Assigned Middle Seat in Club Europe
Mar 30, 2022, 8:04 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Home
Posts: 1,910
Assigned Middle Seat in Club Europe
This is a new one for me. I am flying out of LHR tomorrow and my flight was canceled. I was booked in Club Europe and they rebooked me for a later flight. Of course, when I went to check my flight, BA assigned me a middle seat in Club Europe. While I have sat middle before, I am not a fan as I am larger than most so Club Europe Middle will be a bit tight.
Has anyone else seen BA book people in the middle Club Europe seat before?
Has anyone else seen BA book people in the middle Club Europe seat before?
Mar 30, 2022, 8:06 pm
#2
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: SoCal to the rest of the world...
Programs: AA EXP with lots of BA. UA 2MM Lifetime Plat - No longer chase hotel loyalty
Posts: 6,699
Yes, it' has happened when they have major operational issues
Club Europe seating 3-3 on some routes [to help clear storm disruption backlog]
Club Europe seating 3-3 on some routes [to help clear storm disruption backlog]
Mar 30, 2022, 11:52 pm
#3
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Lincoln, UK
Programs: BAEC Gold, IHG Spire Ambassador, Hilton Diamond, Starbucks Gold
Posts: 1,267
Yes, it' has happened when they have major operational issues
Club Europe seating 3-3 on some routes [to help clear storm disruption backlog]
Club Europe seating 3-3 on some routes [to help clear storm disruption backlog]
Mar 31, 2022, 12:26 am
#6
Join Date: Feb 2022
Location: Kent, UK
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 76
I sent in a complaint after being seated 3-3 on a recent flight home from Madeira during the storm in February - partly because of poor communication. We had no idea we were seated 3-3 until
we boarded the aircraft, someone had been seated between us and the CE section had been compressed into fewer rows despite there being many empty seats in economy.
I had a reply with an apology and was told that we would both be credited with 10,000 avios. Mine arrived, my husband is still chasing his.
we boarded the aircraft, someone had been seated between us and the CE section had been compressed into fewer rows despite there being many empty seats in economy.
I had a reply with an apology and was told that we would both be credited with 10,000 avios. Mine arrived, my husband is still chasing his.
Mar 31, 2022, 12:42 am
#7
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 3,596
The reason it can STILL be called Club Europe is because this has been the Business Class model within Europe for 30+ years now. Only in Europe nobody kicks up a fuss that the seat isn't substantially more opulent or offering significantly more legroom than Economy to a degree that the airlines are forced to reconsider the model. People are still stumping up the cash fares after all this time so something about it is clearly working.
Last edited by 1Aturnleft; Mar 31, 2022 at 12:51 am
Mar 31, 2022, 12:51 am
#8
Join Date: Feb 2016
Programs: BAEC GGL
Posts: 844
Here is the email:
This is a bit of a porky-pie in my case. My email relates to BA709 tomorrow (ZRH->LON). It could only be full in CE because on Saturday last week they cancelled the later BA711 - with a week's notice, they could easily have chartered another plane, so this is a cost thing. Moreover, for inexplicable reasons they have not moved back the curtain on BA713 which has plenty of availability in Y but none in J (which I am currently on hold to the GGL line for, in a yet another attempt to get onto having been waitlisted, else I will switch to LCY). And to cap it all BA709 isn't actually that full as it only has 5 rows of J, and enough Y availability to move the curtain back by at least one row. But that would mean they couldn't sell more Y tickets!
British Airways is still suffering the after-effects of technical issues across the UK and Europe this week which has had a significant impact on our airports, flight schedules and colleagues.
As a result, we are in a position where we have regrettably had to cancel some flights and move individuals from those services on to others or change aircraft types to accommodate as many customers as we can. We have called in teams from across the airline today to help support at the airport as best we can and minimise delays at the airport, but we apologise if you’ve had to wait longer than normal.
As a result of the impact, we have had to take the difficult decision today to temporarily use the middle seats in our Club cabin for Club Europe customers, to help get as many people away as possible.
Our cabin crew will still be able to provide you with the full Club Europe service, but we understand that space is important to you, so we are asking for your understanding on this occasion to help us ensure that we don’t leave customers behind.
Thank you for your patience and your understanding, your loyalty is not something we ever take for granted.
As a result, we are in a position where we have regrettably had to cancel some flights and move individuals from those services on to others or change aircraft types to accommodate as many customers as we can. We have called in teams from across the airline today to help support at the airport as best we can and minimise delays at the airport, but we apologise if you’ve had to wait longer than normal.
As a result of the impact, we have had to take the difficult decision today to temporarily use the middle seats in our Club cabin for Club Europe customers, to help get as many people away as possible.
Our cabin crew will still be able to provide you with the full Club Europe service, but we understand that space is important to you, so we are asking for your understanding on this occasion to help us ensure that we don’t leave customers behind.
Thank you for your patience and your understanding, your loyalty is not something we ever take for granted.
Mar 31, 2022, 12:53 am
#9
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Krakow
Programs: BAEC Silver, Miles and More(FTL), IHG(Platinum), Accor, HHonors(Diamond), SPG, Hertz Five Star
Posts: 5,941
The reason it can still be called club europe is because you still get the other benefits, free food and drink lounge access (whuch sratus may also afford you or may not) and increased baggage allowance
I agree irs not exactly the offer, in my opinion some level of compensation should(and probably will) be provided, but in order to help people affected by the chaos I am prepared to accept it occassionally.
