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Original poster

British Airways seating arrangements

51 replies

AliceMum09 · 18/05/2015 10:13

Hi all,

Just wondered if anyone has had a similar experience......

We fly Heathrow to Palma this Friday, family of 5 with children aged 9, 6 and 3. I have not paid to select specific seats (which would have cost £150) because the BA website says (copied and pasted)

"If you decide not to select your seats in advance, we'll allocate your seats five days before departure. If the group can't be seated together, all children in your booking will be seated with an accompanying adult."

So last night I went into the 'manage my booking' part of the website and discovered that we have been given two seats in row 15, one in row 17 and two seats in row 21, meaning that one child is going to have to sit alone. I have no objection to being split 1 adult 1 child and 1 adult 2 children and being at opposite ends of the plane, but I am absolutely not having one child sitting by themselves with them being the ages they are. If the oldest was a teenager I'd not be bothered, but 9 is too young.

I phoned customer services, who said the flight is fully booked and we will just have to get to the airport early on Friday so they can deal with it.

To say I am angry is an understatement! Nowhere does the website state that they will "try" and seat you together, or that to guarantee seats together you must pre-book. It says each child "will" be seated with an adult.

Now I have visions of standing at the front of the plane while they ask people if they are willing to swap seats and all the other passengers giving me the evils!

I really didn't expect this from BA. Has anyone else had similar problems with them?

Thanks

OP posts:

Stealthsquiggle · 18/05/2015 10:53

(and FWIW, I find super-over-polite is the best approach to make hassled check in staff want to go the extra mile for you - save the rant for a senior manager if they really can't fix it)

pinkje · 18/05/2015 10:54

Put your 9 year old next to your 6 year old then.

You can sit separately with your youngest and your partner can sit 2 rows away from the eldest pair.

Original poster

AliceMum09 · 18/05/2015 10:54

Thank you. The flight back is Monday 1st June (school have an inset day) so hopefully most families will be doing Saturday-Sarurday over half term and there will be options for moving other adults travelling alone or in groups.

I would not expect another family to be moved and then end up in the split-seats situation instead of us.

OP posts:

TheFairyCaravan · 18/05/2015 10:55

When they state they will be sat with a adult they mean within a few rows distance not right next to you.

Yes, they do. It can mean across an aisle or a couple of rows in front or behind you.

Stealthsquiggle · 18/05/2015 10:55

That was "nor are you being..." rather than "not are you being...." but my illiterate iPad doesn't like "nor"

Original poster

AliceMum09 · 18/05/2015 10:56

if I put the 9 and 6 year old together their constant fighting will have whoever is next to them clamouring to move seats within 5 minutes! Maybe that's the way forward!

OP posts:

mollyonthemove · 18/05/2015 10:59

I would think that 9 was ok to be sitting alone. However, you're right about the wording. Its very misleading. They cannot possibly be able to guarantee that in holiday season.

TheFairyCaravan · 18/05/2015 11:00

there will be options for moving other adults travelling alone or in groups.

This annoys me beyond words. DH and I travel together and prebook our seats. Why should we move? DS1 went on holiday with 11 friends, they'd booked it a year in advance and paid to be sat together. Why should they move?

SonceyD0g · 18/05/2015 11:03

It's ba policy not to let a child under 12 sit alone on a flight. Just be an admin error. Turn up early on Friday play nice and will all get sorted. If they can't sit you together they'll upgrade your 9 year old and they'll have the time of their life! I always pay to make sure we're sat together even tho my youngest now 15. Plus as I am terrified flyer if I didn't have window seat would refuse to fly!

Kerberos · 18/05/2015 11:04

Your 9 year old will be OK sat two rows ahead (I have a 9 year old too)

And agree you need the check in and cabin staff on side. I'd put money on it all being sorted at the gate or on the plane itself. But you need to work with these people.

Original poster

AliceMum09 · 18/05/2015 11:10

Honestly, if you knew me in real life you'd know that I would never even say boo to a goose! I'm not capable of standing there and ranting Jeremy Kyle-style!

I'll see what they do on Friday, I'm wondering whether to tell DS now that there is a possibility of him sitting alone or whether to just leave it until the day. He's a bit of a worrier, but would possibly be ok when he realises he can have 2 hours of uninterrupted DS game time!

OP posts:

Stealthsquiggle · 18/05/2015 13:22

If you're planning to be early-ish for check in anyway, there will be plenty of time to prep DS if you need to - IIWY (I have a worrier too) I wouldn't let him know unless/until it happens.

Original poster

AliceMum09 · 20/05/2015 09:59

It's sorted!

So after my initial phonecall to BA where I was told that the flight was fully booked and that we'd just have to go to the airport early on Friday I went back online and noticed that this time when I logged in there were quite a few rows with three seats available that I could select if I wanted to change seats (for £15 per seat).

So I rung again and asked for the seats to be changed because it now looked like there were othe options. After 15 minutes on hold I was informed that I could change seats if I paid, otherwise I could wait until online check-in opens on Thursday at 1pm and then I would be able to select different seats for no fee.

So I accepted that and put the phone down, but then thought about it and was still not happy - what if other people had checked in before me and chose the seats? And I'm not sure I entirely believed that altering seats myself at check-in was actually possible.

