Changes and refunds for reserved seats

Availability

• All paid seating is subject to availability at the time of request.
• Paid seating is available on all British Airways mainline operated flights and on British Airways operated flights marketed by other carriers. It is not available on flights operated by any British Airways franchisee and some flights operated by codeshare partners.
• Paid seating is available in the economy (Euro Traveller), business (Club Europe), economy (World Traveller), premium-economy (World Traveller Plus) and business (Club World) (some upper deck seats only).
• Paid seating for twin seats may be available Boeing 747, Boeing 777 and Airbus A380 aircraft types.
• You must purchase paid seating for all passengers in a booking, except when purchasing an exit row seat through online check-in (not available for group bookings).
• Paid seating for group customers (bookings containing more than 9 passengers) is only available where the reservation has been made directly with British Airways Group Sales. Group customers who have made their reservation through a travel agent or tour operator can currently not book paid seating. Payment with Avios is currently not available for group customers.
• If you are travelling on a cruise or packaged holiday and have not yet received confirmation of your ticket number from your agent (unticketed passengers), you cannot choose seats in advance.

Exit row seats

• Exit row seat requests are available in our economy (Euro Traveller), business (Club Europe), economy (World Traveller) and premium-economy (World Traveller Plus). Exit row seats available through online check-in are only available to economy (World Traveller) customers.
• Exit row seats are situated either next to or immediately behind the exit door.
• In the unlikely event of an evacuation we will expect you to assist in the opening of the emergency door. For this reason you must be a non-disabled person (12 years and over) in full fitness and able to understand printed or verbal instructions given in English. You must be willing, as well as able, to assist in the case of an emergency evacuation. When requesting an exit row seat we will ask you to verify you meet these requirements.
• Exit row seats will only be available if all passengers in the booking meet the requirements to sit in an exit row seat.
• We have the sole discretion to determine whether you meet the requirements to sit in an exit row seat. If you do not meet these requirements, we will assign you an alternative seat. The additional amount paid for an exit row seat will be forfeited and will not be refunded.
• If after the date of requesting an exit row seat you become unable to fulfil the requirements to sit in an exit row seat, please contact us. If you purchased your seat, you will be eligible to apply for a refund if you contact us at least 48 hours before your flight.

Changes to seats

• On British Airways marketed and operated flights, you may change your seat at any time, and pay the difference in price where applicable. If you change your seat to one of a lower price, we will not refund the difference. You cannot make changes to your paid seating on flights marketed by other carriers.
• We cannot guarantee a paid seat request as we may need to change it for operational, safety or security reasons, even after boarding the aircraft.
• In the event that we have to change your seat we will endeavour to seat you in a suitable alternative. We will look to seat your party together in the first instance, and then if possible in your choice of window seat, middle seat or aisle seat. If you have paid for an exit row seat we will look to seat you in another exit row seat. If you are not completely satisfied with your replacement seat you can apply for a refund.
• Seats are not transferable to any other passengers.

Refunds

• You will not receive a refund for paid seating if you cancel your flight, are involuntarily upgraded or do not meet the requirements to sit in the seat type you have selected.
• On British Airways marketed and operated flights, if, in accordance with your ticket type, you choose to move to a different flight, you will be entitled to choose an equivalent seat on your new flight. However, if an equivalent seat is not available, the difference paid will be forfeited and will not be refunded.
• On flights marketed by other carriers, if you choose to move to a different flight, you will not be entitled to choose an equivalent seat on the new flight and you will not be entitled to a refund.
• You can apply for a refund up until 30 days after the last flight in your itinerary.
• Please submit your refund application online using the Seating refund form. We cannot process refund applications at the airport or on board.
• Unless otherwise stated, we will only make a refund to the credit card used to pay for the pre-assigned seating, or in the case of Avios payment, to the Executive Club Member’s Avios account.

Using Avios as payment for seat selection

• Executive Club Members can use their Avios to pay in full or part payment of the total price of selecting their preferred seat on British Airways operated flights made in ‘Manage My Booking’ on ba.com or by calling a British Airways Contact Centre.
• Bookings made with this payment option will be subject to the standard commercial Seating Policy associated with the seat selected.
• All seats selected must be eligible for Avios full or part payment for it to be applied to the booking.
• The Avios payment rates are defined in a fixed set of currencies. If more than one Avios payment option is available, it is not possible to change the price option chosen once a booking has been made.
• The Avios payable will depend on the cabin class, route selected and the number of people on the booking, this will be clearly displayed on the booking page.
• British Airways reserves the right to alter the applicable Avios payment rates at any time in its sole and absolute discretion, but this will not apply to bookings already made.
• When a Member pays for seat selection using Avios, the Member must make the relevant payment for the seat. The Avios will be debited from the Member’s Executive Club account, for each passenger on the booking.
• When Avios have been used as full or part payment, the Avios will be refundable only where the booking is refundable, please refer to the refund section of the Commercial seating policy for more information.
• When seat selection is made using Avios as full or part payment for a member who is either on the Household Account or the Family and Friends List, the Avios points will be taken from each Member’s Avios points balance in the proportion to the size of each Household Account Members’ Avios points balance. Members of a Household Account can make Avios full or part-payment seat bookings for people outside of the Household Account.
• Avios payment may not be used in conjunction with any other promotional offers, unless expressly stated otherwise.
• Members do not earn Avios and Tier Points on paid seating selection.
• Avios as payment for seat selection is not available on bookings made through Concur.
• Avios as payment for seat selection is not available on group bookings.