Cheap airline seating

bradders1983

horsewidow wrote: »

Just a heads up, we've booked American Airlines this summer, just gone to reserve the seats,only normal seats to make sure we're together. Its a BA code share so we're redirected to the BA site. For the cost of clicking on a screen, BA are charging us £104 each. Yep, £104. Each way. Even Ryanair would blush at this scam. We booked through AA, who charge a lot less for reserving your seat, then found it was a code share with BA, and the view from BA and AA is "tough". Seriously, that's the kind of language they're using. Its not only the rip off, its the dismissive way they are handling it. So, BA will get £208 out of us...each way.. but its going to cost them a lot more as we will simply do what everyone does when they feel ripped off, when we do the New Zealand / India / Australia trips BA won't even get a look in.

Where is the "scam", please? You pay money, you get seats next to each other.

SImply dont pay it and take your chances.

Nick_C

@horsewidow

Bad move paying for Business Class and flying BA. AA is so much better.

But it is pretty clear when booking on either BA or AA who is operating the flight. On AA you can see seat availability for their flights before choosing which flight to take, and AA seat selection is free, even in Economy.

AFAIK, BA is the only airline to charge business class passengers to select seats. And even when you pay to select a seat, the best seats may be blocked out of you don't have status with BA.

horsewidow

bradders1983 wrote: »

Where is the "scam", please? You pay money, you get seats next to each other.

SImply dont pay it and take your chances.

Bradders, the scam is this
1) Its something you want
2) It costs the airline nothing for you to click on two seats
3) They charge you £204 for something which costs them nothing.


So, they are basing the price not on the cost, but on their passengers' fears. I don't know your approach to money saving, but if we pay £204 (each way) to someone for something which costs nothing.....hmmm, scam.

bradders1983

But it isnt compulsory, is it? So it isnt a scam, the cost is clearly outlined. If you don't want to pay it, move on and take your chances at check in.

Even if you did pay it you get the service you pay for, the total opposite of what a "scam" actually is.

horsewidow

bradders1983 wrote: »

But it isnt compulsory, is it? So it isnt a scam, the cost is clearly outlined. If you don't want to pay it, move on and take your chances at check in.

Even if you did pay it you get the service you pay for, the total opposite of what a "scam" actually is.

Sorry Bradders, wrong on both counts.
First off, we booked with AA to avoid these fees, they then code shared this with BA who charge these fees. This does not meet any definition of clearly outlined.
Second, what does the scammers willingness to actually provide the service stop it being a scam? The scam is the price they charge based not at all on cost (its costs nothing) but on their monopoly bargaining power with you.

If you're struggling, imagine booking a table for two in a restaurant, then being told there's a danger you will be sat at opposite ends of the restaurant.

bradders1983

Do you have the option of not paying and being allocated seats by the airline?

horsewidow

bradders1983 wrote: »

Do you have the option of not paying and being allocated seats by the airline?

Really Braddres????

Two people buy a flight....and then get told they have to pay £204 to sit together???????

So anyway, you take the points about it 1) not being clearly outlined 2) not costing the airline anything?
Try to widen your understanding of a scam. Its when you rip people off by ways such as misleading them or abusing power.

bradders1983

Can you answer my question please?

horsewidow

bradders1983 wrote: »

Can you answer my question please?

Bradders, REALLY? OK, yes, we can risk being allocated two completely separate seats on an 11 hour flight on the holiday of a lifetime. Are you now getting the point?

bradders1983

Well thats the risk you take, if you dont like the price of the fee simply dont pay it. Are you finally getting that point now?

Going round in circles.