Seating advice in 747 First

Discussion in 'British Airways | Executive Club' started by Ian, Mar 31, 2016.

  1. Ian

    Ian Active Member

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    We have an Avios/Amex 2-4-1 redemption booked LHR-BOS and are flying out in First on a 747. Looking at the assigned seats, we currently have 5A, 5E and 5F;
    ba-f.jpg
    I have 5A, the wife's in 5E and 13 year old son in 5F. When I try to re-arrange to give my son 5A, it won't let me place any of us in 5F, with the message that we cannot be placed in a seat with a cot position (none of us have a baby!). My question is; should I leave us with the pre-assigned seats and just swap amongst ourselves when we board, or call BA to swap us? My worry is that we'll turn up and won't be able to sit in 5F, and my wife and I would like to sit together for the flight (4E/4F are unavailable). If I call them, it might highlight that we shouldn't have 5F anyway, and maybe they will move us.
    This will be our first time in First, so not sure how it actually looks. What is the impact of the cot? Is it attached to the seat, will it be in the way? Should we just take 3A/4A/5A? Any suggestions?

    Cheers!
     
  2. JoeD

    JoeD Well-Known Member

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    Hi Ian,

    I've only ever flown in 2K in First on a BA 747, and although I give BA a bit of a hard time sometimes, it was great apart from the food (also my first First!). It might not compare well to Cathay/Etihad/Singapore etc, but it'll be a lovely way to get to boston. The 'look' of the cabin is actually one of my favourites (particularly on the 747) and I prefer LP Grand Siecle to Dom or Krug - what more can you want on a ~6 hour flight!

    As far as I remember, the cabin doesn't really resemble the seatmap much because obviously the nose tapers inwards. This means that 1A and 1K actually looked pretty good for a couple (though I think you need to be BA Gold to get those in advance). I can't say for certain about a cot at the back interfering with 5E/F, but definitely don't remember noticing anything odd.

    I don't think calling will cause any issues that you wouldn't encounter anyway, so probably best to give them a ring as at least that way you know what to expect and have the chance to select other seats if necessary. It sounds like an IT blip so hopefully it'll be fine!

    If not, you'll both just have more time to focus on the important things (Grand Siecle) without interrupting each other!

    Have you been to Boston before? If you're staying anywhere near the waterfront opposite the 'airport island' I'd highly recommend getting a boat across (if the weather is decent). One of my favourite ways to arrive to any city, and very reasonable if memory serves!
     
  3. JoeD

    JoeD Well-Known Member

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    Apologies for off-topic, but don't suppose you (or anyone else reading) know much about the various Turkish configurations between Istanbul and London/Manchester - they seem to have about 4-6 different planes/types!

    Planning a trip later in the year and thought I should finally get round to giving Turkish Biz a spin. I'm not too fussed about 'optimising' everything on a 4 hour flight, but don't want to book something rubbish by accident either.

    Also, I was planning on using Singapore (25k, possibly £60 surcharge) or United Miles (30k, no surcharge), which both seem reasonable, unless anyone knows a better option?
     
  4. tommyl

    tommyl Co-founder Staff Member

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    I'm with Joe on this - I would call and put your mind at rest. Better to sort and have peace of mind than face a last minute reshuffle on the plane.

    In any event, given that you've currently secured 5A and 5E, the worst that is likely to happen is your son gets moved out of 5F and, at the risk of sounding complacent, there's only limited trouble he can get in in the First Class section of a 747... isn't there?
     
  5. JoeD

    JoeD Well-Known Member

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    Haha - Utter complacency Tom!
     
  6. Ian

    Ian Active Member

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    All good advice, I'll give BA a call to check on our use of 5F. My son will be no trouble, as long as he can bring up a film or a game on the IFE, he won't care where he sits. Ideally, I'd like my wife and I to have adjacent seats so I can keep an eye on her as she can get into all sorts of trouble!

    @JoeD -We are fairly regular Boston visitors having family in the area, which helpfully also takes care of our airport transportation needs, but the boat sounds like a nice way to arrive.
     
  7. Ian

    Ian Active Member

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    Spoke to BA on this, and the cot isn't always there, but 5F has the fixings to attach one. There is no problem with us having this seat, and can freely switch amongst ourselves when onboard. They couldn't really explain why the cot was shown (the graphic even has my son holding a baby!). The only risk for us is that someone with a baby books one of the remaining 4 First seats, in which case we'll get booted from 5F.
     
  8. JoeD

    JoeD Well-Known Member

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    Ah yes, that all makes sense - enjoy the trip!
     
    Ian likes this.
  9. tommyl

    tommyl Co-founder Staff Member

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    Yes, enjoy it Ian. Snaring First Class with the Amex 241 is some great points usage. I've only ever been able to use mine for Business Class, which while still a great deal, leaves you with a tinge of regret.

    It does seem Japan is pretty open for First Class redemption flights with Avios, that's the plan for my next Ame 241 anyway. Just have to work out where to leave my toddlers for 2 weeks. Is there a nunnery anywhere near Heathrow?
     
  10. Ian

    Ian Active Member

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    Due to my Avios balance and availability our return leg was initially in World Traveller Plus. Eugh! Fortunately we got some more together and 3 Club seats opened up, so we were able to change the booking (for a fee) and still get the 2-4-1 benefits, which was nice.
     

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