British Airways, help please

[Lois R]

12 minutes ago, Globaliser said:

 

The fee for pre-allocation is what we've been telling you about from the beginning of this thread!

 

The difference between your two sectors is actually very likely to be for a more technical reason than simply long-haul/short-haul. It's to do with the booking class (inventory bucket) into which your particular fare is to be booked on each sector, and on the short-haul flight your fare appears to book into a booking class that comes with free seat pre-allocation.

I guess I misunderstood! I was just trying to give a follow up!

[1982CruzStart]

1 hour ago, Lois R said:

I guess I misunderstood! I was just trying to give a follow up!

thanks for the update, hope your seat selection goes well and have a great trip. 

[Lois R]

9 minutes ago, 1982CruzStart said:

thanks for the update, hope your seat selection goes well and have a great trip. 

Thank you😀

[rkacruiser]

6 hours ago, Lois R said:

Just have to hope all my flights depart and arrive smoothly and I make it to Barcelona for my cruise!

 

Good wishes for a successful seat selection process, good, no-stress flights, and a safe and pleasant cruise!

 

My opinion of BA's seat selection rules for Business Class--regardless of one's fare category for Business Class--is chintzy.  One is paying enough for a BC seat.  Such cheapness on their part would discourage me from flying BA.  

[rkacruiser]

6 hours ago, Lois R said:

Just have to hope all my flights depart and arrive smoothly and I make it to Barcelona for my cruise!

 

Good wishes for a successful seat selection process, good, no-stress flights, and a safe and pleasant cruise!

 

My opinion of BA's seat selection rules for Business Class--regardless of one's fare category for Business Class--is chintzy.  One is paying enough for a BC seat.  Such cheapness on their part would discourage me from flying BA.  

[Lois R]

10 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Good wishes for a successful seat selection process, good, no-stress flights, and a safe and pleasant cruise!

 

My opinion of BA's seat selection rules for Business Class--regardless of one's fare category for Business Class--is chintzy.  One is paying enough for a BC seat.  Such cheapness on their part would discourage me from flying BA.  

HI rka🙂...the cruise line booked me with them.  Thanks for the good wishes though😀

[wowzz]

8 hours ago, Lois R said:

So they only do this for the "long haul" portion. 

No, as Globaliser says, that is not the case ln most circumstances. 

If you book a stand alone ticket on BA Club Europe, unless you have status, you will pay if you want to book a specific seat more than 24 hours prior to departure. 

[mchell810]

12 hours ago, Lois R said:

I started this thread back in March and now it is 4 days until I fly out.  As for my seat in Business class, I spoke with BA and was told even in Business Class, you have to pay extra if you want to book your seat early. Or you can wait until check in (24 hours before) and book the seat at no extra charge.  I am just waiting until Friday and will do it then.......and yes, my seat from London to Barcelona is already booked. So they only do this for the "long haul" portion.  Just have to hope all my flights depart and arrive smoothly and I make it to Barcelona for my cruise!

 

12 hours ago, Globaliser said:

 

The fee for pre-allocation is what we've been telling you about from the beginning of this thread!

 

The difference between your two sectors is actually very likely to be for a more technical reason than simply long-haul/short-haul. It's to do with the booking class (inventory bucket) into which your particular fare is to be booked on each sector, and on the short-haul flight your fare appears to book into a booking class that comes with free seat pre-allocation.

 

 

I just returned from a SS cruise where they booked my business class flights.  One long-haul portion was booked as a BA code share -- but operated by AA -- I was assigned a seat when it was booked but NOT charged a fee by BA.  Do look closely at your flight docs from SS they may have selected your seat, but it doesn't show on the BA website -- which is what happened to me.

 

I couldn't change the seat on the BA nor AA websites (it was good anyway, but I tried just to see if I could).  I was able to make seat changes on the other legs (all AA). 

 

So, Lois, requiring the fee may for you may be bc your flight is actually operated by BA unlike my flight.  (I agree with others it's a bad policy especially for BC seats.) 

Edited June 22, 2022 by mchell810

[wowzz]

5 hours ago, mchell810 said:

(I agree with others it's a bad policy especially for BC seats.) 

Much of BA's revenue comes from business travellers, booking BC seats at relatively short notice, at a concomitantly high price.

By imposing a fee on those leisure passengers who book well in advance, at discounted fares, BA is able to offer its' high value customers a greater seat choice than if free seat assignment was allowed.

Do I like the policy - No - but from a business point if view it makes sense.

[Globaliser]

12 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

My opinion of BA's seat selection rules for Business Class--regardless of one's fare category for Business Class--is chintzy.  One is paying enough for a BC seat.  Such cheapness on their part would discourage me from flying BA.  

 

It's not cheapness on BA's part. BA doesn't actually make that much money from this, and the fee is set at a level that tries to deter you from paying it at all. This is a development from the previous version of the policy in which you could not select a seat at all (even if you were prepared to pay) unless you were in one of the exempt groups. That underlines why the main aim is to protect seating for BA's better customers.

