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How likely is British Airways to seat you apart if you don’t pay for seat selection?

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Paying for seat selection when flying has become the norm over the last decade or so. It isn’t even questioned any longer in Economy, although few airlines have gone as far as British Airways to charge for every seat in Business Class.

Are you wasting your money?

Since British Airways introduced Club Suite, we have argued that you are throwing your money away by paying for seat selection in Business. There are no ‘bad’ seats with Club Suite and the high level of privacy means that you can’t communicate easily with those around you. I’d argue that you have more money than sense if you pay £400 return to reserve two adjacent Club Suite seats.

will British Airways seat you apart

Down the back, of course, it’s a different matter.

There are basically two approaches that an airline can take:

  • do its best to allocate adjacent seats to people on the same ticket, as long as a suitable block is available at check in
  • deliberately split up passengers on the same ticket to teach them a lesson and ensure that they pay next time

Which? magazine has just published the results of a survey of over 8,000 of its subscribers. The results are interesting.

Which? asked a question along the lines of ‘Assuming that you didn’t pay for seat selection, were you allocated seats next to your travel companions at check in?’.

In case you are thinking that family trips may skew the results, remember that parents have no legal right to be seated next to their children. The only requirement is that children are seated no more than one seat row away from their parents.

will British Airways seat you apart

Here are the results:

  • British Airways – 94%
  • easyJet – 93%
  • Jet2 – 90%
  • Ryanair – 66%
  • Wizz Air – 61%

The results are intriguing.

It seems that you are wasting your money, even in Economy, if you pay for seat selection on British Airways. There is a 94% chance that you will be seated with your ticketed companions anyway.

More impressively, the same goes for easyJet and Jet2.

To be honest, even the results for Ryanair and Wizz Air are not bad. Is it worth paying the often-crazy seat selection fees knowing that your chance of being together is still two out of three?

There are other reasons for paying for a seat, of course. On long haul you may have a preference for a window block rather than a centre block (or vice versa for a family of four). You may prefer to be near the front, or away from the loos, or on an emergency exit row with added leg room. Excluding these reasons, you might as well keep your money in your pocket.

You can read the full Which? report here.

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Category

British Airways and Avios

Comments (117)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • Softy25 says:
    18 Jun18 June 08:16

    We’re 6 psgrs travelling down to Oz on 241 Amex with avios with one sector SINSYD in Y. We had two bookings and we booked 32HK and and 33HK with free seating and paid for 32J and 33J as we had two young children and had to sit together.

  • BJ says:
    18 Jun18 June 08:19

    With regard to BA I’ve always suspected they pre-allocate seats at time of booking but just doesn’t show us them. What’s more, once allocated I don’t think others can buy them. The reason I suspect this is that on a 3-class 777 my partner almost always gets allocated seat 2A, probably the most desirable on such planes. He retains that seat when for bookings 355 days out despite I guess many being willing to pay for it. Whatever is going on with this, it is nit status-related as my partner has been bronze at best. I have frequently ended up being allocated 1D on the same plane type but the pattern has not been so consistent as my parter being allocated 2A.

  • Joe says:
    18 Jun18 June 08:41

    There’s no way the results for Ryanair and Wizz are accurate. I must have taken 100 Wizz flights in the last 8 years and NEVER been sat next to the others on the booking.

    • ElCapitain says:
      18 Jun18 June 09:32

      I’d agree, I go away once a year with friends and when travelling Ryanair we are always allocated random seats nowhere near each other

    • Paul says:
      18 Jun18 June 10:01

      agree, these are NOT accurate for Ryanair. Never been sat next to one another. Their policy is to deliberately split up. Even on an empty plane during covid times we were split up.

      One of the reasons I’d fly easyJet any day over Ryanair.

  • ankomonkey says:
    18 Jun18 June 09:22

    Earlier this month, 2 adults and 2 kids flying BA Euro Traveller, at online check-in none of the group were seated next to each other. I checked in about 23 hours before the flight and was able to move us for free to 4-in-a-row (3 together, aisle, final person). They were the only carrier I can recall ever who had initially split us all up.

    • Phillip says:
      18 Jun18 June 10:06

      But at least they let you move without paying. The likes of Easyjet and Wizzair would make you pay to move even at check in!

