ba seat assignments

Choosing your seat in advance

We recommend that you choose your seat as early as possible to get the one you want, and to avoid sitting separately from family or friends.

How to choose your seat

You can do this when booking your flight or afterwards through Manage My Booking.

If you have a booking, follow these simple steps:

• Log in to Manage My Booking
• Under 'Your booking details', click on your flight number
• Under 'Seating', click on 'View or change seats for this flight' and follow the instructions on screen

Do I have to pay to choose a seat?

Whether your seat selection is free or you’ll have to pay extra depends on a range of factors, including the fare you choose and your cabin of travel.

You can choose your seat for free from 24 hours before departure when check-in opens, unless you’ve booked a Basic ticket (economy, hand-baggage only) where your seat is allocated to you.

With a Basic ticket (economy, hand baggage only), you can either:

• Pay to choose your seat from when you book until check-in opens, or
• We’ll allocate you a seat for free when check-in opens. You can then pay to change to a different seat, although your choice may be limited.

If you’re an Executive Club Member, you’ll collect Avios if you pay to choose your seat on a British Airways flight. You’ll collect at least six Avios per pound (GBP) spent. Find out more about collecting Avios on flights .

You may be entitled to choose your seat for free if you fall into one of the following groups.

Travelling in First

It’s free from the time of booking to choose a seat in our First cabin.

Executive Club Members

As an Executive Club one world® frequent flyer Member you're able to choose seats at different stages, depending on your tier.

You must be travelling on the booking, or in the case of Gold Members, one of the bookings, for these benefits to apply. They apply to British Airways-operated flights only and are not available on group rate bookings.

On some occasions, exit row seats on short-haul flights may not be available in advance due to operational reasons.

Gold/oneworld Emerald

Enjoy free seat selection when booking for everyone in your party. This includes friends and family on other bookings who are travelling with you in the same travel class and on the same flight.

Silver/oneworld Sapphire

Enjoy free seat selection – excluding exit row seats on long-haul flights – from the time of booking for everyone in your party. Exit row seats on long-haul flights can be selected for free from 24 hours before departure.

Bronze/oneworld Ruby

Enjoy free seat selection – excluding exit row seats – from seven days before departure for everyone in your party. Exit row seats can be selected for free from 24 hours before departure.

Enjoy free seat selection from 24 hours before departure, excluding exit row seats and not including travel on basic fares. Seats can be purchased from the time of booking.

Flexible tickets

Tickets with increased flexibility allow you to make certain changes to the date and time of your flight. They also include free seat selection.

• Fully Flexible fares (Y/W/J class) allow you to choose seats for free from the time of booking.
• Short haul Plus fares allow you to choose seats for free from 48 hours before departure.

You choose your flexibility when you buy your flights.

Choosing seats together on separate tickets

You can see which seats are still available together to choose for free from 24 hours before your flight, when online check-in opens.

However, if you are travelling with others on different bookings, you can pay in advance to choose specific seats to ensure you sit together for your flight. Just log in to Manage My Booking .

Flying with children

To get the best choice of seats and make sure your family sits together, it’s best to choose your seats in advance. You might have to pay to do this.

If you don’t choose your seats in advance

We’ll do our best to seat your family together by assigning seats a few days before your flight departs. However, seat selection may be limited at that time and your seats may be split across different rows or the aisle. We'll make sure each child under 12 years sits next to an adult from your booking but children over 12 years are booked as an adult in our system and may sit separately.

Travelling with an infant under two

Seats are free when you fly with an infant under two who won't be travelling in a seat of their own. You can choose a seat for you and everyone in your party free of charge as soon as you've made your booking, except for bookings of over nine people. One person in your group and the infant will be able to choose a carrycot/seat position, subject to availability. The remainder of your party will be able to select other seats for free.

Travelling with a disability

There's no charge for choosing your seat if you have a specific seating requirement because of your disability.

How to book your seat

In most cases, you can select your seat using Manage My Booking, but sometimes you may need to contact us, like for some non-visible disabilities. Here's what you need to do.

• Book your flight
• We recommend that you let us know about the assistance you require at least 48 hours before your flight leaves. Once you have notified us that you require additional assistance, go to Manage My Booking and click on 'Seating' within the flight details section
• Select your seat, and if you need any help, please contact us

Travelling in large groups

Groups of more than nine people.

When you travel as a group, we’ll allocate your seats free of charge. While we'll try to seat your party together, we can't always guarantee it, particularly if your group is split across separate bookings.

To ensure your group is seated together, or if you would like specific seats, you can pay to choose your seats in advance. This applies to groups booked in the UK and Ireland only.

