Business class seats at checkin
Jun 2, 23, 6:13 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2023
Posts: 7
Business class seats at checkin
I am travelling on Sunday to LAX with my partner. I have seen advice that it's not necessary to pay the outrageous price on top of the flight booking to book Business Class seats and wait till 24 hrs before flight to get them for free. There are now very few seats left online to reserve so now I'm extremely concerned that if I don't pay, there will be no seats left and downgraded. How likely is this scenario?
Do BA over sell club flights? I can't afford to miss this flight as we a connection in LA. I've asked BA the question on twitter and they are obfuscating and refuse to answer the question.
Do BA over sell club flights? I can't afford to miss this flight as we a connection in LA. I've asked BA the question on twitter and they are obfuscating and refuse to answer the question.
Jun 2, 23, 6:28 am
#4
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: TPA/ABZ
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold. GGL/CCR.
Posts: 12,861
I am travelling on Sunday to LAX with my partner. I have seen advice that it's not necessary to pay the outrageous price on top of the flight booking to book Business Class seats and wait till 24 hrs before flight to get them for free. There are now very few seats left online to reserve so now I'm extremely concerned that if I don't pay, there will be no seats left and downgraded. How likely is this scenario?
Do BA over sell club flights? I can't afford to miss this flight as we a connection in LA. I've asked BA the question on twitter and they are obfuscating and refuse to answer the question.
Do BA over sell club flights? I can't afford to miss this flight as we a connection in LA. I've asked BA the question on twitter and they are obfuscating and refuse to answer the question.
You do not need to pay for a seat in advance. Not doing so just means that your choice at 24th will be reduced.
Jun 2, 23, 6:30 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2023
Posts: 7
Just for some context, we're not frequent long haul flyers. Booked this holiday for our 60th birthdays and going business class is a big treat for us. I'm already on edge as I saw saw this flight BA283 was cancelled last Sunday.
Jun 2, 23, 6:31 am
#6
Join Date: Sep 2020
Posts: 317
Seat maps 2 days out are not the most reliable indicator - there are too many variables on any flight to make an accurate assessment and that includes those who have paid for a seat finding the seat is out of service on the day of travel. My Athens to Heathrow flight last September showed only 1 row left in Club Europe 2 days before flying but during online check-in plenty of choices were open.
I successfully paid for and checked into a WTP seat a few months ago but it was at the airport that for operational reasons I (and others) were moved. We got compensation (and very quickly to be fair) but it is hard to predict.
I successfully paid for and checked into a WTP seat a few months ago but it was at the airport that for operational reasons I (and others) were moved. We got compensation (and very quickly to be fair) but it is hard to predict.
Jun 2, 23, 6:44 am
#7
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Based out of MAN; LON/NYC regular
Programs: BAEC Gold, IHG Platinum Amb, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 210
Re your LAX connection: are you booked on 1 ticket? If so you have absolutely nothing to worry about: wherever it is you're ultimately going, you'll get there between BA, AA, Aer Lingus, Iberia, FinnAir, Alaska, and even United if that's what's necessary. I was on a delayed flight in to Chicago last week and passengers who'd missed their connections had already been rebooked on to services the next morning and had rooms booked in hotels for the night.
If your specific flight is cancelled, or some other sort of involuntarily denied boarding scenario occurs, you'll get put on to an alternate service as quickly as possible.
Relax and enjoy your flight.
If your specific flight is cancelled, or some other sort of involuntarily denied boarding scenario occurs, you'll get put on to an alternate service as quickly as possible.
Relax and enjoy your flight.
Jun 2, 23, 6:58 am
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2023
Posts: 7
No not booked thru on one ticket. Connection to Las Vegas with United, but we have the option of changing that flight for free so I'm not to concerned about that. Just want my Lie flat bed!
Re your LAX connection: are you booked on 1 ticket? If so you have absolutely nothing to worry about: wherever it is you're ultimately going, you'll get there between BA, AA, Aer Lingus, Iberia, FinnAir, Alaska, and even United if that's what's necessary. I was on a delayed flight in to Chicago last week and passengers who'd missed their connections had already been rebooked on to services the next morning and had rooms booked in hotels for the night.