The issue at the moment is how often it is happening. this will be 3 or 4 times this year already and it is still March
I agree irs not exactly the offer, in my opinion some level of compensation should(and probably will) be provided, but in order to help people affected by the chaos I am prepared to accept it occassionally.
The issue at the moment is how often it is happening. this will be 3 or 4 times this year already and it is still March
Mar 31, 2022, 12:59 am
#11
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 3,596
Here is the email:
This is a bit of a porky-pie in my case. My email relates to BA709 tomorrow (ZRH->LON). It could only be full in CE because on Saturday last week they cancelled the later BA711 - with a week's notice, they could easily have chartered another plane, so this is a cost thing. Moreover, for inexplicable reasons they have not moved back the curtain on BA713 which has plenty of availability in Y but none in J (which I am currently on hold to the GGL line for, in a yet another attempt to get onto having been waitlisted, else I will switch to LCY). And to cap it all BA709 isn't actually that full as it only has 5 rows of J, and enough Y availability to move the curtain back by at least one row. But that would mean they couldn't sell more Y tickets!
This is a bit of a porky-pie in my case. My email relates to BA709 tomorrow (ZRH->LON). It could only be full in CE because on Saturday last week they cancelled the later BA711 - with a week's notice, they could easily have chartered another plane, so this is a cost thing. Moreover, for inexplicable reasons they have not moved back the curtain on BA713 which has plenty of availability in Y but none in J (which I am currently on hold to the GGL line for, in a yet another attempt to get onto having been waitlisted, else I will switch to LCY). And to cap it all BA709 isn't actually that full as it only has 5 rows of J, and enough Y availability to move the curtain back by at least one row. But that would mean they couldn't sell more Y tickets!
If theyre going to fanny about with making difficult decisions regarding the middle seat it wouldn't be nearly half as bad if they just opted to go all Economy and have done with it. The downgrade compensation would actually be worth something. By still offering a priority tag to baggage, lounge access and a morsel of food and a thimble of drink enables the justification they can still call it Club..... and not have to financially compensate for it. Thats what sticks in my throat.
Mar 31, 2022, 12:59 am
#12
Join Date: Feb 2016
Programs: BAEC GGL
Posts: 844
The reason it can still be called club europe is because you still get the other benefits, free food and drink lounge access (whuch sratus may also afford you or may not) and increased baggage allowance
I agree irs not exactly the offer, in my opinion some level of compensation should(and probably will) be provided, but in order to help people affected by the chaos I am prepared to accept it occassionally.
The issue at the moment is how often it is happening. this will be 3 or 4 times this year already and it is still March
I agree irs not exactly the offer, in my opinion some level of compensation should(and probably will) be provided, but in order to help people affected by the chaos I am prepared to accept it occassionally.
The issue at the moment is how often it is happening. this will be 3 or 4 times this year already and it is still March
Mar 31, 2022, 1:15 am
#13
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Krakow
Programs: BAEC Silver, Miles and More(FTL), IHG(Platinum), Accor, HHonors(Diamond), SPG, Hertz Five Star
Posts: 5,941
Personally I don't eat the food or drink the drink (I can get far better either end of the journey), and already have lounge access (GGL), so the two reasons to fly CE are that I don't want to sit next to a stranger in Covid times, and tier points. The first of these is more important to me - possibly marking me out as an outlier on this forum! I'll just rebook on Swiss if I can't get a BA flight. Or more likely if I can't get through to them (40 mins on hold for GGL line so far)
Some level of compensation has been offered when requested when this has happened in the past
Mar 31, 2022, 1:40 am
#14
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,015
I put in a complaint at the end of February due to both my travelling partner and I being assigned middle seats (and some other onboard issues including my tray table being covered in wet ink). No response yet.
Yes, these are exceptional circumstances but the primary onboard benefit of travelling CE is taken away when middle seats are assigned. BA must acknowledge this and compensate accordingly. It cannot become anything other than a once or twice a year event otherwise it is a breach of trust not least because the middle seats are sold at a high price after the disruption (it's not as if they're bumping up passengers from Y to open up more seats at the back).
Oh, and a plea to the Russians: please could you coincide your IT attacks at a time when the PM or Foreign Secretary are travelling and that way BA might get some proper government assistance to tackle the problem.
Yes, these are exceptional circumstances but the primary onboard benefit of travelling CE is taken away when middle seats are assigned. BA must acknowledge this and compensate accordingly. It cannot become anything other than a once or twice a year event otherwise it is a breach of trust not least because the middle seats are sold at a high price after the disruption (it's not as if they're bumping up passengers from Y to open up more seats at the back).
Oh, and a plea to the Russians: please could you coincide your IT attacks at a time when the PM or Foreign Secretary are travelling and that way BA might get some proper government assistance to tackle the problem.
Mar 31, 2022, 1:45 am
#15
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 816
This is the sort of issue that would be so much better if dealt with proactively. A £100 voucher on boarding and an explanation would leave a totally different taste in the mouth than just arriving on the plane to find the B seat occupied.