BA = rip off merchants

[Targarama]

£1100 each for WTP to Seattle this Christmas/New Year. Then they want me to pay £25 per seat, £50 each way, £100 total for the privilege of choosing seats now instead of at online check-in 24hrs before departure. These guys really need a slap, the only reason we're flying with them is because they do LHR-SEA non-stop.

I don't mind them making a profit, but we're already spending £1100 each!

fkers.

[Puggit]

Set you alarm for 24 hours and 5 mins before you fly.

HTH!

[Olf]

I do feel sorry for people who don't hold gold cards.

[hornetrider]

Olf said:

I do feel sorry for people who don't hold gold cards.

ZING!

[tontoro]

Puggit said:

Set you alarm for 24 hours and 5 mins before you fly.

HTH!

all the good one will have gone by then i would imagine

[Puggit]

tontoro said:

Puggit said:

Set you alarm for 24 hours and 5 mins before you fly.

HTH!

all the good one will have gone by then i would imagine

£100 will buy a lot of beer

[Olf]

It's all a con anyway. WTP will be full of couples willing to move around and swap seats. There's also only a few 'good' seats at the bulkhead and they'll be snapped up by those with status. Save your £100 and as Puggit says spend it on beer.

[Targarama]

Olf said:

I do feel sorry for people who don't hold gold cards.

My Virgin Gold card isn't accepted for some reason...

[pushthebutton]

BA are just following market forces. There are plenty of people who wanted the option to select seats prior to the 24hr check in period and were/are willing to pay extra.

It's still better than "speedy" boarding.

[SplatSpeed]

BA have just removed 56K airmiles from my account

worlds favourite airline my arse!

[havoc]

pushthebutton said:

BA are just following market forces. There are plenty of people who wanted the option to select seats prior to the 24hr check in period and were/are willing to pay extra.

Most scheduled airlines we've used offer this feature free of charge well in advance. Even (in Emirates case) where we booked a package with an agent - just logged-in to Skywards and picked our seats.

[Targarama]

havoc said:

pushthebutton said:

BA are just following market forces. There are plenty of people who wanted the option to select seats prior to the 24hr check in period and were/are willing to pay extra.

Most scheduled airlines we've used offer this feature free of charge well in advance. Even (in Emirates case) where we booked a package with an agent - just logged-in to Skywards and picked our seats.

Virgin has been selling their exit row seats for years, but they still let you pick a normal seat on the plane.

[Olf]

Targarama said:

havoc said:

pushthebutton said:

BA are just following market forces. There are plenty of people who wanted the option to select seats prior to the 24hr check in period and were/are willing to pay extra.

Most scheduled airlines we've used offer this feature free of charge well in advance. Even (in Emirates case) where we booked a package with an agent - just logged-in to Skywards and picked our seats.

Virgin has been selling their exit row seats for years, but they still let you pick a normal seat on the plane.

Not if you have more than 4 flights in your itinerary - then they put you close to the bar and you have to stay awake listening to 'tards at the bar.

[pushthebutton]

Targarama said:

havoc said:

pushthebutton said:

BA are just following market forces. There are plenty of people who wanted the option to select seats prior to the 24hr check in period and were/are willing to pay extra.

Most scheduled airlines we've used offer this feature free of charge well in advance. Even (in Emirates case) where we booked a package with an agent - just logged-in to Skywards and picked our seats.

Virgin has been selling their exit row seats for years, but they still let you pick a normal seat on the plane.

Do they let you pick the normal seat in advance? I haven't flown Virgin for a long time.

Edit: I've just checked, it's the same as BA (24 hrs in advance)except for extra legroom etc.

WRT Emirates, is Skywards the same as the BA Gold cards previously mentioned in this thread?

Edited by pushthebutton on Wednesday 26th January 21:23

[havoc]

pushthebutton said:

WRT Emirates, is Skywards the same as the BA Gold cards previously mentioned in this thread?

Nope, just their airmiles/rewards programme. Nothing special at all...

[pushthebutton]

Is it the same as BA Executive Club then? Free to join and 'Blue' level provides some benefits:

It says on that website "seating preference stored and delivered where possible".

[Deva Link]

pushthebutton said:

Do they let you pick the normal seat in advance? I haven't flown Virgin for a long time.

Edit: I've just checked, it's the same as BA (24 hrs in advance)except for extra legroom etc.

No, you can book an ordinary seat well in advance, but they only release a percentage of them from pre-booking - think it's 60%.

I flew United Airlines to the US recently and they offer an "upgrade" which you can buy online to a sort of plus cabin (everything is the same as economy but with more legroom) for $100 and all of the seats in that cabin seem to be pre-bookable included in that price.

Edited by Deva Link on Wednesday 26th January 22:39

[pushthebutton]

Oh ok. That's different to what they say on their website:

"A Seating is a service we offer free of charge. Seats can be pre-allocated after you have booked your flight, by logging into 'My Booking' online, or via your travel agent. We offer this service up to 24 hours before your flight departs. Please use our 'Online Check In' facility, within 24 hours before your flight departs, to reserve your chosen seat."

They should advertise the "60%" thing as well. That's a good thing to know.

P

[Targarama]

pushthebutton said:

Oh ok. That's different to what they say on their website:

"A Seating is a service we offer free of charge. Seats can be pre-allocated after you have booked your flight, by logging into 'My Booking' online, or via your travel agent. We offer this service up to 24 hours before your flight departs. Please use our 'Online Check In' facility, within 24 hours before your flight departs, to reserve your chosen seat."

They should advertise the "60%" thing as well. That's a good thing to know.

P

Virgins seat choice is ample pre the 24 hour window. If you book far enough in advance that is since they are very busy

[pushthebutton]

I suppose that the flight to Seattle is also a special case. BA is the only carrier to offer direct flights and the flight booked by the OP is over a very busy period.

I checked on the website for interest and ticket prices were up to almost £1400 for the same period.

I have seen offers for BA in the past for upgrading during the 24hr check in period, but I'm sure they're specifically targeted toward under booked flights. I would guess that Virgin release seating on flights that are under booked.

I'm sure I've read somewhere that most airlines make very little profit from economy and economy plus cabins. So, the ticket price you are paying is probably very close to the cost price of that flight.

Would be interesting to work out the cost per seat of carrying passengers to Seattle, but I'm too lazy.

Interesting subject though.