In the pointy end

Managed to nab 62K on the NRT-LHR BA flight. This was a real bonus because it is widely regarded as the best seat in Business Class. It is upstairs in an exit row, so acres of room. It is also on the side which does not have crew seats facing it, which makes it pretty much like your own private cabin. The British Airways system is renowned for (seemingly) randomly shifting people around, particularly if you have chosen one of the prized seats. So every now and then I would check to make sure I still had 62K. I was disappointed but not surprised when one day I found that I was now in 61K, which is just a run of the mill seat.

I phoned British Airways, or at least the Indian call centre which BA now uses for calls originating in Australia. I asked to change my allocation and was told that seating can be selected 24 hours prior to departure. Funnily enough, as soon as I mentioned that I was a oneworld Emerald she decided that it may in fact be possible for her to help me. I was quite surprised when, after a few minutes of typing (seriously, how could it take that long?) I was back in 62K. Makes it even odder that I was moved out in the first place.

Fast forward to the afternoon of my departure from Canberra. I logged on to the BA site, checked in, made sure I still had 62K, printed my boarding pass, and check it to make sure I was still in 62K. I also noticed I had sequence number "001", meaning I was the first person to check in.

I boarded the flight in Narita, turned right, and made my way upstairs to my assigned seat. I worked out what I needed for the flight and put the rest of the hand luggage in the overhead locker. Then I prepared myself to settle in to the best Business Class seat on the plane. That was when a short Japanese man appeared in front of me. "Mr Bennett?" "Yes." "I have your new boarding pass, please follow me." But I wanted to sit in 62K! Hang on, what does that boarding pass say? "1A". 1A?! But that's ... in the pointy bit ... big seats ... turn left on entering ... 1A ... best seat on the PLANE! And that was how I got to fly to London in First Class. "More anything, Sir?" "More EVERYthing."