Seat Selection on British Airways

[GulfShoresCruiser]

Post cruise we are flying London to Miami on British Airways  (in 25 days)

 

We (her majesty and I) have steerage class seats.  We can pay a bounty to British Airways to select a seat now or wait 24 hours and either get assigned or I think we can choose what is left w/no charge. 

 

I looked at the seat map and only counted 17 "occupied" seats.  I'm thinking our chances are very good that the plane will not be full and we will have no problem grabbing "free" seats together. 

 

We do not mind rolling the dice to save a few bucks.

 

What says the wise folks on here regarding my chances of us getting two seats together without paying tribute?

[wowzz]

24 minutes ago, GulfShoresCruiser said:

Post cruise we are flying London to Miami on British Airways  (in 25 days)

 

We (her majesty and I) have steerage class seats.  We can pay a bounty to British Airways to select a seat now or wait 24 hours and either get assigned or I think we can choose what is left w/no charge. 

 

I looked at the seat map and only counted 17 "occupied" seats.  I'm thinking our chances are very good that the plane will not be full and we will have no problem grabbing "free" seats together. 

 

We do not mind rolling the dice to save a few bucks.

 

What says the wise folks on here regarding my chances of us getting two seats together without paying tribute?

I wouldn't read too much into only 17 seats being occupied. There could be 150 people like you not wanting to pay !

BA do not deliberately split couples up, so I think it very unlikely that you will not be allocated seats together.  Having said that,  I would be on the BA website exactly hours before your flight to select your seats.   

[mina]

I know that if your air is booked through Princess or celebrity air you can select seats without the surcharge.  Just did it. Although thru the Princess site, it has the seat map blocked, you can just get  the BA booking number from your confirmation and go to their site, go to manage my booking and you can select seats for free.   If not booked through the cruise  line, you have to pay to select seats for sure.  

Edited March 6, 2022 by mina

[GulfShoresCruiser]

Thanks for the info. 

 

Air is thru Princess.

 

I can go to the seat selection at BA but all the seats require paying tribute!  They even want $41 for one of those center aisle, center seats.  LOL.  And (as of two days ago) there were only 17 folks who have been willing to pay tribute. We fly in 21 days. We are in steerage class. 

 

We are planning to just roll the dice and since we are flying home the same day as disembarkation, we may attempt to check in and get the free seats on the morning of departure.

 

I assume all seats will be going to Miami and I'm hoping British Airways will allow me to sit next to her majesty.  The one way fare thru the cruise line was fantastic.  $400.  So worth the hassle but paying for a fare and then paying for a seat is an interesting model.  IMO.  

 

We are ready for Southwest to fly to Europe so we can forget this nonsense. 

 

 

[Zach1213]

1 hour ago, GulfShoresCruiser said:

Thanks for the info. 

 

Air is thru Princess.

 

I can go to the seat selection at BA but all the seats require paying tribute!  They even want $41 for one of those center aisle, center seats.  LOL.  And (as of two days ago) there were only 17 folks who have been willing to pay tribute. We fly in 21 days. We are in steerage class. 

 

We are planning to just roll the dice and since we are flying home the same day as disembarkation, we may attempt to check in and get the free seats on the morning of departure.

 

I assume all seats will be going to Miami and I'm hoping British Airways will allow me to sit next to her majesty.  The one way fare thru the cruise line was fantastic.  $400.  So worth the hassle but paying for a fare and then paying for a seat is an interesting model.  IMO.  

 

We are ready for Southwest to fly to Europe so we can forget this nonsense. 

 

 

 

There could be 0 people willing to pay. Some people with status or other ticket perks get the seat selection for free. 

 

Also, to each their own, but not knowing my seat for an overnight transatlantic flight until I step on the plane sounds miserable to me. Absolutely miserable. Even knowing a day or two in advance would at least allow me to mentally prepare! But seeing how long it took Southwest to becomes ETOPS certified just to fly to Hawaii makes me think they won't be in Europe anytime soon, so don't hold your breath 🙂

[mina]

8 hours ago, GulfShoresCruiser said:

Thanks for the info. 

