British Airways - Seat Selection Rip Off!

comeandgo

BA have never separated myself and husband. I tell a lie, we were once quite late in getting checked in, did it by machine at the airport, my husband and I were not sitting beside one another but were glad to be even getting on plane due to our late arrival. At the gate the staff realised we were travelling together and changed our seats to sit us together, no charge, no fuss.

fozmcfc

Pollycat wrote: »

Then don't pay this "rip-off" fee.
It's really very simple.
Or would you prefer that airlines reverse their business models and start to bundle all these charges back into the ticket price like they used to?
Happy to pay higher flight prices because you don't like the idea of paying to choose your seats?

Just because people have a choice as to whether to pay for something or not, doesn't immediately exclude that item/thing from being a rip off.

How many times do you hear people say I get my sweets before the cinema, because in the cinema it's a rip off.

I believe you should have a choice, but again, I've no doubt that a lot of people don't choose the seat option as they consider it to be a rip off cost.

I've no doubt, in life, you will remember this thread, when you go to buy something in the future and the cost is high and you say out loud or in your head, I'm not paying that, that's a rip off.

Pollycat

fozmcfc wrote: »

Just because people have a choice as to whether to pay for something or not, doesn't immediately exclude that item/thing from being a rip off.

I didn't say it did.
The information about seat selection is available on BA website.
The OP didn't read it, just made an assumption.
It's up to the OP to pay or not pay.
That's not a rip-off - imho.

fozmcfc wrote: »

How many times do you hear people say I get my sweets before the cinema, because in the cinema it's a rip off.

Actually, never.
I don't go to the cinema, none of my friends (as far as I'm aware) go to the cinema.

Personally, I wouldn't say that.
I'd say "I get my sweets before the cinema because I have a wider choice and can get better value than at the cinema".
That doesn't - to me- make what the cinema is charging a rip-off.
My money, my choice where to spend it (or not spend it).

fozmcfc wrote: »

I believe you should have a choice, but again, I've no doubt that a lot of people don't choose the seat option as they consider it to be a rip off cost.

It's up to individuals what they consider a 'rip-off'.
Personally, I decide if it's worth it to me.
As I said up-thread:

Pollycat wrote: »

We paid to select our seats with Singapore Airlines.

We looked at the price and decided for the 13 hours flight it was worth paying.

If we travel short-haul, I don't even look at the seat selection price.

If I decide it's not worth it to me or I deem it too expensive, I don't go around shouting 'it's a rip-off'.
It's simply a price I'm not willing to pay.

fozmcfc wrote: »

I've no doubt, in life, you will remember this thread, when you go to buy something in the future and the cost is high and you say out loud or in your head, I'm not paying that, that's a rip off.

You are wrong.
I don't use the term 'rip-off'.
I assess the value of paying for something to me and make a decision to pay or not to pay.
And I really won't remember this thread at all (until or when it's posted on again).


There's an interesting article here about the price of airline seating being investigated.
It says

Airlines are within their rights to charge for allocated seats, but if they do so it must be done in a fair, transparent way.

BA seem transparent about their pricing (the OP should maybe blame the travel agent for not explaining that there would be a charge to select seats together).

It remains to be seen if this review finds them fair.


It's interesting to note that nowhere in the article is the phrase "rip-off".

https://www.moneywise.co.uk/news/2018-02-05/airline-seating-to-be-investigated-consumers-pressured-to-pay-to-sit-together

prowla

I don't see how charging hundreds of pounds to sit you next to your partner, when you are booking at the same time can be anything other than a rip-off.

IvanOpinion

fozmcfc wrote: »

In the past we went with Virgin and the seats cost where free.

Two years ago, we looked at the cost of a holiday to the USA with BA and with Virgin and found BA was a lot cheaper.

We then found that BA charged what I too considered to be an over the top charge for seats together. None of us where particularly impressed to see the cost, but we took it on the chin as we had saved a lot on the cost of the overall holiday.

If the cost had been about the same, BA would not have got our business as Virgin's premium cabin/seat is better than BA's equivalent.

