Seat bookings and incorrect BAEC status showing on booking
Jan 15, 2022, 2:18 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2022
Location: South Staffordshire UK
Posts: 32
Seat bookings and incorrect BAEC status showing on booking
Hi
First post so go easy 😂
A couple of weeks ago I booked LHR-LAX with a return from LAS-LHR a week later for December ( will book a cheap internal flight from LAX-LAS nearer the time ).
The booking was made using my OH as the lead passenger, but paid for by me. My OH is Silver status, I am Basic Blue - so we booked specifically using the OH as the lead passenger for the free seat selection that comes with Silver status.
I ( stupidly ) not select the seats at the point of booking, but now when we log into MMB ( either under my Blue account or the OH silver account ) it is asking us to pay for seat selection or wait until 7 days before departure to select for free - which suggests the system thinks one or both of us has Bronze status only.
any suggestions?
I managed to get through to the Overseas call centre a few days ago after 90 minutes on hold and then over an hour of very frustrating poor communication the guy on the end of the phone concluded that we could only reserve seats at check in ?? Despite MMB showing every seat being available on both legs of the trip - but at a very hefty premium per seat ( CW booking )
Anyone else had this ?
is this just another ongoing IT glitch which might correct itself sooner or later ?
First post so go easy 😂
A couple of weeks ago I booked LHR-LAX with a return from LAS-LHR a week later for December ( will book a cheap internal flight from LAX-LAS nearer the time ).
The booking was made using my OH as the lead passenger, but paid for by me. My OH is Silver status, I am Basic Blue - so we booked specifically using the OH as the lead passenger for the free seat selection that comes with Silver status.
I ( stupidly ) not select the seats at the point of booking, but now when we log into MMB ( either under my Blue account or the OH silver account ) it is asking us to pay for seat selection or wait until 7 days before departure to select for free - which suggests the system thinks one or both of us has Bronze status only.
any suggestions?
I managed to get through to the Overseas call centre a few days ago after 90 minutes on hold and then over an hour of very frustrating poor communication the guy on the end of the phone concluded that we could only reserve seats at check in ?? Despite MMB showing every seat being available on both legs of the trip - but at a very hefty premium per seat ( CW booking )
Anyone else had this ?
is this just another ongoing IT glitch which might correct itself sooner or later ?
Jan 15, 2022, 4:09 pm
#2
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 105
Welcome to FlyerTalk 
My only suggestion at the moment is to double check that both your OH and your details are correct in the booking in terms of the name and membership number (both have to be exact to your membership). You cannot change this on the BA site but if you enter your booking info (under manage my booking) in to the royal jordanian site, you should be able to see and edit these details under modify my travel details. Your OH should be the first passenger on the list and you can see her details. It will default to royal jordanian as the FF airline but dont worry about that unless something else is incorrect. If there is something wrong then alter it, select BA as the FF airline and save it and hopefully you can then book the seats.
My only suggestion at the moment is to double check that both your OH and your details are correct in the booking in terms of the name and membership number (both have to be exact to your membership). You cannot change this on the BA site but if you enter your booking info (under manage my booking) in to the royal jordanian site, you should be able to see and edit these details under modify my travel details. Your OH should be the first passenger on the list and you can see her details. It will default to royal jordanian as the FF airline but dont worry about that unless something else is incorrect. If there is something wrong then alter it, select BA as the FF airline and save it and hopefully you can then book the seats.
Jan 15, 2022, 11:24 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2022
Location: South Staffordshire UK
Posts: 32
Welcome to FlyerTalk
My only suggestion at the moment is to double check that both your OH and your details are correct in the booking in terms of the name and membership number (both have to be exact to your membership). You cannot change this on the BA site but if you enter your booking info (under manage my booking) in to the royal jordanian site, you should be able to see and edit these details under modify my travel details. Your OH should be the first passenger on the list and you can see her details. It will default to royal jordanian as the FF airline but dont worry about that unless something else is incorrect. If there is something wrong then alter it, select BA as the FF airline and save it and hopefully you can then book the seats.
My only suggestion at the moment is to double check that both your OH and your details are correct in the booking in terms of the name and membership number (both have to be exact to your membership). You cannot change this on the BA site but if you enter your booking info (under manage my booking) in to the royal jordanian site, you should be able to see and edit these details under modify my travel details. Your OH should be the first passenger on the list and you can see her details. It will default to royal jordanian as the FF airline but dont worry about that unless something else is incorrect. If there is something wrong then alter it, select BA as the FF airline and save it and hopefully you can then book the seats.
checked on the RJ site and on there it shows the booking as it was made - OH as the lead passenger, correct identification of BAEC member numbers, exact spellings of names exactly as per the BAEC membership details.
How weird then that on the BA site it shows me as the lead passenger 😳
its like it has flipped me to the lead ( and is using my email as the default for any notifications rather than hers ) as I paid for the booking.
Jan 16, 2022, 2:13 am
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London
Programs: Mucci. Nothing else matters.
Posts: 38,644
checked on the RJ site and on there it shows the booking as it was made - OH as the lead passenger, correct identification of BAEC member numbers, exact spellings of names exactly as per the BAEC membership details.
How weird then that on the BA site it shows me as the lead passenger 😳
its like it has flipped me to the lead ( and is using my email as the default for any notifications rather than hers ) as I paid for the booking.
