel), it scores highly in my book.

In contrast, the only substantial thing that the 380 has to offer in its place is two large toilets. Even the low noise level of the 380 has its disadvantages, particularly for those in rows 53 and 56.

Diogenes1789 Sep 14, 2018 3:55 pm


Originally Posted by EmsyDee (Post 30199078)
I’m flying business on BA next month SFO - LHR return and didn’t pay to reserve seats at the time of booking. On this flight, prices to reserve seats are in 3 bands, £83, £91 and £100 depending on whereabouts in the businesses cabins you want to sit. Upper deck seats are all £100 and lower deck are all £83 or £91 except a pair at the front.

I’m not sure how much (if any) the fees vary between selection at time of booking amd after booking, but hopefully this helps to give a you ballpark idea.

Decided to pay for the seat reservations now - since we are two traveling together, did not want to take the chance that we would not be seated in adjacent seats, and also did not want to be seated in the middle section. Needed 8 seat reservations - 2 each for 4 legs of the trip. Used my Aviovs to reduce the cost - It cost 17,238 Avivos per seat reservation, for 4, and paid cash for the remainder. $130.25 USD per reservation (About £ 100). Interesting, for flights on the 747, (but not the A380) the upper deck was already sold out for this May, 2019 trip.


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