We can't give you precise numbers, due to the Data Protection Act
I suspect you're right - I'm no legal expert (otherwise I'd be earning a fortune elsewhere!) - but I think BA have taken the commitment to the D P A seriously enough to try to ensure nothing that could compromise the individual's privacy, or the safety and security of our clientele is divulged by any staff member. For that, for once, I stand firmly behind BA management!
After all, a seemingly innocent casual remark about the number of pax on a particular flight, could assist someone's husband or wife work out whether their partner's last minute business trip could have been booked at short notice or not! If you relax the rules, it wouldn't be long before a staff member crossed the boundary and disclosed whether or not hubby was on the flight and whether he was with a female companion!
Can't BA give the couple that wants to sit together seat assignments, say, a month or two in advance, as do many U.S. airlines?
On Long Haul flights (except LGW - Orlando), approximately 40% of seats are preassigned at the time of reservation. These are only pre-booked according to (a) Pax with disability or special requirements (eg travelling with infant - bulkhead seats required) (b) Frequent Flyer status -BA Gold and Silver, One World Emerald and Sapphire tiers and (c) Fare Basis (the low-yield fares don't qualify).
The remaining seats are released between 24 and 48 hours ahead of departure. (48 hours for "Through Check In" transfer pax - which is where SLF's previous problem arose
This s not a new problem at all, used to happen all the time out of LHR when transit passengers were checked thru and took all the good seats.
Fortunately for our home-grown clients, BA's transfers are declining, and so more seats are available when the flight goes "live" on-line approximately 24 hours ahead.
Because the passengers on this service nearly all comprise families, the flight LGW to Orlando only has prebooked seats for special requirements and frequent card holders. Between 48 and 24 hours before, the flight is "edited" and families pre-seated by BA staff to ensure most pax, who wish to be, are seated together. Ther hiccups occur when separate bookings for each family member are made by the travel agent or when one family member travels on Air Miles and holds a separate booking....By and large though, the system works well compared to how I remember it years ago! Once editing has finished, the flight is released "on-line", but pax will find their seats pre-allocated with very little opportunity to change.
On Short-Haul flights and Domestic, there is no pre-booking. Full "C" class tickets and Frequent Flyer card holders have seat requests entered which BA does all it can to accommodate, but often has to change due to the position of the Club divider screen.
These flights are released on-line 24 hours ahead.
Funnily enough, it's the short-haul flights that, recently, have become the biggest problem with couples pre-allocating themselves the aisle and window seat!
Sorry to be so verbose, but I would like to clarify why the problem has arisen and thank you for your support!
