Is Seat Selection Fee refunded after an upgrade to First?

[HughR]

Friends have an Avios 241 club booking in A380 to YVR and are considering paying for seat selection.

If First availability opened up and they were lucky enough to nab this would they lose their seat selection fee. I have told them I think they would but looking for confirmation from those more knowledgeable than me!

[tiriavpo]

I would naturally have said no – the usual basis is ‘if you choose to change no, if BA change you then yes’. But that could be wrong – see this page: https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/seating/seating-changes-and-refunds

You can claim a refund for seats you paid for within 30 days of the completion of the last flight in your itinerary where:

– you have paid for a cabin upgrade and do not wish to pay the difference to select your seat in the alternative cabin.

Although, I think, whenever I have ‘upgraded’ like that on an avios ticket, it has actually been processed as a cancellation of the CW tickets and a new purchase of the F tickets – whether that subtly changes it I don’t know.

• This reply was modified 55 years, 8 months ago by .

[CarpalTravel]

According to the FT forum:

“The refund form at ba.com even includes a box to check if you are due the refund because you paid for an upgrade”

But as tiriavpo states, reward bookings may behave differently. One question though, is that route (or at least some of the flights) now the Club Suite layout? If so then there is absolutely no point in paying the “seating tax” as there is not a significant difference between any of the seats.

[HughR]

Thanks Triavpo and CarpalTravel for the feedback.

I would agree if it were Club Suite not to waste money reserving seats. Unfortunately it’s an A380 which doesn’t have them.

We are actually on the same flight and managed to secure 2 first seats when the plane got changed to an A380. I have a Seatspy alert in case any more first become available but am not hugely optimistic! Our friends have not travelled club long haul before so I am keen they have the best experience as I talked them into the Avios collecting game and this will be their first redemption. I think/hope we can guest them into the CCR so that should definitely help!

[MattB]

Not sure whether it was policy but a few years back we upgraded to First using Avios over the phone, and was able to get our seat fees refunded.