Thomson seat selection - oh really?
 

Having paid £44 to have the family (4) sit together I duly logged in as soon a selection available. On a 757 (41 seat rows) the choice was restricted to 6 rows at the back. On going back, in hope of finding more choice, found the system now locks me out, no alterations allowed. I know industry norm is to hold back about 30% of seats but Thomson really are taking the mick (and my money).
Does any know if TUI/Thomsonfly long haul is this bad? No chance of me parting with my money if it is.

I would have thought going back later to see if there was more choice to be a slightly unwise decision.

Ok -wrong, very unwise !

- first come first served - I book my seats on anything if its an option as soon as I have paid for my tickets, planes normally fill up as time passes - not get less full . . .

Did you book meals?
because the no meal passengers are seated at the back of the aircraft. So if you didnt book a meal you would not be able to sit near the front.

MMM-
Booked best available at the time, looked later to see if any of the other 20+ rows behind row 12 released. Seems sensible to me. However quick of the mark you are if the seats aren't released you can't select them.

BB2-
Rows 11 forward reserved for meal service. (Also seem to have a little extra leg room, I recall). I suppose it's possible they hold back the whole centre section + front of rear section just in case they get an extra 120+ diners!

Anyone know the seat reservation allocation situation long-haul, where everybody gets fed?

The answer is not to fly with any airline that makes you pay to select a seat or to be sure of sitting together. If everyone voted with their feet the airlines would soon realise that this relatively recent development simply irritates passengers.

There are plenty of airlines that allow you to select your seats at the time you book your ticket. (Although there are some that reserve the "best" seats for their own frequent flyers, which is almost as irritating).

Why is that irritating?

If I book a ticket with an airline I don't often use, I accept that they will reward their FQTVs by giving them a good seat, after all those travellers provide regular income for the airline and a little sweetener helps to retain their business.

On other airlines I get the same benefit.

Infrequent travellers still get seats allocated.

Seems fair enough to me.

I didn't say it wasn't fair, or even unreasonable. Merely that it is irritating.

Ah, I see.

Like it's a bit irritating that people in business class get better service

And, indeed, if you use BA Miles to upgrade to Club ... you find there are hardly ANY seats available on a 744 other than the ones they've allocated. The worst ones, of course. :hmm:

Pay full price for Club, and all of a sudden there are seats everywhere on both decks. It's called market forces, as F3G implied, and Gold Cards get priority over cheap-skate proles like me who are Blue Card, and who sometimes book PE and then upgrade with Miles.

Exactly right, Tiresome1.

I wanted to do a miles for upgrade last week, no availabilty, so paid cash.

Suddenly a whole lot of availability appeared, so not only for blues, but silvers as well :-)

On other other hand we got 4 very good seats at the time of purchase on another flight, when it would have cost someone else £160.

As my old contract law course lecturer used to say, "it's all a matter of obligations and entitlements."

Mind you, I don't like BA's policy of charging for seat selection in C/J, when you've paid a business fare, you should be able to select a seat at the time of booking IMHO, even if they block of the really good seats for the golds and blacks.

F3G ... the "Pay to get your seat" ploy is a total stinker, IMO. Smells of Ryanair, for a start!!

The guys travelling on company expenses will, of course, bill the extra fee. The rest of us won't pay, and can pi55 off, and have the cr@p seats.

Which is actually a VERY interesting and novel way of influencing some of us to consider NOT flying BA.

Is there anyone out there in Marketing who can explain the customer relations benefit of charging £60 per person per sector to get a decent seat? In CLUB?

Hi TT1
 

Like yourself, I use my BA miles to upgrade from WT+ to J. As this is such a good deal I'm happy to take what's available 24 hours before ETD.

If I ever feel unhappy with my seat allocation I have a little wander aft & admire the view. I then return to my flat bed with a small smirk of relief on my face.:O

It's very boring on the CC forum. Maybe it needs livening up a bit!