 

Air is thru Princess.

 

I can go to the seat selection at BA but all the seats require paying tribute!  They even want $41 for one of those center aisle, center seats.  LOL.  And (as of two days ago) there were only 17 folks who have been willing to pay tribute. We fly in 21 days. We are in steerage class. 

 

We are planning to just roll the dice and since we are flying home the same day as disembarkation, we may attempt to check in and get the free seats on the morning of departure.

 

I assume all seats will be going to Miami and I'm hoping British Airways will allow me to sit next to her majesty.  The one way fare thru the cruise line was fantastic.  $400.  So worth the hassle but paying for a fare and then paying for a seat is an interesting model.  IMO.  

 

We are ready for Southwest to fly to Europe so we can forget this nonsense. 

 

 

Sounds like your fare class was the lowest option {basic economy} given that great fare you paid.  In that case, that is probably why you need to pay for the seats.  In my case, it was not the basic economy rate, so I got to select seats at no charge or perhaps I should say it was built into the cruise line fare I booked.  

[GulfShoresCruiser]

Gotcha!  Makes sense.  The fare is dirt cheap and we are fine in steerage. 

 

We will hold off and see if we can get what "free" seats are left vs paying more tribute to British Air.

 

 

[GulfShoresCruiser]

7 hours ago, Zach1213 said:

they won't be in Europe anytime soon, so don't hold your breath 🙂

 

I agree but life sure is better for me when I can fly Southwest.  "Just get onboard and sit down". Done!  None of this other foolishness.  LOL.

 

Plus get a Dr. Pepper, pretzels and checked luggage with no fee!  

 

I hear you about the panic for a seat but after years of biz travel, I've learned all the seats go to the same place...and there is always another plane if you miss one!

 

Have fun out there!

[fbgd]

16 hours ago, GulfShoresCruiser said:

I've learned all the seats go to the same place...

 

Some just a lot more comfortably than others, which is why this policy is in place...

 

BA's seat assignment policy is borne out of the fact they know their market and their most profitable passengers are the last minute flyers, a decent percentage of whom hold shiny BA Executive Club cards. The problem with most traditional seat assignment policies is that those most lucrative passengers paying typically the highest fares are left with the worst, "leftover" seat assignments if they're booking last minute. By restricting who can pre-assign seats at next to no cost it means those lucrative last minute bookers still have a decent chance at a good seat. (Some of BA's aircraft operating their most lucrative longhaul routes have/had seats in the business class cabin that were very desirable compared to others, with a new seating configuration this is becoming less of an issue)

 

BA still allow a decent chunk of passengers with status, on flexible tickets, with children, etc. to pre-assign seats at no cost. 

 

Prior to this policy BA had a pre-assignment cap. Each cabin had a percentage of seats that could be pre-assigned and once that cap was hit then the cabin would close off until online check-in opened. First was 100% pre-assignment, Club World was I think 60%, and steerage (to use your own words) was about 30%. I could have those slightly out, it's more than a decade since BA had this.  

 

 

 

 

[wowzz]

On 3/7/2022 at 9:54 PM, mina said:

Sounds like your fare class was the lowest option {basic economy} given that great fare you paid.  In that case, that is probably why you need to pay for the seats.  In my case, it was not the basic economy rate, so I got to select seats at no charge or perhaps I should say it was built into the cruise line fare I booked.  

No, the price you paid for the seat is irrelevant. Unless you have status, you pay for seat selection.

We are flying Club on BA shortly,  and we also have to pay if we want to select seats.

Just to add that the situation might be different for flights booked through Princess, as they no doubt have a financial arrangement with BA. But under normal circumstances,  if you want to reserve a seat, you pay for it. 

 

Edited March 8, 2022 by wowzz

[mina]

You are so right -- my point was that booking thru princess I have not had to pay the seat charge if I go to BA site.  When I book direct, I do.  The OP indicated he booked thru princess but is still getting charged for seats.  As such, I was guessing that the reason for the difference may have been due to the fare I paid.  Princess does book different fare classes - you just have to dig to find them.   

