Pre selected seats changed without notification

[Sundayagain27]

Pre bought seats when booking a long haul flight to Japan
Have a tall family and bought exit ones where we could and two bulk head - at least no one reclining.
looked at booking again today and for flight home they’ve changed our pre selected tickets (with no notification) I get that configuration changed sometime but here’s the thing - DH and DSs seats still in same row - great I’ve moved by 5 rows to another bulk head seat. Looked at configuration I can see there is a seat in same row as my family in same type of seat showing as available. Called them to ask to be moved back to my original row told seat restricted and they can’t allocate - but it is there ! On the map available! They said I need to fill in complaint form did this to be told no they can’t allocated seats, go back to original phone number. Called again v nice guy who said he’d escalate and would hopefully be moved back in 48 hours. No change how do I resolve - the seat I want is showing as available. - bulk head aisle ! In my original row with my family . Anyone any experience as to next step - it’s an autumn flight and paid good money for a pre selected seats together !! Wouldn’t have bothered otherwise ! Any experts ?

Some seats are kept free for airline staff who are dead-heading (travelling out to a destination care of the airline because they are required for duty). Dead-heading staff usually board before regular passengers. If the seat is still available when you take your flight park yourself there and refuse to move. After all you paid extra for it.

Is there no “manage my booking” using the booking code where you alter the seats by dragging and dropping your seat? If they change aircraft this can be an issue but phoning is a bit last century.

That's what I was about to say. Seat selection (which is never guaranteed) has been online via manage my booking for every flight I've taken in the last two decades.
Did you book directly with the airline, or a travel agent?

There is a manage my booking which Is how I saw they had changed my original seat..
when I hit move seats a seat in my original row. Where my family are appears at £92 bit I am of course not going to pay again to buy this seat when I already paid £92 for my seat and they moved me from that row 30F to 25G (both bulkhead seats) 30G is the seat that looks available.
thats why I called they then said ok we’ll move you but when they try to says restricted seat at their end. But on the manage page it’s there to purchase ! Can you see my dilemma? I just want to be in my original row ij same type of seat at same price that I originally purchased back in March
why show it as purchasable at £92 bit in reality apparently it’s not !
if I click purchase when on manage my booking it is asking for another £92 for a row they’ve moved me from without my consent in the first place !

Not seen deadheading handled like that, either in terms of blocking specific seats several days/weeks/months ahead, or the preboarding, but as always it might depend on the airline.

If it is crew related it's more likely been blocked to allow use as a rest seat for use by the operating crew, but TBH without knowing a lot more it's a ???

@Sundayagain27

I called they then said ok we’ll move you but when they try to says restricted seat at their end. But on the manage page it’s there to purchase !

I wouldn't expect a seat that was blocked or restricted for whatever reason to ever show on the publically available manage booking page as being available for booking...it certainly didn't use to where I worked, e.g. to prevent people trying to book the crew rest seats if there were any.

IMO there defo something a bit odd going on, even if it's a simple case of world leading IT playing up....

Other than bombarding the company with phone calls I have no solution, sorry.
.

I think the next thing I'd try would be move the booked seat again online, pay the 92 quid then ask customer service to refund you one of the 92s.

If it’ll let you then I would pay the £92 then ask them to refund you the original amount you paid back in March since that didn’t work and you weren’t actually allocated the seat you tried to buy. If they don’t refund you then you could always do a credit card chargeback. Might be easier than trying to argue back and forth about whether this seat is available for booking or not. If you also get an error you’ll know the seat is actually unavailable.

Who are you flying with? We’ve had our BA seats changed twice and I’ve had to move them back. I was annoyed because we had window seats and were moved to the middle section. It’s in BAs T&Cs that they don’t guarantee a particular seat though and this is standard across the industry, seating is treated as a preference. They will refund you though.

@PurBal it is BA ! I’m frustrated more than anything as seat was 30f originally and 30g looking available for sale and don’t get why they moved me to row 25 leaving the rest of my family in the same row as before ! It is bulkhead so babies often in the seats E and F but was told they don’t put the babies in aisle bulkhead and if this is the case then they should not show it as available !😖

BA and IT often aren't a good mix..

Have to say looking quickly at seat maps for the two types I think BA usually use on that route (A350-1000 or 777-300) I can't tie those seat refs in with bulkhead positions, though configurations vary.....(which can mean the seat maps are a heap of ....croc).
..

Can I ask what aircraft type have BA got you down as flying on?

You know what - DH can sit seperately in row 25 - we will have been together solid for 2 weeks anyway
more infuriating that they make these changes without notifying especially when you pay - we spent over £600 on selecting seats both ways.