Random Seat Allocation on Basic Fare
Sep 2, 2019, 9:23 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2016
Programs: OneWorld
Posts: 44
Random Seat Allocation on Basic Fare
I’ll be travelling Long haul on the HBO fare soon and have doubts about how the random allocation works. Does the system try to ensure that a family is seated together or is it similar to Ryanair where you get middle seats in completely different sections of the aircraft?
Sep 2, 2019, 10:04 am
#2
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: LHR
Programs: British Airways Executive Club
Posts: 26
In my experience when I've used it for a little short haul trip they still seated me and the Mrs together but stuck us on the very last row, by the toilets on an A320. I'd rather have paid for a 'normal' ET fare.
Sep 2, 2019, 10:10 am
#3
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,761
Yes, it does try to keep people on the same group together but it is unlikely to be at the front of the cabin, and more likely to be in the middle block. You can always pay for other seats, either before or after OLCI. Seat selection is cheapest at the point of buying the original ticket.
If you have young children on the booking or a disability then you can call up at T-72 hrs or after to arrange suitable seating.
If you have young children on the booking or a disability then you can call up at T-72 hrs or after to arrange suitable seating.
Sep 2, 2019, 1:55 pm
#5
Join Date: Aug 2019
Programs: BA Exec Gold
Posts: 369
Last year I booked one of my daughters and 5 of her friends to travel to our Budapest flat. I reserved them O class HBO fares at £43 each way and made the booking over 10 months in advance. When it came to OLCI I was surprised to see them allocated seats together very far forward in rows 10 and 11 which were only a couple of rows back from CE and just behind the Economy seats reserved for passengers with status.
Budapest is a destination where very few passengers prepay for seats so I therefore make the assumption that seats were probably allocated according to booking date. At 10+ months in advance my daughter and friends were likely to have been among the first to book seats on that aircraft.
Budapest is a destination where very few passengers prepay for seats so I therefore make the assumption that seats were probably allocated according to booking date. At 10+ months in advance my daughter and friends were likely to have been among the first to book seats on that aircraft.