Paying for a seat

How much will it cost.

The cost of selecting a seat varies depending on the type of seat and the cabin you're travelling in. Prices are available when booking your flight or in Manage My Booking. You can pay in advance using a credit or debit card or by using Avios on British Airways-operated flights.

It may not be possible to choose bulkhead seats, as they're usually reserved for customers with a disability or those travelling with an infant.

Payments at the airport

Like many airlines, we only accept debit or credit card payments at many of the airports we operate from, including London Heathrow, London Gatwick and North America.

Pay with Avios

You can use your Avios to pay for seats in advance via Manage My Booking , with full or part payment options available. This is available for British Airways-operated flights and gives you more ways to spend your Avios.

As an Executive Club Bronze, Silver or Gold Member you can choose seats for free in many instances. For more information see our terms and conditions below.

Changes and refunds

If you’ve paid to choose a seat and we're unable to offer you that seat or a suitable alternative when you board your flight, you can claim a refund. See our terms and conditions for paid seating below.

Terms and conditions

Availability

• All paid seating is subject to availability and is only confirmed once paid for.
• Paid seating is available on British Airways mainline operated flights and on British Airways-operated flights marketed by other carriers.
• Paid seating may be offered by British Airways franchisee airlines. The seating Terms and Conditions of British Airways franchisee airlines may differ from those of British Airways mainline-operated flights, therefore we recommend that you refer to the franchisee airline’s relevant Terms and Conditions.
• Paid seating may be unavailable on some flights operated by codeshare partners.
• Paid seating for group customers (bookings containing more than 9 passengers) is only available where the reservation has been made directly with British Airways Group Sales. Group customers who have made their reservation through a travel agent or a tour operator cannot currently book paid seating. Payment with Avios is currently unavailable for group customers.
• All un-ticketed passengers, including those travelling on a cruise or package holiday who have not yet received confirmation of their ticket numbers, are unable to choose paid seating until they have received confirmation of their ticket numbers.

Changes to seats

• On British Airways marketed and operated flights, you may change your seat (subject to availability) at any time. If you change your seat to a lower-priced seat, we will not refund the difference in price. If you change your seat to a higher-priced seat, you must pay the difference in price.
• You cannot make changes to paid seating on British Airways-operated flights marketed by other carriers.
• Paid seating is not guaranteed, as seating may need to be changed for operational, safety or security reasons, even after boarding the aircraft.
• If we change your seat, we will attempt to find you a suitable alternative. If you are unsatisfied with your new seat, you can apply for a refund of the paid seating.
• Paid seating is not transferable to any other passenger.
• British Airways changes your seat to an alternative seat and you are unsatisfied with the alternative seat
• British Airways cancels your flight
• You become ineligible to sit in an exit row and you inform us at least 48 hours in advance of scheduled departure of your flight, or
• You have paid for a cabin upgrade and do not wish to pay the difference to select your seat in the upgraded cabin.

The above does not affect any right to a refund you may have during a “cooling-off” period, if and to the extent applicable under local law. Details of this under Israel’s Consumer Protection Law 1981 are set out in our legal information .

• Cancel your flight
• Are involuntarily upgraded
• Are considered unsuitable to sit in the seat type you have selected
• Accept a voucher towards a future booking that includes paid seating (see further the relevant voucher Terms and Conditions), or
• Have booked a British Airways operated flight marketed by another carrier and choose to move to a different flight.
• On British Airways marketed and operated flights, if, in accordance with your ticket type, you choose to move to a different flight, you will be entitled to choose an equivalent seat on your new flight. If an equivalent seat is not available, any sums previously paid for seating will be forfeited and will not be refunded. Alternatively, you may choose a more expensive seat and pay the difference in price.
• On flights marketed by other carriers, if you choose to move to a different flight, you will not be entitled to choose an equivalent seat on the new flight and you will not be entitled to a refund.
• You have 30 days after the last flight in your itinerary to apply for a refund of paid seating, where due. Please submit your refund application online using our seating refund form . We cannot process refund applications at the airport or on board.
• Unless otherwise stated, we will only make a refund to the credit card used to pay for the paid seating, or in the case of Avios payment, to the Executive Club Member’s Avios account.  