So I rang back again (!) because it still comes down to my argument that their website states that children will be seated with an adult even if you don't pre-book seats. Eventually I got through to someone with a bit of sense who was able to quickly alter the seats in rows 15 and 17 to be all together in row 22 (directly behind the two seats we have in row 21) without charging me. I did stress that I was happy for the three seats together to be anywhere on the plane, I wasn't bothered if they were apart from row 21, but luckily row 22 was free.

I don't see why they didn't just allocate these seats in the first place (it would have saved me an hour of phone calls, which were not free, and some online abuse ) but at least I can get on with packing with that weight off my mind.

OP posts:

GingerCuddleMonster · 20/05/2015 10:12

your lucky you never came through to me, who worked on a travel company contact centre. I wouldn't have moved you of it ment moving anyone who had paid for seats, you could have screamed at me for an hour I would have just played solitare on the computer whilst you screamed .

Glad you have it sorted but honestly if your a large family pay for seating to avoid this mess. it's unfair to expect anyone else to move who had paid, and its no good saying move a passenger traveling alone, no they've paid to sit there it could be for any reason such as a welfare or anxiety reason.

Original poster

AliceMum09 · 20/05/2015 10:28

I didn't shout at all, I calmly asked that they allocate seats in accordance with what it says on their website.

Like I said before, if we'd booked with a budget airline I would have paid for allocated seats, but when you book with a 'real' airline like BA who clearly state that even if you don't pre-book seats they will seat all children with an accompanying adult then I don't see why I needed to pre-book.

OP posts:

Stealthsquiggle · 20/05/2015 10:37

Altering seats at check in is absolutely possible, but I am glad you got it sorted anyway.

Ginger - as the OP has repeatedly pointed out, all she was asking was for BA to deliver what they promise on their website. Why should she (or anyone else) pay extra for them to comply with what they state? I have never paid to book specific seats on BA flights and I don't plan to start. I will check in online and select seats and/or stand at a check in desk insisting politely for as long as it takes, and we have never ended up with an issue other than DH sitting on his own across the aisle being smug while I referee squabbling DC

GingerCuddleMonster · 20/05/2015 10:38

but BA don't mean next to you, they mean within a couple of rows on the aircraft, within view, your in a confined cabin they can't wander off and air crew are aware of a child sat away from a parent as pasrt of their boarding and "do you know" precedures.

Your lucky they were willing to accommodate you, many airlines would have said no you can see them they are only 2 rows away in a window seat, so no chance of wandering about the aircraft.

Anyway glad its sorted, but also remember BA will fly children traveling alone from the age of 5 plus so they probably sore no reason why the eldest child couldt sit alone.

GingerCuddleMonster · 20/05/2015 10:39

see no reason

TarkaTheOtter · 20/05/2015 10:50

If BA mean a different definition of "with" to the obvious one of actually sitting together they should make that clear on their website. As it is they are selling themselves on being family friendly and they need to deliver.

Original poster

AliceMum09 · 20/05/2015 10:50

They had actually allocated DS (9) and DD1 (6) the two seats in row 15, with me two rows behind in row 17. So yes, they could not wander off and if I stood up I could see them, and hear them.

But are you telling me that if there was some sort of emergency they are supposed to get their own oxygen masks on and calmly sit there and await (and understand) the cabin crew's instructions without a parent next to them? Yes, I know that is worst case scenario, I've never been on a flight where that has happened, but are you telling me this is ok? If they were both over 12 I would be fine with them sitting two rows away from me, but at 9 and 6 I'm not.

Also, if I was the people in row 16 I would not be happy with someone constantly talking over my head to their children, and similarly if I was by the aisle in row 15 or 17 I would not be impressed with two children getting in and out of their seats if they needed their parents, or the parent in row 17 having to get up every 5 minutes to stop their children from arguing (believe me that would happen!)

Anyway, thank you to everyone for their advice. I'm off to start packing!

OP posts:

mojo17 · 20/05/2015 11:00

I really am annoyed with money making scam of paying to sit together Mylarky
I've never heard of restaurants doing this, could you image that, yes madam you're sitting here with these two gentleman and your two children will be sitting with this newly engaged couple
Your partner? Oh he's outside on the terrace.

GingerCuddleMonster · 20/05/2015 11:01

In an emergency you'd have to put yours on, air crew would tend to any children sat alone. Same as children travelling unattended.

I can see your side, but I also know from company policy others wouldn't have moved you.

We would get people daily calling to try and get free seating, I once got screamed at for 40minutes because a "nervous" flyer was addiment she had to sit in seat FB (the emergency exit seats) I had to explain to her constantly a)i couldn't do it for free but then also b)as she had identified herself as a nervous flyer it would not be in the interest of all other passengers travelling for her to be in charge of the emergency exit .

I'm glad you got it sorted, your lucky BA are an excellent airline for customer service. Enjoy your holiday.

SonceyD0g · 20/05/2015 14:47

Told you it would be fine. My partner used to work for ba it's not their policy. You must have had a newbie doing your seating arrangements!
Have a lovely hol

oddfodd · 20/05/2015 21:35

Online check-in hadn't even opened and you were getting this stressed? I thought you'd missed the deadline or something!

Pffftt - what a waste of energy

Kerberos · 20/05/2015 22:07

Good to hear you got it sorted ??

Annoying though I suspect it's a money making scam. They hope you get so stressed you'll pay the ransom!

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