Purchasing Last Minute Upgrades @ Heathrow with BA - Possible?

19lottie82

Mands wrote: »

Are you on the A380 btw?

Mands

Yes I think so.

I had a look on the app and there is the option to book seats now for £30 pp so will do that just to confirm the rows for emergency exits are 35 and 20 on the main deck?

http://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/about-ba/fleet-facts/airbus-380-800

19lottie82

bah! just looked online and you can't reserve the exit seats

Caz3121

Exit seats can be booked from 14 days before the flight (until then they are only available to Gold card holders)

19lottie82

Caz3121 wrote: »

Exit seats can be booked from 14 days before the flight (until then they are only available to Gold card holders)

ah! I 'll stick a reminder in my diary right now. thank you

martindow

19lottie82 wrote: »

ah! I 'll stick a reminder in my diary right now. thank you

BA seem to open up seat bookings to the minute. If the flight leaves at midday, booking will be from midday 14 days before. Worth trying earlier just in case but you want a diary entry for the departure time.

I believe even if you've paid for particular seats you can still be bumped off them. BA presumably say sorry and return your £30.

malkie76

Certain non high street travel agents allow you to select seats (including exit) at time of booking, so it's not just Gold Card holders and above who can do that

Pincher

Last minute upgrades are risky stuff.


I have been on full planes a lot in the last few years.
The dream is to get a free upgrade because they overbooked,
but I am too organised so I am always checked-in before I get to the airport.


If there are four seats available for upgrade, you need to turn up at exactly the right time without an allocated seat. If you turn up too early, you get a crummy Economy seat just like you paid for. If you are the fifth to turn up, all the upgrades are gone.


I did get lucky once, and paid £150 for Economy to Premium Economy (Virgin) for Shanghai to London, at the counter. It's just a piece of paper on the counter, so they just made up the price because there were some free seats.

puppey

This kind of thing is getting rarer, and only happens with the more premium airlines. I know the cheap ones often have policies against it, or making any changes up to 4 hours before the flight.