How Do I Select My Seats on My British Airways Flight?

If you have a flight with British Airways coming up, and want to sit in a specific kind of seat, such as an aisle or window seat, you can select the seat you want either at the time of booking or afterward. Many customers will not have to pay for seat selection, such as first class passengers and Executive Club members. Others will have to pay, at a rate that varies with seat and cabin.

Jeff Whelpley is the editor / author responsible for this content.
Dec 9, 2022

If you have a flight coming up and you have trouble with turbulence, you may want to sit near the center of the plane, where turbulence is lowest. If you like looking out the window while you fly, you probably want a window seat. And if you need a little more elbow room, you'll want a seat by the aisle. If you are flying with British Airways then it should be easy for you to select the kind of seat you want.

Selecting a Seat on a British Airways Flight

You can either select your seat at the time you book your flight or afterward. Either way, follow these instructions:

  1. Go to British Airways' Manage My Booking page.
  2. Enter your booking reference number in the upper text field.
  3. Enter your last name in the lower text field.
  4. Click on the Find another Booking button.
  5. Click on your flight number under the Your Booking Details header.
  6. Click on the "View or change seats for this flight" link under the Seating header.
  7. Look for a seat that you would like, and follow the instructions you are given for selecting it. Please note that the kind of seat you want may not be available by the time you try to select it.

What Does Changing Your Seat Cost?

If you fall into any of these categories, you won't have to pay to select your seat:

  • First Class travelers
  • Executive Club Gold and Silver members have free seat selection from the time of booking onward
  • Executive Club Bronze members have free seat selection from seven days before the flight
  • Executive Club Blue members have free seat selection from 24 hours before the flight.
  • People traveling on Plus Flex tickets have free seat selection from the time of the booking
  • People traveling on Plus tickets have free seat selection from two days before the flight
  • People traveling with an infant have free seat selection from the time of the booking for everyone in their booking
  • If you have a disability which requires you to be in a specific seat, there is no cost for the selection

Everyone not in one of these groups will have to pay to select their seat, whether at the time of booking or afterward. This includes everyone flying on a Basic ticket. The price for selecting your seat will vary with the cabin you are traveling in and the kind of seat you want. You will be given the price when you make your booking, or from the Manage My Booking page.

Contacting British Airways

If you have any questions about getting the seat you want, you can contact a British Airways customer service representative by phone or help forum.

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Jeff truly believes that all customers deserve good service. He’s been building tools, inventing phone tree hacks and helping customers since before his days at GetHuman. He's also a Google GDE and involved in the Angular community.
How Do I Select My Seats on My British Airways Flight?

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