Available seat choices on British Airways flights
I recently flew economy class with British Airways, short haul within Europe if that makes a difference. My booking gave me the ability to either pay to reserve a specific seat or wait until 48 hours before departure when I would be able to reserve a seat for free. Note that other ticket types only allow you to reserve your seat for free 24 hours before departure, so my ticket gave me a small advantage over these other passengers.
Looking at the available seat choices when I booked a few weeks before flying (and at some intermediate times as well) it certainly seems like the paid-for seat choices are not that popular with most seats still being available ~60 hours before departure. However, once I was within my 48-hour window, I was only offered a choice of just four seats. I was left wondering how all those unreserved seats got reserved so quickly, and what choices would remain if my ticket has restricted me to the 24 hour window instead, or I had waiting until I was at the check-in desk. Strangely, pretty much the same thing has happened on other recent flights with the same airline, with a far smaller choice of seats that I might have expected to be available.
What occurs to me is either a hundred or more passengers are eagerly waiting for that 48-hour window to open to 'get in' and reserve their favourite seat, so most the seats are being reserved for free within a few minutes; or British Airways are not actually offering all the currently available seats to those passengers eligible to reserve a seat at that time.
Is information available somewhere that gives details about the online seat reservation strategy adopted by British Airways?
Best Answer
...or British Airways are not actually offering all the currently available seats to those passengers eligible to reserve a seat at that time.
I suspect this to be the case. They will reserve some of the premium seats to sell at the counter or to offer to premium customers.
They don't always fill those premium seats. I am unsure about British Airways policy, but sometimes you are allowed to move to open seats after taking off. You simply ask the flight attendant to change seats (if the seat is available). I think(?) for international flights, you have strict assigned seating but on domestic flights, you can take open seats after take off. My experience is that British Airways isn't always very helpful.
Some European flights (non British Airways, like Air France) aren't worth the seat upgrades at all because the planes can be very empty and flights are so short.
I know I was on an Air France flight and some Russian boxers were allowed to move to premium economy seats, for free. I was a little shocked, as I wanted those seats and had been traveling over 24 hours longer than those guys.
It seems it's up to the staff on the plane to make the decisions, but British Airways is rather strict and may not allow it at all. They seem to be very focused on turning a profit, and not really offering us their best.
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Do you have to pay to choose seats on British Airways?
Unless you have booked a Basic ticket (economy, hand baggage only), you can choose your seat for free when check-in opens (24 hours before departure). we'll allocate you a seat for free when check-in opens. You can then pay to change to a different seat, although your choice may be limited.How do I find out what seats are available?
Check on the Airline's Booking Page When booking through a third party, such as Expedia or Travelocity, you can check the number of seats available on the plane too. On Expedia, look for the link that says "Preview Seat Availability," which will appear under each flight that shows up in your search.Can I see what seats are available on a flight before booking?
Depending on your airline, you're almost certainly able to get a peak at the seat map during the check-in process, which starts 24 hours before departure. This usually comes with the chance to select or purchase seats, and as such will show you how many open seats are available the day before your flight.What are the different seats on British Airways?
British Airways currently has four travel class options: economy, premium economy, business and first class.British Airways Booking, Flight Reservations, and Seats Selection
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