If your specific flight is cancelled, or some other sort of involuntarily denied boarding scenario occurs, you'll get put on to an alternate service as quickly as possible.
Relax and enjoy your flight.
If your specific flight is cancelled, or some other sort of involuntarily denied boarding scenario occurs, you'll get put on to an alternate service as quickly as possible.
Relax and enjoy your flight.
Jun 2, 23, 7:20 am
#9
Join Date: May 2023
Posts: 129
Iirc at T-72 hours what's called 'Theoretical Seating' kicks in. This means that you'll only have a choice of a small handful of seats, as all the rest are blocked, but once those available ones have been chosen by others, then more blocked but not occupied seats will open up, and so on until everyone has a seat. The order of unblocking seats is based on who is sat in the adjacent seats, so seats next to Blues and Bronzes will open up first, then seats next to silvers, and the last to open will be seats next to golds.
Basically, you have nothing to worry about, but as theoretical seating has started, you will have a limited choice of seats when you check in at T-24, but you will have a seat.
Basically, you have nothing to worry about, but as theoretical seating has started, you will have a limited choice of seats when you check in at T-24, but you will have a seat.
Last edited by zaphod424; Jun 2, 23 at 7:39 am Reason: correction
Jun 2, 23, 7:24 am
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2023
Posts: 7
Thank you. You have put my mind at rest. I don't really mind where we sit and if we're not together, that's not a big deal. After all next three weeks will be 24/7 in each others pockets 😂
Iirc at T-36 hours what's called 'Theoretical Seating' kicks in. This means that you'll only have a choice of a small handful of seats, as all the rest are blocked, but once those available ones have been chosen by others, then more blocked but not occupied seats will open up, and so on until everyone has a seat. The order of unblocking seats is based on who is sat in the adjacent seats, so seats next to Blues and Bronzes will open up first, then seats next to silvers, and the last to open will be seats next to golds.
Basically, you have nothing to worry about, but as theoretical seating has started, you will have a limited choice of seats when you check in at T-24, but you will have a seat.
Basically, you have nothing to worry about, but as theoretical seating has started, you will have a limited choice of seats when you check in at T-24, but you will have a seat.
Jun 2, 23, 7:35 am
#11
Join Date: Nov 2017
Programs: BA, Hilton
Posts: 1,966
I agree that there is nothing to be concerned about, and hopefully the OP has a great flight.
Jun 2, 23, 7:41 am
#12
Join Date: May 2023
Posts: 129
Just as a minor point to your excellent explanation, it's 72 hours before the flight it kicks in. It's possible, even likely, that the system may have allocated 2 seats together at that point.
I agree that there is nothing to be concerned about, and hopefully the OP has a great flight.
I agree that there is nothing to be concerned about, and hopefully the OP has a great flight.
Jun 2, 23, 8:03 am
#13
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 1,139
Welcome to FlyerTalk Loobylu
You do not need to pay for a seat in advance. Not doing so just means that your choice at 24th will be reduced.
You do not need to pay for a seat in advance. Not doing so just means that your choice at 24th will be reduced.
Jun 2, 23, 8:10 am
#14
Join Date: May 2023
Posts: 129
I once did this on a flight to JFK and found myself in the middle of both the seating and cabin and no other options apart from similar seats. Just not worth spending so much money on a J/F flight then refusing to pay to choose your preferred seat. I mostly use my Avios for this though.
As an aside I do hope (however futile) that BA reconsider their policy of charging for J seat reservations, especially now that CS makes it less worthwhile. A good middle ground would be to do what Virgin do, charge for seats in the first 6 or so rows (unless you're high enough status), but leave the rest of the cabin free to choose for everyone.
Jun 2, 23, 8:19 am
#15
Join Date: Nov 2017
Programs: BA, Hilton
Posts: 1,966
Each to their own of course, but I would count myself amongst those who would find many better uses for the money at my destination.
(As a minor aside, F seating should always be free, excepting 1A/K until closer in to the flight, even for those with no status)
