bogglesuk

Folks, i've seen anecdotal evidence on the boards here about this not being an issue, but wanted to check.

My wife had a back op earlier this year and i'm planning on going to DXB with her and the family in October as we've not been back since we left 5 years ago after living there for a decade. I was planning on booking business with work (using BAH for double TP) for me and then wife and kids in Y on a separate booking and getting brownie points by swapping seats with her on board. Wouldn't be an issue would it? I want the TP is the reason so am willing to forego the gold seat selection benefits that would come with just putting us all in Y.

Can I help you

Book and choose your seat using your GCH benefits and on boarding tell the SCCM who should be at the door that you are swapping, absolutely no issue.

SteveF

Hopefully your employer won�t mind if he finds out.

Can I help you

That is an unkind comment.

thejohn

Yes but factual it could have serious repercussions for the OP

bogglesuk

Noted. Thanks for the concern.

13901

I've done it a couple of times as a "well done" present for a colleague, and once when OH was given a jumpseat and me a proper seat [that was a no-brainer!]. At the aircraft door I simply said to the SCCM "we're swapping seats, hope you don't mind". There once has been a moment of uncertainty when the SCCM thought I was fishing for a cheeky upgrade but, once it was found out that I wasn't, it all was OK.

The only tip is to exchange boarding passes so the crew won't treat your wife as a self-upgrader (expect a Mr Bogglesuk, see a Mrs).

SteveF

It really wasn't meant to come across as unkind. I genuinely believe that some employers would take a very dim view of such an act and thought that maybe the OP hadn't even considered it could be an issue.

Personally I would never have risked it, but then I'm very risk-averse.

LimitingFactor

This sounds like disappearing into one of 'those' FlyerTalk discussions. However, thinking with my employing hat on, it all depends on why you a funding business travel, if you are paying for someone to fly business as you expect them to use the time to either work or to arrive 'fresh as a daisy' to go straight into an important meeting then yes, you will be disappointed. If on the other hand it's a perk/benefit/whatever, then who cares.

Can I help you

Fair enough, I�m the opposite. 😂

Schultzois

I�ve only ever swapped from F to J (giving the F seat to my mother and sitting in J with my father), and it was on an occasion that my mother was in some considerable discomfort, to the point that she had even cut a planned trip short.

Crew didn�t have any trouble at all with it, and indeed gave super attention to all three of us the whole time. Honestly one of my most satisfying BA flights ever.

SKT-DK

I see both sides of the story - on the one hand, the OP wants to treat his wife and take the lesser seat himself. Which is admirable of course, and many of us would naturally want to do the same.

But as others said, if the employer is paying for J with the expectation that the employee arrives ready to work, etc - that could potentially turn out really bad if found out. Of course, as per other discussions of the same topic here, there is the element of perceived fraud as well, but let us not go there for the umpteenth time (the OP can do a search on that if interested).

I do not believe anybody are trying to be judgmental, nor unkind, but merely presenting things for the OP to consider

In practical terms, there should not be any issues with swapping on board by letting the crew know. Personally though, I would book my wife in J with me (depending on how old the kids are, of course - and I probably would not leave the kids, if I had any, in Y alone in that case either )

fransknorge

If one of my team members did that, there would be a discussion, no tea no biscuits. The employer pays a premium so the employee arrive fresh and ready to work.
And OP has left enough details in the thread to be identified if one of his supervisor is reading.

Schultzois

I see what you�re saying, but as long as the team member was doing his job well, I�d leave it to him to decide. Could be a case of �happy wife, happy life� or could also be a case of getting some time together with his children on the way to/from a work trip.
Unless he�s failing at his job, I�d leave it to him to decide. Maybe if your company paid him more, he�d just be able to buy J tickets for his wife and children on his own, and do his job even better because he�s happy.

Swanhunter

As an employer, that would be my take. If the employeee dozed off in meetings, wasn�t performing then there would be a conversation to be had. If not, I really don�t think I�d care. Trust your people to make decisions