Exit row seats

• Exit row seats are situated either next to or immediately behind the exit door.
• If you choose an exit seat, in the unlikely event of an emergency evacuation you will be expected to assist us in opening the emergency door. For this reason, you must: be over the age of 12 years old, not be pregnant, not have accessibility needs or be substantially blind or deaf, be fit enough to operate an emergency exit door, be able to understand printed or verbal instructions given in English, and be willing, as well as able, to assist in the case of an emergency evacuation. When requesting an exit row seat, you will be asked to verify your eligibility.
• British Airways has the sole discretion to determine whether you meet the requirements to sit in an exit row seat. If you do not meet the requirements, you will be assigned an alternative seat. The additional amount paid for an exit row seat will be forfeited and will not be refunded.
• If, after the date of requesting an exit row seat, you become unable to fulfil the requirements to sit in an exit row seat, please contact us at least 48 hours before your flight in order to claim a refund.

Using Avios as payment for seat selection

• Executive Club Members can use their Avios to pay in full or in part for paid seating on British Airways operated flights in Manage My Booking on ba.com or by calling a British Airways Contact Centre.
• Paid seating purchased with this payment option will be subject to these Paid Seating Terms and Conditions.
• All seats selected must be eligible for full or part Avios payment in order for Avios to be applied to the booking.
• The Avios payment rates are defined in a fixed set of currencies. If more than one Avios payment option is available, it is not possible to change the price option chosen once a booking has been made.
• The Avios payable will depend on the cabin class, route selected and the number of people on the booking. This will be displayed on the booking page.
• British Airways reserves the right to alter the applicable Avios payment rates at any time in its sole and absolute discretion, but this will not apply to bookings already made.
• When an Executive Club Member pays for seating using Avios, the Avios will be debited from the Member’s Executive Club account for each passenger on the booking.
• When Avios has been used as full or part payment for seating, those Avios will be refundable only in accordance with the rules detailed in these Paid Seating Terms and Conditions.
• When a seat selection is made using Avios as full or part payment for a member who is either on the Household Account or the Family and Friends List, the Avios will be taken from each Member’s Avios points balance in proportion to the size of each Household Account Member’s Avios points balance. Members of a Household Account can make full or part Avios payment for paid seating for people outside of the Household Account.
• Avios payment may not be used in conjunction with any other promotional offers, unless expressly stated otherwise.
• Members do not earn Avios and Tier Points on paid seating.
• It is not possible to use Avios for paid seating on bookings made through Concur or on group bookings.

Booking an extra seat for additional space

You can buy an extra ticket to keep the seat next to you free, for reasons like requiring additional personal space or to secure a fragile or precious item, such as a musical instrument or painting.

An item must fit in the seat, otherwise it will need to be checked into the hold. Find out more about baggage .

How to book an extra seat

• Please contact us  or your travel agent to make a booking for an extra seat as this type of booking cannot be made online.
• If you arrive at the airport and haven't booked an extra seat in advance, please speak to a member of British Airways staff. If there are seats available in the cabin you are travelling in, you may be able to buy an extra seat.
• At many airports, including London Heathrow, London Gatwick and some in North America, you can only pay using a card. Please check with a member of our staff at the airport to find out if options are available for converting cash to a payment card.

Additional personal space and safety

If you would like the seat next to you to be kept free for additional personal space, you can buy it as an extra seat for comfort.

You'll need to buy yourself an extra seat for comfort if:

• You're travelling in economy and need more space to easily fasten your seatbelt for take-off, landing or during periods of turbulence, or
• You're unable to fully lower both armrests of your seat. It's a safety requirement to have a fully lowered armrest between each passenger during take-off, landing and turbulence.

We can give you an extension seatbelt if you need it.

Please note:

• An extra seat doesn't give additional seat width – see our seat dimensions guide below for the minimum seat widths on our aircraft.
• On most of our long-haul aircraft, the armrests in the economy cabin don't fold away into the seat back completely. They stop at an angle of 45 degrees when lifted and can't be raised further.
• There must be a fully lowered armrest between each passenger during take-off, landing and turbulence. 
• Armrests are fixed in our First, business (Club World) and premium economy (World Traveller Plus) cabins and can't be raised or lowered.
• You can't buy an extra seat for comfort at the bulkhead or on an exit row.
• You won't be able to buy an extra seat on a British Airways-operated flight if your journey includes a flight operated by another airline.

Choosing seats with our partner airlines

If you book with us for a flight operated by American Airlines, Finnair, Iberia, JAL or Qantas, you can choose your seats in Manage My Booking .

If you’re flying with one of our one world alliance partners and are an Executive Club Gold/oneworld Emerald Member, a Silver/Sapphire Member, or a Bronze/Ruby Member, you can contact your local British Airways customer centre to choose a seat for that flight.

In all other cases when you're flying with one of our partner airlines, please contact them directly to choose your seat.

