Oneworld Ruby - AA/BA seat selection

[newformula]

Thanks to the amazing advice on this forum, I hit PS a couple of weeks back (and made use of it over the weekend). Thanks all for the tips and tricks that got me there.

I'm flying on AA (in international 767 Y cabin) in a few weeks time and would like to pre-select good seats (as per Qantas, which is now possible thanks to reaching Silver). Does AA allow oneworld ruby access to any priority seating, or do you need to be higher up the food chain? My initial experience with someone over the phone wasn't positive, but would appreciate other's experience. Couldn't get a clear answer through aa.com or googling.

I'm also flying SYD-SIN in J/Club later in the year and have the same question. I am assuming that as my Qantas FF# is in my BA booking, and I am still being requested to pay to select seats on ba.com when trying to select a seat there, then oneworld Ruby is not eligible to pre-select seats in J on BA without paying the fee?\
// Edit - just found that this is the case - OW sapphire and above only - http://www.britishairways.com/trave...n_us?refevent=contact_us&gsLink=searchResults

 

[docjames]

I have been successful logging into manage my booking on the BA website and choosing seating. Note I am PS / OW ruby. Some limits to which seat but nit too bad, have a go and see if you can too.

With AA we just ring qf and take what we can get (Int'l, haven't tried AA domestic for some time, we're usually on qf107.

 

[ajw373]

If you are flying J with BA then you can choose your seat regardless of status.

If flying in economy though you need to be a minimum of sapphire, or traveling on the same booking as someone that is sapphire or emerald to choose your seat for free. Recently BA introduced an option for those with ruby or no status, which alows them to pay 10GBP to choose their seat. (this is the price for short haul, not sure if it is available or a high price on long haul)

 

[Dave Noble]

If you are flying J with BA then you can choose your seat regardless of status.

Not entirely true

Anyone in booking classes J or C can pre-select seats free of charge
Anyone with Oneworld Emerald or Sapphire status can pre-select seats free of charge
Others can pre-select seats for a fee of GBP60 per flight

Oneworld Ruby member, unless in J or C booking class does not get free pre-selection for free

Dave

 

[newformula]

My experience echoes Dave's post above - this an award booking, and I am only OW Ruby. The BA MMB page wants to charge me $100+ for seat pre-selection one way to Singapore.

 

[ajw373]

Not entirely true

Anyone in booking classes J or C can pre-select seats free of charge
Anyone with Oneworld Emerald or Sapphire status can pre-select seats free of charge
Others can pre-select seats for a fee of GBP60 per flight

Oneworld Ruby member, unless in J or C booking class does not get free pre-selection for free

Dave

Which is exactly what I said, except of course the cost of the seat where I made it clear it was 10GBP for a short haul flight and didn't know what the cost was long haul.

 

[Dave Noble]

Which is exactly what I said, except of course the cost of the seat where I made it clear it was 10GBP for a short haul flight and didn't know what the cost was long haul.

Your comment implied that anyone in business class can choose a seat for free which is not true.

 

[ajw373]

Your comment implied that anyone in business class can choose a seat for free which is not true.

And your response was exactly the same except for the high cost and adding C class.

 

[Blackadder]

AA (domestic) seat selection is open to all AFAIK, just log on to the AA website and enter your booking reference number and surname.

 

[Dave Noble]

AA (domestic) seat selection is open to all AFAIK, just log on to the AA website and enter your booking reference number and surname.

Indeed. Just that certain seats are available only to those with OW status and exit rows are only available to those with AA status

I think that bulkhead seats are held back

Dave

 

[Dave Noble]

And your response was exactly the same except for the high cost and adding C class.

The high cost is what is relevent to the OP since they are informed that they need to pay for seats by the BA site given that they are not in a J or C booking class ; the OP would seem to be using J in a generic term for business class rather than the actual J booking class

 

[ajw373]

Indeed. Just that certain seats are available only to those with OW status and exit rows are only available to those with AA status

I think that bulkhead seats are held back

Dave

If my recent experience is anything to go by, it seems as if AA hold certain seats for their own frequent flyers, not necessarily other one world flyers. Recently I booked a flight LHR-JFK-LHR, when booking the seat map clearly showed the seats reserved for high tier frequent flyers, but despite being OWE these seats were not available to me.

The seats that were blocked out on these flights were most of the seats in the forward economy cabin, the flights being operated by their 777's.

 

[Dave Noble]

If my recent experience is anything to go by, it seems as if AA hold certain seats for their own frequent flyers, not necessarily other one world flyers. Recently I booked a flight LHR-JFK-LHR, when booking the seat map clearly showed the seats reserved for high tier frequent flyers, but despite being OWE these seats were not available to me.

The seats that were blocked out on these flights were most of the seats in the forward economy cabin, the flights being operated by their 777's.

Were the seats actually held back or were they already assigned. Expert Flyer can be good for checking what is unallocated vs what is blocked to non AA status members

On AA seats seem to fill up quite early ime

Dave

 

[ajw373]

Were the seats actually held back or were they already assigned. Expert Flyer can be good for checking what is unallocated vs what is blocked to non AA status members

On AA seats seem to fill up quite early ime

Dave

It is hard to see as the exclusions are different on each leg. Outbound the AA seat selection map shows seats 22A/B/H/J through to 32A/B/H/J (with some exclusions) in a different colour with the note saying it means: "** Preferred seats are available to AAdvantage Executive Platinum, AAdvantage Platinum, AAdvantage Gold, AAirpass members and all passengers holding tickets with a Y or B booking code"

I am Qantas Platinum traveling on an O and Q code (also meaning no ruddy status credit or points)

The rest of the aircraft outbound is pretty empty, including most of the centre seats. Return is pretty full.

 

[Dave Noble]

It is hard to see as the exclusions are different on each leg. Outbound the AA seat selection map shows seats 22A/B/H/J through to 32A/B/H/J (with some exclusions) in a different colour with the note saying it means: "** Preferred seats are available to AAdvantage Executive Platinum, AAdvantage Platinum, AAdvantage Gold, AAirpass members and all passengers holding tickets with a Y or B booking code"

I am Qantas Platinum traveling on an O and Q code (also meaning no ruddy status credit or points)

The rest of the aircraft outbound is pretty empty, including most of the centre seats. Return is pretty full.

As a OW Emerald, it may let you choose those seats. iirc, those seats would not show as available at all if you had no status

Dave

 

[docjames]

Oneworld Ruby member, unless in J or C booking class does not get free pre-selection for free

Dave

not entirely true, see my post. Both last September L fare and this year B fare we have been able to login for free seat selections. Don't ask me how or why, but I'm not ringing up to find out why!:shock:

 

[ajw373]

According to the BA website the following passengers get free seat assignment when traveling in business:

Those traveling with babies.
Passengers with disabilities
Fully flexible tickets
Emerald FF
Sapphire FF
There are some other categories that are per-assigned 3 days before.

Everyone can choose a seat 24 hours before, presumably because to do so requires you to do an online check-in.

For those not covered above it costs 20GBP in Club Europe and 60GBP in Club World to pre book.

In economy the same groups get free allocation, but to buy it is 10GBP in Euro traveler and 20GBP in world traveler.

For world traveler plus again same groups for free, but it is 25GBP to pre-book for others. An exit row seat can be booked for 50GBP, but free for emerald FF.