Cheap airline seating

Pollycat

The_Jester wrote: »

I know I was wrong to assume but when you fly regularly with Qatar and Etihad and seat booking is free I think it's reasonable to assume they are all the same.

I don't think it was a reasonable assumption at all.
I'm not surprised that you were proved wrong.
Just because something has always been so doesn't mean that will be the same forever.
Just because an alternative supplier does something for free, it doesn't mean the supplier you're giving money to also does it for free.

The_Jester wrote: »

I booked with Travel trolley to save money. They're mentioned on this site. I assume you are also on this site to save money or maybe gloat at people from your high perch

I am indeed on this website to save money.
That's why I would never book with a 3rd party flight seller unless I was absolutely sure of what I was booking. That includes any payable extras associated with my ticket class (some fares are 'light' and don't include checked luggage) and the limitations of wanting to cancel/amend because you are not the airline's customer and are bound by the T&C's of the 3rd party.

I regret that you feel I am 'gloating from my high perch'.
I thought I was pointing out the dangers of making assumptions across different airlines and the problems of using a 3rd party flight seller.

The_Jester

That's why I would never book with a 3rd party flight seller unless I was absolutely sure of what I was booking.

It would have made no difference if I had booked with Emirates directly. As someone said on here I don't think they even mention prior to booking that they charge for seats.

Pollycat

The_Jester wrote: »

It would have made no difference if I had booked with Emirates directly. As someone said on here I don't think they even mention prior to booking that they charge for seats.

It's clearly stated on their website.
https://www.emirates.com/english/help/faq/3524731/do-i-have-to-pay-to-choose-my-seat-on-emirates-flights

Do I have to pay to choose my seat on Emirates flights?


If you're travelling in First Class or in Business Class on a Saver, Flex or Flex Plus fare, you do not need to pay for seat selection and you can choose your seat at any time from the moment you book your flight. However if you’re travelling on a Business Class Special fare, you’ll be able to choose your seat when online check-in opens 48 hours before your flight.
If you’re travelling in Economy Class on a Flex Plus fare, you can select a regular or a preferred seat (except on A380 upper deck) through Manage a Booking at no extra charge, from the moment you purchase your ticket. You can also pay to select a Preferred Upper Deck on A380, Twin or an Extra Legroom seat.
If you’re travelling in Economy Class on a Flex fare, you can select Regular seats through Manage a Booking at no extra charge, from the moment you purchase your ticket. You can also pay to select a Preferred, Twin or an Extra Legroom seat.
If you're travelling in Economy Class on a Special or Saver fare, there is a charge for seat selection. You can use the Seat Selection tool available through Manage a Booking to select, view the cost, and pay for your chosen seat.
Alternatively, you can also wait until online check-in opens 48 hours before your flight, and then select a seat of your choice for free. Please be aware that the ability to choose and reserve seats of your choice may be limited at this point. If you don’t pre-select a seat, we will allocate you one before your flight.

I'd guess that if you booked direct with Emirates on-line, there would be the option to choose your seats at the time of booking - whether that be free of charge or at a cost.
I'd guess that if you booked direct with Emirates over the phone they would give you the option to choose your seats at the time of booking - whether that be free of charge or at a cost.
All the airlines I've booked with have done that.
Of course, it makes good business sense for them to do so.

As you've found out, not so with 3rd party sellers.

Aprest321

In your list of airlines that try to seat people on same booking together you mentioned jet2 as being one of them. This certainly wasn’t my experience when myself and 3 friends travelled to Turkey. I could see from the aeroplane diagram that there were quite a few seats together not occupied when I checked in as soon as checking opened and we were all seated separately. I had other issues with this company regarding this holiday so rang to complain and was given seats together.

Joglide

I travel premium econ with BA but find that they want as much as £49 per trip or £98 in total for good seat reservations in the premium cabin. The cheapest seats are about £30-£40 and that puts you in a busy and unfavourable alley next to the doorway and the comfort prob less than the next row down (ie economy extra legroom), despite paying many hundreds hundreds more for the ticket. Even as an executive club member with lots of flights and advance seat reservation you still don't get a good seat unlress you pay up. What a swiz BA!

HeroesandCrooks

Hi, We love BA....But
It is frustrating that BA prioritise single passengers over passengers traveling together on the same booking.
We travel from Edinburgh to USA (Edin - Gatwck, Gatwick to Orlando) usually in Premier. TIP as the Edin flight opens 24 hours before departure you have a wee bit little longer to grab seats on the Gatwick-Orlando leg.
We have noticed that it is not possible at any tome to book seats in the front row of Premier (the ones that have baby changing) even if you want to pre pay. We have been told they are allocated only at the airport.
Checking it at Edinburgh airport we ask about these seats but are told every single time they have been allocated. Given that passengers traveling from Gatwick wont have them (they wont be at the airport that early) it strikes us as odd but the explanation we are told is: they are allocated to passengers traveling with children - fair enough you might think
. In our experience that is almost never the case, in fact, invariably they are allocated to single passengers.
So BA are great but if you are a single passenger they love you even more.

sandiego

Gloomendoom wrote: »

Sadly, I'm pretty sure that changed earlier this year.

Yes looks like it did we tried to book seats and it wanted to charge us around another £50 for our outward flight ! really bad just to sit together 20 hours really on my own not nice.

Pollycat

sandiego wrote: »

Yes looks like it did we tried to book seats and it wanted to charge us around another £50 for our outward flight ! really bad just to sit together 20 hours really on my own not nice.

But don't you still have the option of choosing your seats for free when on-line check in opens?
I guess you either think it's worth paying to sit together or play the odds and hope you can get seats together for free.

sandiego

I believe so ,so fingers crossed !

Nick_C

Joglide wrote: »

I travel premium econ with BA but find that they want as much as £49 per trip or £98 in total for good seat reservations in the premium cabin. The cheapest seats are about £30-£40 and that puts you in a busy and unfavourable alley next to the doorway and the comfort prob less than the next row down (ie economy extra legroom), despite paying many hundreds hundreds more for the ticket. Even as an executive club member with lots of flights and advance seat reservation you still don't get a good seat unlress you pay up. What a swiz BA!

You think that's bad? I'm flying Club World to HK in November (thank you Amex/Avios). Seat reservations go from £84 pp one way for the worst seats to £111 for the best ones. BA, as far as I know, is the only airline to charge for seat reservations in business class.

They do look after their regular customers though. You can reserve seats free at time of booking if you are Gold. You can reserve seats free 7 days before the flight if you are Silver. Silver and Gold get free lounge access, even when flying economy. And the best seats in each cabin are blocked out for Gold members until check in opens, when they can open up. My OH, no status, got 1A recently when checking in at T-24

Expert Flyer shows which seats are actually allocated and which are blocked.

Gold members travelling alone will usual have the seat next to them blocked off the plane is not full.

So BA does reward its frequent flyers, but those of us who fly with them two or three times a year are small beer.

Credit where its due though, when I'm flying with my OH and check in at T-24, we have always been pre allocated seats together on BA