BA - likelihood of a couple being seated together?

[tspill]

Originally Posted by Guest

So long as you go to do online checkin as soon as it opens you will have no problem finding two seats together.

I'd save my cash...

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TBH, while I agree that this is the best way - even if you check in last minute the strong likelihood is that there will still be two seats together.

[Mrs Valentine]

As long as if you aren't together you just get on with it lol. I hate when people dont book seats together then make other people on the flight move to accommodate them. I'm not saying you would, but it has happened to us and we almost felt guilty that we were sitting together.

[twogoto]

Thanks but we booked earlier as Stanley confirmed many seats were blocked and after the stress of this trip already we just wanted peace of mind that at least the holiday would get off to a good start lol. Haven't booked for the return leg though, we will take our chances there!

[fredflintstone]

Originally Posted by twogoto

Thanks but we booked earlier as Stanley confirmed many seats were blocked and after the stress of this trip already we just wanted peace of mind that at least the holiday would get off to a good start lol. Haven't booked for the return leg though, we will take our chances there!

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That's because BA's system will allocate seats in the background at 3 days. If you look at BA flights to FLorida they allocate families with under 12's about 5 days out. During 3 days before you will suddenly see lots of seats under airport control (normally from front to back). This is BA allocating everyone a seat in the background, although they will not show it to you. This is a good indication of how full a flight is also. If most under airport control a busy flight.

It also means if you book your seats together in under 3 days you have probably wasted your money, because if there are seats together it means BA would have already allocated you together elsewhere, due to their policy of not deliberately splitting parties, just you can't see it.
I say probably, because when BA allocate you may be together, but not necessarily in seats you like, but you are just getting the left overs at under 3 days and usually at the back, not front.

[Cocobean121]

Originally Posted by fredflintstone

That's because BA's system will allocate seats in the background at 3 days. If you look at BA flights to FLorida they allocate families with under 12's about 5 days out. During 3 days before you will suddenly see lots of seats under airport control (normally from front to back). This is BA allocating everyone a seat in the background, although they will not show it to you. This is a good indication of how full a flight is also. If most under airport control a busy flight.

It also means if you book your seats together in under 3 days you have probably wasted your money, because if there are seats together it means BA would have already allocated you together elsewhere, due to their policy of not deliberately splitting parties, just you can't see it.
I say probably, because when BA allocate you may be together, but not necessarily in seats you like, but you are just getting the left overs at under 3 days and usually at the back, not front.

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I’ve been watching our flight over the last few weeks and it’s filled up exactly as you’ve described, I thought it strange that in the last couple of days so many seats had been filled, when higher tiers could have booked over five days ago for free. So it makes sense but glad you’ve confirmed it. I was panicking a bit as not many seats together left, but we have probably been allocated already, but I can try and move if available (we are 2 x 2). We like to sit two behind the others, so two don’t get kicked and two don’t get reclined on!

[fredflintstone]

Originally Posted by Cocobean121

I’ve been watching our flight over the last few weeks and it’s filled up exactly as you’ve described, I thought it strange that in the last couple of days so many seats had been filled, when higher tiers could have booked over five days ago for free. So it makes sense but glad you’ve confirmed it. I was panicking a bit as not many seats together left, but we have probably been allocated already, but I can try and move if available (we are 2 x 2). We like to sit two behind the others, so two don’t get kicked and two don’t get reclined on!

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Seats do change, especially when some panic in under 3 days and book seats, freeing up their original bacground allocated seats, although they stay as under airport control and do not go free. But at online check-in they are available. Other than the bassinet seats if you find free seats near the front at on-line check-in it is normally because someone has given them up and paid to sit further back

Most flights out this week are at capacity in economy as airlines are not selling seats or just 1 or 2 for Virgin BA and Norwegian, so it's always interesting to see those who have booked window and aisle hoping for a free seat in the middle. It's just not going to happen and these people will have paid to seat apart, unless the person in the middle moves for them!

I must admit on a flight that is not full, I'm sometimes naughty and use this to strategically move seats at 24 hours and again closer to increase the probability of getting a free row of 4 'bed' by me.

[Cocobean121]

Originally Posted by fredflintstone

Seats do change, especially when some panic in under 3 days and book seats, freeing up their original bacground allocated seats, although they stay as under airport control and do not go free. But at online check-in they are available. Other than the bassinet seats if you find free seats near the front at on-line check-in it is normally because someone has given them up and paid to sit further back

Most flights out this week are at capacity in economy as airlines are not selling seats or just 1 or 2 for Virgin BA and Norwegian, so it's always interesting to see those who have booked window and aisle hoping for a free seat in the middle. It's just not going to happen and these people will have paid to seat apart, unless the person in the middle moves for them!

I must admit on a flight that is not full, I'm sometimes naughty and use this to strategically move seats at 24 hours and again closer to increase the probability of getting a free row of 4 'bed' by me.

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Yes, exactly this, there were several rows where the aisle and window had been booked leaving the middle free, and now they are full, I consider this too risky and wouldn’t do it unless a very empty flight. The last two lgw-Tpa flights I’ve been on I’ve booked close to empty middle rows and bagged three seats to myself, who needs club? Also found that doing twilight with a friendly check in assistant will look for empty areas with a possibility of moving, but not guaranteed. Sadly we aren’t on a refurb, which surprised me that hadn’t changed to get more bookings due to TC.

[fredflintstone]

Originally Posted by Cocobean121

Yes, exactly this, there were several rows where the aisle and window had been booked leaving the middle free, and now they are full, I consider this too risky and wouldn’t do it unless a very empty flight. The last two lgw-Tpa flights I’ve been on I’ve booked close to empty middle rows and bagged three seats to myself, who needs club? Also found that doing twilight with a friendly check in assistant will look for empty areas with a possibility of moving, but not guaranteed. Sadly we aren’t on a refurb, which surprised me that hadn’t changed to get more bookings due to TC.

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Assuming you are Thur LGW-TPA, it was originally on a refurbed, but changed about 3 weeks ago, probably to give extra capacity elsewhere around the original Fri strike date, as lgw-tpa had loads of availability until they swapped in the unrefurbished. Not that I've been particularily looking at that flight

[bighal]

BA will block certain seats for higher up members of the BAEC so what you see as being available isn't necessarily what will be available when OLCI opens. Also as this is a day before a strike day before it was called off loads of passengers from the Friday flights would have moved to the 26th.

[fredflintstone]

Originally Posted by bighal

BA will block certain seats for higher up members of the BAEC so what you see as being available isn't necessarily what will be available when OLCI opens. Also as this is a day before a strike day before it was called off loads of passengers from the Friday flights would have moved to the 26th.

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True, but not on a full flight, only when there is spare capacity and as you say the day before the cancelled flights are now all full, so no exec privs of empty seat.
Interestingly they put one of the LGW-MCO flights back on for the Friday after the strike was called off, but not the LGW-TPA route, I assume because it wasn't that full before they got everyone to move to the Thursday, that they also reduced to a lower capacity unrefurbed class for the plebs.