To expect British Airways to sit me next to my breastfed baby's basinette on a 27 hour flight?

[TheToadLessTravelled]

Looking for advice from more seasoned travellers.

Booked for a 27 hour flight with DH and 11mo DS tomorrow.
Had booked to all sit together but British Airways lost/changed the seat allocation somehow and we have ended up with DH near the basinette and me where I could not even see the baby.

BA have been really unhelpful and I am really stressing about the flight now.

Three calls to BA have given three different stories about whether/how we can be moved but we are still not together although at least I can see DS from where I now am moved to several rows back.

The last agent said all bulkhead seats are now allocated and all cot positions booked on the whole flight in all classes which I thought would be unlikely.
Also told me there are no flights close to that time I can switch to.
Also told I cannot switch seats with DH so I have the cot position seat.

DS is tall and wriggly so even if me and DH swap seats so I can BF on takeoff the person next to me is going to have kicking feet in their lap. I don't want to be a total pain to other passengers but us sitting apart is going to mean a lot of getting up and down, shouting out etc I can just see it going wrong.

Any advice on how to get this resolved?
Not sure what else I can do

[ChocolateIsAFoodGroup]

Haveringgold baggsie the flight with your champagne-wielding steward next time round!

(Does anyone say 'baggsie' any more? Probably not... [old gimmer emoticon])

[TheToadLessTravelled]

Great tips chocolate, I will be sure to get earplugs and treats to hand out to the neighbours (and any champagne wielding crew!).

[Melty]

I am a firm BA fan.
I don't have any kids, but I can certainly say the BA cabin crew on my flight to Melbourne via HK and return from Singapore in April couldn't have been nicer. First time long haul and travelling on my own so a tad nervous.
My sis in laws sister is BA cabin crew and she's lovely too.
Just speak to them on the plane. You will be fine. They want a stress free flight too. So they will do whatever they can to make life easier for you of at all possible.

[TheDoctrineOfSnatch]

Prettyfly, love your name!

[QuintessentialShadows]

Bring with you a printout of the first seat allocation you got at the time of booking...

[Thumbwitch]

TheToad - it's not so much that you can have the baby on your lap during take-off and landing, it's compulsory. And you have to have them back in your lap on the extension belt any time the Fasten Seatbelt sign comes on - even if you have to wake them to do it.

I've never had any issue with being allowed to BF either - always been fine.

[Backinthebox]

Quintessential there would be no point in that because the seat allocation at the time of booking does not form part of the contract of sale of tickets. An airline can move you around the cabin for whatever reason they like - they call it 'operational reasons.' Operational reasons can include things like the seat being broken, the TV being broken, a particular seat being needed for someone who can't sit anywhere else, and something called 'trim' ie, if everyone sat at the front the aircraft nose would not be able to get off the ground, likewise if everyone sat at the back it would possibly scrape it's tail on take-off, so everyone must be spread out. This is dependent on the hold cargo on the day - different sized cargo containers need to be placed in various parts of the hold, and when you have certain cargos they can't be positioned next to each other. It's complicated, is loading an aircraft. And that's why we have one person responsible for overseeing all the loading and seating, and that person has the power to move people's seats on the day.

TheToad BA carry earplugs on board. And eye shades too. And the gin is free - you will get some sleep if you leave your baby with your husband

What Thumbwitch says about seat belts is true. I am always very aware when we have lots of babies on a flight, so I don't put the seat belt sign on unless it is really necessary.

[TheDoctrineOfSnatch]

[QuintessentialShadows]

Backinthebox - you clearly know a lot more than me about this particular issue!

[DolomitesDonkey]

Would it be OK if the baby was sat away from you if it were bottle-fed?

Yes, it's VU to split you up, but YABVU to think it's a slight against your boobs.

[KenDoddsDadsDog]

Good advice from backinthebox....ignored by the OP

[SoupDragon]

Would it be OK if the baby was sat away from you if it were bottle-fed?

Well, yes, because anyone can bottle feed a baby. Only a lactating mother can breastfeed a baby. Basic common sense.

[ForFoxsGlacierMints]

Great advice from backinthebox

[Longdistance]

I bought a child seat for my dd2 (14mo), when we travelled back to the Uk with BA. I had dd1 in the seat, and for take off and landing had dd1 on my lap. We had a sky cot, which is the seat type thing everyone's on about. And as usual the crew were fab

[Alligatorpie]

I recently flew long haul with my 2 month old and 6 year old. BA staff were great, although they did send my stroller straight onto the connecting flight, despite telling me I would have it for my 5 hour stopover.

I did end up moving so I was sat in front on another bassinet and dd was next to me, but dd1 and dh were in front if her (so we were in a row of 4) I sat next to another mom flying solo - you should have seen the look on the other passengers face when she realized she would be boxed in by 2 bassinets...I thought it would give me good karma as I am flying long haul solo with the girls in a few months.

[Clytaemnestra]

Just to add to the upgrade myth of it's all about how you dress, I got upgraded when I flew BA years ago and I had bright red waist length dreadlocks and 5 inch platform shoes. What I also had was a full price ticket purchased on the day, which I suspect was the deciding factor on who got upgraded.

Used to commute to Geneva regularly (years later) looking smart as anything - never even a sniff of an upgrade.

[DolomitesDonkey]

I was upgraded by Qantas as a teenage backpacker complete with rucksack... on a plane full of Japanese businessmen.

