BA to charge to reserve seats in advance
BA to charge to reserve seats in advance
British Airways (BA) is to charge passengers to reserve specific seats. The new charges will come into effect on October 7.
BA's new charges will affect passengers wishing to ensure they sit together, or those wanting to guarantee a window or aisle seat. At present, passengers can only reserve seats in the 24 hours prior to the departure of their flight - this new charge will enable travellers to book seats earlier than this.
The prices of the new scheme have been widely reported - reserving a seat on a European flight in economy class will cost £10 per passenger, while travellers in business class will need to pay £60 for a long haul flight. Those travelling long haul in economy or on shorter flights in business class will be charged £20. To pre-book a seat in an emergency exit row will cost £50.
BA has said that the move will "give customers more control over their seating options". A spokeswoman added that passengers frequently ask to reserve seats, but this can only be confirmed on the day or 24 hours in advance. "We know people want to secure them in advance and have real control over their flying experience. This will allow them to do that," she said.
Meanwhile, the carrier has been forced to amend its ban on surfboards following a Facebook campaign. The Daily Telegraph reports that more than 14,000 joined the "Protest British Airways' Surfboard Ban" group after the airline introduced the policy in 2007. Surfers pledged to never fly BA again, but it will now allow boards up to 6ft 3in in length to be transported. However, many surfboards are longer than this and many are still unhappy at the policy.
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