[Anonymous]

[LuganoPirate]

Just came across this. I would not have moved at all for him.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1370343/Pregnant-woman-told-seat-Gordon-Brown-fly-BA-Club-Class.html

[TominScotland]

I would also treat a Daily Mail report of this nature with a degree of healthy scepticism………

[watersz]

ah yes the classless society of labour’s dreams were evveryone is equal

[alwaysreadytofly]

does our mr vintage fkrug not have an opinion on htis one………maybe the women should of requested to retain her seat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[LuganoPirate]

I’m also surprised he did not try to get into First! I’m no fan of Gordon, but on reflection these trips are usually booked months in advance so perhaps it was BA that goofed! Nonetheless I would have refused to move if I was already in my properly allocated seat.

[LuganoPirate]

Another thought. What rights do you have as a passenger if properly seated in your allocated seat and you are told you are being downgraded and have to move? I’m sure it has happened before.

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

Lugano

You’d have to go, ultimately.

But EU 261/04 does cover the compensation, which is a 50% of the fare paid, with no extraordinary circumstances excusing it, AFAIK.

This being a middle eastern flight, I imagine that First was also full.

Never liked GB, but I doubt this was anything to do with him.

[LuganoPirate]

I also doubt it was his fault Disgusted, even if secretly I wish it was? I guess BA would not try it on with F pax.

Many moons ago flying Swissair from Doula to Geneva, they tried it on with me. I had a confirmed seat in F but when I got to the plane my seat was taken. I was one of the last to board and had quite an argument over it with the Purser and Captain. They were pushing me down from F to Y and I refused to take my seat insisting on my original one.

I then gave in and said I was getting off the plane and would take UTA (shows how many moons ago!) later in the day. This put them in a total panic as the plane had come from the Congo and the delay in getting my bags out would put the crew out of hours. This would have delayed the whole plane till next day. At that point the Purser went to the lady in my seat and put her in Economy which was her original place.

It transpired she worked for Air Afrique who handled Swissair and she had issued herself a F boarding pass!!! Those were the days!

[MartynSinclair]

I am seriously suprised that Gordon was only travelling NCW. I would have expected him to be trvelling a little further forward. No, not stuck to the rador dome……………….but in First, if there was First.

I think it was very noble of him to downgrade to NCW.

On a more serious note, irrespective of my political views, I dont think that Gordon Brown was the problem, but rather one of his 6 strong entourage who should have swopped seats with the pregnant lady.

[vscxfan]

Ground staff at MCT could and should have resolved the problem – by discreetly inviting appropriate pax at check-in to voluntarily downgrade in return for attractive fare/Miles compensation “due to over-booking” .

This would have pre-empted unpleasantness on the plane, snide DM story and irrelevant political debate; on the other hand……..

[Binman62]

Ah the Daily Mail, that bastion of truth and balance………………………….right.

BA like all airlines overbooks its flights. The service originated in MCT and routes MCT AUH LHR. If NCW was overbooked and seats pre assigned (card holders etc) then those without pre assigned seats would be downgraded at their point of origin, in this case MCT. Downgrades from Club would inevitably impact on those in premium economy and if that cabin then became overbooked as a result if downgrades then premium economy passengers would slip into economy. If that resulted in overbooking in economy then passengers would be offloaded but BA would, in the first instance, look for volunteers.

The fact that the former PM was on board would have had absolutely nothing to do with the overbooking, that is a matter solely for BA and BA stated this in the article.
.
As has been mentioned the trip was almost certainly booked sometime ago and GB was no different from any one else in that he was a passenger. If he is also a card holder, and I suspect he is, then he would have had pre assigned seat and these are the last passengers to be downgraded. Even if not a card holder his status as a former PM would, quite rightly, afford him some protection from being downgraded. if for no other reason than security. This is no different to any other former PM and rightly so in my view. I think it was Ted Heath who spotted the former Prime Minister Harold Wilson waiting alone for bus!!!!

The story is nothing more than a rant from one of the UK’s nastier publications. As for the ranting on board pregnant photographer, is she yet another tax avoiding expatriate who comes back to the UK for their medical treatment and maternity care?

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