SEA-LHR in WT+, did not pay for seats, am I doomed? Advice?
Mar 3, 2019, 1:48 pm
#16
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Seattle
Programs: AAdvantage Plat+, FoundersCard, Amex Plat, TR Diamond, Marriott Gold, Wyndham Dia, HH Gold, Hertz 5*
Posts: 785
A rare situation on this route: W is quite full, while both J and F are wide open. I see that W front row basinet seats are still vacant (but blocked). You might want to try and check at the airport if they are able to move you to 33A or 33K. I would also recommend inquiring about cost of AUP at the counter. On this route WTP > CW is normally around $800-900, but anecdotally people asking about it and then declining stand a better chance of opup (most likely an urban myth, but who knows).
Obviously that would be glorious to get upgraded for free, however unlikely ... any advice on how to increase that probability (even if it's just from 0.1% to 0.3%)? Or if there's absolutely zero chance, I might as well know that too.
Thanks for all the assistance.
Mar 3, 2019, 1:59 pm
#17
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
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Posts: 63,804
If it is T-28 or whatever then at OLCI then the 2 bassinet seats referenced above will open up at T-24. So fingers on the ready for that.
Upgrades at the airport are only done for cash.
Upgrades at the airport are only done for cash.
Mar 3, 2019, 2:00 pm
#18
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: LHR/SEA/YVR
Programs: BAEC G/*O E
Posts: 919
If I am asked to pay for an upgrade at SEA airport, I'm guessing I will only be able to use cash, not cash plus Avios, is that right?
... any advice on how to increase that probability (even if it's just from 0.1% to 0.3%)? Or if there's absolutely zero chance, I might as well know that too.
... any advice on how to increase that probability (even if it's just from 0.1% to 0.3%)? Or if there's absolutely zero chance, I might as well know that too.
Mar 3, 2019, 2:57 pm
#19
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Seattle
Programs: AAdvantage Plat+, FoundersCard, Amex Plat, TR Diamond, Marriott Gold, Wyndham Dia, HH Gold, Hertz 5*
Posts: 785
Guessing the answer to this will be "no", but if I call them up and tell them I'm AA Platinum, that won't give me enhanced seat selection capability, will it?
[Edit: Never mind this last - I'll be AA Plat+ after this trip but now I'm lowly Gold]
Last edited by huge; Mar 3, 2019 at 3:07 pm Reason: error
Mar 3, 2019, 3:04 pm
#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: 63,804
You could try calling, yes, have a search on bassinets in this forum, they are released around 72 or 48 hours to departure. At T-24 anyone can try for them online.
Mar 3, 2019, 5:39 pm
#21
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Seattle
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Posts: 785
Hey! One of them just unblocked (yay!) according to ExpertFlyer, but it's another middle seat (booo!), but it's in the front/bulkhead row, i.e. 33F (yay??), but when I go to Manage My Account on BA.com (or the Android App) it now shows zero seats (all show as unavailable) for me to select/pay for (...?).
Obviously I'm going to keep checking to see if anything changes, but can anyone interpret the ExpertFlyer-shows-available-seat but BA.com-does-not situation?
thanks...
Mar 3, 2019, 5:46 pm
#22
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: LHR/SEA/YVR
Programs: BAEC G/*O E
Posts: 919
One of them just unblocked (yay!) according to ExpertFlyer, but it's another middle seat (booo!), but it's in the front/bulkhead row, i.e. 33F (yay??), but when I go to Manage My Account on BA.com (or the Android App) it now shows zero seats (all show as unavailable) for me to select/pay for (...?).
Obviously I'm going to keep checking to see if anything changes, but can anyone interpret the ExpertFlyer-shows-available-seat but BA.com-does-not situation?
Obviously I'm going to keep checking to see if anything changes, but can anyone interpret the ExpertFlyer-shows-available-seat but BA.com-does-not situation?
Mar 3, 2019, 5:49 pm
#23
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Seattle
Programs: AAdvantage Plat+, FoundersCard, Amex Plat, TR Diamond, Marriott Gold, Wyndham Dia, HH Gold, Hertz 5*
Posts: 785
I was guessing from the preceding comments that that was not true once the seat is unblocked (which ExpertFlyer seems to think it is). But I am (obv) no expert.
Last edited by huge; Mar 3, 2019 at 6:01 pm Reason: clarifying
Mar 3, 2019, 6:19 pm
#25
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Seattle
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Posts: 785
Annd now EF shows 33F blocked again, and shows 35F available, and now BA also shows 35F available to me for $63.
Tell me if this sounds like reasonable strategy: I am going to attempt to start checkin at 18:30:01. If I can get any non-middle seat then we're done. If not, I will *not* download or print my boarding pass (does that mean I should not finish the checkin process or can you finish checking in without getting a BP?). At that point I would call BA and see if they can help me over the phone - that's the action I'm not sure about - is there any chance they could help me over the phone if I can't do it online? And is there any chance that calling could actually hurt, for example if they effectively forced me to accept a boarding pass and a middle seat assignment that then could not be changed?
