Robbing BAstards!

The World's Favourite Airline (do they still claim that?), British Airways, like to act as if they are the Rolls Royce service of the skies, somehow above all that tawdry money grubbing that the budget airlines indulge in. I'm sure it will come as no great shock to find out that they are just as devious in their pursuit of your cash as Ryan Air and EasyJet.

Having booked some reasonably-priced flights to Boston, I was surprised to find that the carrier was BA. I went online to see if it is possible to upgrade our seats to exit row seats. As a tall person, I appreciate all the extra leg room I can get, especially on long-haul flights and, from memory, BA provided the worst amount of leg room of all the carriers I have flown with on trans-Atlantic flights. On finally getting into the 'Manage Your Booking' section of their website, I found that no exit seats were available at all. Fine, others had obviously got there before me. It was then that I noticed that 'reserving' a seat would cost between £31 and £36 per person. To further up the ante, only half the plane appeared to have seats that are reservable. One could, of course, wait until check-in (24 hours before the flight) to choose one's seats, but, by then, any chance of sitting with your partner might have disappeared if only scattered, random unreserved seats remain. It feels like I am being forced to cough up the extra money if I want to sit next to my wife on the flight.

I rang BA to check what seats we had been allocated when we booked the flight and I was told that handing over a large wad of cash only got us onto the flight: no seats were allocated at that stage and we could either reserve them now at a huge cost (it is four fights in total) or gamble on twin seats still being available when we check in. In effect, BA would like us all to pay an exorbitant (and not previously-disclosed) fee simply to be able to sit next to each other.

While Ryan Air and EasyJet may sting you for every extra under the sun, at least they are upfront about it and you know what to expect: we know that we need to remember to take our credit card with us when we get out of our seat to head down the aisle to the loo; we expect a charge for raising the blind on the window in order to admire the view (charge doubled if it is an exceptionally clear day); we know that the lifejacket holder will contain a note telling us how we can go online a purchase one should it be needed . BA, on the other hand - the would-be Jeeves of the airways, the nobility among a sea of plebeian carriers - offer you a smug smile and a warm pat on the back whilst simultaneously filching your wallet and dipping your handbag.