PE bulkhead seat on connecting flight

When you are taking a VS connecting flight sat LHR->HKG then LHR->SYD has anyone managed to get the PE front row seats at checkin for the first flight?

[mitchja]

Yes I've managed to get row 18 in PE on the VS200. You have to ask for it at check-in and usually the agent will need to make a call to authorise it first though.

I really dont know what the deal is with row 18 in PE on the Airbus A/C and why it is always blocked [:?]

Regards

Originally posted by mitchja
I really dont know what the deal is with row 18 in PE on the Airbus A/C and why it is always blocked [:?]

Ahh, one of my long running 'issues' - personally I think Au's should be able to request these seats in advance.

so do I - it seems that they are saved either for friends and family OR down-grades from Upper on busy flights. Seems more and more difficult to get one of these, and it certainly is NOT first-come, first-served as we usually get there a while before to use the lounge and told that they are blocked (usually the routine is they are broken), but by the time we board the engineers yet again have worked their magic and they are fixed and occupied!!

Yes, when flying back from PVG on Wednesday in PE I checked in really early and asked for those seats. I was told that Y was overbooked and although those seats weren't currently allocated they were blocked for Au's being upgraded from Y. A little annoying methinks since I actually paid a PE fare.

Originally posted by McMaddog
Yes, when flying back from PVG on Wednesday in PE I checked in really early and asked for those seats. I was told that Y was overbooked and although those seats weren't currently allocated they were blocked for Au's being upgraded from Y. A little annoying methinks since I actually paid a PE fare.

In this case I think your point is absolutely fair ... also, when people are involuntarily downgraded from UC.

I think you will find they are also initially kept back for plenty of other reasons :- pax needing skycots, pax with medical needs etc etc .... flying back from Newark I checked in early asked for the bulkhead seats and was offered them on the understanding that if someone checked in needing a sky cot I could lose them at the gate, I stuck with what I had ! and as it happened pax with an infant had the bulkhead !

Cheers

Mark

When 'love-him-as-I do-but' & I checked in for our flight to JFK on 5th April on a 747, I asked if we could move forward a few rows from our chosen seats 34 A&C.
The LURVELY young lady asked me if we wanted exit row 28 A&C in a voice that implied that she couldn't believe that we would really want them. Yes please, that'll do me nicely thank you.[y]

The BSCT positions should definately be held for couples with infants as that is the only place the sky cot can go! But 18DFG should be left to first come first served!

On the 200 they have to ring upstairs for HKG - SYD sector for blocked seats as Hong Kong is the contolling station and the check in agents don't have the authority to release them on their sine in codes, the people upstairs have greater access to the SHARES system and can overide HKG. If that makes sense!

You won't get those at check-in without a baby probably. I got 18K on the SYD-HKG/HKG-LHR route after purchasing an on-the-day upgrade. I had originally asked for an extra leg room seat. You had to go to the ticket sales desk for both the bulkhead/exit and on-the-day upgrades. The nice Aussie check-in agent informed me of that one.

Don't expect BA check-in agents to inform you about going to ticket sales for upgrades, etc. They prefer to make you feel you can't afford it rather than help their employer make more money.

I could not get the front row allocated on check in for my first leg (LAX->LHR).

Just tried in the clubhouse and there are blocked out for anyone who is downgraded from UC to PE as there is an aircraft change (VS400) I am assuming A346 to A343.