TWCLAM

Now we all understand that the term in the thread title, whilst often apt, can also be used as a catch all and after getting an email using it I was after some reasoned clarity. Situation detailed below.

Booking of rtn leg HEL-LHR 10th Feb. Booking made in excess of 6 months ago. Seats ( 4 D-F) selected mid November. Both pax Silvers. Our preferred seats being 2A-C but not available we grabbed these as soon as we got Silver. In the hope of drop outs( unlikely as it is on said route) we regularly check just incase. Previously it's been 1A, 1D, 2AC, 2F,3C, 3DF ( we've presumed row 1 were gold's and blocking same for 2f bu5 just guess work there obviously). Cabin was 14 rows, I believe max for an A320? but now 9 rows with row 1-5( A-C) then 1 pax per side / row and us pushed back to 7A-C.

Ive gone through the scenarios I can envisage going on historical seating from the booking and can't see why we've been pushed back. With a cabin reduction there weren't enough ahead of us to push us back so far. The aircraft hasn't changed type. The only thing I can think of is a group booking. Whilst I understand that attempts are made to keep groups together I'm left wondering if we've been moved to make way for a group which may have zero status themselves. Is, it might be I'm genuinely asking, it protocol to move pax with status in defrence to a large group booking?

Accepting the "all the seats are the same what does it matter" argument I'll counter we pick seats in the hope of getting our 1st choice meal and just personal preference on where we sit. We'd rather avoid the issues @teledude had of late and being sat the fathest forward as poss is a good way to do so.

Thanks for any enlightenment that can be shared as to why we'd be shifted so far back is appreciated.

rapidex

Possibly a corporate booking from a company that has a pricing and seating deal with BA. They spend more money than you (or me) , so guess what happens.

navylad

corporate-wage-slave

I'm going to guess this is BA799, in which case the seating looks like this:




Now I didn't see what it was like before the curtain move so I'll have to make further assumptions. Very often even in CE single travellers try to select a half-row to themselves. But generally speaking there will be quite a few Golds and perhaps some GGLs on that flight. There may be family groups, and one big complication can relate to groups with toddlers since the extra air mask is available at every seat (though in CE that's not usually an issue unless there were 2 toddlers in a row). The re-seating will try to (a) respect the various hard rules such as where wheelchair passengers can sit (b) preserve window versus aisle locations (c) keep groups together. The process is mainly automated but people can and do ring up to sort out family groups, To Complete Party and what-not, so yes there is a chance of rough justice here, not from any malice, but purely because it's a case of balancing all the competing pressures in just a few seconds.

Theoretical Seating won't have kicked in yet, but Amadeus Seating does have some logic to it, keeping some seats towards the front for Golds and what not. As it happens. if a Gold booked now (given the flight is several weeks away) they would be restricted to rows 7 and 8. ET isn't looking so full at the moment, the curtain may go further back again by 1 maybe 2 rows and some other passengers moved forward will perhaps move back again, though it's unusual for people to want to go back.

Incidentally given 6A and 5D, I think you had a narrow escape of sorts: you don't want row 6 since it may not have air vents. But keep looking, people do change their travel plans.

TWCLAM

Thank you all for feedback and yes CWS you guessed right. I've submitted a seating issue complaint requesting an explanation for the seating change and highlighting all the excuses they can't get away with under 'OR' and reasons why( imo). Will wait and see. I've been quite busy since the new year so was unaware of a computer issue last week. As there's been no aircraft change maybe it's down to that and they will rearrange in light of this.

Once again very much appreciate all those who took the time to respond and give some useful feedback

1Aturnleft

Operational reasons will pretty much cover the airline in all eventualities with regards to reseating. Had you paid to reserve seating the obligation would be to reaccommodate to the most similar seating configuration (window, aisle, together etc...) as the seats originally chosen. This is what BA have done in your case. Not entirely sure what you're expecting out of raising such a complaint above and beyond what has been shared here but I think you're likely to be wasting your time. Even if the response is more than a cut/paste of pre-written sentences cobbled together to form a contradictory correspondence, what are you going to do if their explanation doesn't stack up to your definition of satisfactory?

daniel1