An outstanding dumb moment this morning from BMI, flight BD081 
On Weds I flew out to Belfast from Heathrow in row 6. I was only allowed to check in on a middle seat even though there the plane was half empty. As it turned out the window seat next to me was empty and I moved into it once the door closed. I tweeted about why do I need to be made to feel third class, presumably for buying cheap tickets, when there are plenty of seats.
It also reminded me that I don’t like the arbitrary number of cheap seats vs full price economy they display on their website. I’m used to Easyjet and Flybe where its just once price. Yes the price moves up nearer the time, but the whole plane moves up together. The BMI booking shows you you can still book more expensive seats in economy – i.e. they just dont want to sell you the lower price. It riles. Nearly as much as how much money BA are wasting to advertise their USP – being older than anyone else… – do you get that ad? I don’t. Surely a case of an old badge on old clothes.
So now it’s v early Friday morning going back. Same thing at check in, only middle seats allowed. I get row 7. Plane still half full. There’s 3 of us in row 7, ABC and nobody in row 6.
It takes a while to board as the lady on the aisle has to get up for me and then we both have to get up for the guy in the window seat. Why have none of the traditional airlines read the paper that says boarding by letter rather than number is way faster. A & F first, B & E second, C&D last. Families can board together. No one has adopted it.
Now to the dumb stuff. There’s 3 of us stuffed in 7ABC and I need to work. After take off I move forward to an empty row 6. I am approached by the stewardess to tell me I shouldn’t have moved.
“But it’s empty and that one’s full”. Ah but I have crossed an invisible barrier into the front of the plane…..
“The seats are the same, there’s no curtain and, I sat here on the way out”.
“Yes but you’re now in premium economy”.
“Let common sense apply – surely?”
“Well I’ll have to check” …as the steward comes forward. He doesn’t look at me or talk to me, only to his stewardess.
She relays to me that “he’s not happy” as it could be that a passenger in the back could be a premium customer and could see me go forward and could be offended. Presumably premium customers are trained to see the invisible curtain and invisible difference in the seats and know that it moves from Wednesday to Friday!!
Generously, after admonishment, I am allowed to sit and work.
No wonder the Flybe flights are full and the BMI ones half empty.
A classic dumb thing. I wonder if I’ll get told off if I ask to take their photo? OK back to work…
