Cruise Talk: Airline seats and seniors

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»	Cruise Talk » Mid-Ships Lounge » Airline seats and seniors

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Topic: Airline seats and seniors

Frosty 4
First Class Passenger
Member # 5826

posted 10-25-2011 10:44 AM

I have noticed that when booking flights,that if you put down for 2 seniors they always seem to put you in the back of the plane. I hate those seats in the last row that don't recline.
I have been looking at seats for our upcoming flight to London in May. Think we will try BA(777).
I believe we have a few CTers that work for the airlines,maybe they can comment on this senior issue. As this is a long overnight flight I am NOT going to put down as seniors. Price is no different anyway.
Frosty 4

Posts: 2531 | From: Illinois | Registered: Jul 2005 | IP: Logged

Cunardcoll
First Class Passenger
Member # 1226

posted 10-26-2011 01:08 AM

I 've been working in the air transport sector for 8 years now and I know that some airlines have internal rules of booking by age or even origin but I think that BA allows you to book your seats in advance without extra costs.
But here is another idea that some might find radical or at least unusual, look for Cargo airlines that fly regular services and use airplanes with extra seats, this gives you some advantages :
1. very good prices
2. better seats and leg room
3. no waiting lines, direct boarding
4. good service as you spend your time with the pilots.

Posts: 947 | From: Belgium | Registered: Apr 2000 | IP: Logged

eroller
First Class Passenger
Member # 1649

posted 10-26-2011 11:28 AM

To my knowledge, at least on Delta, your seat selection has nothing to do with paying a senior fare. Everyone in general economy has the same opportunity for seat selection. If you booked a ticket in economy, you can pull up a seating chart and select any available open seat. Exit rows, bulkhead seats, and a couple rows in the front of the plane are reserved for HVC's, or "High Value Customers" that are frequent fliers in the higher tiers of the Skymiles program.

If you are looking at the seating chart and it's only showing the back rows, that is because all the other seats are already reserved. It has nothing to do with your ticket price.

Regarding BA, my understanding is they do NOT let you pre-assign seats if you are booked in economy. You can only select them 24 hours in advance when you check in for the flight. At least that is the way it used to be, not sure if that has changed. It's one reason I have always avoided BA. They have some policies that I don't find "customer friendly".

Ernie

[ 10-26-2011: Message edited by: eroller ]

Posts: 7046 | From: Miami, Florida USA | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

Grant
First Class Passenger
Member # 1000

posted 10-26-2011 12:13 PM

I just returned from a BA trans Atlantic flight. There was a $40 fee to prebook seats on that sector, free if selected within 24 hours of departure. BA=Bloody Awful!!

Posts: 834 | From: Victoria, BC, Canada | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

Frosty 4
First Class Passenger
Member # 5826

posted 10-26-2011 12:40 PM

The BA flight seems to be in conjuction with United and Iberia. Leaves at 8:05PM (ORD) gets to LHR at 9:45AM. I believe it's a 2+ hour trip to Southhampton. Figure arrival at the ship 12:30.
BTW Princess does NOT offer the baggage direct option in London.( return home flight) Only on domestic cruises(US)

Too bad as this worked great on our Alaska cruise on HAL.
Frosty 4

Posts: 2531 | From: Illinois | Registered: Jul 2005 | IP: Logged

Globaliser
First Class Passenger
Member # 4153

posted 10-27-2011 01:15 PM

quote:
Originally posted by eroller:
Regarding BA, my understanding is they do NOT let you pre-assign seats if you are booked in economy. You can only select them 24 hours in advance when you check in for the flight. At least that is the way it used to be, not sure if that has changed.

This is no longer the case.

You can always get seats allocated for free when checking-in online, which normally opens at 24 hours before departure (or 24 hours before departure of your first flight if you're connecting from one BA flight to another).

However, you can also get seats pre-allocated in advance for free if you are in certain categories, and even if you are not in those categories you always have the choice of paying for a pre-allocation. Some of the more desirable seats cost more than others, and exit row seats are only available for purchase during a specified time window.

Full details on http://www.britishairways.com/travel/mmbseatingpolicy/public/en_gb.

Of course, this policy is one of the reasons why flying BA works very well for me.

Posts: 1869 | From: UK | Registered: Sep 2003 | IP: Logged

Grant
First Class Passenger
Member # 1000

posted 10-27-2011 02:58 PM

I fly quite a bit, always as a passenger, never having worked for an airline. I must say that British Airways service both on the ground and in the air was excellent and very very professional. HOWEVER-their aircraft are in terrible condition. I've never been aircraft that were more "worn" in my life. The interiors are much worse for wear, seat coverings stained and ripped, carpets in horrible condtion, window blinds torn and stuck and bathrooms while clean, almost trashed!! On time, excellent service and competitive fares, and that is what really matter when flying, so I will not rule out using them again!

Posts: 834 | From: Victoria, BC, Canada | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

Malcolm @ cruisepage
Cruise Director
Member # 301

posted 11-02-2011 06:34 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Grant:
The interiors are much worse for wear, seat coverings stained and ripped, carpets in horrible condtion, window blinds torn and stuck and bathrooms while clean, almost trashed!

I appreciate that it is not connected at all, but that would not give some passengers much cofidence in the state of repair of the engines etc.

[ 11-02-2011: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

Posts: 19210 | From: Essex (Just Outside London) | Registered: A Long Time Ago! | IP: Logged

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