Dave Noble

Since when has Aspergers required disability assistance as far as seating goes? If s not a disability that leads to a specific seat being needed. The OP has confirmed that they "have no physical impairments"

MSPeconomist

trooper

Exactly. The disability aspect is irrelevant. No airline I have travelled on allows a family with children to occupy a mix of seats that includes an exit row. The reasoning is both clear, and (IMO) perfectly sound. I cannot imagine a parent prioritising their "exit row responsibilities" OVER the care of their children in an emergency.

KeaneJohn

cauchy

Except, BA's policy is not about what is strictly necessary, but anything that makes the journey 'easier' qualifies. It's not just for physical disabilities:

How about being nice, rather than commercial about things?

Theirin

I would just like to second this and say that many comments in this thread seem to indicate some very outdated attitudes to disabilities, and a questionable understanding of the law. I am actually quite shocked to see some of the attitudes towards disabilities displayed here in this day and age.

What qualifies as a disability is defined in law, and it is not limited simply to physical impairments or mental impairments which prevent people from living functional lives or even highly successful ones. It notably does not give anyone, including large companies, the right to decide which disabilities are 'worthy' of being given special consideration. Nor does it give that right to members of this forum.

Companies are required to have a disabilities policy in place and they have to honor and abide by that policy regardless of what the disability is.

It is entirely possible to have a recognized disability, such as social anxiety disorders, or autism spectrum disorder, which make traveling and being in a confined space with lots of people especially stressful, even compared to the stress that most of us experience in these situations. For those individuals, reasonable assistance might include selecting a seat, even an extra leg room seat, which will allow them to better manage their disability and improve their experience. This does not mean they are unable to comply with safety instructions or conduct the duties of someone sat in an exit row.

As above this is a BA policy, however it is not only a BA policy. For those wondering why someone with a disability such as ASD might be able to select a seat free of charge, you can look at the legal requirements from the CAA.

Emphasis mine:Your rights in the EU

If you’re a passenger with a disability or reduced mobility you are legally entitled to support, commonly known as ‘Special Assistance’, when travelling by air.This means airports and airlines must provide help and assistance, which is free of charge, and helps ensure you have a less stressful journey.Special assistance is available to passengers who may need help to travel such as the elderly, those people with a physical disability, such as wheelchair users, and those who have difficulty with social interaction and communication, such as those with autism or dementia. Your right to special assistance is stipulated in EU law and applies when:

• You fly on any airline from an EU airport
• You fly on an EU registered airline to an EU airport

Passengers who want special assistance should aim to give their airline 48 hours notice of the help they require. Help is available from the moment you arrive at an airport and can cover:

• your journey through your departure airport
• boarding the aircraft and during the flight
• disembarking the aircraft
• transferring between flights
  and
• travelling through your destination airport.

trooper

Totally agree. None of that however overrides the policy that BA (and every other airline Im familiar with) have that you CANNOT put yourself in an exit row when travelling with your children...even if you DO put them in "the row behind". THAT is what the OP was trying to do.... and kept on trying to justify.

Dave Noble

Regardless of what counts as a disbaility. BA's published policy states that it will provide self selection of seats in advance fpr no charge if the disability required a specific seating requirement

"There's no charge for reserving your seat if you have a specific seating requirement because of your disability"

Not that any disability entitles to seat selection for no charge

Disability assistance provides things as listed y BA and may indeed ensure that an appropriate seat be allocated

I know numerous people with Aspergers and none needs a specific seat on an aeroplane

irregardless of this - since the OP is travelling with someone who may need assistance, none of the party is permitted to have an exit row seat, which is what the OP wants and for no charge

Theirin

Yes, I agree on this point regarding children and that seems to be what is at issue here, but I did want to address the disability point that came up a few times.

Theirin

The point being that it is not up to BA to decide (at least not solely) what assistance a disabled person requires. If the individual has a recognized disability, they are entitled to ask to select their seat for no extra charged, at their own discretion (I think BA still exclude the seats reserved for Golds etc. though). The reason the legislation exists and is broad is because every disability and every person is different, and what one person 'requires' is different from another. Just like one person with limited mobility may require extra legroom while another may require a wheelchair; one person with ASD or social anxiety may need a specific eating location to manage their situation whereas another may simply need to know where they are sitting.

If BA wanted to deny a seating request to someone with a disability they would have to justify it, and likely prove that the individual does not require the ability to select a seat, and I would strongly suggest that they would struggle to do so - and it's worth noting that all claims to the CEDR relating to disabilities are exempt from the £25 fee even if unsuccessful.

Extra legroom or more expensive seat selection is simply an additional cost added at BA's discretion to the broad product they are selling (a seat in the specified cabin), and this is what is being waived to provide assistance to the individual. It's not as though they are being moved to a different class of travel.

Bophopper

"THAT is what the OP was trying to do.... and kept on trying to justify." - Yes & no.

I was trying to clarify the accuracy of what BA were saying as I've had flights in the last year where we have had exit & non exit seats. So I have been given mixed messages from BA, so what I am supposed to do when previously there's never been a problem until now with one agent.

Bearing in mind the number of times on this forum that posters question agents & are told the agent is wrong. I have EVERY right to question what I've been told.

As it happens, we don't have the exit row now so you're all much safer .... supposedly.

Bophopper

I just called BA this morning asking about Exit Row seats & to clarify their position......
I have been told by the phone agent that I COULD sit in the exit row with my wife or 12 year old & the others behind, NO PROBLEMS.
I SPECIFICALLY asked about the "criteria" of all members of the booking "fulfilling the exit row criteria" & he said NO, as long as those sitting in the exit row fulfil it, then that's fine.
Great. Mixed messages everywhere here.
Don't worry, I haven't changed my seats. You're all still "safe".

Bophopper

You clearly don’t know what you are talking about.

“I know numerous people with Aspergers and none needs a specific seat on an aeroplane
irregardless of this - since the OP is travelling with someone who may need assistance, none of the party is permitted to have an exit row seat, which is what the OP wants and for no charge”

To start with, Aspergers is autism, & autism is a spectrum of disability, a bit like any illness. Not everyone with cancer needs a specific seat, but some do.

Many outdated views here from people who clearly haven’t got a clue what they are speaking about.

However, relating to paying for seating, I would obviously prefer not paying to reserve my seats & if I can get it for free then great, but I’m not pushing back at BA to get exit row seats for free. I’m asking, here, what the situation is regards what I’ve been told & there seems to be quite significant variation of opinion.

Surely, this is what Flyertalk is for & trying make me look like some freeloader is incorrect & inappropriate.

Not only this, but BA are sending repeated mixed messages to me. Initially telling me I can’t get the Exit row for free (for whatever reason(s)), but then telling me they can cancel all the free seats & I can pay for them all & then get the exit row.

How does that tally with their “criteria” & all the comments above ??

Dave Noble

That is not what the BA policy states. It states

There's no charge for reserving your seat if you have a specific seating requirement because of your disability

That is not the same as anyone with a disability can select specific seats

Bophopper

Why will they let me book the seats then, if I pay?? (which I have done in the past quite happily)
I also checked & they will let me book, if I pay, with or without a "disabled" child?
Mixed messages as I say.