Overbooking – can I check?

[VinZ]

I’ve been issued a white boarding pass with no seat assigned. I assume I’m in overbooking – is there a website where I can check what the current situation is? BA website is not selling any more tickets on that particular flight.
Thank you

[Roberto]

What’s the flight details and date please?

[JDB]

VinZ wrote:

I’ve been issued a white boarding pass with no seat assigned. I assume I’m in overbooking – is there a website where I can check what the current situation is? BA website is not selling any more tickets on that particular flight.
Thank you

There is no publicly available website for this. ExpertFlyer can give some clues but can’t tell the whole story and even if they were still selling seats in your class at the last minute that doesn’t mean anything as they will overbook relative to the whole aircraft knowing they can downgrade where necessary.

[VinZ]

It was overbooked after all. And instead of being seated in CE I’m now in economy. I guess I can claim some form of compensation?

[VinZ]

Roberto wrote:

What’s the flight details and date please?

Grazie Roberto, but no need now as I found out at the desk. 🙂

[AJA]

You are entitled to downgrade reimbursement but as you mention CE I suspect it will only be 30% of the fare for the segment excluding taxes.

I’d still claim from BA but request Avios instead.

Was the original booking a cash or reward seat?

[VinZ]

It was a reward seat so I should claim for some avios back I guess?

[AJA]

Yes definitely go for Avios. Just make sure that claiming the downgrade reimbursement is more than a simple fare difference between CE and ET refund. And then go for whichever gives you more Avios.

[JDB]

You are entitled to downgrade reimbursement at the rate of 30% or 50% if the flight was over 1,500km but as @AJA says, you need to check this gives a better result than the difference in Avios between the classes. You get that for each passenger. If you departed from the UK, you are also entitled to the £13 difference between the Y and C rates.

[VinZ]

Sorry guys, I’m a bit lost. I’m not sure I understand.

I would imagine they would offer the difference between what it cost me in Avios (20,000 + £0.5) and what I would’ve paid by booking economy (not sure how many avios +£0.5).

No? I’m not too familiar with the different options, if any.

[NorthernLass]

They may well offer that; legally you are entitled to a percentage of what you paid (in cash or avios). As mentioned above, you need to determine what is the best outcome for you. In this case the difference between the two may well be more, as CE is double the cost of ET. You could also ask for a few more avios for the inconvenience of loss of lounge, in-flight meal etc, if applicable, which BA may well offer as a goodwill gesture.

Have a look at EU/UK261 legislation for more on your rights here.

[JDB]

NorthernLass wrote:

They may well offer that; legally you are entitled to a percentage of what you paid (in cash or avios). As mentioned above, you need to determine what is the best outcome for you. In this case the difference between the two may well be more, as CE is double the cost of ET. You could also ask for a few more avios for the inconvenience of loss of lounge, in-flight meal etc, if applicable, which BA may well offer as a goodwill gesture.

Have a look at EU/UK261 legislation for more on your rights here.

@NorthernLass the Article 10 downgrade reimbursement provisions are explicitly to cover the ‘inconveniences’ to which you refer. It’s already a form of compensation at a penal rate, very often considerably greater than the fare difference, so it’s not realistic to expect more by way of goodwill gesture and it would be most rare for it to be provided.

[NorthernLass]

Yes, I realise the legislation doesn’t specifically provide for this, however I’ve been awarded 5/10k avios in the past for not getting a meal and not having chance to use the lounge – different circumstances but it shows that BA is open to considering these things. Also in this case the OP isn’t claiming for a whopping 70% downgrade reimbursement for a long haul flight, so the number of avios they’ll receive for the downgrade alone will be quite low.

[JDB]

NorthernLass wrote:

Yes, I realise the legislation doesn’t specifically provide for this, however I’ve been awarded 5/10k avios in the past for not getting a meal and not having chance to use the lounge – different circumstances but it shows that BA is open to considering these things. Also in this case the OP isn’t claiming for a whopping 70% downgrade reimbursement for a long haul flight, so the number of avios they’ll receive for the downgrade alone will be quite low.

I said the opposite – the legislation does provide for the passenger to get ‘extra’ so the goodwill you are suggesting is effectively already built into the system. It’s unrealistic to suggest a passenger will get more when claiming downgrade reimbursement.

[Froggee]

@JDB really!?

I thought I’d book a flight down to London to argue this point with you and went onto BA’s website which weirdly appears to be working.

The 9:05 flight down to London, which I could just make, is £107 in Economy and £299 in Business.

In your heart of hearts, do you believe it would be unrealistic to expect more than 30% downgrade compensation if I were downgraded on this flight?

[JDB]

Froggee wrote:

@JDB really!?

I thought I’d book a flight down to London to argue this point with you and went onto BA’s website which weirdly appears to be working.

The 9:05 flight down to London, which I could just make, is £107 in Economy and £299 in Business.

In your heart of hearts, do you believe it would be unrealistic to expect more than 30% downgrade compensation if I were downgraded on this flight?

@Froggee it’s not me you need to argue with, it’s BA and the EU!

In your example, and on most of the shortest flights, it’s better to ask for the difference. My point was that I object to people misadvising others (and it’s often the same people) that they can expect to get a gesture of goodwill as well, because the reality is that BA would only do that exceptionally rarely and more importantly, the premise for the ‘advice’ was incorrect, implying the law didn’t already provide for the inconveniences described.

[JDB]

@Froggee in terms of the ‘heart’ question, it’s kind to suggest I have one. I rather subscribe to your “life sucks” view, but here these days people seem to complain very vocally about the most minor slights, look for someone (other than themselves) to blame for everything and seek compensation at the drop of a hat. I feel life’s too short, we all make mistakes and it seems rather grubby and greedy to ask to be compensated at every step.

[robkeane]

Froggee wrote:

@JDB really!?…..In your heart of hearts

LOL