Please note that you cannot use Avios to pay for seats on flights that are operated by our partner airlines.

If you paid to choose a seat on a flight operated by any of our partner airlines and would like to get a refund, please contact them directly.

London Air Travel

London's airlines, airports and routes.

British Airways’ Seating Policy Explained

Our guide to selecting a seat on British Airways operated flights and when you can select a seat for free or for a charge.

London Air Travel » British Airways » British Airways’ Seating Policy Explained

If there’s one subject that can cause more angst before a flight than anything else, it’s seating.

Once upon a time, seat selection was largely confined expressing a preference for a window or an aisle seat. If you were lucky at the check-in desk you might score an exit row.

With the proliferation of online seat maps and third party reviews, it’s now fruitful ground for airlines to harvest revenue. Some passengers can live in blissful ignorance about where they will be seated. Others can’t bear it.

This is an attempt to explain BA’s seating policy. The whole subject is worthy of a PhD thesis. It is based on BA’s own published seating policy, as well as personal experience, anecdote, and a degree of suppoistion.

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BA’s seat selection policy in context

It’s complicated to explain. This because the policy is a patchwork that has been progressively modified for more than ten years according to changing, and often conflicting, priorities:

a) To encourage the use of online check-in before getting to the airport b) To reward/incentivise Silver & Gold members of the BA Executive Club c) To raise revenue from seat selecton fees d) To create a new tier of “basic” economy fares with relatively limited options

Why do airlines charge for seating?

Put simply, extra revenue.

It is the “sweet spot” of ancillary revenues for airlines. Bar the initial IT expense, it costs nothing for airlines to provide. All those extra fees go straight to the bottom line.

BA’s policy in very simple terms..

Silver and Gold Executive Club card holders can choose a seat for free at the time of booking. However, some seats are restricted to Gold card holders until 72 hours before departure or when online check-in opens 24 hours before departure.

Bronze Executive Club card holders can choose a seat for free 7 days before departure.

Blue Executive Club card holders and non-members can choose a seat for free when online check-in opens if you have not already paid for a seat. The main exceptions are “basic” economy fares where, unless you are prepared to pay for a seat, it will be allocated for you.

Oneworld Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald frequent flyers also benefit from the above privileges.

On long-haul flights prices start from around £20 one way in World Traveller. Here is an example seat map for BA flight from London Heathrow to New York JFK to show indicative pricing:

You can check/change your seat at any time using the Manage My booking tool on ba.com. Unlike many North American airlines BA does not offer previews of seat maps before selecting flights. However, if you are required to pay for a seat you should be able to see the seat map before completing your booking.

There are a also lot of nuances according to ticket type and cabin:

First Class

All passengers travelling in First Class can reserve a seat for free at the time of booking.

However, seats 1A and 1K are blocked for Gold cardholders until 72 hours before departure.

One thing unique to BA is that it does charge (from more than £60 one way) for seat assignments in its Club World long-haul business class cabin.

Whilst this has long been seen as egregious gouging, BA has got away with this for nearly ten years, so it is unlikely to change soon.

Club Europe / Euro Traveller

BA uses convertible seating in its short-haul business class Club Europe to allow it to match the size of the cabin to demand.

The exact number of rows in Club Europe is determined 72 hours before departure, so the seat maps for both Club Europe and Euro Traveller will change at this time.

Corporate Agreements

If your employer has a corporate agreement with BA it is possible that when booking through your corporate travel agent you may benefit from enhanced seating privileges such as free seat selection at booking regardless of frequent flyer status.

Flexible Fares

Flexible fares offer enhanced seat selection privileges.

Fully flexible fares which carry names such as “Flexible Economy” allow free seat selection at the time of booking. Semi-flexible fares on short-haul routes which carry names such as “Economy Plus” allow free seat selection 48 hours before departure.

“Basic” Fares

“Basic Economy” short-haul and long-haul fares have restricted seat selection privileges.

Unless you choose to pay for a seat, this will be selected for you by the airline. This does not apply to Bronze, Silver and Gold card holders.

Exit Row Seats

Gold card holders can select exit row seats at the time of booking.

These seats are also available for purchase in advance at the time of booking. Silver and Bronze card holders can only select these seats for free when online check-in opens.

If you are travelling with an infant (under 2 years), you should be able to choose a seat for free at the time of booking.

Otherwise, if you haven’t already reserved a seat in advance, BA should endeavour to seat your family together at around 72 hours before departure. The only assurance BA provides is that children under 12 years will be seated next to an adult in the booking. There is detailed guidance for families on ba.com

Bassinet Seats

Bassinet seats are blocked for families.

