BA just changed my seats

[wookie192]

Hello,

Due to fly back from our multi-state US trip tomorrow and just had an email from BA to say they’ve changed our club world seats.

We did have 4J and 4K booked (the last 2 on the right) so that we don’t have people climbing over us whilst asleep and one of us has a window seat. But we’ve now been moved to the middle of the aircraft on row 1. I’ve had those seats reserved/booked for 7 months now.

The reason they provided on the email for the change is for “operational reasons”, but the seating layout hasn’t changed at all. There has been some Orlando to Gatwick flights cancelled the past few days including one today. So not sure if they’ve placed someone in our seats and moved us (not sure why they couldn’t just seat them in the middle instead if so).

What compensation have people got before when this has happened to them? Yes we still fly home, but I’m gutted as I lose my window seat and also will now have people climbing over us when we sleep which is why I booked those 2 seats originally.

Thank you in advance for your responses.

[AndrewT]

This has come up before. 4K is often used as a crew rest seat, so while it’s daft they do it at the last minute, it’s always a potentially dangerous choice. They may have moved you both to keep you together.

Compensation? Highly unlikely. If you paid to choose them you can get a refund, although insultingly you have to claim it they don’t refund automatically.

However regardless of that, your logic is completely back to front. 4J DOES have someone in 3K climbing over you, while if you’re in the middle then by definition there is no one inside to climb over you, it’s you who have to climb over others.

[Ian m]

This happened to us out of Rio. I’d chosen the seats 355 days before when I booked with avios. I was told a family (teen kids) were separated and they’d put them together. I hadn’t paid only got to choose because I was silver. I was a bit miffed, but when I found that 4 cash passengers had been down graded to premium and 4 downgraded from premium to economy I suddenly cheered up. Downgrades were all bronze level or lower.

[simonbarker]

Happened to us flying to Miami a few weeks back on a dilapidated A380, we’d sat us and my Mum (two separate bookings) in 53 DEF from memory, a few hours after selecting the seats we got moved to 51E and F. It wasn’t a huge deal but the reason they gave was “seats unavailable”. Phone and bag drop staff no help.

When get on board there’s someone sat in them who, it becomes clear as the flight progresses, was the sister of one of the first class cabin crew and she (I assume) wanted that middle seat with no one next to her since there were two other vacant aisle seats on that flight.

One of many disappointing aspects to that flight that I expect BA to ignore in my complaint.

[SamG]

@simonbarker What likely happened in that scenario is at some point the seat got marked as inoperable and you got moved. Then it either got fixed or it was safe to sit in (didn’t recline, stool broken, IFE issue etc) so it was given to a staff traveler

There is absolutely no way for BA crew to have seating shifted in the system. Unfortunately there isn’t logic to move you back if the seat gets released back for use again