Why did BA stop seat selection?
Oct 11, 2008, 8:13 am
#16
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Ireland
Programs: No longer bothered chasing FF status.
Posts: 2,345
Just stepping back in here to add……….
For quite a proportion of passengers, effectively they have 
....... They have not stopped seat selection. www.ba.com/seating explains it all. .........
Oct 11, 2008, 8:18 am
#17
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Falkirk, Scotland,VS Red, BA Gold, HH Diamond,UK Amex Plat
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That’s all very well & good, for the outbound leg of the journey.
But how are you supposed to OLCI on the return ?
Spend the last day of your holidays frantically trying to get access to some computer somewhere ??
Just so you can get a seat assigned & not risk having yourself & your partner split up on the return flight. Or end up in crappy, bottom of the pile seats.
I don’t think so
Exactly what I’m doing & loving every minute of it
But how are you supposed to OLCI on the return ?
Spend the last day of your holidays frantically trying to get access to some computer somewhere ??
Just so you can get a seat assigned & not risk having yourself & your partner split up on the return flight. Or end up in crappy, bottom of the pile seats.
I don’t think so
Exactly what I’m doing & loving every minute of it
Hi,
Or get your son to get up tomorrow moring at 0330 to OLCI!
My parents are flying back from PHX tomorrow( Sunday) and OLCI opens at 1925 PHX time tonight ( 0325 UK BST)and they are only blue members with no pc access. So I will OLCI for them tomorrow ( and hope to get the window pairs downstairs or hopefully seats on the upper deck ( not necessarily together). Last year on the return flight from PHX they only got the EF seats downstairs ( less private)
Regards
TBS
Oct 11, 2008, 8:26 am
#18
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Ireland
Programs: No longer bothered chasing FF status.
Posts: 2,345
Good idea ^
But look at the hassle it causes
Anyway, as has been said, this has been done to death on this board.
But there are many for whom this comes as quite a shock & for some,(includling me), has caused us to turn our back on BA & take our spend elsewhere.
But look at the hassle it causes
Anyway, as has been said, this has been done to death on this board.
But there are many for whom this comes as quite a shock & for some,(includling me), has caused us to turn our back on BA & take our spend elsewhere.
Oct 11, 2008, 8:58 am
#19
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Mostly AUS or rural England
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Oct 11, 2008, 9:05 am
#22
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold, UA Gold
Posts: 2,022
Forgot to add... if the alternative is a system like United, where anyone seems to be able to select their seats, forget it. When I last looked at booking a Y ticket with UA, a few days out, virtually the whole cabin was already allocated. I couldn't get on early at T-24 to ensure I got a nice seat because they were all assigned. Even as a *G I basically had no option except to book a flight without assigning a seat, turn up at the airport, wave my Gold card around and hope UA didn't put me in SuperMiddle. Didn't fancy that so I flew elsewhere.
Not that UA's system is a bad one, as E+ looks after their own elites very nicely, but I would hate for BA to move to a system where anyone can pre-select on booking. This just penalises those who book late, who often pay the highest fares - nonsense.
Not that UA's system is a bad one, as E+ looks after their own elites very nicely, but I would hate for BA to move to a system where anyone can pre-select on booking. This just penalises those who book late, who often pay the highest fares - nonsense.
Oct 11, 2008, 9:27 am
#24
Join Date: Jan 2007
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Forgot to add... if the alternative is a system like United, where anyone seems to be able to select their seats, forget it. When I last looked at booking a Y ticket with UA, a few days out, virtually the whole cabin was already allocated. I couldn't get on early at T-24 to ensure I got a nice seat because they were all assigned. Even as a *G I basically had no option except to book a flight without assigning a seat, turn up at the airport, wave my Gold card around and hope UA didn't put me in SuperMiddle. Didn't fancy that so I flew elsewhere.
Not that UA's system is a bad one, as E+ looks after their own elites very nicely, but I would hate for BA to move to a system where anyone can pre-select on booking. This just penalises those who book late, who often pay the highest fares - nonsense.
Not that UA's system is a bad one, as E+ looks after their own elites very nicely, but I would hate for BA to move to a system where anyone can pre-select on booking. This just penalises those who book late, who often pay the highest fares - nonsense.
Oct 11, 2008, 9:56 am
#25
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: SAN
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Posts: 4,381
BTW: for UA it is now possible to get a decent seat by buying up to E+ via their MMB system. Not an ideal solution but at least an option.