These should become available to select at around 72 hours before departure. When online check-in opens these seats are available for all to select.

Passengers with disabilities / medical conditions

Passengers with specific seating requirements because of a disability can reserve a seat for free in advance.

It is strongly recommended that any arrangements for assistance such as transport to and from the aircraft gate are made well in advance. Full details on assistance for passengers with disabilities is on ba.com

If you have a medical condition such as a leg in a half or full plaster cast you will need to check with BA in advance as its ability to accommodate passengers varies by cabin. In some cabins you may be required to purchase an extra seat to elevate your leg after take-off as the airline will not allow injured legs in the aisle.

From experience, passengers with a leg in a plaster cast may be upgraded on board the aircraft. However, this is solely within the discretion of the senior crew member and may happen before take-off or later in the flight after the first meal service.

Extra Seats

Although not widely publicised you can purchase an extra seat for comfort.

You need to do this by phone. The cost will be your fare (before taxes), subject to a minimum charge of £40 on short-haul and £300 on long-haul.

Passngers travelling on the same flight under different bookings

For Gold card holders BA offers a facility known as “Total Complete Party”.

This allows a Gold card holder to link their booking to a separate booking by another passenger in the same cabin so that all passengers can benefit from free seat selection. You have to call BA to do this.

Seat Blocking

There is no official published policy on seat-blocking.

However, anecdotally it does happen. Some seats on short-haul aircraft such as Row 1 in Club Europe and possibly some front row seats in EuroTraveller may be blocked for selection by Gold cardholders. This does not necessarily mean they won’t be occupied in flight.

Should I pay for a seat?

This is obviously subjective.

For short-haul, it probably isn’t worth it. For long-haul, it probably is, for the benefit of certainty and not having to think about it again.

One key thing to bear in mind is that the number of passengers eligible to choose a seat for free in advance of check-in will vary widely by route.

A “trunk” route like London Heathrow – New York JFK will have a high proportion of Silver and Gold Executive Club card holders (and American Airlines equivalents) eligible for a free seat assignment, particularly in Club World. Also, not all passengers check-in online at the same time. Connecting passengers will be able to select seats for all flights in their booking, many hours before passengers travelling direct.

Selecting a seat during online check-in

If you want to change your seat when checking in online, be very careful to avoid a “fat finger” mistake and complete the check-in process without changing your seat – it’s easier to do it on a computer rather than your smartphone. Once you have retrieved your boarding pass you cannot change your seat online.

BA changing your seat

BA can and will change your seat before departure.

The most likely reason is a change of aircraft or a known issue with your seat that cannot be fixed before departure.

From experience, BA will proactively notify you by e-mail of a seat change more than 48 hours before departure. If your seat is changed less than 48 hours before departure by the airport, you won’t be proactively notified. However, the new seat will show in the BA app on your smartphone.

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Simple Flying

British airways' business class seats: what to expect onboard.

One of several configurations may used depending on the aircraft type.

Like any typical full-service airline, UK flag carrier British Airways offers a comprehensive business class offering across its mainline fleet. Known as Club World, or Club Europe on short-haul aircraft, this product comes in various shapes and sizes depending on the exact aircraft and its seating configuration.

Club Suites have taken the offering up a level

Recent years have seen British Airways begin to overhaul its Club World offering with the introduction of a brand-new product known as the Club Suite. The most notable change this new seat has offered is the introduction of a four-abreast 1-2-1 configuration, with every single seat offering direct aisle access.

With first class cabins becoming a rarity in the world of modern commercial aviation, high-end long-haul business class offerings with low-density configurations have taken on greater importance. The introduction of the Club Suite, which features personal doors for additional privacy, 198cm (6ft 6in) beds, and 17-inch entertainment screens, according to BA , is the airline's way of joining this trend.

Trip Report: British Airways Boeing 777 Club Suite New York JFK to London Heathrow

However, as lovely as the new product is, it is yet to become a ubiquitous offering on British Airways' long-haul aircraft. According to aeroLOPA , it features on all of the carrier's Airbus A350-1000s and Boeing 787-10s, but only some of its 777-200ERs, 777-300ERs, and 787-8s. Meanwhile, none of its A380s or 787-9s have been fitted with Club Suites, although retrofits are planned for the coming years.

The older product

For British Airways' planes that don't yet feature the Club Suite, passengers in Club World must contend with a product that is sadly now rather outdated. On wider aircraft such as the double-decker Airbus A380, these seats are laid out in a staggered 'yin-yang' configuration with a 2-4-2 layout.

