Seat assignment for injured passengers - won’t clear seats?
May 3, 2019, 9:42 am
#16
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There is a picture of the stairs up to the upper deck in this thread.
Mobility Issues Upper Deck BA 747
Will your companion be able to manage the stairs ?
There is also a comment in that thread that BA won't allow someone who needs airport assistance to sit in the upper deck. I appreciate this thread is from 2013 so it may not be the current policy but wanted to flag it up.
Mobility Issues Upper Deck BA 747
Will your companion be able to manage the stairs ?
There is also a comment in that thread that BA won't allow someone who needs airport assistance to sit in the upper deck. I appreciate this thread is from 2013 so it may not be the current policy but wanted to flag it up.
May 3, 2019, 11:38 am
#17
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Thanks all for the insight.
Just to give more background, we are booked on separate PNRs. As the injured passenger was waiting for “fit to fly” the new ticket was booked within the 72 hour period.
It seems that the agent wasn’t able to see that he was gold, and couldn’t assign that A380 upper deck seat. But it could be assigned online.
For my own seat assignment, we want to sit together so that I can assist. Again, initially I couldn’t see a big selection of seats however after the gold status was recognised by the system (took a few hours) then a wider range of seats became available. My ticket was also only issued within 24 hours of departure. So TS was still operating during the online check in period.
Anyway in in the end we have gotten seats which are acceptable (not upper deck) but interesting to see the TS/blocks in action.
Just to give more background, we are booked on separate PNRs. As the injured passenger was waiting for “fit to fly” the new ticket was booked within the 72 hour period.
It seems that the agent wasn’t able to see that he was gold, and couldn’t assign that A380 upper deck seat. But it could be assigned online.
For my own seat assignment, we want to sit together so that I can assist. Again, initially I couldn’t see a big selection of seats however after the gold status was recognised by the system (took a few hours) then a wider range of seats became available. My ticket was also only issued within 24 hours of departure. So TS was still operating during the online check in period.
Anyway in in the end we have gotten seats which are acceptable (not upper deck) but interesting to see the TS/blocks in action.
May 3, 2019, 12:00 pm
#18
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But you can just imagine the problems here is people already UD found themselves booted downstairs due to late booking passengers, albeit those with special needs. I have been moved only twice in umpteen years for this, once because of a guide dog (they must go along the bulkhead) and the other time for someone with severe fear of flying who had been split from his wife (and it was the right thing to do).
May 3, 2019, 12:13 pm
#19
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Thanks - we have got acceptable seats now where I am the one who will be stepping over his legs. Doesn’t look to be any better seats on the upper deck that haven’t been allocated (ie even the remaining blocked seats won’t work for us).
One point i also also noticed was that the injured passenger couldn’t change his seat allocation online. Not sure if that’s because he’s noted as requiring assistance. The gold line was able to offload him and assign the seat we wanted.
One point i also also noticed was that the injured passenger couldn’t change his seat allocation online. Not sure if that’s because he’s noted as requiring assistance. The gold line was able to offload him and assign the seat we wanted.
May 3, 2019, 3:14 pm
#20
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May 3, 2019, 3:23 pm
#21
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I thought it was guaranteed? There are only certain A380 gates on T5C (C55, C56, C57, C61, C62, C63, C64, and C65) and they all have three jetbridges. There are a few T5B gates also usuable for the A380 but they don't seem to be used often.
May 3, 2019, 3:39 pm
#22
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May 3, 2019, 3:41 pm
#23
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Good point. Which gates do the A380s use elsewhere without 3 jetbridges? In my experience it seems pretty standard everywhere.
I haven't experienced any that don't elsewhere (apart from one occasion where one of the three was broken in HKG) but then I haven't been everywhere on the A380 network yet.
I haven't experienced any that don't elsewhere (apart from one occasion where one of the three was broken in HKG) but then I haven't been everywhere on the A380 network yet.
Last edited by KARFA; May 3, 2019 at 3:47 pm
May 3, 2019, 5:06 pm
#24
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Easily fixed. If upper deck seats might be needed to accommodate those with special needs, well, then BA could just block a pair of them until the gate. Plus, having that pair of seats in hand (should there be no special needs passengers) can help to solve other seating problems.
May 3, 2019, 5:52 pm
#25
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Good point. Which gates do the A380s use elsewhere without 3 jetbridges? In my experience it seems pretty standard everywhere.
I haven't experienced any that don't elsewhere (apart from one occasion where one of the three was broken in HKG) but then I haven't been everywhere on the A380 network yet.
I haven't experienced any that don't elsewhere (apart from one occasion where one of the three was broken in HKG) but then I haven't been everywhere on the A380 network yet.
May 3, 2019, 6:11 pm
#26
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And of course jet-bridges can also go tech at any point.
I was on a QR A380 flight into LHR last year where the upper deck jet-bridge at our A380 friendly gate was unserviceable. They disembarked the F/J cabins which are both located on the upper deck via the front stairs and out of 1L while Economy which takes up the entire lower deck and the rear cabin of the upper deck were held back until all premium passengers had disembarked.
I was on a QR A380 flight into LHR last year where the upper deck jet-bridge at our A380 friendly gate was unserviceable. They disembarked the F/J cabins which are both located on the upper deck via the front stairs and out of 1L while Economy which takes up the entire lower deck and the rear cabin of the upper deck were held back until all premium passengers had disembarked.
May 3, 2019, 6:35 pm
#27
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I can't remember where it was, but I disembarked from a BA A380 flight via the internal stairs because the upper deck aerobridge wasn't working or some other issues, so it can happen.
May 3, 2019, 6:50 pm
#28
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perhaps I should have clarified, I meant as a norm rather than a result of more irregular issues.
May 3, 2019, 8:29 pm
#30
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rb211.