Oct 11, 2008, 9:57 am
#26
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Ireland
Programs: No longer bothered chasing FF status.
Posts: 2,345
If you’re on a cheapie fare, booked months out in advance & hold a silver card, you get your seat assignment before a high revenue, late booking passenger !! Thereby allowing you snatch one of the "better seats". A late booking passenger paying full fare won't be able to get, say 64K for instance, or in some cases a window pair.
So it won’t always benefit the full fare passenger.
Edited to add.......
FWIW. I do think a policy of blocking out “premium seats” for those who hold status or pay full fare, leaving the rest for everyone else is a fairer policy.
But that’s just my opinion & many others differ ^
Last edited by kered; Oct 11, 2008 at 10:02 am
Oct 11, 2008, 10:23 am
#27
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Mostly AUS or rural England
Programs: BAEC redundant Bronze, AAdvantage Lifetime PLT, CO, WN, B6
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Of course some airlines have 'premium seating', i.e. they block a percentage of the seats in Y which can only be pre-allocated by status pax. Not sure if AA has this, I haven't flown in Y with them yet
BTW: for UA it is now possible to get a decent seat by buying up to E+ via their MMB system. Not an ideal solution but at least an option.
BTW: for UA it is now possible to get a decent seat by buying up to E+ via their MMB system. Not an ideal solution but at least an option.
AA has a very small number of seats that can only be pre-assigned by elite members. The only option I've found is to check the seat map just after the upgrade windows open, hoping that someone in the upgrade list gets their request to clear and that I can jump in and grab the seat they've vacated. Compared to that, BA is paradise, right up to the 24 hour mark.
Oh, BTW - if you haven't tried AA in coach on domestic routes, well, it's not likely to be an experience that will live fondly in your memories. It feels weird these days that the coach service on Southwest, the granddaddy of the LCC's, is as good, if not better than the 'legacies'.
Oct 11, 2008, 10:25 am
#28
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: MAN, ARN
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Not necessarily !
If you’re on a cheapie fare, booked months out in advance & hold a silver card, you get your seat assignment before a high revenue, late booking passenger !! Thereby allowing you snatch one of the "better seats". A late booking passenger paying full fare won't be able to get, say 64K for instance, or in some cases a window pair.
If you’re on a cheapie fare, booked months out in advance & hold a silver card, you get your seat assignment before a high revenue, late booking passenger !! Thereby allowing you snatch one of the "better seats". A late booking passenger paying full fare won't be able to get, say 64K for instance, or in some cases a window pair.
Oct 11, 2008, 10:27 am
#29
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Wild Wiltshire
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Posts: 3,455
I used to like it when I was EC blue because I had just as much chance of getting the front row seat I wanted in Y as everyone else, never failed in 2 years, you have to be quick on the draw though, some of those seats only become available at T-24 ( I can sleep through anything so the prospect of being nearest to a cot doesnt bother me)
Oct 11, 2008, 10:29 am
#30
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Mostly AUS or rural England
Programs: BAEC redundant Bronze, AAdvantage Lifetime PLT, CO, WN, B6
Posts: 6,526
Not necessarily !
If you’re on a cheapie fare, booked months out in advance & hold a silver card, you get your seat assignment before a high revenue, late booking passenger !! Thereby allowing you snatch one of the "better seats". A late booking passenger paying full fare won't be able to get, say 64K for instance, or in some cases a window pair.
So it won’t always benefit the full fare passenger.
Edited to add.......
FWIW. I do think a policy of blocking out “premium seats” for those who hold status or pay full fare, leaving the rest for everyone else is a fairer policy.
But that’s just my opinion & many others differ ^
If you’re on a cheapie fare, booked months out in advance & hold a silver card, you get your seat assignment before a high revenue, late booking passenger !! Thereby allowing you snatch one of the "better seats". A late booking passenger paying full fare won't be able to get, say 64K for instance, or in some cases a window pair.
So it won’t always benefit the full fare passenger.
Edited to add.......
FWIW. I do think a policy of blocking out “premium seats” for those who hold status or pay full fare, leaving the rest for everyone else is a fairer policy.
But that’s just my opinion & many others differ ^
As far as blocking out seats goes, I like the system CO uses for it's coach cabin. If you buy a cheap seat and you don't have status, you can pre-reserve in the back of the bus - typically behind the emergency exit on narrow bodies.
How would this apply to CW though? In general I choose a window seat on the overnight flights because it's easeir to sleep, so what should BA allow discount fare, non-status passengers to select?