In other words, this setup features twice as many seats per row as the new Club Suite product. Furthermore, half of the seats face backward, and both the bed and entertainment screen are significantly smaller than the new offering. Specifically, these measure 183cm (6ft) and 12 inches, respectively.

Want answers to more key questions in aviation? Check out the rest of our guides here !

Of course, the same high standards when it comes to the onboard service of food and drink are still present. However, where possible, these older seats are best avoided from a comfort point of view. British Airways' 787s are slightly better in terms of their old Club World product configuration, with 'only' seven seats per row.

The short-haul offering is rather basic

BA's short-haul offering is Club Europe, and, like many European flag carriers, simply consists of a blocked middle seat . While this offers greater operational flexibility with varying business and economy loads, the comfort levels are obviously inferior to, for example, domestic first class in the US. That being said, Club Europe passengers do get better catering and baggage than their economy counterparts.

What do you make of British Airways' various Club World configurations? How many have you flown in? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments!

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When booking, it says to contact British Airways for a seat assignment. Does anyone know if they will honor the terms with AA? The type of fare we're booking includes seats. Since it's being operated under a different airlines do we no longer get seat choices?

However I'd also price the flight on BA's website; it will probably be the same price (or maybe even cheaper) and you won't have to go through the rigmarole of getting the BA locator; you'll have it right from the outset.

It's more expensive through BA, at least $100 more per person.

“It's more expensive through BA, at least $100 more per person.“

BA does not charge for seat choice in Business (Club world)

Post 8 - yes it does.

“BA does not charge for seat choice in Business (Club world)”

If you have the appropriate BA or Oneworld status then this may be true, also for flexible bookings.

Seats in any cabin can also be selected free of charge from between 24-48 hours before departure depending on ticket type and destination. Excludes economy basic fares.

If I don't want to pay to choose my seats what makes you think I am going to pay for business class? haha! But thank you for the suggestion.

I didn't mean for that to sound snarky! I was just teasing.

• Qantas Long Haul Perth to London 10:54 pm
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How To Reserve British Airways Seats On American Airlines Award Tickets For Free

June 9, 2013 by The Weekly Flyer

American Airlines AAdvantage members can redeem miles on AA’s partner airline British Airways. Business and Coach Class passengers that don’t have American Airlines Gold status (or higher) are not allowed to select a seat in advance of the flight unless they pay a fee.

For example, on a recent AA award flight in coach intra-England, British Airways was requesting $10 reserve a seat.

But you don’t have to pay this fee if you don’t want to.

How To Reserve Seats For Free

You have two options. Wait until you check in to reserve your seat. But this option doesn’t guarantee you’ll have seats together or the most desirable seats.

Instead, you can call or log into British Airways and “Manage Booking” to reserve your seat 24 hours before your flight.

To do this, you’ll need your British Airways record locator. Simply call up American Airlines and ask them for your corresponding record locator for the British Airways segments on your itinerary. Once you have this information, log into British Airways at the 24 hour mark to select your seat. At the 24 hour mark, you’ll notice that seat selection is now complimentary.

Bottom Line

British Airways seat selection for Business and Coach Class seating is not complimentary on an American Airlines award for those with no status. If you want to avoid the fee, you can select your seat 24 hours before the flight online or wait until the day of departure at the airport.

Granted, waiting until the 24 hour mark may not give you the exact seats you were looking for, but it’s free and you’ll have a better chance than if you waited until you checked in at the airport.

And if you are looking for extra American Airlines AAdvantage miles, American Airlines and Citi are running a limited time offer for 40,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending only $3,000 within the first 3 months of getting the Citi® Platinum Select® / AAdvantage® World Signature® Card . I’ve already had this card, but I recently signed up for the 40,000 bonus mile offer for the US Airways Premeir World MasterCard in anticipation that the US Airways Dividend Miles will be merged with American Airlines AAdvantage miles in the near future.

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“passengers that don’t have American Airlines Platinum status (or higher) are not allowed to select a seat in advance of the flight unless they pay a fee.”

AA Gold members’ seats can be reserved at the 1-week mark.

I got gold status on AA. Just call AA and ask them to change the FF# to AA and then you can pick your seats!

It’s kind of confusing how you say “British Airways seat selection for Business and Coach Class seating is not complimentary on an American Airlines award for those with no status” Isn’t that because seat selection on a British Airways flight is not complementary in coach or business class? I must say I was surprised when I booked a business class award using avios on BA and then was asked to pay another $95/person if I wanted to select seats immediately?! If you have a child traveling with you, BA will choose seats for you 5 days before the flight that ensure each child will be seated with an adult, if you don’t pay to choose your own seats.

