I cannot help but feel that British Airways – a once great airline – are rapidly going down the pan. Their generous transatlantic baggage allowances will be cut in half from 7 October, their complimentary meals and snacks on short haul flights have been scrapped and now the airline is going to charge for the privilege of pre-selecting seats on future flights.
We all know that British Airways are rarely the cheapest option when it comes to booking travel but their [until now] great service has always been reason enough to book with them. Whilst these changes have been introduced to save the airline some much-needed cash, it seems that no savings at all have been passed onto the customer. Not only are we now paying the same price for less of a service, but we are being asked to part with even more money should we want to choose a specific seat on a flight – something that many airlines, based on experience, will do for you at no additional cost.
BA is to allow all passengers to select their seats at the time of booking, but there’s a catch: the carrier will be charging for the privilege, starting from £10 per sector for Euro Traveller passengers, rising to £60 for Club World customers.
From October 7 customers will have the option to select their seats when they book tickets, for the following charges:
- £10 per person per sector in Euro Traveller and on domestic routes
- £20 per person per sector in Club Europe, World Traveller and World Traveller Plus
- £60 per person per sector in Club World
Customers in World Traveller and World Traveller Plus will also have the option to pay £50 to secure exit row seats, from ten days pior to departure.
The fees will not apply to Premier and Gold Executive Club members who are already able to choose their seats for free in all cabins (including exit row seats) at the time of booking. Silver card holders, customers with fully flexible tickets and customers on corporate deals can pre-assign their seats for free and will have the option to buy exit row seats in World Traveller and World Traveller Plus.
While the move will give passengers greater control on seat selection for their flights, it will be seen by many as a full-service airline moving towards the low-cost formula of charging for extras. Those who choose not to avail of the new service will be left to select from the remaining available seats from 24 hours before departure.
BA has yet to publicly announce the new charges, but in an internal memo posted on several frequent flyer forums the carrier said that the move “is in line with the airline’s response to surviving the economic downturn”. It adds that “teams from across the sales & marketing and customer directorate have been reviewing the airline’s entire customer proposition, looking at ways to reduce costs and bring in additional revenue”.
For more information visit ba.com.
http://www.businesstraveller.com/news/exclusive-ba-to-charge-for-seat-selection
By: T5 - 26th September 2009 at 05:39
Maybe, but most of the major airlines offer this service for free. Even AF does ….
Over the past few years, I have flown with airlines including Korean Air, China Eastern, Thai Airways, KLM and EVA Air, and some have provided me with a seat of my choice at the time of booking, whilst others have been only too willing to assign a specific seat to me when I have called them – and at no additional cost. This is what I expect from full fare airlines.
Desperate times for British Airways calls for desperate measures.
By: abutcher1985 - 25th September 2009 at 18:35
I have to admit that when I heard this story on the radio I was fairly angry but it looks like it was all BBC sensationalism anyway… it’s a complete non-story and I for one will continue to fly BA 🙂
By: Hand87_5 - 25th September 2009 at 16:37
Are people missing the point?, nothing has changed, you can still check in on line up to 24 hours before hand and select your seat, the service hasn’t changed at all?, this is just an additional service that wasn’t there before, i.e. you can, for a cost, select your seat when you book the ticket that wasn’t there before?, it’s optional, and the usual service hasn’t diminished?????
Maybe, but most of the major airlines offer this service for free. Even AF does ….
By: The Old Man - 25th September 2009 at 15:37
You’re going to have to forgive me as I have not flown with British Airways for over 10 years, but when you are booking a ticket on line it seems a bit off if you cannot reserve you seat(s) there and then which I assume is the case. I can do this with Continental months in advance of my flights without any charge whatsoever.
By: Mark L - 25th September 2009 at 14:41
Are people missing the point?, nothing has changed, you can still check in on line up to 24 hours before hand and select your seat, the service hasn’t changed at all?, this is just an additional service that wasn’t there before, i.e. you can, for a cost, select your seat when you book the ticket that wasn’t there before?, it’s optional, and the usual service hasn’t diminished?????
Exactly, for the most part this doesn’t change anything, it just brings in the option to choose your seat if you wish to pay for it.
For now you have no option at all to choose your seat before 24 hours (unless, like me, you’re lucky enough to have a shiny card or fly on full fare tickets).
By: Agent K - 25th September 2009 at 13:54
Are people missing the point?, nothing has changed, you can still check in on line up to 24 hours before hand and select your seat, the service hasn’t changed at all?, this is just an additional service that wasn’t there before, i.e. you can, for a cost, select your seat when you book the ticket that wasn’t there before?, it’s optional, and the usual service hasn’t diminished?????
By: Skymonster - 25th September 2009 at 09:56
I know that if I’d just shelled out two grand or more on a club world ticket to the US, I’d be mighty p**sed off that they wanted another sixty quid each way so that I could chose a seat! Mind you, seeing as I don’t travel BA, its largely irrelevent to me.
Andy
By: swerve - 25th September 2009 at 08:56
I know from experience that the facility to choose seats online is offered free by some airlines. It costs the airline nothing at the time of booking, though there is a (modest) set-up cost to add the facility to the website.
This strikes me as O’Learyism.
By: Hand87_5 - 25th September 2009 at 08:56
Well if they implement this stupid idea, BA will move on my “not to fly” list right away.
That’s good management: **** off the customers.
By: wl745 - 25th September 2009 at 07:11
downhill
Sounds like the Inland Revenue are a majority shareholder!Perhaps we can rename BA to BRyan Air!
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September 25, 2009 at 6:02 am