BA Club World seat allocation question

[Keith009]

Hi,

I asked this question over at mFT but thought I might try AFF also.

The OH and I are planning a trip to Europe and will be travelling on separate bookings. Him on points, and me on a revenue booking.

Just to make things interesting, as he's never flown BA, we're thinking of flying BA on the outbound (inbound on QF). But BA's seat allocation policy is proving to be a sticking point. Unfortunately I don't have enough SCs to retain Partner Gold so he will lose his sapphire status before the trip. And he has only enough SCs to make PS in his own right. We don't care about getting the 'best' seats but we want to be seated together. Unfortunately, it means he will be dinged with the seat allocation fee if we want to pre-allocate our seats at time of booking.

I rang up BA and was told that linking the PNRs together won't waive said fee.

Does anyone know the answer to the following: If he allocates his seat for free whilst he's still SG, will he lose his allocated seat when he drops down to PS status?

Ta!

 

[pyffii]

We have the same issue as Mrs Pyffii is on an award ticket and I am on a revenue one..Also travelling on a DONE...I have rang the BA Call Centre in India and have requested, on 3 seperate occasions to have us seating together....They have sent off a manual request to London each time and each time we have had seats allocated together on the upper deck...As recent as September 2010...Hope this helps

 

[Keith009]

Thanks pyfii. Were the seats pre-allocated? Or did you only find out where you were sitting at check in?

 

[serfty]

See here:

• British Airways' Speedbird Club: BA Seating request changes

 

[pyffii]

The seats were pre allocated within 24 hours of the request being made

 

[trippin_the_rift]

You can select the seats once ticketed, and if you link the bookings so you're seated together - they won't change one of you without the other (in theory).

 

[Keith009]

Great, thanks guys!

 

[serfty]

More on the process:

British Airways Seating Request

TCP Booking Reference Linkage Process

Should a Premier or Gold Executive Club cardholder (& oneworld equivalent), or a family travelling with an Infant, request advance seating with someone booked on a separate PNR known as TCP (to complete party), please follow the guidelines below. ...

<INSTRUCTIONS FOR TA>
...

Action from British Airways

• BA will only action seat request for the flight and date segment/s on which the party is traveling together with the eligible passenger
• BA will review the request, and if possible seat as requested
• If the request is not available, BA will book closest seats together (eg opposite aisles)
• BA will take no action on PNRs for other customer types or PNRs that do not contain the OSI TCP field
• BA is unable to allocate a small selection of restricted seats (eg exit rows and bassinet/cot seats which only show available to qualifying passengers)
• PNRs will not be queued. It is the agent’s responsibility to check the PNRs for seat allocation.

The Passenger should be advised

"BA will pre-seat the customer subject to availability & seat requests are never guaranteed and always subject to operational needs." ...

 

[simongr]

Why not take a seat that is less likely to be allocated - e.g lower deck aisle towards the back. That way when general allocations commence there is a lower chance of losing the seats together.

Not a solution as such but a shot at it...

 

[munitalP]

The best tip yet mate...

Fly Qantas - Skippys not missing much never flown BA (lol)

At least you will get said seats!


munitalP

 

[Keith009]

Haha, yes that's a solution for getting said seats. But if he's not flown them, he'll never know. He wants to know whether the BA crew are really like Mona. :mrgreen: I've only flown the Orangakanga long haul for the past year and they're fantastic... but a bit of variety is nice sometimes (short of flying the Friendly Skies across the Pacific). The BA crew are rather charming on a good day. Absence makes the heart fonder...

 

[Keith009]

Why not take a seat that is less likely to be allocated - e.g lower deck aisle towards the back. That way when general allocations commence there is a lower chance of losing the seats together.

Not a solution as such but a shot at it...

Good thinking.

 

[simongr]

Fly Qantas - Skippys not missing much never flown BA (lol)

Three years ago I would have raged against you - after the last few flights on BA and the much improved/consistent experience on QF (except for Neil Perry meals) I now agree.

I am flying BA next on syd-lhr-lca-lhr-syd only because it only cost $300 to add lhr-lca-lhr to see my folks on a business trip - and at least I get a lie flat bed on BA...