BA forcing people together on same PNR?
Mar 2, 2019, 7:10 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: American Airlines ExecPlat, Asiana Diamond
Posts: 127
BA forcing people together on same PNR?
I normally travel by myself, but since a co-worker without OneWorld status was traveling on the same flight, I booked us together on the same PNR. I have Emerald, he has no status.
He picked exit row 14A, I did 15A since we just care about window seats. Right before online check in, BA decided to move me up to 14B for some reason (this was a half-full flight so every middle seat was empty).
I checked us in, and moved myself up to 10A. All was fine until we checked our bags at the airport, then they gave me 14F! I talked to the agent and 10A was taken and was finally moved to 10F.
Is this a common occurance with multiple people on the same PNR/status, where they will automatically just try to sit you next to each other even if you didn’t request it?
He picked exit row 14A, I did 15A since we just care about window seats. Right before online check in, BA decided to move me up to 14B for some reason (this was a half-full flight so every middle seat was empty).
I checked us in, and moved myself up to 10A. All was fine until we checked our bags at the airport, then they gave me 14F! I talked to the agent and 10A was taken and was finally moved to 10F.
Is this a common occurance with multiple people on the same PNR/status, where they will automatically just try to sit you next to each other even if you didn’t request it?
Mar 2, 2019, 7:25 am
#2
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IMO if you're extending your elite benefits to another person, such as being able to reserve good seats in advance without paying a fee, it's reasonable to expect you to actually sit with the person. Your colleague was given the ability to book good seats for free as a way of keeping you happy, not because BA desires to give otherwise expensive benefits to random kettles.
Mar 2, 2019, 7:35 am
#3
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 3,838
IMO if you're extending your elite benefits to another person, such as being able to reserve good seats in advance without paying a fee, it's reasonable to expect you to actually sit with the person. Your colleague was given the ability to book good seats for free as a way of keeping you happy, not because BA desires to give otherwise expensive benefits to random kettles.
Mar 2, 2019, 7:37 am
#4
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 3,642
IMO if you're extending your elite benefits to another person, such as being able to reserve good seats in advance without paying a fee, it's reasonable to expect you to actually sit with the person. Your colleague was given the ability to book good seats for free as a way of keeping you happy, not because BA desires to give otherwise expensive benefits to random kettles people who should otherwise be asked to pay for the service.
Mar 2, 2019, 7:39 am
#6
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All I can say is that it's never happened to me except when there is a configuration change that leads to reseating by the airline. In that case, I have indeed found myself next to my partner where we chose, say, two J windows (BTW: we have the same status so not a question of extending any benefits). Otherwise, we've always kept whatever seats we booked.
Mar 2, 2019, 8:43 am
#8
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Mar 2, 2019, 8:44 am
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: American Airlines ExecPlat, Asiana Diamond
Posts: 127
Yeah, exactly. I can understand if both or one of us didn’t select a seat for them to auto select nearby seats, but to not only change a manually selected seat months out, and then another manually selected seat at check-in is a bit overboard.
Mar 2, 2019, 8:47 am
#10
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Posts: 50,262
It is simply an algorithm. Under the assumption that people booked together more than likely want to sit together, it reassigns people to adjoining seats. It is one of those "best for the most" situations.
Mar 2, 2019, 9:33 am
#11
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 305
I have not experienced this.
My partner and I will often, on the same PNR, take 62A and 64K (for example) on a night flight. We've never been shifted.
(As an aside, we also have different surnames, and so unless anyone looked closely at the PNR they wouldn't realise that we were on the same booking. CC will often be quite surprised in the morning when we greet each other with familiarity. Once I was told, "gosh you move fast!"...)
My partner and I will often, on the same PNR, take 62A and 64K (for example) on a night flight. We've never been shifted.
(As an aside, we also have different surnames, and so unless anyone looked closely at the PNR they wouldn't realise that we were on the same booking. CC will often be quite surprised in the morning when we greet each other with familiarity. Once I was told, "gosh you move fast!"...)
Mar 2, 2019, 10:20 am
#13
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 3,838
Mar 2, 2019, 10:45 am
#14
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Executive Club - Silver (OWS)
Posts: 768
I have not experienced this.
My partner and I will often, on the same PNR, take 62A and 64K (for example) on a night flight. We've never been shifted.
(As an aside, we also have different surnames, and so unless anyone looked closely at the PNR they wouldn't realise that we were on the same booking. CC will often be quite surprised in the morning when we greet each other with familiarity. Once I was told, "gosh you move fast!"...)
My partner and I will often, on the same PNR, take 62A and 64K (for example) on a night flight. We've never been shifted.
(As an aside, we also have different surnames, and so unless anyone looked closely at the PNR they wouldn't realise that we were on the same booking. CC will often be quite surprised in the morning when we greet each other with familiarity. Once I was told, "gosh you move fast!"...)
For example, Mr A Smith and Miss B Jones on the same PNR would be listed as:
Mr A Smith AA2
Miss B Jones AA2
AA being the group code and 2 showing the group consists of 2 passengers.
Mar 2, 2019, 11:04 am
#15
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: London. Or a plane.
Programs: "Only" 50,000 TPs until BA GGLfL
Posts: 2,774
I think this happened at LCY to me yesterday - I chose a seat at OLCI, the other person on my booking chose a seat in a different row when they OLCI'd later and the computer moved me. I wasn't a happy bunny - note to BA: if I choose my seat at OLCI, it's because I want to sit there.