So, in the first instance you were not comparing like-for-like, you were comparing a budget pricing model with an all inclusive pricing model. It has been a while since I have booked with BA but in any other airline they have been very up front about the cost of pre-booking seats.

Even after adding in the seat prices you say BA was still cheaper, so I don't see how you can think the price was 'over the top' when obviously Virgin had built a much higher price, for exactly the same, into their ticket already.

I for one wish people would stop complaining about the way airlines do prices today. I used to travel a lot for business and remember when a simple internal flight cost me £320 return - but it included 'free' baggage (which I did not need), 'free' food (which I may or may not have taken), 'free' drinks (which I may or may not have taken) and you could ask the check in assistant for a specific seat which may or may not have been free depending on when you got tot he desk.

Today I can book a similar return flight for under £100, but I have to pay extra for baggage (which I do not need), pay extra for food (which I do not need) and I can still ask the check in assistant for a specific seat ... or I can CHOOSE to pay extra to ensure that I get my preferred seat (or more accurately I can make the company pay to ensure I get my preferred seat).

This also goes for holidays, except it costs me £50 for the bags and £20 for seats or maybe £60 per seat long haul (which I do choose to take) - it is still much cheaper than the old pricing model were everything was 'free'.

IvanOpinion

On a similar note I do quite a few long haul flights and have seen a bit of a scam being operated (3 times now).

The way it works is that a parent pays to book their child into an extra leg room seat and then tries to get the check in assistant to give them the seat beside - with no extra charge. Usually these seats have been pre-booked ... not a problem.

So after boarding the parent approaches the person in the seat and tries to use emotional blackmail to get the stranger, who has paid for their seat, to swap with them ... according to the parent the child is usually nervous, agoraphobic, and has one or more terminal illnesses. Also the parent's offered seat is usually one of the least favoured centre seats in a 3-4-3 or 2-4-2 configuration.

The person being asked is now in a very awkward position with peer pressure (aka gullible fools) all around thinking they should swap for the sake of the child - I have heard (anecdotally) situations the child has been briefed to make a scene if the stranger does not capitulate.

This has not yet happened to me but it did happen to a colleague of mine on a transatlantic flight. Fortunately he was quick enough to say 'no way' and suggest that the person the parent was actually seated next to could swap places with the child - you could see the anger as the parent realised their scam had not worked and now they had to decide if they agree to the swap, or if suddenly the child has had a miraculous cure and can stay where they are (after all the parent paid for that seat).

Pollycat

prowla wrote: »

I don't see how charging hundreds of pounds to sit you next to your partner, when you are booking at the same time can be anything other than a rip-off.

They are stating a price for an add-on (no different to stating a price for checked luggage).

They only charge if you opt to pay for that add-on.

That's why I don't see it as a rip-off.

I may have a different opinion if airlines said:
This is your ticket price and by the way, we're also charging you 'hundreds of pounds' to sit next to your partner and you have no choice other than to pay it.

ukjoel

Its our own fault.

Thanks to price comparison websites, they all want to show they are the cheapest. They do this by reducing price and clawing it back through other methods like choosing your seat.

Hotels are the same - used to pay £80 a night.

Now its £75 which seems great until they hit me with £15 for breakfast that used to be included in the £80 and then £10 a night for parking.

I just book elsewhere.

Economy premium isn't worth the extra money most of the time. Its there to hook in business travelers whose companies wont pay for business class and dont car about value for money as they are not footing the bill.

baza52

when you check in (opens 24 hours before departure) you can choose your seats for FREE. you only pay if you want certain seats in advance

shaun_from_Africa

ukjoel wrote: »

Economy premium isn't worth the extra money most of the time. Its there to hook in business travelers whose companies wont pay for business class and dont car about value for money as they are not footing the bill.

A lot of people would disagree with you on that.
I fly BA to Trinidad on a very regular basis and the flight goes via St Lucia, a very popular tourist destination and there are very few business travelers on the flights yet premium economy (World traveler +) is often the first class of tickets to sell out.