BA to charge people for booking specific seats on aircraft!

[jshell]

Unfkingbelievable!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8274200.stm


So, £50 to sit beside an emergency exit now!!! s!

[IforB]

Oh dear. BA casting around with no idea what they're doing. As per usual.

[mrmr96]

Paying more money for better seats, and this is unfair why?

[jshell]

mrmr96 said:

Paying more money for better seats, and this is unfair why?

Because families/partners/mates etc could be split up when they turn up at the airport?

[IforB]

This isn't about anything being unfair, this is about BA being a useless bunch who have no idea how to come up with a good idea. All they do is copy whatever RYR do, but do it badly and so annoy their core customers even more.

They haven't seemingly got a clue about what their customers want or need. "World's Favourite Airline?" They're not even close.

[anonymous-user]

I think it's a really really bad idea.

BA can't hope to compete with the lowest fares companies, they should instead concentrate on doing well the things that differentiate themselves from those airlines.

[mrmr96]

jshell said:

mrmr96 said:

Paying more money for better seats, and this is unfair why?

Because families/partners/mates etc could be split up when they turn up at the airport?

Not if they book ahead, which this proposal makes provision for.

[5unny]

BA used to do pre-allocation (for free) of seats in the past and it ran quite well.

They used to pre-allocate seats to families ahead of the general selection so if they do the same here this will have little impact on families.

To be honest, if people are willing to pay then why shouldn't BA cash in?

However, when you take this policy change and add it to all the other charges they have introduced lately (like charging for a second bag on flights to and from America and charging for sporting equipment etc)then you do wonder what direction BA are headed in and whether they themselves have a long term goal here.

[IforB]

mrmr96 said:

jshell said:

mrmr96 said:

Paying more money for better seats, and this is unfair why?

Because families/partners/mates etc could be split up when they turn up at the airport?

Not if they book ahead, which this proposal makes provision for.

You would have to pay a minimum of £40 for a family of 4 to ensure you sat together, if you booked 10 days in advance. Good idea BA.

[jshell]

IforB said:

mrmr96 said:

jshell said:

mrmr96 said:

Paying more money for better seats, and this is unfair why?

Because families/partners/mates etc could be split up when they turn up at the airport?

Not if they book ahead, which this proposal makes provision for.

You would have to pay a minimum of £40 for a family of 4 to ensure you sat together, if you booked 10 days in advance. Good idea BA.

And more than doubled if one ends up in an Emergency Exit seat......

[Mojocvh]

el stovey said:

I think it's a really really bad idea.

BA can't hope to compete with the lowest fares companies, they should instead concentrate on doing well the things that differentiate themselves from those airlines.

And not cutting out the tea and bickkies either would be a good idea.
So what are all the cabin crew going to do now, moan and bh even more??

Oh hang on I see a cunning plan........

[Oakey]

5unny said:

BA used to do pre-allocation (for free) of seats in the past and it ran quite well.

They used to pre-allocate seats to families ahead of the general selection so if they do the same here this will have little impact on families.

To be honest, if people are willing to pay then why shouldn't BA cash in?

However, when you take this policy change and add it to all the other charges they have introduced lately (like charging for a second bag on flights to and from America and charging for sporting equipment etc)then you do wonder what direction BA are headed in and whether they themselves have a long term goal here.

Because isn't that what you're already paying for when you buy a ticket, the seat? If you buy two then you'd expect them to be together. Would you be happy to go to the cinema, pay for your tickets and then be told you have to pay extra if you want to sit next to your other half?

[Parrot of Doom]

I don't see the problem. When you get on a bus, do you expect to be able to book a seat?

[10 Pence Short]

Parrot of Doom said:

I don't see the problem. When you get on a bus, do you expect to be able to book a seat?

If I was planning on spending 2 hours or more on it, yes. If I was travelling with my children, I'd want to make sure I could sit with them.

[Smiler.]

I heard this on R4 - I hate flying & being 6'7", there are only a few seats I can comfortably use.

Looks like I'll be switching back to T1 then.

[IforB]

Parrot of Doom said:

I don't see the problem. When you get on a bus, do you expect to be able to book a seat?

We aren't talking about a bus. We are talking about an aircraft. They are quite different you know.

[LD1Racing]

KLM are doing the same, €70 for an exit row. what a load of bks, it don't mind being charged for an extra bit of breathing room, but when are they going to start weighing the fat fkers with their luggage?? then it will be fair. Tax me for being tall will you?? tax these lard arses for taking up two seats then and stop charging my missus for buying a couple of pairs of shoes. s.

[Parrot of Doom]

IforB said:

Parrot of Doom said:

I don't see the problem. When you get on a bus, do you expect to be able to book a seat?

We aren't talking about a bus. We are talking about an aircraft. They are quite different you know.

Not really. One collects passengers, goes somewhere, and drops the passengers off. The other...erm...

[anonymous-user]

Parrot of Doom said:

IforB said:

Parrot of Doom said:

I don't see the problem. When you get on a bus, do you expect to be able to book a seat?

We aren't talking about a bus. We are talking about an aircraft. They are quite different you know.

Not really. One collects passengers, goes somewhere, and drops the passengers off. The other...erm...

Most BA customers expect a much higher level of service on their aeroplane than you might expect "on a bus".

They are advertising themselves as a premium product but are now trying to follow the methods used by low cost airlines. You can't do both.

[turbobloke]

el stovey said:

Parrot of Doom said:

IforB said:

Parrot of Doom said:

I don't see the problem. When you get on a bus, do you expect to be able to book a seat?

We aren't talking about a bus. We are talking about an aircraft. They are quite different you know.

Not really. One collects passengers, goes somewhere, and drops the passengers off. The other...erm...

Most BA customers expect a much higher level of service on their aeroplane than you might expect "on a bus".

They are advertising themselves as a premium product but are now trying to follow the methods used by low cost airlines. You can't do both.

Agreed they shouldn't do both, but as they're strapped for cash and facing more (baseless) taxes to discourage people from flying, they will and they have.