Overseas Adventure Travel - what they don't tell you!

I feel your anguish. Please note however that seat selection terms are fully disclosed in the Air Travel Handbook provided upon booking. Those terms are consistent with the items that you’ve listed. For those reasons I prefer to handle my flight arrangements unless a significantly lower fare with them is available. I especially love that when booking a RS tours that travel arrangements are my responsibility.

Sorry for your upset,but this is not unique to OAT. You will find this with other tour and cruise companies too. If you are in BA business class, you aren't going to be beside the toilets.

This is how blocks of airfare work. The purchaser signs a contract to lock in a certain amount of seats on a flight. There is a date at some point in the future where they have to ticket the seats or they can release those seats with no penalty. Until they are ticketed you can make as many changes as you want, so the purchaser will wait until the last moment. This way if you change your mind and cancel they don't have to go through the hassle of dealing with the airline. Also, the closer they get to the flight the less likely it is to have an itinerary change.

I just bought 116 seats on two flights for a corporate event in July. If you look at those flights, the seat map is completely open and you may wonder why those two departures are so much more expensive that the other roundtrips that day. This is because I have 50 seats reserved at $330 on one airline, and 66 seats at $375 on the other airline. Both of those tickets are selling for around $650 now, although there are other departures on that same route for much cheaper. I have until April or May, depending on the airline, to release those seats or ticket them.

I understand your anger. However, British Airways charges for Business Class seating assignments. I had to pay about $150 per person to choose the actual seat I wanted after paying the Business class fare. Sucks, but several airlines do that. American Airlines and United do not.

I am going on my first OAT tour (Japan) in April. Traveling with my BIL and his wife. They have used OAT before and loved it. My hubby and I have been independent travelers for over 40 years. When we contacted OAT for the air, they quoted me $9000 per person for Business Class. I booked it on my own and paid $7000 per person RT on the identical flights they wanted to book (UA). I asked them how much the transfer would be for us to the hotel...$300 per person. I booked a sedan limo for $130 total. This tour is not cheap. Spending almost as much as we spent for a cruise to Antarctica last year.

It seems you came to the forum specifically to bash OAT, since this is your first post. It's likely to be removed for that reason.

There is no need for the post to be removed. they are not really bashing OAT; just warning fellow travelers about the consequences of booking flights with the tour rather than booking flights independently. It probably applies to all tour companies, not just OAT so is well worth publicizing.

It is, as the person above stated, standard for tour companies reserving blocks of seats on a flight to hold off sending payment until shortly before the travel date, when the payment for the tour has become non-refundable and people are unlikely to cancel. The actual tickets will not be issued until the airline receives that payment.

And British Airways will not allow passengers to pay to choose their own seats in advance of check-in until the tickets have actually been issued. (As noted above, the cost to personally choose one’s own business class seat in advance is significant, $160 or more for the most desirable seats.)

It is unfortunate that the OP was not aware of this in advance, but I’d say they have a right to gripe. However, not everyone pays the extra to choose their biz class seats on British Airways, at least in my experience. So there may well be good seating options left even 45 days ahead. (Although if you are flying a plane with the new Club Suites, the window seats may all be taken. But many people flying with a companion choose the center paired seats anyway).

Please note however that seat selection terms are fully disclosed in the Air Travel Handbook provided upon booking. Those terms are consistent with the items that you’ve listed.

If that is the case, then the title of this post is misleading, as OAT DOES tell you what the policy is upfront.

If I were to be annoyed with anyone in this situation, it would first be the friend that insisted on keeping things simple, and then with myself [an experienced traveler] for listening to her. Sometimes you have to take charge when you're in the right...

“What they don’t tell you”

Apparently they do tell you.

As others have pointed out, OAT makes their policy known ahead of time, so there is no reason for you not to have know this. I agree that it's usually better to book your own flights, rather than rely on the tour company, but you chose not to do so, knowing that that you would lose some freedom of choice. It's also very possible that this is because the flight is through British Airways, which has been know to force travelers to wait for seat selection. Either way, you chose it so you are stuck with it. I am sorry because I know it's frustrating, but I would try to get over it and enjoy your trip.

Sorry to hear of your bad experience and it's a good reminder that if you want to control your seating that relying on the tour operator may have unhappy results. I hope you still have a great trip.

Happy travels

No experience but I am thinking this is a common problem. My brother had Viking book their flights to Budapest and they ended up on Aer Lingus connecting to Danish charter airline. If a person has specific airline or seat requirements best to book yourself. Also stick to US airlines for free seat selection. For a US airline, even when the flight is reserved but not yet paid for, seats can be reserved.

Maintain politeness in all replies, please. Guideline #2. #9 also in effect.