54000 Miles For Reserving Three Seats???
Feb 13, 2019, 5:15 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 44
54000 Miles For Reserving Three Seats???
Are you guys sure drugs are not legal in the UK yet? Because BA sure is doing some if they think that is reasonable for Executive Club Business Class Passengers. Seat selection is free 24 hours before but I am not sure any good seats were left. I am seriously considering switching my ticket to Lufthansa. I am flying from Seattle to London in a Super Hi J 747. What are the chances of getting 2 Window seats and one aisle seat in one row 24 hours before departure? Something tells me not very high
Feb 13, 2019, 5:36 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Brighton. UK
Programs: BA Gold / VS /IHG Diamond & Ambassador
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No one is forcing you to pay - either in cash or miles - to select seats. If you are willing to take pot luck at OLCI then go for it.
ba charging non status passengers for seat selection is not new.
being able to pay with avios is a recent development as people had been asking for the ability to use avios.
Whether the miles required is good value is a totally different question.
ba charging non status passengers for seat selection is not new.
being able to pay with avios is a recent development as people had been asking for the ability to use avios.
Whether the miles required is good value is a totally different question.
Feb 13, 2019, 5:49 pm
#3
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: BAEC GGL/CR; Hilton Diamond; Mucci des Puccis
Posts: 5,578
BA debundle seat selection. Bronze and above get it earlier than non status passengers as a benefit of status. It's their commercial choice and presumably drives loyalty for status holders offsetting the loss of people it irritates. It's not hard to get bronze (72 hour selection I think), basically one long haul J trip plus a couple of short hauls.
Fly Lufthansa by all means if you're flexible enough to switch and the fare is better.
I wouldn't burn avios to select seats personally, I'd pay the cash.
Fly Lufthansa by all means if you're flexible enough to switch and the fare is better.
I wouldn't burn avios to select seats personally, I'd pay the cash.
Feb 13, 2019, 6:50 pm
#4
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LH doesn't fly the route, so you will have to fly all the way to FRA and then connect back to LHR. The FRA-LHR will be in European J which is Y with the middle seat blocked.
If that is a better value and use of your time than CW on BA, by all means.
If that is a better value and use of your time than CW on BA, by all means.
Feb 13, 2019, 10:54 pm
#5
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Cumbria
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BA debundle seat selection. Bronze and above get it earlier than non status passengers as a benefit of status. It's their commercial choice and presumably drives loyalty for status holders offsetting the loss of people it irritates. It's not hard to get bronze (72 hour selection I think),
Feb 14, 2019, 12:49 am
#6
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Perth WA/ UK
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Posts: 1,750
If you don't fancy LH then I think Condor do. That could be interesting!! 😋 All routing via FRA or MUC I suspect ofcourse and then take your pick back to UK.🙄 Maybe best stick with BA.
Last edited by nivsy; Feb 14, 2019 at 12:56 am
Feb 14, 2019, 1:03 am
#7
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
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Do you have AA status? Such as AA Gold? That will do for 7 days selection. Or any oneworld status will do here. Some tickets and ticketing channels do come with seat selection included. As to the likelihood, that is difficult to guess without a date, Upper deck has 4 seats across so there would be someone in the middle, main deck has 2 window, 4 aisle seats per row, so in theory more likely. Given the reverse seating at the window it would seem more likely to get a window+aisle in one row, and a window seat aft or fore of that, so over 2 rows.
Feb 14, 2019, 4:00 pm
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 44
Do you have AA status? Such as AA Gold? That will do for 7 days selection. Or any oneworld status will do here. Some tickets and ticketing channels do come with seat selection included. As to the likelihood, that is difficult to guess without a date, Upper deck has 4 seats across so there would be someone in the middle, main deck has 2 window, 4 aisle seats per row, so in theory more likely. Given the reverse seating at the window it would seem more likely to get a window+aisle in one row, and a window seat aft or fore of that, so over 2 rows.
Feb 14, 2019, 4:11 pm
#9
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Are you guys sure drugs are not legal in the UK yet? Because BA sure is doing some if they think that is reasonable for Executive Club Business Class Passengers. Seat selection is free 24 hours before but I am not sure any good seats were left. I am seriously considering switching my ticket to Lufthansa. I am flying from Seattle to London in a Super Hi J 747. What are the chances of getting 2 Window seats and one aisle seat in one row 24 hours before departure? Something tells me not very high
Feb 20, 2019, 10:39 pm
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 44
Upper deck is gone already. I'm talking about rows A-B-D or D-J-K. It's pretty unlikely to get people to swap seats with you with BA I assume considering the wildly inconsistent hard product in the airplanes
Feb 21, 2019, 12:30 am
#11
Join Date: Dec 2011
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Feb 21, 2019, 12:48 am
#12
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 3,579
People may well have paid in Avios or cash to sit in the seats they're assigned. For any avoidance of doubt, it is not a good idea to start reorganising the cabin and asking people to swap when you get on board just so you can get the seats you want. Either pony up the fee if its important to you or take your chance with online check-in if it isn't. The paid for seat assignment policy isn't exactly new, it has been in place for the last 10-12yrs. That said, the fee is only applied to redemption tickets and the lower fare bands. If you purchase a J or C fare band ticket (fully flex usually) then seat assignment in bundled in to the price.
Last edited by 1Aturnleft; Feb 21, 2019 at 12:55 am
Feb 21, 2019, 1:34 am
#15
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up to you whether you risk it, pay, or indeed switch to another airline though your ticket is presumably not full fare or you’d have seat selection so cancelling may be impossible or very expensive.