Inappropriate seat reassignment?

Old Jan 3, 2019, 1:14 am
  #16  
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,438
That is a gamble with booking seats at the front of economy - that the club cabin will extend and you will then be given whatever is still available

The staff are , quite rightly, not just going to move someone else who was not impacted by the seat change just because you have a gold card

Perhaps in future it might be prudent to select seats a bit further back where you will not get impacted if the cabin shrinks
Tony_B and nancypants like this.
Dave Noble is offline  
Old Jan 3, 2019, 1:36 am
  #17  
gms
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: South East, UK
Programs: BA Gold / GfL, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,431
Originally Posted by simons1
You cannot really expect BA to organise the whole of its economy cabin to suit a minority of travellers, even higher status ones.
Not sure why you think I have any such expectations My comment was a general one, linked to a previous comment about "risk of Gold disappointment".

As a Gold I know that BA will happily place me as toilet monitor at the back of the plane. In fact, on several flights BA has automatically put me in those seats upon booking (when >90% of the seats on the aircraft are unassigned). Maybe they are trying to tell me something!
Silver Fox likes this.
gms is offline  
Old Jan 3, 2019, 1:46 am
  #18  
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold; FB Silver; SPG; IHG Gold
Posts: 2,963
It's happened to me as well and it is annoying. If in economy I will tend to carefully consider the row I pick, based on time until I fly the sector, what the seat may is showing, my experience of CE loads on that service (if any) etc. and then make a decision. I get the impression (but I'm sure I will be corrected if this is not true ) that if the flight is still some way off the seat map will often zero out quite a few rows of ET that then get freed up closer to the actual date. Generally I'm happy to opt for the furthest row forward available on the seat map and take the gamble, as usually it works out fine.
South London Bon Viveur is offline  
Old Jan 3, 2019, 2:07 am
  #19  
Hilton Contributor Badge
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Cumbria
Programs: BAEC GGL/CCR, Hilton Diamond, Starbucks Gold
Posts: 4,510
Originally Posted by mario
Golds, by definition, should fly quite frequently. Does it really matter that on one sector, and a short one at that, that you were moved?
Have you tried row 25 on an A319?

I did once. Awful. Must be worst seat on the plane.
madfish is online now  
Old Jan 3, 2019, 2:12 am
  #20  
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: 63,476
Originally Posted by dubistokay
Of course, it was tolerable - took maybe 5min longer to exit the plane, obviously there was no immigration, but I had no access to BoB given the short length of the flight. However I can’t help but wonder if this is all normal and in policy? I did raise a complaint and am waiting to hear back.
Welcome to Flyertalk and welcome to the BA forum dubistokay. It's good to see you here and I hope we will see more of you. Moreover, I think I would be correct in arguing that the single thing that will prevent this sort of thing happening again is not writing to Customer Relations - it is participation in this forum, where the term "curtain roulette" is a regular feature.

Row 6 on A319 from GLA is very much at risk from the curtain moving, but (e.g.) row 10 is unlikely to suffer this, and that is the exit row too. Moreover your other big risk with row 6 is a swap to an A320, most of whom don't have airvents in row 6. Usually the curtain doesn't jump by more than a row at a time, very occasionally 2, but it usually is a process that evolves in the period from 72 to 24 hours to departure, though it can happen later than that. Being right behind the curtain is where the roulette comes into play and some judgement calls need to be made (e.g. can I keep monitoring this? am I that bothered? is CE filling up?). Note the Theoretical Seating thread in the Dashboard, being Gold two-thirds of the way down the cabin may bring other benefits, and also that it someways a better tactic is to start that far back and move forward, rather than starting at the front and being forced backwards.

I suspect the reply you will get back from Customer Relations will be slightly apologetic but essentially say that seating isn't guaranteed. What it won't say is that you greatly escalate the risk by being in row 6, and the further back you are, the less likely it is to happen. Given a moving curtain, there isn't much choice but to move somewhere, and if it's bad enough having 1 customer affected, it would be worse having 2 customers impacted.
MSPeconomist, wrp96 and nancypants like this.
corporate-wage-slave is offline  
Old Jan 3, 2019, 2:19 am
  #21  
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: LHR
Programs: BAEC Gold, SkyTeam Elite Plus, Sixt Gold
Posts: 417
I agree BA should not move other passengers around to please frequent flyers, that said I must confess I am disappointed at how BA treats seats reassignments.

Indeed there is nothing wrong with moving the curtain or swapping planes but, for instance, if I booked an emergency seat on a A319 and then it gets changed to a A321, BA should retain the exit row selection and move me to the closest seat matching that requirement. Surely something that can be easily programmed. Instead, they either keep the same seat number or randomly allocate another seat.

This forces me to constantly monitor all my upcoming bookings to check my seats, also because BA does not bother to proactively send an email to let passengers know.

