Flight seats

jpsartre

Who says it's a quality gap? I don't mind that people that don't care much where they sit anyway aren't able to snatch up good seats just because they book early. It's also another perk for BA's frequent flyers as they can pick for free before T-24.

Doshwaster

jpsartre wrote: »

Who says it's a quality gap? I don't mind that people that don't care much where they sit anyway aren't able to snatch up good seats just because they book early. It's also another perk for BA's frequent flyers as they can pick for free before T-24.

Exactly. BA have made the business decision that they want to give their frequent fliers priority choice over seats. If you fly an airline regularly these things can make a big difference an strengthen your loyalty.

blindman

jpsartre wrote: »

Who says it's a quality gap? I don't mind that people that don't care much where they sit anyway aren't able to snatch up good seats just because they book early. It's also another perk for BA's frequent flyers as they can pick for free before T-24.

In my perception there are never any "good" seats as it's still BA:cool:

Terrible service, awful CS, Frequent strikes, losing LOTS of baggage

Still think they are the best in the world :rotfl: and charge accordingly:cool:

Far better airlines out there that DO NOt charge for seats.

OP

You'll be fine-ignore the hype from BA, save some money for NYC

Delree

jpsartre wrote: »

Who says it's a quality gap? I don't mind that people that don't care much where they sit anyway aren't able to snatch up good seats just because they book early. It's also another perk for BA's frequent flyers as they can pick for free before T-24.

I'm sorry but that doesn't make any sense. If you don't care where you sit then you'll probably skip the seat choosing part until check in anyway.

I remember when this wasn't an issue, you got seats assigned no worries, now you have to pay and people like you take it.

Delree

Doshwaster wrote: »

Exactly. BA have made the business decision that they want to give their frequent fliers priority choice over seats. If you fly an airline regularly these things can make a big difference an strengthen your loyalty.

Yeah and a bad experience first time will also have an effect on your loyalty. Use your loaf.

photome

Delree wrote: »

Yeah and a bad experience first time will also have an effect on your loyalty. Use your loaf.

Think you are missing the point re frequent flyers.

BA sucks. OP wait till 24 houes before you will be fine.

As for Virgin the 90 day reservation has only just come in it used to be when you booked and then for a while last year wasnt working until check in..not that its relevant

jpsartre

Delree wrote: »

I'm sorry but that doesn't make any sense. If you don't care where you sit then you'll probably skip the seat choosing part until check in anyway.

I said "people that don't care *much*". I take it as uncontroversial that there'll be a group of passengers on every flight that don't care enough to pay for a seat but would pick a seat if it's free. With the current system, the best seats are left for those that care enough to pay which I think is a good system. I don't consider it a lack of quality at all.

Indout96

How odd, I'm flying with Virgin in a month and was allowed to reserve seats 90 days before the flight. Yet another reason to go with them over BA for me.

Or just book with a US airline, reserve seats at time of booking for free - job done.

Doshwaster

Indout96 wrote: »

Or just book with a US airline, reserve seats at time of booking for free - job done.

I wouldn't fly a US airline just to get a free seat reservation at the time of booking - but everyone has different tastes, priorities and preferences so it's just as well there are a range of services on offer by different airlines.

There are some airlines where you don't get a seat assigned until you get to the airport and then there is the Ryanair model of sitting wherever you want.

Meadows

securityguy wrote: »

They always seat families together, even if it means shifting other people. Don't worry about it. It can be problem for larger groups. I once watched a party of twenty kicking off about not being able to sit together, having arrived about 30 seconds before checkin closed. But a family will never be separated, other than in the most extreme situations.

It's also the reason why people travelling on their own with seat pre-allocations are more likely to get upgrades. They're often in the way and the easiest way to clear them is to kick them up a class.

Really want to tell that to my daughter who had to sit separate from her husband on the return leg from their honeymoon!