AIBU to book these seats on a flight?

[Deekaytwo]

We've got row 7A&C seats booked on our upcoming 4hr flight, the middle seat is blocked off and we always use it to put our DS(nearly 2) in after take-off and before landing.

We often get the first row and it really makes a massive difference when travelling with DS: the extra space at the bulkhead is invaluable for him, and to keep him contained to not bother other passengers.

We didn't manage to book early enough this time, however according to the seat map 1C&F are empty (usually just blocked for the comfort of the Gold member seated in the other seat), these usually open up just before the flight.

So: am I being unreasonable to move us to the empty seats in the front row and hope/expect 1A or 1D to move so that we can sit together? They'll still have their aisle/window and won't have to sit next to a baby, so I think it's win-win..

Not to drip feed, I'm also 5 months pregnant, so anything to make things more comfortable really.

YABU: Stay in you're current seats and let the fancy Gold members keep the empty seat next to them!

YANBU: It doesn't make any difference to them and will make your journey more comfortable (and probably everyone elses as DS will have more room to be contained)

@Donsyb

Thanks for the info, rings bells but it’s been a while and I’ve forgotten what little of this I ever knew….

There’s no doubt going to be outrage over the whole idea that some customers potentially get different treatment to others when it comes to seats….

I doubt it, it’s common across most airlines and has been going on for years. Elite passengers get lots of perks us mere mortals don’t get 😂
if people were going to get outraged I think it would have happened a long time ago. Plus it’s available to anyone who wants to spend the money and time to achieve the status! My DP is a gold card holder and has to travel a lot to maintain it.

On BA’s Cityflyer 190/195s, for example they absolutely do have AC and DF as the seat letter for a 2-2 configuration. I fly on them often.

Same as how a 2-3-2 might be numbered from A to [insert letter], same as a 3-4-3.

Note “might” - so it’s not all airlines that have this custom. But BA certainly do, hence my question to the OP, because they do show the blocked seats on the map usually. If hers is a codeshared flight, she might be in for a surprise.

You can book them if they are available but you can’t expect the other people to move.

Oh and I do agree with PP’s reasoning as to why one might well care about sitting in A or F for example. They’re both window seats, but I do certainly have a preference for being on the right of the plane vs the left, because of a condition that makes it more uncomfortable to sleep leaning left.

Would it be the end of the world if I had to sit in A? No. But if I’ve gone to the trouble of pre-booking and using my well-earned status (not all of us get work flights paid for by a company), I wouldn’t be happy to move - although I really wouldn’t mind being asked, OP.

I wouldn’t even want to be asked to move, I’d look at the OP like she was a crazy selfish person.

The seats you already have are perfectly adequate seats.

@RobinHood19

On BA’s Cityflyer 190/195s, for example they absolutely do have AC and DF as the seat letter for a 2-2 configuration. I fly on them often.

Well everyday is a school day, so thanks for that, though having looked at the seat maps on ba.com earlier I’ll admit to being confused now..

https://www.britishairways.com/en-fr/information/seating/seat-maps/full-seatmaps

Oh... Meant to add... I've flown on planes where the B and E seats aren't seats. They've converted the seats to be wider for Business Class and you get an itty-bitty space you can maybe squeeze a laptop bag in. Certainly not a two-year old! They then have three seats there when it becomes Economy further up the plane.

I’ve been on BA planes there there are three seats and the middle one isn’t bookable.

With regard to BA, Club Europe, Airbus - I can’t swear to the exact dimensions but the Club area centre seats (D/E) can very quickly be converted to standard seats.

That, plus the fact the Club/Economy divider can be moved fore and aft quickly, means the airline to quickly reconfigure the aircraft’s Club/Economy capacity to cater for seasonal changes in loads, different Club demand on holiday vs. business routes etc.

It avoids having to take the aircraft off to a hangar to have seats and bulkheads physically repositioned by the engineers.

Oh, they probably can on decent airlines. It was probably KLM or BMI a good while ago but I've seen similar on lesser airlines.

I don't know. We had a recent experience where my family had to fly as standby passengers on RyanAir (due to them overbooking), we lost our seats due to them downsizing the plane and not one single fellow passenger offered to move so that we could sit together with our young children (as legally required).....so I'd say the general attitude is each person for themself when flying, sod the others.

If this happened more, the airlines might stop overbooking.

It’s not for other passengers to sort this out.

1)The middle seat is blocked off for a reason. Probably booked.
2) People pay extra for bulkhead seats. I would think you were a CF if you asked me to swap. (Even if you have a kid and are pregnant.)

I fly BA CW regularly. Row one seats are the nicest, extra space, sometimes two windows and most importantly first dibs at menu choices. This is not a pressing world issue but on a recent 6am flight, BA had 'run out' of breakfast so we were offered lunch instead and once the passengers before us had picked the most appropriate for breakfast ones, it was something like a beef casserole for breakfast. So I reckon you should get a swap from row 1 across but not necessarily from row 7 to row 1.

I've also had a couple where we've booked four CW seats across one row, BA had cancelled so many flights they decided to move us all to middle seats dotted around the cabin. And many more where our seat reservations magically moved between checking in online and arriving at the airport so it's a lottery.

Have you read any of the responses?

1. you can’t book the middle seat in club, they’re not bookable seats - they’re to give people more space
2. Row 1 seats are reserved for gold card holders until checkin, then anyone can book them. They do not cost extra as the people who are allowed to book them don’t have to pay to reserve seats (I.e. gold card holders)

I agree, it’s the airline people should be mad with, not the other passengers refusing to move.

Many moons ago DP and were on a long flight home. Pre being able to book seats we got to the airport mega early and got the extra room seats. Once on board we were asked by someone like you to move - we refused and no I didn't feel bad.

Imo in your situation you either pay and book seats with more space, pay to go in a better cabin or get on early accepting you might not get what you want.

@Talkwhilstyouwalk

…not one single fellow passenger offered to move so that we could sit together with our young children (as legally required)

Under UK rules it’s not legally required.

@HappyEater

If this happened more, the airlines might stop overbooking.

The poster in question said the change was due to the aircraft being changed (it ‘s a sod but it can happen) it wasn’t due to overbooking.

No I don't think you can ask people to move for your benefit. If they wanted seats on the other side of the cabin they would have booked them. Mind you we never travelled on planes with our DC as babies or toddlers as that would have been a nightmare. I think next time book earlier to get front row.

We had a recent experience where my family had to fly as standby passengers on RyanAir (due to them overbooking)

Read it again

Fair comment but TBF the full quote was “We had a recent experience where my family had to fly as standby passengers on RyanAir (due to them overbooking), we lost our seats due to them downsizing the plane”…

It’s really not clear, at least to me, what the sequence was.

They’re already booked in the best available cabin and the best seats available to them - they just want better ones which they’re unable to book as they don’t fly enough to have status 🤷🏼‍♀️

@notimagain the aircraft was downsized....I saw this as Ryanair overbooking though as there were too many passengers booked into the flight, and according to the airport staff this happens every single day! They are constantly downsizing planes.....never book rows 34 or 35!