Overall, seat assignment is IMO very poorly managed.
frandrake is offline  
Old Jan 3, 2019, 2:20 am
  #22  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,246
Originally Posted by orbitmic
Curtain might still move all the way to boarding time. Are you suggesting preventing non status passengers from choosing a seat till then?
No. You just do something clever to avoid them being shoved to row 25.
FlyerTalker39574 is offline  
Old Jan 3, 2019, 2:34 am
  #23  
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: UK
Programs: Mucci, Diamond Status & on the Supreme Council des Conseillers, BA Ag, Bonvoy GFL/Plat, xVS Au
Posts: 831
As suggested above. Much better to book the extra legroom exit row seats. Less risk of a seat change through curtain movement and more space.
gliderpilot is offline  
Old Jan 3, 2019, 7:03 am
  #24  
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: 30,357
Originally Posted by richardwft
No. You just do something clever to avoid them being shoved to row 25.
But what's that clever thing? I know the OP was hoping that they would move someone else so that their reassignment be less bad, but ultimately this would necessarily mean inconveniencing more people rather than the smallest number so despite having been the victim of those changes as a GGL/CCR card holder myself multiple times, I'm not entirely sure I can see a better solution. On busy flight, all good seats will be taken and ultimately if more people buy a special offer upgrade or show up in C than planned (airlines all assume a certain proportion of no shows) and the curtain moves, you will not have an obvious "clever" solution at hand I'm afraid.
orbitmic is offline  
Old Jan 3, 2019, 7:17 am
  #25  
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 1,676
Firstly OP if in economy unless there's a reason you can't, always chose exit rows, they're just a little better. Sitting behind the curtain is a risk as you found out. Mostly the exit rows will survive the curtain move I believe, although there's no guarantee of that.
But like so many things with BA, and maybe other airlines too, when it comes to seat selection there's so much you need to be aware of that they don't cover on the website. First and foremost is that BA care nothing about you, you're meaningless to them, if they can sell your seat as a CE one, they'll shift you with no regard that you chose that seat based on your status, and they are not going to go to the effort of a more complex rearrangement, they'll just shift you to suit themselves, it sucks, but it's reality. They can describe this sort of thing as operational reasons all they want, but like many things described as operational, they mean economic.
dougzz is offline  
Old Jan 3, 2019, 7:31 am
  #26  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,246
Originally Posted by orbitmic
But what's that clever thing?....
You block some seats behind the centre fire exit rows for Golds so in the event of the curtain moving to the worst case scenario, some of the then best economy seats are available for Golds.
On this map http://thebasource.com/seatmaps/319/cy144.html Im referring to rows 11-14.

Last edited by FlyerTalker39574; Jan 3, 2019 at 7:36 am
FlyerTalker39574 is offline  
Old Jan 3, 2019, 8:05 am
  #27  
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: All over the place often South Wales and Lake District
Programs: BA Gold for Life
Posts: 4,547
Originally Posted by richardwft


You block some seats behind the centre fire exit rows for Golds so in the event of the curtain moving to the worst case scenario, some of the then best economy seats are available for Golds.
On this map British Airways A319 CY144 Seat Map Im referring to rows 11-14.
Then you increase frustration for other passengers as they are unable to get a seat assignment at check in. Imagine what would happen on a Geneva flight which is status heavy. What you are suggesting is not practical, and if you only block 6 seats ineffectual.
orbitmic, rapidex and Dover2Golf like this.
itsmeitisss is offline  
Old Jan 3, 2019, 9:57 am
  #28  
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: LCY
Programs: Mucci des Ancients Matelots
Posts: 767
I was in the flounge asking the staff if it was possible to move me and a work colleague so that we were sat together. I was told politely no as there was only 1 seat left on the plane.

When I boarded, I asked the crew, yes I was chancing it a little but thought it couldn't hurt. When they pulled out the ipad it showed around 20 empty seats around the plane and they were happy to move us so we could sit together so it does seem that the lounge information doesn't always match the reality. Maybe theoretical seating (but I think not as the guy we were next to had no status according to the ipad) or maybe a block for aircraft trim, whatever, it didn't seem to bother the crew to move us so it's worth bearing that in mind.

I defo didn't want to be one of those people asking other pax to move or be moved! I couldn't live with the stares.
GaxxyFlyer is offline  
Old Jan 3, 2019, 10:16 am
  #29  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,246
Originally Posted by itsmeitisss
Then you increase frustration for other passengers as they are unable to get a seat assignment at check in. Imagine what would happen on a Geneva flight which is status heavy. What you are suggesting is not practical, and if you only block 6 seats ineffectual.
When is the position of the curtain decided ?
Do silver status passengers who never go over 620 TPs and flirt with easyJet to GVA really matter?
FlyerTalker39574 is offline  
Old Jan 3, 2019, 10:25 am
  #30  
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Ipswich
Posts: 7,543
I guess the OP has had their expectations adjusted by the responses here.

But, even knowing about curtain roulette, I would have been a tad miffed (and no more) to have been moved after checking in and downloading my BP. I've only had the misfortune of being moved prior to check in up to now.
windowontheAside is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.