BA passengers to pay to sit together

(25 September 2009)

British Airways passengers will have to pay to choose their seats before they travel, the struggling airline has announced.

The new charges will affect people who want to ensure they sit together on a flight and anyone with a preference for window, aisle or emergency exit seats.

At present, BA allows passengers to reserve seats in the 24 hours prior to departure, however, from 7 October, only those willing to pay will be able to secure their preferred seats when making a booking.

BA said the move would "give customers more control over their seating options".

For European economy flights, passengers will pay an extra £10 per person to choose a seat. On long-haul economy or short flights in business class, the charge will be £20, and £60 in business class on long-haul trips.

A seat in an emergency exit row will cost £50 and can be booked between 10 and four days before take-off.

A BA spokeswoman said: "From October 7 2009, British Airways is launching a new service to give customers more control over their seating options. Customers will now be able to select their seats when booking and secure exit row seats for a fee."

The move follows the airline's decision to cut luggage allowances and abolish free meals on short flights, after reporting a £401m loss in the last financial year - the worst result since privatisation in 1987. 

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