Should I Upgrade?

I just got off the phone with BA. I'm not a happy camper. I found out that the seats I had were NOT in an emergency exit row, but were next to one of the regular exit doors. The door itself protruded into the cabin a bit, taking up some of the legroom of the window seat. And....there is no window. Additionally, the seats are the closest row to the lavatories, and according to SEATGURU, are often used for basinetts. I tried to upgrade to World Traveler Plus at the advertised rate of $129, but found that no such rate was available on the eastbound leg of the trip, and that an upgrade on that leg would cost $569 each. I was able to upgrade my return trip at the $129 rate, but am not happy at all with the way things are working out for the eastbound leg. I was able to move to another row, but the seating arrangements are not what I expected. We'll see how it goes.

I would definitely upgrade; $129 is a bargain! Should the airline need to shuffle passengers around, those with seats in the bulkhead are usually the first to be moved. Passengers with small children, or passengers with mobility issues are usually given these seats.

But not in an exit row. They may shuffle you out of an exit row if you don't appear able to open the door quickly (typically seniors, children and disabled aren't put in an exit row).

Business class for $129 is a pretty good deal though and may be worth taking advantage of.

Only you can decide for yourself but for that amount I would do the upgrade. Having flown business class on Delta the last two trips I sure do not like the thought of flying coach again although I know I will probably for the next trip. If you have never made the trip in business class you might want to treat yourself this time. The only problem is that you will get spoiled and will always want to go b/c. Being able to recline in your seat is nice and will help you to rest better which makes the first day easier. Also much better service.

$129 pp is a bargain, I wouldn't hesitate...but only you can decide if it's worth it to you...

Do make sure that the upgrade you are paying for is to Business class and not to World Traveler Plus which is inbetween Economy and Business.

For 129 Business is definitely worth it.

Okay... I guess I screwed up. The upgrade is to "World Traveler Plus", which I thought was the same as business class. I think I'll give BA a call and get the full particulars on exactly what I'll gain by the upgrade.
Many thanks to all who answered!

I might suggest double-checking the cabin configurations and seat maps on www.seatguru.com before making a decision. While $500 to upgrade to Club World is a bargain for sure, your existing seats may be pretty darn good depending on the row and the equipment you’re flying on. For example, the bulkhead seats of row 40 on the 747 have alot of extra room...same for the seats of row 26 on the 777. In Club World, however, you’ll have access to the lounges at the airports, you’ll order from a menu onboard, you’ll have fewer people & a lot more room, your seat pitch will more than double, and you’ll have a few more inches of width. It would be kind of a tough call for me, because I’m so frugal. I can usually tolerate the flight over okay in economy, as I’m looking forward to the trip. That flight home, however, just plain stinks. I don’t know...I would probably go ahead and upgrade if that’s all it’s going to cost.

Oops…I didn’t see your previous reply until I hit submit. I would still check with BA and on the website I provided, because the World Traveler Plus seats of row 28 on the 747 look great (not sure they’re $500 better though). On the 777, however, it wouldn’t be worth the extra $500 to make a change. I guess it depends on the equipment you’re flying. They may also have a 767 option…not sure, but the seats wouldn’t be any better than the 777.

Although I would have upgraded to Club World for $500, I probably would not do the same for World Traveler Plus...not a big enough difference.

Jim: That stinks…I wish you could have checked out seatguru or a similar tool before making your original seat assignments. Well, try to be optimistic…at least it’s just on the outbound portion of your journey. You’ll be looking forward to your trip…that will help. Wine might help. My last flight home on BA was a disaster…seat assignments changed at check-in, family scattered, bad seats, and people next to me arguing in Hinde all the way to Chicago. I just wanted to get home. What a mess that was!

Well, it's beginning to stink even more. When I upgraded to World Traveler Plus for our return trip, I was given seats 19A and 19B. According to SEATGURU, there are no such seats on a BA 777. The plane we are supposed to be taking is a 4-class 777, and the seat rows for WTP are numbered 21-25. There are no rows numbered between 15 and 21. I also checked the BA 3-class 777, and it doesn't have a row 19, either. I have yet to figure out what's going on. Maybe the best plan is to stop by the ticket counter at Dulles, and ask one of the agents there. The guy I talked to on the phone at BA was no help at all. I'm beginning to get a bit hot under the collar about this. There's no excuse for this kind of BS.

Hmmm…looks like the 777-200 3 Class does have seats 19 A&B, but they’re in World Traveler…same for the 767. On the 747, these seats are in Club World, so I doubt they reassigned you there. I would call back and talk with someone else…speak with several different people until you’re satisfied you’re getting good information. Double check your flight numbers on BA’s website to confirm the equipment.