ironmouse

I don't get this 64k obsession even though I have flown in it a couple of times about 8 years ago. On seat guru they point out it's close proximity to the lavatory and the stairs, and to be aware of that.
It seems that 62 A&K and 63A&K are the preferred choice.
What's it all about?

dougzz

Privacy, window with side bin access and shelf space, and direct aisle access. 63 offers similar for the slim, 62 lacks the same privacy as you're open at your feet to the emergency exit, and face crew for take off and landing, which is no hardship as I see it. You really have to sit in them to appreciate why they're better.

corporate-wage-slave

Usual seatguru rubbish. Different people, different strokes, I'm a 64A person, which presumably has its own subset of seatguru rubbish too, but if you are over 6ft then then extra space, extra storage and privacy is quite good. I'd have either the 64s over the 62s and 63s. More details in the main thread for this, which is available via the BA Forum Dashboard., or thebasource. The reason it arises in this thread is that 64s are popular with regular flyers, particularly if solo, and those regular flyers will also get Theoretical Seating, hence allegedly in the frame for reseating requests. 63A and 63K aren't particularly good seats in my view, notwithstanding the two way exit. Best left to leisure couples.

ironmouse

Fair enough CWS as you say, each to their own.

Often1

People are confusing direct orders to move which are, of course, enforceable and happen from time to time for security and other such reasons which may or may not be discussed with the passenger. That is entirely different than people who ask a crew member to intervene and the crew member does. The former is not up for discussion and the latter is dealt with in the same way one deals with an offer to have one's coffee topped off when one is quite full.

As others note, what is a "good" seat is a personal choice. Thus, it is not always the case that a move is objectively good or bad.

People who are excessively passive wind up with the scraps in many things. Seat assignments on aircraft are just one of them.

arjaok

One thing that people arent really discussing here is whether its appropriate for cabin crew to be doing this. I get that they are "trying to help out" the couple, but as much as theyre helping out the couple, theyre inconveniencing another passenger to do this.

Not on BA, but in the US this happens ALL THE TIME on Southwest. Almost every flight with them, some family doesnt do early boarding or check in early, boards last, acts stumped when there arent 8 seats together, and then asks everyone else to accommodate them by leaving their aisle seats for middles and if they dont do it the family acts like theyve been disrespected. Its insane how entitled everyone is now.

all ahead full

Like others have said, ask where you are going to be put first, was asked to move on a 777, from window to aisle, it was an overnight flight, and didn't really care, and was rewarded with a full bottle of fizz later in the flight, as way of thank you.

BRITINJAPAN4

Of course they should, some people would be totally happy to move, and if not is it sooo tough to say no thanks !

Misco60

On Sunday I was politely asked if I would mind moving from 64K to an aisle seat on the lower deck so that a couple could sit together. I politely but very firmly declined.

orbitmic

I disagree. In the example given in the OP and in the post below yours, where the request is clearly to move to a seat which is significantly inferior with the crew being perfectly aware of that, then no, I do not think that they should ask at all.

Instead, if there is a person who would be moving to a seat the crew know most passengers would consider better than their current one, then it is fine to ask (so in that case, maybe the person from downstairs to move to 64J if they want).

The argument that different people prefer different seats is both true and misleading: sure, you'll find some people who may well find a middle seat at the back of the plane much, much better than an endless emergency exit window (not least some very anxious flyers) but most people don't and crew know that perfectly well. Similarly, we have some people on this board who say that they'd rather a CW upper deck seat than be upgraded to F which is completely fair, but ultimately airlines are fully aware that typically, an upgrade for J to F is welcome and a downgrade from F to J is not. In the case discussed here, BA has even formally codified the preferability of 64K by reserving it to very frequent customers and, if it is ever open to the public, charging a lot more for it and other UD seats than lower deck seats so it is not as though all seats on the plane were equal and you couldn't make an informed guess as to whether a passenger would "likely" see the move between two seats as positive or negative even though the only thing the "tastes vary" truth adds is that even if you compare 1A to the middle seat in the last row of Y and predict that people will prefer the former, you won't get 100% positives.

From your comment, I am gathering that you don't mind being asked and saying no if you don't want, that's great and many people are like that. However, many people are not and that it is not tough for you does not mean that it is not tough for them. There are plenty of people who feel embarrassed saying not to a request that they resent conceding especially. Moreover, psychology research has long shown that there are fairly strong predictors of who will feel able to say no when they mean no or not, based on gender, age, education, familiarity of the surroundings, etc so it would be insensitive to ignore those differences. It imposes a duty on the asker because for many people saying no is not a costless exercise, so it is fair that one should only risk imposing that cost on someone when saying yes would be likely to leave them better off in return.

LTN Phobia

I'm always curious as to why it's almost always seems to be a move to an inferior seat when such a request is made

(The answer is rather obvious but I am still amused/bemused by the nerve of asking for a double favour with nothing in return)

As well as that, some people fear that their neighbour might make their flight unpleasant if they refuse (and that's not really an unreasonable fear either).

Soupdragon62

Was asked by a pax to move from 10D to 10B so he could be sat with his companion in 10E flying LHR - LAX at the weekend, no great hardship on a day flight so reasonably happy to do, despite the flapping curtain one gets as a result.

A member of Cabin Crew was present and very insistent that I didn't need to move unless I was happy to do so, she pointed this out at least 3 times.

cosmo74

Given the premium nature of the upper deck, and 64K in particular, I would really hope that the crew had already asked the person in the window seat downstairs, who you would be moving next to, if they would like to move to an aisle seat upstairs, and they had declined. I guess you never know what negotiations have gone on before they approach you, but i'd have thought trying to move someone from the upper deck to downstairs should very much be a last resort.