doug_stallings

@Kathie Yes, I think that is not uncommon, but it might also be because of a change of equipment, which is also not uncommon and one of the drawbacks of making seat assignments so far in advance.

Kathie

There was no change of equipment and the seat assignments had been re-checked just a week before the flight. I do think it had to do with paid tickets versus mileage tickets.

socaltraveler

I fall in the group who rarely speaks to my traveling companion after dinner service; he uses headphones and listens to whatever, I like to read. We have rarely had a problem getting seats close to each other when the 24 hour window opens, but I would never give an airline another €200 let alone €900. That's a shocking waste of money to me, and we are also traveling on the children's inheritance.

janisj

>>LIke I said, we are spending our children's inheritance.

And rightly so. The little blighters should pay for their own seats after you're gone.<<

No argument here -- it is just I'd want to spend that $900 of their inheritance on another flight somewhere.

Sassafrass

DH and I now have a strategy for seats close to each other. If there are plenty of seats available when we book, DH and I never ask for seats together. We both like isle seats, so we try to get seats either across from each other or one in front or back of each other. Next best is we book a window seat and isle seat in the same row and hope no one else is in the middle. If there is some one in the middle, I have never had the offer of the window seat ejected. If there are empty rows and we can nab one, I sleep.

Nice that you can be together if it is that important to you. I mean that sincerely. Myself, $900 would buy a short cruise for the two of us, or one ticket to St Kitts or Europe, so we would have sacrificed a few hours to have fun doing something else.

Enjoy your trip though - sounds wonderful!

crosscheck

I think they have overcharged you. A reserved business seat on BA should be a maximum $83. So even with four legs, your fee should have been way less than $900. Maybe call and see if you can cancel all the reserved seats. As others have said, you WILL be seated together. Like others, we have traveled with two or four adults on BA intl several times and always have been assigned adjacent seats -- still actually quite far apart. (You will have to get up and take a walk to visit each other.)

Or, if you reserve exactly 24 hours in advance, you will practically be guaranteed adjacent seats. The only reason to pay to reserve on BA is to avoid a lousy center seat in coach.

Have a wonderful trip!

Shar

I was talking with a friend of mine who traveled to the UK with her 2 children in Economy. She did not have the extra money to pre purchase her tickets so she didn't and she did not have 3 seats together when she arrived at the airport to check in. So it isn't always a guarantee that you will be sitting together just because you purchased your tix together. I think that spending $121 on each flight and for us that would be 4 planes is outrageous considering what we paid for the business class sleeper bed tickets but we decided we wanted to sit/sleep together and not next to someone we didn't know . I double checked and it is $121 to pre book/guaranteed seat on BA flight not $83 as above poster indicated. the configuration of the sleeper beds is very strange on this plane not what we had on our Untied flight to China business class or Lufthansa flight to Europe business class which was 2 seats facing the same direction next to each other on every single seat in business class. This BA flight is strange in how they have their sleeper beds unless you are in the center of the plane where 2 seats are facing the rear of the plane and 2 seats facing the front of the plane. Over the winds and next to the windows, one seat is facing rear and other seat is facing the front. It is done, we bit the bullet and we will enjoy sleeping next to each other and not worrying about the possibility of sleeping next to people we did not know. I still say it is outrageous to charge extra for this in Business Class....

Gardyloo

For future reference, American Airlines doesn't charge for seat selection at booking for any cabin, and IMO in business class AA's product on its new 777-300s is superior to BA's in every way.

janisj

>>IMO in business class AA's product on its new 777-300s is superior to BA's in every way.<<

I agree -- almost as good as first class on a lot of carriers (without the pajamas though)

historytraveler

Regarding BA flights and seat selection, if you are traveling with family you can select your seats ( free of charge ) a week before departure. The usual 24 hour prior to departure seat selection allows you to select seats although with more than two people you may have a problem sitting together. Those that have problems are, for the most part, those who don't read the information. Arriving at the airport and assuming several people will be able to sit together simply because they bought their tickets together is pretty naive.

Mr. History and I have flown numerous times on BA in Business Class. I think on our first trip we were convinced that we should pay to select seats and did so. That first time was the last time. Never have had a problem selecting seats together at the 24 hour seat selection time period. In fact when you go online to print boarding passes and make seat selection, the airlines will have selected seats for you, but you can change them. I have seldom done so. When flying together, our seats have always been together. In fact, they seem to recognize that Mr. History likes an aisle seat and I prefer the window seat.

needmorevacation

<<she did not have 3 seats together when she arrived at the airport to check in.>>

I bet if she had checked in at the 24 hour mark, she would've been able to get seats together. Waiting to get to the airport to check in 2/3 hours before the flight means you're picking from the leftovers.

Trophywife007

HistoryTraveler, do you have a BA Executive Club account? If so, you set your preferences for window or aisle in your account information there -- possibly you already have it done. I agree that I've never had trouble getting two adjacent seats at the 24 hour online check in time.

Dayenu

A year ago I made a reservation through United, didn't realize that the flight is Air Canada, and couldn't get assigned seats. Called, they said if I pay I can get assignment, if I don't want to pay, have to wait till 24 hrs prior.

Shar

thanks Gardyloo but we are flying to London as a stopping point only on our way to South Africa which AA does not fly to but good information for the future. We generally use mileage on United or affiliate but didn't have enough miles and fares on Untied were more expensive than BA so BA got our $ this time around.

Gardyloo

Apropos and slightly off-topic, but I've noticed that for travel from the US to South Africa this year, many business class fares from major Canadian airports (Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver et al) to Joburg are running around US$2700 or less (typically Air Canada/Lufthansa or Air France/KLM) through August/September. This is typically ~US$2000 or more less than comparable fares from US airports.