Edited March 8, 2022 by mina

[wowzz]

5 minutes ago, mina said:

You are so right -- my point was that booking thru princess I have not had to pay the seat charge if I go to BA site.  When I book direct, I do.  The OP indicated he booked thru princess but is still getting charged for seats.  As such, I was guessing that the reason for the difference may have been due to the fare I paid.  Princess does book different fare classes - you just have to dig to find them.   

Thanks for the clarification. 

 

[fbgd]

15 hours ago, wowzz said:

No, the price you paid for the seat is irrelevant. Unless you have status, you pay for seat selection.

 

Not entirely accurate. Semi-flexible fares allow you to pre-assign a couple of days ahead and fully flexible fares allow you to pre-assign at booking. All First passengers get it for free.

 

There's a few other categories besides having status that get it gratis too.

https://www.britishairways.com/en-us/information/seating/reserving-your-seat#pay

 

[wowzz]

43 minutes ago, fbgd said:

 

Not entirely accurate. Semi-flexible fares allow you to pre-assign a couple of days ahead and fully flexible fares allow you to pre-assign at booking. All First passengers get it for free.

 

There's a few other categories besides having status that get it gratis too.

https://www.britishairways.com/en-us/information/seating/reserving-your-seat#pay

 

Although of course the price premium you pay for flexible or semi flexible tickets is enormous ! Giving free seat selection is the least they can do !

[GulfShoresCruiser]

I'm the OP and I am circling back with what happened.....for whatever it is worth....

 

Our goal was to sit together and not pay for seats after paying a fare....this was accomplished with no effort on our part......

 

24 hours before departure I went to "check in".  I was unable to check in or select a seat.  The reason was that I still had to provide my Covid stuff and complete a USA required location finder form.  

 

We arrived at the airport and completed all our stuff and we were assigned seats together.  We never paid any of those tribute prices for seats.  We were in steerage class....center seats in the center section.....Enjoyed lots of free wine, good food, tea and some great movies on our London to Miami flight.  The flight was full (good to see again) and I now know why they are called airbus....because they are.  

Edited March 30, 2022 by GulfShoresCruiser

[FlyerTalker]

You get what you pay for.

 

Econ 101

[sverigecruiser]

On 3/31/2022 at 12:07 AM, GulfShoresCruiser said:

now know why they are called airbus....because they are.  

 

Are you saying that the the flight had been much different if it had been on a Boeing instead of on an Airbus?  

[GulfShoresCruiser]

First time for us in a plane that large....loading from 3 different "chutes" and it was 10 across.  We were packed in and when I learned I was flying in an "airbus" I thought the name was appropriate as it felt like a flying bus!

 

(Hope that helps explain my comment)

[fbgd]

4 hours ago, GulfShoresCruiser said:

First time for us in a plane that large....loading from 3 different "chutes" and it was 10 across.  We were packed in and when I learned I was flying in an "airbus" I thought the name was appropriate as it felt like a flying bus!

 

Not much different in economy to any widebody Boeing product. A lot of carriers are going to 10 across on 777s too.

 

To consider for future reference is that BA also have World Traveller/economy cabin at the back of the upper deck and it's in a much preferable (as preferable as it can be given it's economy!) 2-4-2 configuration. You also have sidebins at the upstairs window seats which takes away from the claustrophobic nature of things a little. 

 

 

[GulfShoresCruiser]

Thanks for the info but we were fine with the seats.....We did not want to pay for seats after buying a ticket so we just let BA find us seats and the seats and the flight were fine......Not picky.  The free flowing wine helped keep things in perspective.  But it was a big plane....a flying bus...airbus!

 

 

Edited April 14, 2022 by GulfShoresCruiser

[wowzz]

Although the A380 is made by Airbus, on this side of the Atlantic, the "bus" term of endearment usually refers to the ubiquitous 319s and 320s.