DavidRB

On a recent flight LHR to Singapore with family in World Traveller Plus I booked seats. Waste of time and money. I was bumped out of a window seat next to my wife and assigned a seat previously given to my grandson aged 12. He was assigned a seat in the row in front of the rest of us on his own between two strangers. Is that a good idea on an overnight flight?
A call to BA CS achieved nothing. They couldn't (wouldn't?) change it but the check in person (who doesn't work for BA) did, magically finding a vacant seat for my grandson two to the right of the original one. An unaccompanied person took my original seat. Why it had to be changed remains a mystery. Customer Service didn't know either.
Coming back wasn't much better. I was moved to my granddaughter's seat, she went four rows forward. My wife was moved to my grandson's seat. He also went four rows forward, and my daughter was moved four rows forward to sit with them.
So much for seating family groups together, even though seats were bought and paid for three months earlier.
BA have now said that they're busy with emails and will get back to me within 21 days.
Such is "Customer Service"

fruitcage

Exactly what operational reasons led to the seats being changed - who knows? But it does happen from time to time for a whole list of possible reasons. BA will refund charges for seat allocations in such cases.

scottishpoet

I do not think you will find many on here that disagree with that, especially now upper deck on the 747 has gone,

Telecasterman

must have been very annoying…if I can help explain….the WTP cabin is small and well sort after on this and many other routes…it is subject changes ( as per the terms and conditions) more than other cabins.. I appreciate your concern..indeed it has happened to me and my family. The fact remains nothing is guaranteed and BA like other airlines will eventually compensate you, which in hindsight doesn’t solve the issue there and then..
did you mention the issue on board to the manager? Most folks will move around..yes I know some won’t..
best T

Misco60

I'm beginning to think airlines should be penalised for not honouring paid-for seat reservations, whatever the reason. Simply returning the fee paid for selecting the seat doesn't make up for the inconvenience and distress of having your seats changed and your family split up in this way. Airlines treat their customers with contempt.

mikeyfly

My brother and family (blue) two adults and two kids flew to TPA today in WTP. He was happy to pay immediately to secure 2x2 window seats in front of each other and it worked fine. So whilst it’s annoying what happened to you, I imagine a huge majority of folk who pay for seats are pleased with the outcome, and don’t want the unknown of not paying.

TTmex

So when an airline needs to change things for operational reasons, for example, accommodating a passenger requiring assistance, you're suggesting that the airline then needs to compensate everyone who they had to move? Changes occasionally happen for one reason or another, and our distinguished GGL members will be able to share that nobody is ever moved just to make way for someone else with higher status (I believe even CWS did get moved once, but it was to be replaced by a golden retriever or lab escorting a visually impaired customer).

The airline specifically says no seat is guaranteed, so everyone should approach it with the understanding that things may change for one reason or another. It's certainly frustrating when a family gets split, and there are rules in place that should stop young ones from being split from their accompanying adults, but I don't believe penalizing airlines will achieve anything other than adding additional costs to them when they're already doing their best to accommodate everyone.

T8191

No personal skin in this game as a Gold, but BA does some strange things with seating,

Our best one was on a recent and simple LHR-JER in CE, in 1A/C. Seats selected at the time of booking, months earlier. At the gate, the Agent took our 2 BPs and, overwriting them, moved me from 1C to 1A and my wife from 1A to 1C! Go figure!

Telecasterman

actually I had to move to accommodate a service dog …no problem

AJA_

That's funny 😁 Is a window seat your preferred seat in your BAEC profile?

Also are you both Gold? I'm guessing the gate Agent thought you deserved the holy grail 1A

Lefly

So much for the "if you wanted to sit together you should have pre-selected/paid for the seat" that some people say or think when asked to switch.

scottishpoet

If people are in different bookings maybe, but with theoretical seating then people on the same booking will be kept together as much as possible.

T8191

Yes, both Gold. And our seats were as per our stated preferences. That made it even weirder!

Needless to say we just sat in our usual seats!

Oxon Flyer

What’s the going rate for 2x2 window seats in PE ?

Misco60

Everyone who paid to select a seat, yes. Just as rail companies are required to refund everyone whose train is over 15 minutes late, regardless of cause or fault. They'd soon start to make more of an effort to keep families together and all passengers in their preferred seat in the case of IRROPS; at the moment they just don't seem to care.

I understand the difficulties involved but, as I said, the airlines treat us with utter contempt and we need to tip the balance back in favour of the paying customer.