BA Seat Reservation - Is it worth it?

[Lisa1976]

Just booked our flights through airmiles with BA for next January.

BA want £20 pp each way for the pleasure of choosing our seats beforehand. I think this is pretty steep to be honest, its an extra £80 added on top of the flight price.

We decided against it for now and will probably see whats available when we do the check in the day before.

What are peoples thoughts on this with BA?

Lisa

 

[kristieuk]

We have paid, for two reasons, the first being that there are 8 of us travelling inc our 2 DD's 10 and 2, so it means we have the reassurance of being sat together; the second is that we are flying into Tampa where the BA flight is pretty much one of the only 'big' interntational flights landing and they are not that geared up for 500 people arriving at the same time - so the closer you are to the front of the plane, the less likely you are to get stuck in a 90 minute immigration queue.

However, we have only paid on the way out, coming back who cares?!

If it was just DH and I, I doubt we would pay, at online check in, I always see plenty of 2 seats together.

Hope that helps a little

 

[OrlandoMagic]

Just booked our flights through airmiles with BA for next January.

BA want £20 pp each way for the pleasure of choosing our seats beforehand. I think this is pretty steep to be honest, its an extra £80 added on top of the flight price.

We decided against it for now and will probably see whats available when we do the check in the day before.

What are peoples thoughts on this with BA?

Lisa

I wouldn't bother, you can choose your seats 24 hours before when you do OLCI. There were loads of decent seats available when we done ours.

$120 extra spending money in your pocket!

 

[Lisa1976]

I wouldn't bother, you can choose your seats 24 hours before when you do OLCI. There were loads of decent seats available when we done ours.

$120 extra spending money in your pocket!

Thats exactly my thinking too!!

Think we'll leave it and hope for the best at online check in

 

[pigby]

Thats exactly my thinking too!!

Think we'll leave it and hope for the best at online check in

We have just checked in online today - we are going to LA tomorrow - 2 flights - one down to LHR and then one out to LAX - it would have cost a total of £180 for our family!

I checked in online, printed boarding cards and got seats together - no problem (way out only, so far)

However my DD is 16 and woulldn't have been a HUGE problem if we'd have been split up.

 

[Charleys Cat]

I spoke to BA Last week as we booked our flights for April holidays as was worried about being split up from children, the lady said I could go online 72 hours before the flight and book my seats and if i couldnt find seats that we wanted to phone up and she would do her best to accodate us as we have a 8 and 9 year old, I am also a very nervous traveller and have panic attacks etc and she said please dont worry everything will get sorted Bless her!!

Can I ask though what do people do who are flying with 2 adults and 2 kids as there are rows of 3 as I can see, last time we flew with Thomson and we got a row of 4 but I cant see that there are any?

What do people do?

 

[disney_princess_85]

Can I ask though what do people do who are flying with 2 adults and 2 kids as there are rows of 3 as I can see, last time we flew with Thomson and we got a row of 4 but I cant see that there are any?

What do people do?

Either: one of you would have to sit on another row, or you'd have to split up and sit with one child each. In either case, you would hopefully be seated close to one another.

 

[TraceyL]

BA assign seats for families with children 3 days before the flight - you can then swap/take your chances at 24 hours with everyone else (who hasn't paid/got the right colour membership card) if you want to change them.
BA will change pre-paid seats around to accommodate families at the 72 hours point (supposedly) - it's only a type of seat assignment (window/aisle/centre) as opposed to specific seats numbers - if you read the small print

I'm saving my £180

 

[kristieuk]

I appreciate that pre-paid seats are not guaranteed, but you are entitled to a refund if you don't actually get assigned the seat you paid for.

 

[TraceyL]

The t&cs

In the event that we have to change your seat we will endeavour to seat you in a suitable alternative. (We will look to seat your party together in the first instance, and then if possible in your choice of window seat, middle seat or aisle seat. If you have paid for an exit row seat we will look to seat you in another exit row seat.)
If we are unable to offer you a suitable alternative seat as set out above you are eligible to apply for a refund.


I know several people who have had refunds as their seats have been changed

 

[kristieuk]

I think basically what the t&c's mean is that if you can not be seated in a seat of your choice, you can apply for a refund. It may not be your initial choice, but I don't believe this happens that often.

We prebooked last year, no problems at all. This year, we have been moved as they have had to block off the row we were in, but we are now in rows 17, 18 and 19, rather than 16, 17 and 18. They told me that if we weren't happy with these, we could get a refund, although in getting a refund we are back to square one and can't choose our seats until check-in.

I appreciate that however they do it, no airline can ever guarantee a seat, even when you have your boarding card, and the t&c's are simply to cover themselves. From speaking to customer services over our issue, if they move you and you are not happy with any of the available alternatives, you can get a refund - what that does mean is you don't get to choose your seat, but then you are no worse off than if you didn't pre-book.

I completely understand why many people think it is a waste of money, and as I have said, if it were just DH and I, I wouldn't bother, but we are 8 travelling together and the peace of mind it gives is worth it to me

 

[TraceyL]

I agree with you about the t&c & refunds etc

I was just trying to point out that families take priority over paying customers & this is how BA 'justify' moving prepaid seats

 

[kristieuk]

That is one of the main reasons why with the children we prebook outbound. I know they allocate seats to families 3 days prior to the flight, but they will only guarantee one adult per child, so with a family of four, they could split you 2 and 2. I'm not saying they will, but it's not a chance I am comfortable taking with a 2 yr old who will spend 10 hours deciding whether she wants to sit next to Mummy or Daddy! That's not to say that couldn't happen even where you have paid to prebook, but I am guessing they would give priority to people who have paid to sit together.