It says there was 4 seats left. We booked 2 and on going to choose our seats they are all taken.
How does that work? Are we going on holiday are not?
Obviously there is no way of speaking to anyone.
Save the day S.T.W.

Someone pipped you to the post by the sounds of it?

It says seats still available.

Airlines overbook flights, done it for years, gambling that a certain percentage don’t turn up.

So, a flight takes 200, they sell 210, on this occasion they’ve sold 208, but 200 folk have also reserved a seat number. So it shows 2 flights left, but no reservable seats?.

Or what bruneep says. 😬

It says seats still available.

not at the price you booked, other seats at higher rate will be available I’m sure

It’s very expensive for airlines to get this wrong. I wouldn’t worry about it.

There will be seats.

Just not ones you can pick for the price you paid.

You’ll get put in what’s left at the desk.

It didn’t say 4 flights left , it would be “XX flights left at this price”

You are also comparing 2 separate systems, booking and seat allocation.

Most people can’t choose seats until within 24 hrs of departure , unless you pay. Even though you can’t choose, you will be allocated seats in the system.

Having been bumped at the gate on our return leg (by Ryanair) who had oversold, I’d find a way to talk to someone sharpish.

Some seats are not allowed to be booked by the passenger ahead of the flight e.g. seats by emergency exits and bulkheads, because you have to be assessed at the gate as to your physical ability to actually be able to open the emergency door in the event of an emergency – you’re no good if you have a broken arm for example. Or they might want to give away the bulkhead seat with more legroom to someone with a broken leg or a very tall person. The number of ‘bookable’ seats doesn’t necessarily match the number of available seats.

Normally available seats at a different price are still bookable, but you have to cough up the additional cost before you can book it. They’re not going to turn down the opportunity for a cheeky upgrade.

Some seats are also reserved for the frequent flyer club to book, at various levels that the plebs don’t get access to until closer to flight time.

Not with BA, pretty sure all seats are prebookable. We fly in February and have just booked seats. The entire plane was visible in a picture showing each seat and the cost to prebook.
I think it’s just a case of over booking. We have had to call BA twice, each time was over 2 hours on hold and a £28 charge to the phone bill (twice!!).

TH is right.

They have let us book the premium economy seats on the way out( at £65 each) but not the business beds on the way back.
We’ve got to book onward flights on a tiny plane from St Lucia so we would really like to know what’s going on.

You will be monitised

might just be better to call BA  in morning 0344 493 0787, I’ve found them really good previously

Tried phoning lots of times on that numbe, press all the options and they eventually say that they can’t answer the phone and that I should go **** myself . (Well, it’s implied)

Daily: 08:00-20:00

maybe try  between these times ^

Is it a 4 class flight? If so they’ll just upgrade some folks to first and you’ll have their seats.

You’re going in the hold.

I book a few flights I don’t use, it’s cheaper than the flex fare. Also, I was once in the queue to board and they had oversold, Ryanair or easy jet, they were v quietly offering incentives to delay to a later in day flight. I had a train booked at the other end so would have lost that, but for 100 quid, which is what the opening offer was, I would have taken it. For reference, my next flight to uk from Spain is 15 euros so no complaints really, you get what you pay For.

From my recent experience with BA you might be getting bumped well before departure.

Book flights to Lanzarote from Gatwick in November. A couple of days later they email to say the flight is cancelled and I’ve been rebooked out of Heathrow. Annoying but I can live with it. Then this week I’m informed the outbound flight is cancelled all together. Thanks a bunch. That’s today’s job of cancelling the inbound and sorting a refund. Hoping that easyJet don’t pull same stunt or that long awaited trip will be dead in the water.

If we can get a little plane from Barbados ,virgin is looking far easier to deal with.

It’s been said, seat allocation is not the same as having a reservation. Check you have a ticket number 125-#. TomHoward and others are correct, BA only allow certain seats to be bookable depending on both function (e.g. bassinet seats) and frequent flyer status (depending on aircraft, long-haul or short, and fare class). For example if you aren’t gold you can’t choose the first row on short haul until near check in. And the cost of seat reservation changes by frequent flyer status.

If your flight is a few months away it’s likely the schedule or aircraft type will change anyway. I would not worry about seat selection and just check regularly in case seats open up, and at 72 hours and at 24 hours before the flight. You can use the free ExpertFlyer profile to check which seats are actually reserved versus held for operational / status reasons for your particular flight.

Absolute worse case, if you were chosen to be downgraded at the airport you are entitled to 75% of the fare in compensation (for that leg) or you can ask to be rerouted.

wait4me that’s not ‘bumped’ that is schedule changes. Yes it’s shit but every airline is doing it at the moment. You have a contract to get from A to B and protection under EU 261.

If we can get a little plane from Barbados

If I’m understanding correctly IMHO transatlantic flying is a better experience with Virgin anyway. And there are no more big planes aka 747’s, it’s all dreamliners or 777’s and such now…

I can’t excuse how bad BA are at answering the phone, but if you do need to call do it early (try at 7 but you’ll probably have to wait until 8.01). There are other numbers that avoid charges / are usually included in call plans e.g. if you join the executive club https://www.britishairways.com/travel/contact-executive-club/public/en_gb

thanks for the advice @konagirl Picked up on first ring. Totally understand it’s a crap situation all round and peoples livelihoods are far more important than my long weekend in the sun. Fingers crossed the big orange bus don’t let me down too, I’m really really looking forward to riding on those lovely roads in Lanza 🤞🏻

@waitforme , what number did you ring?
I’m in executive club and they still told me to go away.

was the one on the email +44 20 3250 0145

Thanks.

Got through after 15 minutes we now have seats booked.
Stw saves the day again.