 

6 hours ago, mchell810 said:

One long-haul portion was booked as a BA code share -- but operated by AA -- I was assigned a seat when it was booked but NOT charged a fee by BA.

 

...

 

So, Lois, requiring the fee may for you may be bc your flight is actually operated by BA unlike my flight.

 

This is correct. Seating rules are usually governed by the operating airline, not the marketing airline (the airline whose code appears in the flight number written on your ticket).

[Lois R]

10 hours ago, mchell810 said:

 

 

 

I just returned from a SS cruise where they booked my business class flights.  One long-haul portion was booked as a BA code share -- but operated by AA -- I was assigned a seat when it was booked but NOT charged a fee by BA.  Do look closely at your flight docs from SS they may have selected your seat, but it doesn't show on the BA website -- which is what happened to me.

 

I couldn't change the seat on the BA nor AA websites (it was good anyway, but I tried just to see if I could).  I was able to make seat changes on the other legs (all AA). 

 

So, Lois, requiring the fee may for you may be bc your flight is actually operated by BA unlike my flight.  (I agree with others it's a bad policy especially for BC seats.) 

Hi, thanks for your reply. My flight from here to Philly is on American too and I have that seat. I almost wish I had never started this thread........it will be what it will be. Friday is only 2 days away and so it goes..............

[Globaliser]

19 minutes ago, Lois R said:

My flight from here to Philly is on American too and I have that seat. I almost wish I had never started this thread........it will be what it will be. Friday is only 2 days away and so it goes..............

 

We are trying to see if we can help you with information!

 

Which leads me to ask (seeing as we didn't know anything about your routing before): Are you flying Jacksonville --> Philadelphia --> London --> Barcelona on Friday? Because if you are, then it looks to me like your Philadelphia --> London flight is actually operated by American Airlines too:

• BA1533 is operated by AA736
• BA1587 is operated by AA728

 

And so I would normally expect that you would be able to pre-allocate seats on the AA long-haul flights.

[Lois R]

28 minutes ago, Globaliser said:

 

We are trying to see if we can help you with information!

 

Which leads me to ask (seeing as we didn't know anything about your routing before): Are you flying Jacksonville --> Philadelphia --> London --> Barcelona on Friday? Because if you are, then it looks to me like your Philadelphia --> London flight is actually operated by American Airlines too:

• BA1533 is operated by AA736
• BA1587 is operated by AA728

 

And so I would normally expect that you would be able to pre-allocate seats on the AA long-haul flights.

I am flying on Saturday and I was not able to pre allocate my seat. Flight 5166 Got my seat for that one. Not for the one across the pond.

[Lois R]

Looking at all my paperwork........it shows that the long flight is being operated by BA, not AA. 

[Globaliser]

12 minutes ago, Lois R said:

I am flying on Saturday ...

 

2 minutes ago, Lois R said:

Looking at all my paperwork........it shows that the long flight is being operated by BA, not AA. 

 

Then there is a BA flight: BA66, also sold as AA6911. And there is therefore good news about this. The current plan is for the flight to be operated by an aircraft with BA's new business class seats (usually called Club Suites). You can see a detailed seat map here: https://www.aerolopa.com/ba-type-77h

 

The seat map shows 30 unoccupied seats in a cabin of 76 seats, and the unoccupied seats are pretty well scattered all over the cabin. In any case, with these seats there's less of a difference between the best and the worst

 

So on the assumption that the plan doesn't change, if you check-in when check-in opens (you may possibly be able to do this when check-in opens for your Jacksonville --> Philadelphia flight), you should have a decent selection to pick from.

 

Seat Map Search:
Departing PHL on 25/06/22 for LHR
Flying BA flight 66 in Business/Club

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18  W           +   +           W   
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        A       E   F       K   
19      X       +   +       X       
20      -       +   -       +       
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22      -       -   -       +       
23      +       +   -       +       
24              +   +               
        A       E   F       K   

Seats
Premium Only             P                        
Available                +                        
Handicap-Accessible      H                        
Paid & Premium           #                        
Occupied                 -                        
Blocked                  X                        
Lavatory                 L                        
Paid                     $                        

Location
Exit Row                 E                        
Wing                     W                        
Upper Deck               U                        

[Lois R]

Thank you for the help. Yes, that is my flight and it shows  BA066 and shows "Club World", as you mentioned, their version of Business Class. Will do on line check in on Friday and hope all goes smoothly.

[rkacruiser]

10 hours ago, Globaliser said:

It's not cheapness on BA's part. BA doesn't actually make that much money from this, and the fee is set at a level that tries to deter you from paying it at all. This is a development from the previous version of the policy in which you could not select a seat at all (even if you were prepared to pay) unless you were in one of the exempt groups. That underlines why the main aim is to protect seating for BA's better customers.

 

Thank you for your explanation, but, I don't consider this the proper way to treat a customer that is paying BC prices.  

