Chargeable seating in BA business class......Really?

[Princess Fiona]

Except when BA decide they are really busy and plonk someone between you in the middle seat and the only difference to Y is the “meal”.

Happened to me and +1 on LHR-FCO

That’s not when BA decide they are really busy.
They only do this when there has been an outage and significant IRROPS across the entire short haul fleet and then they will use the middle seats.
It’s unfortunate that it happened to you but it’s rare and nothing to do with being busy.

 

[PERLHR]

Yep, thanks for confirming. I understand BA can do whatever they want, but a bit of One World alliance consistency would be nice. You'd expect one of the basic benefits of flying in business class would be complimentary seat selection. I flew AY last year in business class (again on points) and they didn't charge for advanced seating.

Forget one world consistency...especially from Qantas never mind BA. Where Qantas put BA Sapphire members into QF club lounges yet Qatar and all others in one world welcome them to Business lounges at least! Also I like that BA leave seating choice to their regular flyers or at least higher tier members. That actually is a loyalty benefit. Many airlines, including AY that you mention charge for seats even in biz depending on the fare choice chosen.

 

[clifford]

Many airlines, including AY that you mention charge for seats even in biz depending on the fare choice chosen.

I've just booked business for a BA flight in J LHR- PSA. Based on my BA status the system wanted GBP30 for me to select a seat (there is no fare choice in J), so I rang the BA Newcastle call cenre and asked them to enter my QF number, and all was fixed (free seat assignment).

You can't change FF No. online unfortuantely.

 

[PERLHR]

I've just booked business for a BA flight in J LHR- PSA. Based on my BA status the system wanted GBP30 for me to select a seat (there is no fare choice in J), so I rang the BA Newcastle call cenre and asked them to enter my QF number, and all was fixed (free seat assignment).

You can't change FF No. online unfortuantely.

If you get the Newcastle call centre, then they can usually fix anything. They are rather good.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I've just booked business for a BA flight in J LHR- PSA. Based on my BA status the system wanted GBP30 for me to select a seat (there is no fare choice in J), so I rang the BA Newcastle call cenre and asked them to enter my QF number, and all was fixed (free seat assignment).

You can't change FF No. online unfortuantely.

I change my status on line! Was logged in to exec club to use some avios… changed to QFFF as part of the booking process.

After booking I think you can change it through Royal Jordanian or Finnair Royal Air Maroc. (updated per posts below)

 

[PERLHR]

The

I change my status on line! Was logged in to exec club to use some avios… changed to QFFF as part of the booking process.

After booking I think you can change it through something like Royal Jordanian or Finnair IIRC… I’ve done that a couple times.

BA forum on FlyerTalk has many posts on FF changes (good and bad experiences). Worth checking.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

The

BA forum on FlyerTalk has many posts on FF changes (good and bad experiences). Worth checking.

Thanks! Just read through the thread and apparently Royal Air Maroc’s website is not the place to change it, if you don’t do so as part of the booking process.

 

[Zero]

Forget one world consistency...especially from Qantas never mind BA. Where Qantas put BA Sapphire members into QF club lounges yet Qatar and all others in one world welcome them to Business lounges at least!

OWS doesn't get you into most QR J lounges. You need to be in J

 

[jase05]

OWS doesn't get you into most QR J lounges. You need to be in J

Yep QR do it the right way IMO. Class of service lounges are the way to go IMO

 

[SYD]

Yep QR do it the right way IMO. Class of service lounges are the way to go IMO

Except QR PC status PAX get access to the J lounges travelling whY and AS F Lounge in DOH if in J. So they’re somewhere in between.

 

[muppet]

Except QR PC status PAX get access to the J lounges travelling whY and AS F Lounge in DOH if in J. So they’re somewhere in between.

Is there anything stopping QF from doing the same, sending QR PC members to some loser lounge just like QR does to other OWE and OWS? i.e the MEL, SYD, SIN and LAX F lounges are for QF, AA, EK, BA, CX, MH, JL etc. but not QR. QR go to the Miracle Lounge Obviously maintain reciprocity with all the other OneWorld partners that honour the alliance.

 

[jase05]

Is there anything stopping QF from doing the same, sending QR PC members to some loser lounge just like QR does to other OWE and OWS? i.e the MEL, SYD, SIN and LAX F lounges are for QF, AA, EK, BA, CX, MH, JL etc. but not QR. QR go to the Miracle Lounge Obviously maintain reciprocity with all the other OneWorld partners that honour the alliance.

QR aren’t the only ones with class of service lounges and QR even prevent their own elites from entering some lounges.
I actually don’t mind how they go about it

 

[RooFlyer]

Obviously maintain reciprocity with all the other OneWorld partners that honour the alliance.

Well, except BA, I guess ....

 

[muppet]

QR aren’t the only ones with class of service lounges and QR even prevent their own elites from entering some lounges.
I actually don’t mind how they go about it

But the post I quoted clearly showed QR PC members get preferential access at DOH lounges.

QR is pretty much the only OneWorld carrier that allow its own elites into nice lounges but not other One World elites.

Yes BA has GGL but all other OWE are pretty much equal.

AA and AS also have different rules but treat OneWorld elite better than their own.

 

[Zero]

Is there anything stopping QF from doing the same, sending QR PC members to some loser lounge just like QR does to other OWE and OWS? i.e the MEL, SYD, SIN and LAX F lounges are for QF, AA, EK, BA, CX, MH, JL etc. but not QR. QR go to the Miracle Lounge Obviously maintain reciprocity with all the other OneWorld partners that honour the alliance.

QF has to treat all other OW members the same and can only give additional benefits to QF elites - which is, after all, what QR is doing

 

[PERLHR]

QF has to treat all other OW members the same and can only give additional benefits to QF elites - which is, after all, what QR is doing

How is sending BA Silver members (saphire) to QF club lounge, which after all is actually really a paid lounge that many QF pax simply buy treating them the same (when flying Y class?) They should get business class lounge. Maybe it's time BA had a lesser lounge than galleries where they can send QF Gold.

 

[SYD]

How is sending BA Silver members (saphire) to QF club lounge, which after all is actually really a paid lounge that many QF pax simply buy treating them the same (when flying Y class?) They should get business class lounge.

That’s standard for Dom lounges. OWE get J lounge access (except the QR exceptions).

AA provide Flagship lounge access to non AA OWS - but that’s another anomaly.

 

[muppet]

How is sending BA Silver members (saphire) to QF club lounge, which after all is actually really a paid lounge that many QF pax simply buy treating them the same (when flying Y class?) They should get business class lounge. Maybe it's time BA had a lesser lounge than galleries where they can send QF Gold.

I think what @Zero means is that is the same standard QF applies to all OWS, including its own. QF Gold don’t get J Lounge access.

 

[moa999]

Forget one world consistency...especially from Qantas never mind BA. Where Qantas put BA Sapphire members into QF club lounges yet Qatar and all others in one world welcome them to Business lounges at least!

Internationally QF is consistent.

It's just that there are few Oneworld members that also operate domestic flights, and they all do it a bit differently to meet their individual markets.
Personally prefer QFs system to AAs

 

[clifford]

I change my status on line! Was logged in to exec club to use some avios… changed to QFFF as part of the booking process.

After booking I think you can change it through Royal Jordanian or Finnair Royal Air Maroc. (updated per posts below)

I think you'll find that you can't change the FF Number if making an Avios award booking (as I was). It just defaults to your BAC Number. Paid bookings you can change no problem.

Anyway, I don't mind calling the UK call centre in Newcastle and speaking to one of the nice helpful ladies there.