[Backinthebox]

About upgrades: Our revenue management department are excellent at selling just the right number of seats for the aircraft on the route. It's unusual to get many involuntary upgrades at all. On a short haul flight, we have a cabin divider that can be moved, and the seats are movable too. So if only 12 passengers pay for Club and the rest pay for economy, we can make Club just the right size for those who have paid, and make economy bigger so we can sell more seats there. On longhaul flights, the cabins are fixed, but the numbers of tickets sold is very carefully done. I am often amazed how often my 189 seat long haul aircraft has exactly 189 passengers booked, no seats spare but no one bumped to the next flight either (because that would cost money!) Where it sometimes gets a bit busy is when a flight has been cancelled and we have to accommodate passengers from that one too. It is not always a cancelled flight from our own company either - if another airline cancels a flight they will usually look at who else is flying the same route and try and buy them any spare seats on that.

If there are to be 'invols' then they are given out these days in the order of who has paid most and is most likely to pay again in the future. So Exec Club members, VIPs, full-fare passengers, etc, they get the upgrades. Also people travelling alone are easier to squeeze into one seat here, one seat there. After that, we look after our own, for 3 reasons. Firstly they are likely to behave discretely and not complain if there isn't their first choice of meal, or want all the freebies like the washbags or pyjamas. Secondly because it's always nice to boost a bit of moral. Thirdly because airlines are loath to give a better seat to someone who hasn't paid for it. Prices in the aviation industry are pared down to the bare minimum these days because people want to pay less, but that doesn't stop them hoping for more!

There is a huge drive at the moment to sell upgrades, and every single upgrade has to be approved and logged with an explanation. Staff on board are being given iPads so the company can track who is sitting where and who should be sitting there! There is very little 'turning up with the right shoes' about it these days. Things have changed - the combination of the rise of the low-cost airline and 9/11 had a massive, massive effect on how air travel is conducted and priced.

[Secondsop]

backinthebox I keep coming back to this thread to read your posts - so useful. I'll be reading them again once my baby is born as we're planning to take him to Australia when he's 4 months old to spend some time with his grandparents.

[TheToadLessTravelled]

I agree, a big thanks to backinthebox for the very useful info!

[ihearttc]

Can I ask a question backinthebox?

We are taking DS2 on his first flight next may (and DS1 but he will be 8 by then and will be no bother!). DS2 will be 2.5...we actually were going to wait until he was nearer 3 but got such a fantastic deal for in May (ie £3000 cheaper!) that we went for that instead.

We are flying Heathrow to Dubai with Emirites. Its all very complicated cause Dh's flight is booked with his airmiles but mine and the boys are paid for so Im really worried about us being booked together.

Also DS2 sits really well in his car seat when he knows he can't get out but I have a fleeing he will be a nightmare on a plane. Ive seen they do something called a CARES harness?? Which as I understand it attaches to the seat and the are strapped in that way. I realise the airlines don't supply them but if we purchased one nearer the time do you know if we will be able to use it? They are £70 I think but DH is looking to work over there so we will probably be making lots of flights in the future so will be money well spent.

[differentnameforthis]

People, ime, tend to move pretty happily once they realise they are sitting with parents & children. Pretty sure that once you are on the plane it will all get sorted!

[SaraBellumHertz]

I've flown with BA and a baby several times in the past year and it is categorically not the case that babies get preference for the assignment of bassinet seats. Repeatedly the row is given over to single men who have paid for "extra legroom seats".

Pisses me off no end.

[GiserableMitt]

ihearttc

You should both have a booking ref. Go to the Emirates website and select "Manage an existing booking" By entering your surname and booking ref you should be able to see which seats are allocated to you and change them.

Find an area/row with enough seats for you all and change your seats to those, and do the same for your DH's booking. 24 hours before you fly you can check in online and then stand a much better chance of being seated where you chose.

[Backinthebox]

ihearttc BA allows the use of the CARES harness (also known as an Amsafe harness. There are certain conditions attached to it's use, detailed on the BA website. I am not going to comment more because I am not qualified to, and it's a safety related issue. You would have to check with Emirates though, because I only know what the rules and regulations of my own employer are!

SaraBellumHertz were you travelling long haul or shorthaul? They don't have bassinet positions on short haul, but anyone who wants to pay for an extra legroom seat can pay for one, single man or woman with baby on lap. The 'Manage My Booking' page on the BA website allows you to select your seat at any point between booking your seat and checking in. It's a very clever system - it looks at your booking and offers you the seats that are most appropriate for you. If you are travelling on a long haul flight with a baby it will offer you the chance to reserve bassinet seats. If you are not travelling with a baby, it won't show those seats as being available, so it would be impossible for row of single men to end up sitting there. Are you actually requesting a bassinet seat when you make your booking? Or did you just turn up to check in at the airport with your baby and look hopeful? Because that wouldn't work. Once the 24hr check-in window is open anyone can check in to any un-reserved seats, where ever they are. If you have requested bassinet seats on several occasions and been denied them, and there genuinely have been rows of single men (and every single seat on every single flight is logged and recorded as to who was sitting there and why,) then you have been seriously mishandled and should write to customer service. If you have been mishandled they would be appalled, and grateful that you have highlighted a previously un-noticed flaw in their clever booking system.