If you don’t feel like calling AA to get your BA record locator, just head over to Qantas and locate your flight on their site. From there they have a link to modify your flight on BA. It also shows you your BA record locator!

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How to Navigate Costly Airline Seat Selection Fees

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Airlines always seem to have one more trick up their sleeves for adding fees to the cost of airfare. Anyone who has flown in the past few years knows that some airlines now charge for basics, like carry-on bags and a printed boarding ticket. Yet one sneaky charge is often ignored by even savvy travelers: seat selection fees.

On the surface, there’s nothing complicated about these fees. Some airlines will let you select a specific seat for a markup on the base cost of your ticket. However, the way the fees are presented is often misleading, making it seem like you must select a seat and pay the accompanying fee.

A seat selection chart from Frontier Airlines.

This approach, in which companies add fees throughout the checkout process, is called “drip pricing” by experts. And research indicates that it's an effective sales tactic, both for confusing customers and driving up overall prices.

But here’s the thing: You almost never have to pay these fees. Here’s how to avoid — or at least minimize — these pesky fees.

Ways to avoid seat selection fees

Skip seat selection altogether.

Though it might sound scary, there's one weird trick airlines don’t want you to know: You don’t have to select a seat. On most airlines, you'll get assigned a seat at check-in or at the gate if you don’t already have one.

Some airlines make it seem like you must (or at least should) select a seat during checkout. Frontier Airlines even has a graphic interstitial page telling you why selecting a seat is such a great option.

Don’t fall for it. You can always skip seat selection and save the money, but do keep a few things in mind:

Skipping seat selection doesn’t mean you won’t get a seat on the flight.

You might get stuck in the middle seat if you don’t pay for one.

Even if seat selection is free, you might want to skip it if only lousy seats are available (see the "upgrade hack” below).

Pick an airline with lower seat fees

Part of what’s so confusing about these fees is how inconsistently the industry is applying them. Unlike change and cancellation fees, which most U.S. airlines recently abolished, many airlines seem to be increasing the upcharge on selecting seats.

But some are charging much more than others.

According to an analysis of airline fees by NerdWallet, Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines charge the least for seat selection, while Frontier and Spirit Airlines charge the most.

Airlines with modest seat fees (less than $10 each leg):

Airlines with high seat fees ($15-plus each leg):

Southwest Airlines doesn’t technically charge for nor allow seat selection in the same way as other airlines, so it's excluded from this data. But you won’t get charged a seat selection fee on Southwest during checkout, so it’s also a good option.

Roll the dice with an upgrade hack

As a regular, non-frequent flyer, it’s hard to get your seat upgraded these days. Yet skipping seat selection sometimes offers the opportunity to get bumped into premium seating.

Here’s how it works. Airlines now offer a “premium economy” fare or similar. Sometimes, all of the good seats — including the exit rows — are considered premium. The airlines try to charge extra for these seats, but if nobody takes them and the flight is full, they have to assign them to somebody.

Specifically, airlines will assign these empty, better seats to those passengers who haven't selected a seat. So if you put yourself in this pool, you have a chance of scoring an even better seat than those who paid extra for advance seat selection.

Of course, there’s a potential downside: You could very well get stuck in a middle seat in the back of the plane rather than getting upgraded. But if you notice that your flight is full and not many passengers have upgraded to the good main cabin seats, skipping seat selection altogether can be an expert-level travel move.

» Learn more: How families can get seats together on a plane

Don’t pay for advance seat selection

Airlines are playing the same game. They want to show the lowest fares possible on search results, then upsell you during checkout. This drip-pricing tactic is a pain for passengers . Charging for seat selection is one way airlines try to make a buck at the last minute.

Know your options and avoid their trickery. Skip seat selection altogether or fly an airline with limited seat fees, like Alaska, Hawaiian or JetBlue. Each charges little or nothing for choosing a seat. Worst case, you’ll end up in the middle seat. Best case, you’ll get a seat with extra legroom.

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MLB Trade Rumors

Tigers To Promote Justyn-Henry Malloy

By Mark Polishuk | June 2, 2024 at 6:11pm CDT

The Tigers are calling up outfielder Justyn-Henry Malloy , Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports ( X link ).  Malloy will be making his MLB debut when he first appears in a game, which could happen as early as Monday when the Tigers begin a series with the Rangers.  The corresponding move or moves aren’t yet known, as Detroit will have to open up space on both the 26-man and 40-man rosters.

