Forced seat change at the gate
Jul 18, 2019, 2:03 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold, A3 Gold
Posts: 173
Forced seat change at the gate
For the fourth or fifth time in a row, BA has changed my assigned seat whilst at the gate.
Today I was flying to ATH in CE (and had my friends in the row in front me fwiw). My previously selected seat is still a club seat and the number of club rows hasn’t changed since check-in:
So for the life of me I can’t understand why my seat selection was changed so I have to sit in a different seat (albeit in club).
Also by the time the gate agent figured out why the gates wouldn’t let me through, group 4 or 5 was boarding so no overhead space for my carry on anywhere near me.
As I said this is the fourth-fifth time it happens and it has now become frustrating.
Cabin crew and purser claim that the gate agents should know but are unwilling to ask them.
Apologies in advance if this has been asked before and my search function failed me.
Today I was flying to ATH in CE (and had my friends in the row in front me fwiw). My previously selected seat is still a club seat and the number of club rows hasn’t changed since check-in:
So for the life of me I can’t understand why my seat selection was changed so I have to sit in a different seat (albeit in club).
Also by the time the gate agent figured out why the gates wouldn’t let me through, group 4 or 5 was boarding so no overhead space for my carry on anywhere near me.
As I said this is the fourth-fifth time it happens and it has now become frustrating.
Cabin crew and purser claim that the gate agents should know but are unwilling to ask them.
Apologies in advance if this has been asked before and my search function failed me.
Jul 18, 2019, 2:13 pm
#2
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: London
Programs: Ba Silver ( for now!)
Posts: 776
i fly easyjet most weeks. Never have i been asked to move seats or had it forced on me.
ba have engineered complexity into their business like no company on earth. Most recently theoretical seating - the mind boggles
the reasons will range from conspiracy ( staff member wanted your seat ) to broken seat ( that seems ok for someone else to sit in ) to whatever. aircraft change for once seems unlikely given it happened at the gate.
You have my commiserations. I have just booked all seats ( free on aa) for the family Xmas trip to Mexico. I too would be mighty pissed off if they got changed.
ba have engineered complexity into their business like no company on earth. Most recently theoretical seating - the mind boggles
the reasons will range from conspiracy ( staff member wanted your seat ) to broken seat ( that seems ok for someone else to sit in ) to whatever. aircraft change for once seems unlikely given it happened at the gate.
You have my commiserations. I have just booked all seats ( free on aa) for the family Xmas trip to Mexico. I too would be mighty pissed off if they got changed.
Jul 18, 2019, 2:36 pm
#3
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges and Environmentally Friendly Travel
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: London, UK
Posts: 22,212
That’s an annoying run of bad luck you’re having, Zephyrous
I’ve had two seat shifts in c. 15 years (opups excluded). Both caused me minor irritation.
I understand families travelling with infants can only be seated in certain rows (due to the placement of O2 masks). Could this be a plausible cause on your flights?
I’ve had two seat shifts in c. 15 years (opups excluded). Both caused me minor irritation.
I understand families travelling with infants can only be seated in certain rows (due to the placement of O2 masks). Could this be a plausible cause on your flights?
Last edited by Prospero; Jul 18, 2019 at 2:42 pm
Jul 18, 2019, 2:41 pm
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Brighton. UK
Programs: BA Gold / VS /IHG Diamond & Ambassador
Posts: 14,197
Don't know if that is the case here but not every seat move is a conspiracy
And AA also changes seats as well
Last edited by UKtravelbear; Jul 18, 2019 at 2:49 pm
Jul 18, 2019, 3:08 pm
#5
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
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Posts: 50,262
That is simply terrible luck. I would not ascribe it to anything in particular. The likely reasons are all listed above. That they have occurred for you 4-5 times in a row balances against someone who essentially never has it happen.
Jul 18, 2019, 5:45 pm
#7
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 3,595
For the fourth or fifth time in a row, BA has changed my assigned seat whilst at the gate.
Today I was flying to ATH in CE (and had my friends in the row in front me fwiw). My previously selected seat is still a club seat and the number of club rows hasn’t changed since check-in:
So for the life of me I can’t understand why my seat selection was changed so I have to sit in a different seat (albeit in club).
Also by the time the gate agent figured out why the gates wouldn’t let me through, group 4 or 5 was boarding so no overhead space for my carry on anywhere near me.
As I said this is the fourth-fifth time it happens and it has now become frustrating.
Cabin crew and purser claim that the gate agents should know but are unwilling to ask them.
Apologies in advance if this has been asked before and my search function failed me.
