mikkelhk

Sorry if there is another thread for this (the LH forum has a "newbie" thread), but here goes:
My wife and I are flying BLL-LHR-BLL in August for a very short city break (going out a Monday evening, flying back a Wednesday afternoon) - Economy Basic fare was cheaper than Ryanair's Value fare r/t to STN, and includes "normal" hand luggage as well! I am aware that we'll be assigned seats automatically after check-in and that these cannot (officially) be changed without paying for another seat. I am also aware of the risk of not being seated together - but will this apply in practice?
I am also fully aware of the fact that I could "just" have bought Economy Plus tickets instead, but that would add almost 50% to the (very cheap, admittedly) EB fare, and we don't need checked luggage for such a short trip. I now see that just choosing a payable seat is almost the same price as the upgrade from EB to EP would have been at booking, but oh well.
If we happen to get seats not together, will it be completely impossible to be seated together by the gate agent, or do we have to luck out on somebody willing to swap seats onboard? In other words, how strongly are the EB conditions enforced?
On a side note, with this booking I became a Executive Club member on Blue tier - I don't suppose a Blue tier is usable in any case, especially with regards to this booking?

Thanks in advance!

corporate-wage-slave

Usually you will be sat together, it's specifically very different from Ryanair's approach. On that service in particular I wouldn't think you would be at risk of being separated, a full AMS service with a lot of single travellers would be slightly more risky. BA uses Theoretical Seating (as does Lufthansa, though it is implemented differently between the two airlines). There is a very involved thread on the topic available via the Dashboard. If your essential concern is to be sat together, and are not bothered about where on the aircraft then just leave it to OLCI. If you have status on a oneworld airline then you can select seats for free anyway.

Before TS was introduced we used to get lots of complaints on this forum about being sat together (or rather not sat together) and that dropped to near nothing after TS was implemented.

LondonElite

I'm sure you'll be seated together. Incidentally, Blue is the entry level of BAEC (everyone gets it), and doesn't really confer anything.

mikkelhk

Thank you both, I hoped that BA would indeed have just a bit more decency than FR!

I didn't think so either, thanks.

f4monty

We’re booked in Club World on the same booking and have been separated by 5 rows. BA says they can’t change and we have to pay. When we booked the flight there were only three other booked seats on a 777 and it’s still wide open. Stinks of con.

corporate-wage-slave

Is this at OLCI? Some specifics would be useful.

KARFA

If it is wide open just wait until the day and choose seats together at OLCI.

dougzz

I'd wait until check in to be sure of this. But surely it's more about the number of seats, and how they're located, after status passengers and those that have paid. By deciding to not pay for seat selection you took a risk, and that may not have paid off for you. I don't think it's fair to describe it as a con. Saying you disagree with charging for seat selection in Business Class is a different matter. I honestly feel as CS roll out this will become much less of an issue, all seats are arguably singles, so being in an adjacent seat is not really next to another person anyway.

In the OP it was a short haul flight, where every seat is co-located to at least one other, so pairs are much more likely to be available.

Often1

BA charges for seat assignments in J. It's not a con, it's just an unfriendly business practice for a premium cabin. But, it's fully disclosed and, depending on your destination, you may have alternative carriers which do not charge.

As it stands, if indeed the cabin is wide open, you will be able to select seats at check-in. But, do not rely on the seat map for a determination of load. As BA charges for seat assignments, it is entirely possible that CW is sold out, yet there are unassigned seats.

wanderingjock

It's a con. Sordid business practice, facilitated by the IT. 2 pax, on same PNR, in CW should be seated together. Shame on BA/IAG.

LondonElite

What do you mean by a con? Who conned you and how?

LondonElite

It's not a con. If it were it would not be disclosed. It is widely known that seat assignment for non-full fare J tickets incur a charge.

Hawk777

if you think it's a con then hope you report it to.the police as that's a criminal offence and could be acted on

definition of con
persuade (someone) to do or believe something by lying to them.​​​​​​

at what stage do ba lie and say people will be sat together

wanderingjock

BA asking for more money to allow two pax on same booking to sit together for 6 hrs. If they bought a ticket on a no 27 bus in London, if there was space, they could sit together. The Emperor has no clothes.

Hawk777

but they wouldn't find that out until they got on the number 27 bus just like at 24 hours before departure they can find out if they can sit together on a ba flight but unlike the 27 bus you can pay to sit together