Malloy was a sixth-round pick for the Braves in the 2021 draft, and was dealt to Detroit in December 2022 as part of the trade that brought Joe Jimenez into the Atlanta bullpen.  Drafted as a third baseman out of Georgia Tech, Austin Riley ’s presence in Atlanta made him something of an expendable piece, as the Braves apparently weren’t sold on Malloy’s potential as an outfielder after deploying him exclusively as a left fielder in Double-A and Triple-A.

He still saw some work at the hot corner after joining the Tigers organization, but Malloy went into 2024 prepping to be a full-time outfielder , and he has indeed played only in the corners (and at DH) at Triple-A Toledo this season.  Baseball America and MLB Pipeline each rank Malloy as the sixth-best prospect in the Tigers’ farm system, and their scouting reports both indicate Malloy has a strong throwing arm, even if his time at third base was hampered by some accuracy issues in throwing to first base.

Even if Malloy is just a passable defensive outfielder, the Tigers will happily make do as long as Malloy can hit.  Malloy has a .272/.417/.474 slash line over 838 career plate appearances at the Triple-A level, and has drawn raves for his approach at the plate.  According to BA’s report, “Malloy manages to get to average or better power — despite modest raw juice — because he’s an highly intelligent hitter with a plan at the plate and an excellent idea of the strike zone.”  His high on-base numbers reflect his outstanding batting eye, and he has sharply increased his line drive rate from 24% in 2023 to 28.3% this season.

The 24-year-old Malloy is a right-handed hitter, so he’ll add to a Detroit lineup that now tilts even more heavily to the right side since Kerry Carpenter is on the injured list.  However, lineup balance will take a back seat to production of any kind, given how the Tigers have been struggling to score runs.  Carpenter will be sidelined for an indefinite amount of time with a lumbar spine stress fracture and Mark Canha has been trying to play through some hip problems, though Canha was back in today’s lineup.

Malloy could slide right in as a makeshift replacement for Carpenter, getting work at either corner outfield spot or as a DH depending on how the Tigers build their lineup.  This might also end up being Malloy’s general usage over the long term if he can stick as an outfielder, potentially replacing Canha if the veteran moves on as a free agent after the season.

18 Comments

4 hours ago

He’s gonna give Detroit a boost

Why did Atlanta give this stud away for a reliever?

I believe they weren’t happy with his defense and had Riley. plus Jimenez has been pretty solid for the braves. a win/win kind of deal

Exactly right. Poor defensively and considered a future DH by many. Jimenez was considered the Tigers future closer at one time. I believe one season (while he pitched for the Whitecaps), he didn’t allow a single run for the 1st half of the season . Or close to midseason.

Long awaited and well deserved for this young man. Hope to watch him succeed and give the offense a much needed boost!

Corresponding move may be Tork down to AAA….1st overall and struggling mightily…Give Malloy some ABs and see if Tork can find something in AAA and move Cahana to 1st

Sorry Urshela to 1st and the hot Vierling to 3rd…

Yeah, something like that sounds logical. With Carp out, there is no obvious DH so Malloy can fill that role. The 40-man moves seems rather obvious too – some guy named Easton Lucas they claimed off waivers from the A’s, and who has a 10.80 ERA albeit in just 5 innings. The worst thing (for fans) would be to put Carp on the 60-day IL.

3 hours ago

Agree. I feel bad for Tork, but he has really been worse than Cabrera was. I also notice that Parker Meadows is not brought back. He isn’t doing much down in Toledo either. Malloy was fun to follow during Spring training. he deserves a shot/ I’m also pleased that Perez continues be productive and man, Vierling is playing All Star quality baseball. He made a great back hand stab and throw out at 3rd in the 9th today.

Now, when do they send Casey Mize to Toledo? Manning has pitched better than Casey.

41 mins ago

Mize would have to agree to go down to AAA. He has 3+ years of service time. Manning doesn;t have that yet.

Or maybe they move on from McKinistry.

Anthony Navigato has quietly moved up the ranks and is playing a weak defensive SS in Toledo, but hitting.

Crazy how fast they have already moved on from Miggy.

I mean what else are they supposed to do? He’s retired

I mean they have basically left a hole at 1st base all season. Should have just played without one.

Get some new material. Copy/paste is not very creative!

Were they supposed to have a period of mourning and sit out the season? Cabrera retired (arguably 2 or 3 seasons later than he should have). Cabrera got lucky that they respected him enough to let him play out his final season rather than just eating the money and cutting him loose

Bam! Super excited to see this guy in the lineup. Hopefully he is an offensive spark.

2 hours ago

Too many Ys in that name.

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