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Me and a buddy are off to Europe in mid August. I'm a frequent flyer so actually got my ticket upgraded to first class. The route is YYZ->LHR.
I've flown business class a lot, and it's not a huge deal for me. My friend never has.
I'm wondering if it's bad to swap seats with him on this long haul flight? Not sure if there are any rules around this type of thing. We'd do it before the plane takes off, not mid flight.
Thanks folks.
Not too sure anybody would notice if you just swapped bording cards. I suspect there might be issues if you tried to "formalise" the swap!
What might be worth trying is to put on a really innocent smile and ask at check-in/ in the lounge whether there was any chance that the two of you could be seated together. This has worked for me in the past and the two of us have been seated up front. Of course, they COULD offer you two economy seats, which you can then refuse!!
I do it all the time on long haul flights with my wife.
she flys out biz and I fly it back
never had a problem yet!
You should ensure that you have your own boarding cards at check in, security and the gate.
Strictly speaking, you should take the seat assigned to you on the boarding card. So it's best to *very discreetly* swap BPs on the jetway and then to make no further reference during the flight to that fact you swapped.
It's just too complicated to explain this situation to cabin crew, who would likely take a dim view.
You may be able to to visit F from economy for a drink, depending on the airline on which you are flying and the time of your flight etc.
I've done this with business/economy, but not on BA.
My (very mature) 8 year old daughter got the opportunity to experience an intra European flight, with the full knowledge and cooperation of the sccm, who reported that she wished all c class pax were so well behaved ;-) It also helped that the business class seat was in row 3 and the rest of the family sat behind the curtain in row 4, so help was close at hand, if required (it was not.)
I've no idea what BA's policy is on this matter, but Vintage Krug's advice sounds good, especially as the difference is from Y to F.
Speaking as crew, the crew would not take a dim view as VK says...its not like your upgrading him...its just a passenger swap....no problems from our view.
Just tell the crew what you would like to do and it wont be a problem.
And he's very lucky to have a friend like you....a few drinks on him i think!!
I was upgraded to business by cabin staff due to a boarding pass mix-up on OS from Amman to Vienna a couple of years back. After being seated up-front, I asked if I could swap seats with my elderly colleague who was still back in economy. The cabin staff agreed, providing we waited until after take-off. However, in that rather stern Austrian way they told me that I could not come back into business afterwards!
Scott72, please be precise. I never stated that cabin crew would take a dim view, I said they "would *likely* take a dim view".
There is a difference.
While you may not have a problem with it, the CSD may well do so (we don't know anything about the OP, whether the individual is a minor etc.) and nor do we know the airline in question, which might have a very different policy from that practiced by the airline for which you fly.
I have attempted this myself (though only on shorthaul) and when I asked the crew member in CE if I could swap, he really didn't understand that I was just after a seat swap, not an upgrade for my friend, and got very defensive about it, unnecessarily (and no, it wasn't a UM).
So, on balance and based on my first hand experience, I would caution against involving the cabin crew in this particular enterprise, especially during the busy boarding phase of a longhaul flight, and just get on with it between yourselves,
I've done this often with my wife (having her sit in my business seat - when travelling for work - I sit in her economy seat) on a number of airlines including BA, Qantas, American, Lufthansa and Qatar Airways.
We've never had a problem and I normally have a quick chat with the CSD prior to take-off just to let them know what is going on. Far from having any negative reactions, my 'sacrifice' is normally well-noted and on more than 1 occassion the flight attendants have brought back goodies (amenity kits, glasses of champagne, etc.) to help ease the pain!
Friends of ours fly to Cape Town and to Miami with either BA or VS, once a year for the last 5 years, with their now 7 year old. They book 1 business and 2 premium economy. During the middle of the flight he will swap seats with his wife. Never any problem.
Once a flight to Riyadh, I was in F and my lawyer in Business. The chap next to me got up, went back and my lawyer sat next to me. Seems the chaps friend was in Business and he asked my lawyer if he would mind swapping for his seat in F. He was delighted to oblige and again no problem from the crew.
So NickD, no problem at all, and I'm sure your friend will have a great experience.
It is not a problem at all after all you are giving up your seat for someone else. I pronanly would let zhe Crew know just in case they are looking for you. And of course, as VK says, if it is BA your friend can invite you to join him for a short while before or after dinner, so you can have a drink together, thats oart of BAs FIRST product, as long as you do not overstay your welcome or disturb other passengers who may wish to sleep.
Good on you, what a lovely gesture
Of course we weren't told if you planned on swapping with a lady-friend or indeed whether your name is Angus McTavish and your friend's name is Prandeep Ghela.
In both scenarios, the crew might suss out the switch, and it might be helpful to inform the crew in such a scenario.
As ever, ensure they are appropriately dressed for F!
Years ago I went on holidays (FRA-MIA) with my wife and daughter, we had 2 F and 1 C-ticket on LH, F was full with only 8 seats at that time. Sine I travelled usually in F, I moved to C in order for my daughter and wife sitting together. The CSD seemed to love the idea, I was pampered with a continuous stream of goodies: magazines. champagne, the caviar !!! that my wife and daughter didn't like and so on.
Very lovely gesture by the crew!
"Of course we weren't told if you planned on swapping with a lady-friend or indeed whether your name is Angus McTavish and your friend's name is Prandeep Ghela."
Are you suggesting that British Airways operate some form of racial discrimination?
If so, that is a very serious libel.
I suggest you edit your post, immediately, for the sake of Business Traveller.
Oh, please.
You have clearly misunderstood - and not for the first time - the point being made. If a passenger with red hair, blue eyes and fair skin has a BP/sits in a seat allocated to someone with an obviously more exotic/mismatched name, especially in F where there is close and regular contact between passengers and cabin crew, then of course it's going to raise eyebrows.
But I suspect most BT readers had already connected the dots, and didn't need that explaining in such detail.
Couldn't be less racist, there has been no libel, BA wasn't mentioned in that post, and I won't be editing anything, least of all on your suggestion.
Vintage Krug
I am sending an email to Business Traveller, so that they can assess any liability they perceive from your post.
Nothing personal, I acept your word and don't believe that your post was in anyway intended to be racist or suggest BA are racist, but others who scan fora may take a different view and the publisher can be liable, too.
I would still urge you to edit the post, out of consideration for BT.
Mr X and Mrs Y makes your point and is risk free.
LOL.
The irony is that I have an indian name and my friend's name is Mike.
So, it's actually quite a pertinent scenario.
If it's quite obvious that your names wouldn't necessarily be easily switched, it might in that scenario be wiser to risk the whim of the CSD, and inform him/her prior to switching seats.
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