[FlyerTalker]

2 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

Thank you for your explanation, but, I don't consider this the proper way to treat a customer that is paying BC prices.  

 

Simple solution:  Don't buy tickets on BA.  If their policies don't match your expectations, don't give them your money.

 

 

[wowzz]

2 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Thank you for your explanation, but, I don't consider this the proper way to treat a customer that is paying BC prices.  

But it is the right way to operate if you want to keep your most profitable customers. 

I doubt that BA will miss your custom.

[rkacruiser]

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

But it is the right way to operate if you want to keep your most profitable customers. 

 

If so, why don't other airlines follow their business model?  

[wowzz]

7 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

If so, why don't other airlines follow their business model?  

Perhaps they don't value their business customers as much as BA.

[Globaliser]

12 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

Thank you for your explanation, but, I don't consider this the proper way to treat a customer that is paying BC prices.  

 

That argument is almost like claiming a moral right to free seat pre-allocation even if you happen to have bought some dirt-cheap business class fare, merely because it says "business class" on the tin. These can sometimes be cheaper than the cheapest fare currently available in the next lower cabin. Why is there any magic in the fact that it's a "business class" fare? Why should that label alone entitle you to claim free seat pre-allocation?

 

What isn't good is sticking your full-fare customers or higher-tier frequent flyers in the worst seats in the cabin because you've already allowed all the low-yield once-a-year leisure passengers to bag all the good seats. That frustration has happened to me on other airlines.

 

8 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

If so, why don't other airlines follow their business model?  

 

I've got news for you: it's happening.

[Lois R]

On 6/22/2022 at 9:58 AM, Globaliser said:

 

 

Then there is a BA flight: BA66, also sold as AA6911. And there is therefore good news about this. The current plan is for the flight to be operated by an aircraft with BA's new business class seats (usually called Club Suites). You can see a detailed seat map here: https://www.aerolopa.com/ba-type-77h

 

The seat map shows 30 unoccupied seats in a cabin of 76 seats, and the unoccupied seats are pretty well scattered all over the cabin. In any case, with these seats there's less of a difference between the best and the worst

 

So on the assumption that the plan doesn't change, if you check-in when check-in opens (you may possibly be able to do this when check-in opens for your Jacksonville --> Philadelphia flight), you should have a decent selection to pick from.

 

Seat Map Search:
Departing PHL on 25/06/22 for LHR
Flying BA flight 66 in Business/Club

        A       E   F       K   
5       -       -   -       -       
6       -       -   -       -       
7       -       -   -       -       
        A       E   F       K   

        A       E   F       K   
8       -       +   +       X       
9       -       -   -       -       
10      -       -   -       -       
11      -       +   -       -       
12      -       -   -       -       
13      -       +   -       +       
14      -       -   -       -       
15      -       +   -       +       
16  W   +       -   -       +   W   
17  W   +       +   +       +   W   
18  W           +   +           W   
        A       E   F       K   

        A       E   F       K   
19      X       +   +       X       
20      -       +   -       +       
21      -       -   -       +       
22      -       -   -       +       
23      +       +   -       +       
24              +   +               
        A       E   F       K   

Seats
Premium Only             P                        
Available                +                        
Handicap-Accessible      H                        
Paid & Premium           #                        
Occupied                 -                        
Blocked                  X                        
Lavatory                 L                        
Paid                     $                        

Location
Exit Row                 E                        
Wing                     W                        
Upper Deck               U                        

Hi, is this spread sheet/seat map in "real time"?........just curious if you can see how many seats are still available today?

[Globaliser]

1 hour ago, Lois R said:

Hi, is this spread sheet/seat map in "real time"?........just curious if you can see how many seats are still available today?

 

Yes, and 23 are still unoccupied:

 

Seat Map Search:
Departing PHL on 25/06/22 for LHR
Flying BA flight 66 in Business/Club

        A       E   F       K   
5       -       -   -       -       
6       -       -   -       -       
7       -       -   -       -       
        A       E   F       K   

        A       E   F       K   
8       -       -   -       X       
9       -       -   -       -       
10      -       -   -       -       
11      -       X   -       -       
12      -       -   -       -       
13      -       X   -       -       
14      -       -   -       -       
15      -       X   X       -       
16  W   -       -   X       -   W   
17  W   -       -   -       -   W   
18  W           +   +           W   
        A       E   F       K   

        A       E   F       K   
19      X       +   +       X       
20      -       X   -       -       
21      -       -   -       +       
22      +       +   +       +       
23      +       +   -       +       
24              +   +               
        A       E   F       K   

Seats
Premium Only             P                        
Available                +                        
Handicap-Accessible      H                        
Paid & Premium           #                        
Occupied                 -                        
Blocked                  X                        
Lavatory                 L                        
Paid                     $                        

Location
Exit Row                 E                        
Wing                     W                        
Upper Deck               U                        

[Lois R]

Thanks again........check in is at 1:30 tomorrow afternoon. Will see how many choices are left at that time.