Whilst I was using the British Airways website to manage my flight booking I checked the online check-in page. Just like last time, this service was available from within 24 hours of departure, but there was also a new option, the choice of paying £20 to choose your seat further in advance.
For a long haul flight this is tempting as a decent seat for a 12+ hour flight can make a big difference. Then again, if you are already paying a large sum of money to fly across the world it seems harsh to charge extra.
Of course, I went for the free onlne check-in and repeatedly hit the refresh button on the check-in page from 24 hours and 10 minutes before my flight’s scheduled departure time. As soon as the page was accessible I had picked a seat within 30 seconds. But the choice was very limited. I know that some people, families with children etc., get their seats allocated in advance, but even so, there were so few seats.
Do you always fly with BA? I was just wondering, because with Virgin for example, you can choose your seat immediately after *booking* your ticket. In fact I rely on that to choose my seat right at the back of the aircraft. (I always choose the very last seats on the side at the back, so that nobody is behind me. Also, the back is always more empty than anywhere else, so usually if there are free seats, you can move around once everybody is on board. A few times I’ve managed to snag a whole middle row to sleep laid out across three seats!)
Of course the check-in is only available 24-hours before, as with BA. But the seat choosing is the key thing, for me at least.
Anyway I hope you have a great time. And I hope the strikes don’t affect you! Is there a risk, or have you had it confirmed that your flight will be okay?
Isn’t BA having a strike now?
In any case, it seems a silly idea what the airlines are charging for now, such as advanced seat booking, seat preference, additional luggage allowance and what not.
Yeah, I think it’s a cheek charges for all these extras when you’re already paying so much money.
Yes, I’ve been flying with BA the past few years because they provide the cheapest tickets. I’m not a massive fan of BA after the service I’ve received but I have to say that the flight over this time was very pleasant.
Thankfully, the BA strike doesn’t overlap with my flight dates but that still doesn’t give me 100% confidence that everything on the flight home will go smoothly. Fingers crossed, though.