Seat reservation fees increase
#32
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Mexico
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Posts: 3,504
Imagine this scenario. You're in the travel agent looking to buy a flight.
The cost of your flight in 70 quid. Just as you're about to buy it, someone tells you that the same flight is 20 quid cheaper in a TA about 15 mins walk away. Do you walk down the road and pay 20 quid less?
Second senario. You're in the TA about to buy a flight. The cost of the flight is 700 quid, but just as you're about to buy it, someone tells you the same flight is 20 quid cheaper if you walk 15 mins down the road. Do you walk down the road and pay 20 quid less?
Read any good book on behavioural economics (Thaler, Ariely etc) and you will see how the human mind works.
The cost of your flight in 70 quid. Just as you're about to buy it, someone tells you that the same flight is 20 quid cheaper in a TA about 15 mins walk away. Do you walk down the road and pay 20 quid less?
Second senario. You're in the TA about to buy a flight. The cost of the flight is 700 quid, but just as you're about to buy it, someone tells you the same flight is 20 quid cheaper if you walk 15 mins down the road. Do you walk down the road and pay 20 quid less?
Read any good book on behavioural economics (Thaler, Ariely etc) and you will see how the human mind works.
#33
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 3,818
What many who come here to complain about this policy appear not appreciate is that before BA introduced this policy it wasnt even possible to reserve seats in advance unless by status or if youd purchased a ticket in the higher-priced fare buckets. The policy was introduced to provide those passengers an option to choose a seat before checkin.
*I might be wrong on the 10 years but definitely within 15
#34
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
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Were you using a travel agency or a corporate booking agency? Or perhaps using the higher fare buckets which would have been more prevalent in those days?
#35
Join Date: Jan 2005
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I’m happy to stand corrected if that’s the case but I recall being asked to pay for my seat on a domestic connection on a F redemption although It was some years ago. Maybe things have changed.
#36
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Revenue F would be different as the domestic will probably book in to J selling class which does include free seat selection.
#37
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 3,818
Ill defer to those with better memories...!
#38
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: JAX
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BA's paid seating started in October 2009 (Clinic Thread: Paid seat selection discussion), so your 10 year guess was okay.
#39
#40
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Central Scotland
Programs: BAEC Gold, Miles & More Silver, Privilege Club Silver
Posts: 544
At one time in the 90s you just had to be a member of BAEC to select your seats at time of booking. I remember joining just for the privilege, a lowly Blue being able to select my seat.It was better than getting to the airport and your seats being at the whim of the check-in agent, no on-line check-in in those days. Was second in line at LAX one time,the couple in front got great seats my family got rubbish ones and the agent wouldn't change them. Started flying United after BA changed it to where you had to have status.
#41
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: London Stratford, E7
Programs: BAEC Gold! Thanks to FT
Posts: 3,338
Raffles writes about this issue that regularly crops up here.
No doubt some full and frank views will be expressed!
] BA CW seat reservation costs
No doubt some full and frank views will be expressed!
] BA CW seat reservation costs
#42
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 15,323
As this policy has been around for a decade, and no other major airline has copied it, you can assume that it is a dud revenuewise and there is some deep seated reason that BA keeps this around - Airlines are lemmings and always follow eachother no matter what if they smell a revenue stream. Also, the idea that they are "reserving" better seats for elites this way is also a non-starter as there are many ways to block certain seats for Elites without resorting to this (as many other airlines do).
I honestly think that this is something that they tried, never really went anywhere and that they just never bothered to get rid of it. I mean seriously, especially at looking at connecting passengers, anyone who flies twice with BA in a year, would get up to silver anyway and this would never effect them, a bit more for UK originating passengers. So the question is whether the odd passenger who is flying in Club long haul once a year or once a decade would bother or care to pay this ridiculous fee, I think not, as most probably such passenger would also be clueless as to what a better seat was/is, and unless the flight is slammed, if they hated it so much would more probably than not be able to get a better seat at check-in or the airport.
I honestly think that this is something that they tried, never really went anywhere and that they just never bothered to get rid of it. I mean seriously, especially at looking at connecting passengers, anyone who flies twice with BA in a year, would get up to silver anyway and this would never effect them, a bit more for UK originating passengers. So the question is whether the odd passenger who is flying in Club long haul once a year or once a decade would bother or care to pay this ridiculous fee, I think not, as most probably such passenger would also be clueless as to what a better seat was/is, and unless the flight is slammed, if they hated it so much would more probably than not be able to get a better seat at check-in or the airport.
#43
Join Date: Jul 2018
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#44
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Original Poster
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This came in around 12 days or so ago and has been widely published. I did take a glance but with sloppy writing(as long as one of your party is Silver or Gold..thought it was only Gold that could TCP) and the lack of integrity re the Ba Club Suite from BA Futurelab its not one of the blogs I pay attention to.
And yes silver can TCP but only golds are able to get seat reservations from TCP.
But that is not what Rob wrote. He didn't mention TCP at all. Perhaps you did some sloppy reading?
#45
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: London Stratford, E7
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Not sure why this was only published yesterday as other blogs featured this a while ago.