Today I was flying to ATH in CE (and had my friends in the row in front me fwiw). My previously selected seat is still a club seat and the number of club rows hasn’t changed since check-in:
So for the life of me I can’t understand why my seat selection was changed so I have to sit in a different seat (albeit in club).
Also by the time the gate agent figured out why the gates wouldn’t let me through, group 4 or 5 was boarding so no overhead space for my carry on anywhere near me.
As I said this is the fourth-fifth time it happens and it has now become frustrating.
Cabin crew and purser claim that the gate agents should know but are unwilling to ask them.
Apologies in advance if this has been asked before and my search function failed me.
I feel your pain. See the thread HERE
Jul 18, 2019, 7:37 pm
#8
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Krakow
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Posts: 5,921
Jul 19, 2019, 1:34 am
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold, A3 Gold
Posts: 173
Thank you very much for the responses everyone.
How things unfolded -
Eventually the purser came and spoke to me for quite some time. She told me that after talking to the ground staff the message was that either I was moved because a family or a couple wanted to sit together (they were indeed a couple and there were no children in CE at all). I also do not think they were staff. Either way that made me more frustrated:
She did hint that she found it bizarre that I would be the one moved out of the entite cabin, in fact saying that I would be the last one that would be moved, which I suspect was pointing to my status/ranking without revealing anything about anyone else.
(FWIW the “couple” excuse also seems weak to me as the same thing happened to my partner (GGL) and I (unmarried but same booking) a couple of years ago where we were bumped off from 2A/2C and the excuse at the time was that a family or someone with a medical condition was the reason for our move).
In any event, I do appreciate the time and empathy from the purser who I think did the best she could to calm my frustration. She also did write to a report about it which she showed to me for comments before submitting.
How things unfolded -
Eventually the purser came and spoke to me for quite some time. She told me that after talking to the ground staff the message was that either I was moved because a family or a couple wanted to sit together (they were indeed a couple and there were no children in CE at all). I also do not think they were staff. Either way that made me more frustrated:
She did hint that she found it bizarre that I would be the one moved out of the entite cabin, in fact saying that I would be the last one that would be moved, which I suspect was pointing to my status/ranking without revealing anything about anyone else.
(FWIW the “couple” excuse also seems weak to me as the same thing happened to my partner (GGL) and I (unmarried but same booking) a couple of years ago where we were bumped off from 2A/2C and the excuse at the time was that a family or someone with a medical condition was the reason for our move).
In any event, I do appreciate the time and empathy from the purser who I think did the best she could to calm my frustration. She also did write to a report about it which she showed to me for comments before submitting.
Jul 19, 2019, 1:41 am
#10
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
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So I think you have had a string of bad luck here, hopefully it will go away as mysteriously as it started.
Jul 19, 2019, 2:07 am
#11
Join Date: Jul 2018
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 152
Out of interest, do either gate staff or cabin crew have any indication as to whether you've paid for seat selection or not? For gate staff, will they know if you are a status passenger? Or do they simply move passengers on the basis that "we need that seat"?
Jul 19, 2019, 2:31 am
#13
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
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It is all visible in FLY, though some aspects are hidden down from the main screens. However bear in mind the time pressures on gate staff, which is the downside to BA's (correct) focus on timekeeping. Also that you often get 50% of Club Europe, or a third of the entire aircraft, with status of some sort. There isn't really time or capacity to work this through in great detail, so an element of rough justice may happen. And not all passengers get terribly worked up about this, in fact I suspect it's a minority concern overall, particularly on relatively short flights.
Jul 19, 2019, 3:54 am
#14
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To avoid having this discussion and frustration at the gate, try the following.
Once you’ve passed the BP check and security, delete your boarding pass from the app.
Then re download the BP on the app just before you plan on heading to gate. This will then show you if your seat has been changed. If it has then you could go to the lounge desk and enquire or go to gate and enquire before boarding starts.
I do this especially on flights were my cabin is showing full on EF and chances of an upgrade are high (as a GGL). This way I know before I get to the gate if I’ve been upgraded 😊. Has worked a treat over the years. also if you have been upgraded and your app BP is updated, you wouldn’t get the beep at the auto gates and then have to speak to gate agent for BP refresh.
Once you’ve passed the BP check and security, delete your boarding pass from the app.
Then re download the BP on the app just before you plan on heading to gate. This will then show you if your seat has been changed. If it has then you could go to the lounge desk and enquire or go to gate and enquire before boarding starts.
I do this especially on flights were my cabin is showing full on EF and chances of an upgrade are high (as a GGL). This way I know before I get to the gate if I’ve been upgraded 😊. Has worked a treat over the years. also if you have been upgraded and your app BP is updated, you wouldn’t get the beep at the auto gates and then have to speak to gate agent for BP refresh.