  • AJA says:
    18 Jun18 June 09:23

    I never pay for seat selection and the only time I’ve been separated from my OH is when we both bought a WT+ Seat and upgraded to Club using Avios as we each only had the number of Avios for one seat but do not have a household account. We took a chance and did the booking at the same time on two computers so obviously had separate PNRs and were allocated completely different seats despite checking in together. Every other time when on the same PNR we are allocated seats together even when I did not have Silver status. We have two trips booked as a couple in the next couple of months and I have dropped to Bronze so can’t choose for free so will see whether we get separated or not.

    • sayling says:
      18 Jun18 June 10:31

      You’ll still get to choose your seats 7 days before flying as Bronze members

      • AJA says:
        18 Jun18 June 12:06

        Yes and I will definitely confirm seats at 7 days out but I doubt I’ll be getting anywhere near row 2 which is my preferred option. I just hope I am not left with row 12 of CE and then suffer poor food and drink choices.

        • Gordon says:
          18 Jun18 June 12:21

          I was also Bronze before gaining silver status on 31/12/22 and will do my upmost to retain it for 2024, As free seat selection at time of booking is the number one benefit for me, Lounge access is second, 2 x 32kg hold luggage not so important, Once the Club suite fit out has been completed I will not feel the need to spend so much anymore to gain status….

          • AJA says:
            18 Jun18 June 12:52

            I agree seat selection at time of booking as Silver is probably the thing I miss most. I travel Club anyway so get the lounge access (where they have it). I am a light traveller so only ever travel with one bag which goes in the hold so agree the extra bag isn’t much of a benefit. But I do also miss the Silver line and extra Avios bonus. Still am aiming to get back there with the benefit of double TP on BA Holidays.

          • Gordon says:
            18 Jun18 June 15:00

            Agree J check in a handy perk at busy times! Re lounge availability, the PUJ lounge charges $20pp for access even with status! But during check in we were given a $20 F&B voucher so Wendy’s sufficed until boarding….

  • Bernard says:
    18 Jun18 June 09:26

    If I’m flying with the girlfriend, I never pay for seat selection and we usually end up sitting next to each other. If I’m flying with the wife, I’ll always pay for seat selection. 🙂

    • RonnieB says:
      18 Jun18 June 09:33

      Thought it would be the other way around !

      • AJA says:
        18 Jun18 June 12:08

        I think he’s saying when travelling with his wife he pays to ensure he isn’t sitting next to her 🤔 😏

    • Gordon says:
      18 Jun18 June 10:40

      If you fly with your girlfriend and your wife, I presume you pay for seat selection making sure you sit between them to avoid any squabbling!

    • Mutley says:
      18 Jun18 June 10:42

      I like it🤣 similar to myself, though former girlfriend is now second wife! I’m pretty sure that most airlines keep families together if possible, my brother has ( now 4 grown up) children, the youngest has a learning disability, I think that for safeguarding and child protection alone the airlines have a duty of care to have at least one family member over 16 sitting adjacent.

      • Nick says:
        18 Jun18 June 13:11

        The rule is 12, not 16, and the legal instruction is that one row either side is considered ‘together’.

  • Matarredonda says:
    18 Jun18 June 09:56

    Always pay for seat selection regardless or airline and whoever I fly with as in the scheme of things peanuts.
    Frankly if you can’t afford to pay for your seat where you want to sit you can’t afford the holiday.

    • baVid says:
      18 Jun18 June 10:17

      Who said anything about not being able to afford it?

    • NorthernLass says:
      18 Jun18 June 10:31

      Rob did mention people with more money than sense in the article!

    • Rob says:
      18 Jun18 June 11:46

      You’re a mug then 🙂

      You kids don’t want to sit next to you if they are 12+, trust me. Your wife probably doesn’t either, if she’s honest – after all these years all she wants is 8 hours of peace and quiet without you or the kids to watch a few films.

  • Bernard says:
    18 Jun18 June 10:11

    Wizz air? Lucky if the flight even leaves, let alone you get sears together. Cancel anything at any excuse and then customer service is non existent and have to dragged to court to pay EU261.

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