Seat reservation fees increase

Old May 28, 2019, 1:15 pm
  #31  
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Short-haul connecting flights into long-haul flights offer free seat selection on the short-haul flights as they book into the corresponding fully-flexible fare bucket (J for First/Business and Y for Premium/Economy).
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Old May 28, 2019, 1:16 pm
  #32  
 
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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.
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Old May 28, 2019, 1:17 pm
  #33  
 
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Originally Posted by Tobias-UK


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.
My memory is terrible, but I definitely recall free seat selection in CW at the time of booking for non-status customers, within the last 10 years*.

*I might be wrong on the 10 years but definitely within 15
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Old May 28, 2019, 1:20 pm
  #34  
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Originally Posted by Kgmm77
My memory is terrible, but I definitely recall free seat selection in CW at the time of booking for non-status customers, within the last 10 years*.

*I might be wrong on the 10 years but definitely within 15
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?
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Old May 28, 2019, 1:23 pm
  #35  
 
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Originally Posted by drakepassage
Short-haul connecting flights into long-haul flights offer free seat selection on the short-haul flights as they book into the corresponding fully-flexible fare bucket (J for First/Business and Y for Premium/Economy).
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.
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Old May 28, 2019, 1:25 pm
  #36  
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Originally Posted by Blueboys999
Im happy to stand corrected if thats correct 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.
If you book a F redemption witha domestic connection in CE, the domestic flight will not include free seat selection.

Revenue F would be different as the domestic will probably book in to J selling class which does include free seat selection.
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Old May 28, 2019, 1:26 pm
  #37  
 
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Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave
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?
The example I was thinking of was a UUA from WTP, but the underlying fare info has disappeared into the ether of time.

Ill defer to those with better memories...!
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Old May 28, 2019, 1:31 pm
  #38  
 
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Originally Posted by Kgmm77
My memory is terrible, but I definitely recall free seat selection in CW at the time of booking for non-status customers, within the last 10 years*.

*I might be wrong on the 10 years but definitely within 15
Prior to paid seating, a limited number of seats were available in each cabin for selection by non-status pax at time of booking. Once a limit was reached, there was then no seat selection for non-status pax until OLCI.

BA's paid seating started in October 2009 (Clinic Thread: Paid seat selection discussion), so your 10 year guess was okay.
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Old May 28, 2019, 1:52 pm
  #39  
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Originally Posted by TTmex
Read any good book on behavioural economics (Thaler, Ariely etc) and you will see how the human mind works.
And indeed Kahneman.
If you are looking for rational agents on FT I'm afraid you may be disappointed.
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Old May 28, 2019, 2:29 pm
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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.
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Old May 28, 2019, 3:01 pm
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Originally Posted by UKtravelbear
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





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.
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Old May 28, 2019, 5:58 pm
  #42  
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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.
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Old May 28, 2019, 6:42 pm
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Originally Posted by DeathSlam
And indeed Kahneman.
If you are looking for rational agents on FT I'm afraid you may be disappointed.
A super read, indeed. Would be an interesting Behavioral study to look at this stuff.
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Old May 28, 2019, 6:43 pm
  #44  
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Originally Posted by KeaneJohn

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.
Well it was only on HFP yesterday (28th May).

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?
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Old May 28, 2019, 7:46 pm
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Originally Posted by UKtravelbear
Well it was only on HFP yesterday (28th May).

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?
I was under the impression that Silver members could only assign seats for people on the same PNR not the same party? Also please can you explain how Silver members canTCP and what benefit this has as again its not something that I was aware of.. I was always under the impression TCP was for Gold members to link unrelated PNRs so that seats could be assigned

Not sure why this was only published yesterday as other blogs featured this a while ago.
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