Help with BA rules please

[mickchick]

Is there anyone inside or outside BA who can help me overcome a problem that has arisen this morning when I tried to pay for my seat selection on two existing bookings?
I'm flying two busy routes - HRW-MIA and HRW-LAX and I wanted to secure my two seats in WT Plus. Bad enough we have to pay now, but if that's the rule, I'll go along with it. Martin in BA's call centre selected the seats I want -14JK on all sectors, and then came the payment details. I have to use the same credit card that was used for the original bookings, some months ago. But that card is no longer in use - it was cancelled by Visa when the probability of a fraudulent transaction came up.
Martin tells me that there is no way around it. Their instructions are: no exceptions. Result: my seats can't be booked and I am left to take whatever is left at on-line check-in.
But I can't be the only person facing this problem. Can BA not find a way to accomodate pax in this situation - ie, willing to pay, but unable to persuade BA to take their money? If indeed there IS a solution, or if someone can suggest another avenue I can explore, I'd be grateful.

[ChelleFyre]

Hi Mickchick - had a similar situation with BA this morning. After holding for 15 minutes, I was advised that only the cardholder can pay for advance seat selection and only with the card that was originally used to book. They would not budge on this. In our case, the cardholder happens to be my husband who is travelling with me but is away on business right now.

I find BA's implementation of this policy to be incredibly poorly managed. They didn't think through what to do with customers holding existing reservations; they haven't clearly posted all the rules online; and they didn't add any functionality to the website to manage this new option.

Maybe you can contact BA customer relations by phone to sort out your dilemma?

I do wonder if BA will make enough money out of this revenue-enhancement policy to make up for all the customers who will decide to book with another airline.

[Ancient Observer]

"I fully realise how frustrating this must be" - is the sort of letter you will get if you write to them to complain.

It sounds like an IT set-up that was "advised" to them by someone in security.

If BA cared about its customers, it would have thought about this and solved it in advance.

It doesn't care, and probably wont even try to solve it.

[manintheback]

I suspect your bigger problem is going to be if there will be any flights at all judging by what Bassa Unions are promising. They've gota good record on striking and its been awhile

[ChelleFyre]

Ancient Observer - you have hit it right on the mark! I know there are individuals within BA who do care, but it seems they are immobilised by a work culture that discourages this.

It's so frustrating, as in many ways that count BA offer a good inflight service on long haul flying. I don't want to use another airline, but feel that their faceless and arbitrary way of communicating with customers is abysmal.

[mickchick]

An update on my original post at the start of this thread. I emailed BA's Customer Relations, explained the story so far and asked them if they could help. I got a very prompt reply - advising me to call the reservations staff at the call centre because they felt sure someone there would be able to help me! So frustrating - I'd already explained that this very same call centre hadn't been able to help, so that was why I was emailing customer relations!

[jethrobee]

They are loosing the plot to be honest, with the recent charges for seats, and now I get an email to say that sporting goods will be charged as though they are a second item of luggage.

For me its OK, as a gold card holder who normally travels up the front I get extra allowance. However, I would be mighty annoyed if I were about to go on a golfing holiday with friend who would have to pay to check in their gold bags!!!!

Well done BA, keep on eroding the loyalty, then it wont matter if the crew strikes. I have booked my next Australia trip with Cathay, they have served me well in the past, so that's another 4k of my money BA have just lost.

Once I get back from that trip I have a trip to the USA to book, as a rule I never fly the US carriers due to poor standards of service, not sure what to do on this next trip yet.

[profot]

I can assure you BA management doesn't care about it's customers one jot.

I wrote to Willie Walsh personally with a complaint over a month ago and he hasn't had the common courtesy to even get one of his staff to reply let alone himself despite a reminder email.

I wonder how many loyal customers leave BA before it realizes they are not being as clever as they think they are and their customers are not all as stupid as they think we are

[Scumbag O'Riley]

But that card is no longer in use - it was cancelled by Visa when the probability of a fraudulent transaction came up.Tell Visa that it wasn't you who booked the flights on BA ;) := :ok:

[ConstantFlyer]

I wonder what happens if you want to cancel (if it is a flexible fare, of course) and BA will only refund it to your now defunct credit card.