How weird then that on the BA site it shows me as the lead passenger 😳
its like it has flipped me to the lead ( and is using my email as the default for any notifications rather than hers ) as I paid for the booking.
Don't get hung up on the idea of "lead passenger" for status benefits. To get Silver benefits for the booking, it doesn't matter whether your OH is named first or second (or even ninth, if there were that many passengers on the booking and none of the others had anything higher than Bronze).
Two more things to check about the RJ site. First, did you check that the FF scheme airline was correct (not just the membership numbers)? And have you tried using the RJ site to remove the current FF numbers altogether, and then reinserting them into the booking? If that doesn't work, then I suspect you will have to phone to get a more clued-up agent. Something seems to be wrong in the BA recognition of the FF numbers.
Jan 16, 2022, 7:27 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2022
Location: South Staffordshire UK
Posts: 32
If you paid for the booking, then BA regards you as its customer. This is why BA defaults to using your details for communications, although you are free to change these details through MMB later if you want.
Don't get hung up on the idea of "lead passenger" for status benefits. To get Silver benefits for the booking, it doesn't matter whether your OH is named first or second (or even ninth, if there were that many passengers on the booking and none of the others had anything higher than Bronze).
Two more things to check about the RJ site. First, did you check that the FF scheme airline was correct (not just the membership numbers)? And have you tried using the RJ site to remove the current FF numbers altogether, and then reinserting them into the booking? If that doesn't work, then I suspect you will have to phone to get a more clued-up agent. Something seems to be wrong in the BA recognition of the FF numbers.
Don't get hung up on the idea of "lead passenger" for status benefits. To get Silver benefits for the booking, it doesn't matter whether your OH is named first or second (or even ninth, if there were that many passengers on the booking and none of the others had anything higher than Bronze).
Two more things to check about the RJ site. First, did you check that the FF scheme airline was correct (not just the membership numbers)? And have you tried using the RJ site to remove the current FF numbers altogether, and then reinserting them into the booking? If that doesn't work, then I suspect you will have to phone to get a more clued-up agent. Something seems to be wrong in the BA recognition of the FF numbers.
Have to say I’m a little uncomfortable messing with the booking on a site that is not BA - I dont want to mess anything up 😳
to get silver benefits doesnt that have to be the status at the point the booking is made ? Or if you achieve silver status can you then pick seats for free on a booking you already had before your status changed ?
sorry for the questions and hesitance - I’m quite new to this
Jan 16, 2022, 9:07 am
#6
Join Date: Nov 2017
Programs: BA, Hilton
Posts: 2,091
It can take a day or three for the status to be reflected, so don't be surprised if you can't immediately select free seats the day you reach Silver, just try again a day or two later
Jan 16, 2022, 9:21 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2022
Location: South Staffordshire UK
Posts: 32
Once you obtain Silver (or any status), the associated benefits will apply to any future bookings you have, even if you were a lower status at the time the booking was made, so e.g. seat selection, lounge access if not enabled by class and so on. It's your status at that time of the flight that matters.
It can take a day or three for the status to be reflected, so don't be surprised if you can't immediately select free seats the day you reach Silver, just try again a day or two later
It can take a day or three for the status to be reflected, so don't be surprised if you can't immediately select free seats the day you reach Silver, just try again a day or two later
Frustrating. Might have another crack on the phones this week and hopefully get through to someone in the UK.
Jan 16, 2022, 10:12 am
#8
Join Date: Nov 2017
Programs: BA, Hilton
Posts: 2,091
Ah, apologies, I didn't read all the way back - yes, it might require a phone call 
You certainly should be able to select seats for free, but we do see reports of status updates not being properly reflected in some cases.
As Globaliser says though, it really shouldn't matter whose booking it is, as long as a status holder is on the booking.
I don't know if it will make a difference, but have you tried using the app (if you were using the website)? It shouldn't make any difference but with BA's IT I try not to rule anything out
An early phone call by your OH to the Silver line might be your best way forward if none of the "usual tricks" of removing and re-adding the BAEC numbers brings any joy.
You certainly should be able to select seats for free, but we do see reports of status updates not being properly reflected in some cases.As Globaliser says though, it really shouldn't matter whose booking it is, as long as a status holder is on the booking.
I don't know if it will make a difference, but have you tried using the app (if you were using the website)? It shouldn't make any difference but with BA's IT I try not to rule anything out
An early phone call by your OH to the Silver line might be your best way forward if none of the "usual tricks" of removing and re-adding the BAEC numbers brings any joy.
Jun 8, 2022, 2:42 am
#9
Join Date: May 2015
Location: GLA, KUL
Programs: BA Silver, QR Silver, IHG Diamond
Posts: 19
BAEC Status Wrong in Booking
I've had the same issue over 2 bookings. Both me and partner got silver status in April, but on new bookings get the 7 days from travel for free seat selection. Have spoken to BA (twice) who removed and re entered FF number, with no affect. They also advised that in the booking FF status shows as Bronze, not Silver. BA customer service (on 2 occasions) didnt want to reserve seats for me, separate team apparently. BA CS emailed seating request to the 'seating team' which was ignored, on another attempt (BA Silver line then options 3 and 3) took 30 mins with the agent to get seats reserved - but got there in the end, Next issue will be getting lounge access on the economy domestic leg if booking shows us as bronze - I'm expecting BAEC status on app to be sufficient.
