Booted from allocated seat at OLCI
May 3, 2019, 1:50 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 28
Booted from allocated seat at OLCI
Apologies - first post but long time lurker. Hope to now contribute a bit, particularly given how valuable this forum has been to me in the past!
Rather miffed to do OLCI for BA15 last night and find that we (2 pax) have been moved from a window + aisle seat (adjacent) in WTP to an aisle + middle. Rather disappointed as we specifically paid for WTP given the extra comfort and privacy of the 2 side seats. As a SCH didn’t really expect to be given one of the worst seats in the cabin.
Any tips on how I could get this changed, or do I just need to suck it up? Called service centre but they said all other seats are full
Thanks in advance for any insight!!
Rather miffed to do OLCI for BA15 last night and find that we (2 pax) have been moved from a window + aisle seat (adjacent) in WTP to an aisle + middle. Rather disappointed as we specifically paid for WTP given the extra comfort and privacy of the 2 side seats. As a SCH didn’t really expect to be given one of the worst seats in the cabin.
Any tips on how I could get this changed, or do I just need to suck it up? Called service centre but they said all other seats are full
Thanks in advance for any insight!!
May 3, 2019, 1:54 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: SE1, London
Posts: 23,433
Ask again at checkin, and again at Guest Services in the lounge. If checkin don’t/won’t call the FMU (flight management unit) see if guest services will and they may be able to help. There can be quite a few changes to seating in the closing phases and you might get lucky.
May 3, 2019, 1:55 am
#3
Join Date: Apr 2017
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 1,387
Don’t print or download your BPs and check the app from time to time. Best bet is probably to ask at the airport. You may well get lucky.
Failing that you can get a refund for the seat selection fees. [edit]
Whilst it is probably little consolation, seat moves like this are rare and there probably is a genuine operational reason.
Whilst it is probably little consolation, seat moves like this are rare and there probably is a genuine operational reason.
Last edited by fruitcage; May 3, 2019 at 3:14 am
May 3, 2019, 2:02 am
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 12,255
Welcome to Flyertalk SWLonFlyer 
I hope it gets sorted today / tonight it's a long flight to be moved on - also all 77W aircraft are identical so will not be an aircraft swap. I can only imagine it has been enforced due to family seating or a passenger with a disability resulting in some seat shuffling for others. Perhaps update us with the outcome; you'll see what has happened when you board.
And maybe you'll get a bump into Club World - have everything crossed !
F1 A0 J2 C0 D0 R0 I0 W3 E0 T0 Y1 B0 H0 K0 M0 L0 V0 S0 N0 Q0 O0 G0
Flight, as always, looks busy
I hope it gets sorted today / tonight it's a long flight to be moved on - also all 77W aircraft are identical so will not be an aircraft swap. I can only imagine it has been enforced due to family seating or a passenger with a disability resulting in some seat shuffling for others. Perhaps update us with the outcome; you'll see what has happened when you board.
And maybe you'll get a bump into Club World - have everything crossed !
F1 A0 J2 C0 D0 R0 I0 W3 E0 T0 Y1 B0 H0 K0 M0 L0 V0 S0 N0 Q0 O0 G0
Flight, as always, looks busy
May 3, 2019, 2:16 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 28
Thanks all, hugely appreciate all the tips - will follow through and keep you posted!! Agree a very long flight for a middle seat...(OH will get the aisle!)
Your suggestions certainly beat the call centre: ‘ask CC or passengers to swap when you are onboard’!
The cynical one in me wonders whether SCH/BCH are first to get booted as there are no reservation fees to refund! I doubt it though...
Thanks again!
Your suggestions certainly beat the call centre: ‘ask CC or passengers to swap when you are onboard’!
The cynical one in me wonders whether SCH/BCH are first to get booted as there are no reservation fees to refund! I doubt it though...
Thanks again!
May 3, 2019, 2:27 am
#6
Join Date: May 2016
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold, Accor Gold
Posts: 1,428
May 3, 2019, 3:07 am
#8
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
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Welcome to Flyertalk and welcome to the BA forum SWLonFlyer. It's good to see you here and however this works out on seating, I hope you have a good flight.
Looking at the seat maps it seems this service to SIN tonight is full in WTP (1 unclaimed seat), nearly full in CW and First. As Swanhunter says, the only options for you now are at the airport, or on board, there won't be anything that the contact centre can do. You can keep monitoring the seats, I notice the vacant seat shown above as 22F was 24J an hour ago, so things are moving around. Some people may have to go into CW so that may give opportunities....
Looking at the seat maps it seems this service to SIN tonight is full in WTP (1 unclaimed seat), nearly full in CW and First. As Swanhunter says, the only options for you now are at the airport, or on board, there won't be anything that the contact centre can do. You can keep monitoring the seats, I notice the vacant seat shown above as 22F was 24J an hour ago, so things are moving around. Some people may have to go into CW so that may give opportunities....
May 3, 2019, 11:52 am
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 28
Quick update. Lovely lady at check-in gave FMU a very stern talking to on the phone. Apparently ‘nothing they could do but will continue to try’. I’ll ask in the lounge again 90 mins before departure.
Interestingly FMU blamed an aircraft change - but I don’t think that can be true as people referred to earlier...
Interestingly FMU blamed an aircraft change - but I don’t think that can be true as people referred to earlier...
May 3, 2019, 12:11 pm
#12
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
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It does not sound very likely since I can only recall a handful of cases when they have done a full equipment change on BA15, it really has to be a 777-300 and I think even swapping to 747s could cause a crew issue. However it is possible that the there were defective seats and it was decided to move you first, then either they fixed the seats or the swapped to another 77W, given the very full flight.
May 3, 2019, 12:30 pm
#14
Join Date: Jul 2014
Programs: Mucci de l'Arbitrage
Posts: 927
Am I dreaming or have there not been previous reports on here of TS not liking pax in the same booking selecting seats across the aisle or leaving empty seats between them? Could that also be the case here?
May 3, 2019, 12:30 pm
#15
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
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