Tell me if this sounds like reasonable strategy: I am going to attempt to start checkin at 18:30:01. If I can get any non-middle seat then we're done. If not, I will *not* download or print my boarding pass (does that mean I should not finish the checkin process or can you finish checking in without getting a BP?). At that point I would call BA and see if they can help me over the phone - that's the action I'm not sure about - is there any chance they could help me over the phone if I can't do it online? And is there any chance that calling could actually hurt, for example if they effectively forced me to accept a boarding pass and a middle seat assignment that then could not be changed?
Mar 3, 2019, 6:31 pm
#26
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: LHR/SEA/YVR
Programs: BAEC G/*O E
Posts: 919
Annd now EF shows 33F blocked again, and shows 35F available, and now BA also shows 35F available to me for $63.
Tell me if this sounds like reasonable strategy: I am going to attempt to start checkin at 18:30:01. If I can get any non-middle seat then we're done. If not, I will *not* download or print my boarding pass (does that mean I should not finish the checkin process or can you finish checking in without getting a BP?). At that point I would call BA and see if they can help me over the phone - that's the action I'm not sure about - is there any chance they could help me over the phone if I can't do it online? And is there any chance that calling could actually hurt, for example if they effectively forced me to accept a boarding pass and a middle seat assignment that then could not be changed?
Tell me if this sounds like reasonable strategy: I am going to attempt to start checkin at 18:30:01. If I can get any non-middle seat then we're done. If not, I will *not* download or print my boarding pass (does that mean I should not finish the checkin process or can you finish checking in without getting a BP?). At that point I would call BA and see if they can help me over the phone - that's the action I'm not sure about - is there any chance they could help me over the phone if I can't do it online? And is there any chance that calling could actually hurt, for example if they effectively forced me to accept a boarding pass and a middle seat assignment that then could not be changed?
Mar 3, 2019, 7:07 pm
#27
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Seattle
Programs: AAdvantage Plat+, FoundersCard, Amex Plat, TR Diamond, Marriott Gold, Wyndham Dia, HH Gold, Hertz 5*
Posts: 785
T-24.4hrs ... the tension builds! No new changes to the seat map on either EF or BA.
Tangent question... When I booked the flight I know I entered my AAdvantage number (though I was logged in to my BA account), but now it seems like my BAEC Avios number is showing, and I can't see any way to change it online - might be missing something. Am I right that I can change it at the airport or even after the flight is finished? I need to get AAdvantage EQMs & EQDs to make platinum+ status on AA.
Thanks for all the help - FT is (sometimes) the bomb!
Tangent question... When I booked the flight I know I entered my AAdvantage number (though I was logged in to my BA account), but now it seems like my BAEC Avios number is showing, and I can't see any way to change it online - might be missing something. Am I right that I can change it at the airport or even after the flight is finished? I need to get AAdvantage EQMs & EQDs to make platinum+ status on AA.
Thanks for all the help - FT is (sometimes) the bomb!
Mar 3, 2019, 7:22 pm
#28
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: LHR/SEA/YVR
Programs: BAEC G/*O E
Posts: 919
Mar 3, 2019, 7:24 pm
#29
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: GCM
Posts: 1,009
you used to be able to remove your ba number then re-add another one world airline on finnair.com i think it still works.
if you were aa platinum anyway you should have got free seats from the time of booking.......
as usual i finished second beaton to the answer good luck on an upgrade....
if you were aa platinum anyway you should have got free seats from the time of booking.......
as usual i finished second beaton to the answer good luck on an upgrade....
Mar 3, 2019, 7:46 pm
#30
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Seattle
Programs: AAdvantage Plat+, FoundersCard, Amex Plat, TR Diamond, Marriott Gold, Wyndham Dia, HH Gold, Hertz 5*
Posts: 785
Woohoo! No I didn't get upgraded, but they stuck me in 33K (window) without me even having to ask for it. Presumably they unblocked it exactly at T-24H & slammed me into it. I'm surprised they didn't stick me in 33F or 35F (which still shows open in EF) since I'm the lowliest no-BAEC-status cheapest refused-to-pay-$63-for-seat mongrel around, but I'll take it. Interestingly, EF still shows 33A as the only blocked seat.
I checked in without printing or downloading a BP just because that was my plan. Is there any reason to continue not downloading/printing, maybe in terms of that 0.0001% chance of an upgrade? I'm guessing it doesn't matter.
Also I didn't check in for my 2nd flight (LHR-AGP) because I read in another thread that that might cause BA.com to mess the bed at OLCI. I assume I can just go back through the checkin process again now for both flights and maybe get a free seat on that flight?
Thanks to all of you who replied & helped a poor BA noob (I think it's been over 20 years since I've flown on BA)
I checked in without printing or downloading a BP just because that was my plan. Is there any reason to continue not downloading/printing, maybe in terms of that 0.0001% chance of an upgrade? I'm guessing it doesn't matter.
Also I didn't check in for my 2nd flight (LHR-AGP) because I read in another thread that that might cause BA.com to mess the bed at OLCI. I assume I can just go back through the checkin process again now for both flights and maybe get a free seat on that flight?
Thanks to all of you who replied & helped a poor BA noob (I think it's been over 20 years since I've flown on BA)