How to book your seat

Exit row seats have no seats directly in front of them, and so provide you with more personal space than standard seats. If you want to request an exit row seat you must meet certain requirements, shown below. These seats are available to request in World Traveller Plus and World Traveller only, on longhaul flights.

Exit row seats are situated either next to or immediately behind the emergency exit door. In the unlikely event of an evacuation you will be expected to assist in the opening of the emergency exit door.

In accordance with CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) requirements, the following categories of passengers cannot be allocated an exit row seat:

• Passengers who are either substantially blind or substantially deaf, to the extent that they might not readily understand printed or verbal instructions given.
• Passengers who are unable to understand and carry out instructions given in English.
• Passengers who are unable to reach, open, lift and throw out the exit door in an emergency.
• Passengers who because of physical stature, age or sickness have difficulty in moving quickly. 
• Children under 12 (whether accompanied or not) and infants. 
• Passengers who are travelling with anyone who would require their assistance in the event of an emergency.

When requesting an exit row seat you will be asked to verify your eligibility.

• All paid seating is subject to availability at time of request.
• Paid seating is available on all British Airways mainline operated flights and on BA operated flights marketed by other carriers.
• Children travelling alone (Skyflyers Solo) are not eligible to choose seats in advance.
• All unticketed passengers, e.g. those travelling on a cruise or packaged holiday who have not yet received confirmation of their ticket numbers from their Agent, are not eligible to choose seats in advance.
• Paid seating is not available on flights operated by BA Cityflyer, or those operated by any BA franchisee or alliance airline, or any flight operated by a codeshare partner.
• Paid seating is available in Euro Traveller, World Traveller, World Traveller Plus, Club World, Club Europe and Domestic cabins. Exit row seat requests are only available in our World Traveller and World Traveller Plus cabins. 
• Paid seating is available on some seats in Club World upper deck.
• Paid seating may be available for twin seats on Boeing 747 and Boeing 777 aircraft types.
• Paid seating can be requested from time of booking up to 24 hours before your flight. Requests specifically for seats on the exit rows can only be processed from 14 days before your flight. 
• If you are travelling from the Middle East, from 24 hrs before departure, you can now only buy your exit row or bulkhead seat at the airport.
  
  More about Middle East seating charges
• Bookings containing more than 9 passengers, or which contain more than 16 flights or sectors are not eligible for paid seating.
  

• On BA marketed and operated flights, you may change your seat at any time, and pay the difference in price where applicable. If you change your seat to one of a lower price, we will not refund the difference. On other carrier marketed flights, changes to your paid seating may not be made.
• A paid seat request cannot be guaranteed, as it may need to be changed for operational, safety or security reasons, even after boarding the aircraft.
• In the event that we have to change your seat we will endeavour to seat you in a suitable alternative. (We will look to seat your party together in the first instance, and then if possible in your choice of window seat, middle seat or aisle seat. If you have paid for an exit row seat we will look to seat you in another exit row seat.)
• If we are unable to offer you a suitable alternative seat as set out above you are eligible to apply for a refund. Refunds for paid seating are only available under certain circumstances. Please see the refunds Terms and Conditions below for more information.
• Seats are not transferable to any other passengers.

• Exit row seats are situated either next to or immediately behind the exit door. 
• In the unlikely event of an evacuation you will be expected to assist in the opening of the emergency door.
• For this reason you must be an able bodied person (12 years and over) in full fitness and able to understand printed or verbal instructions given in English. You must be willing, as well as able, to assist in the case of an emergency evacuation. When requesting an exit row seat you will be asked to verify your eligibility. 
• British Airways has the sole discretion to determine whether a passenger meets the requirements to sit in an exit row seat. If the passenger does not meet the requirements, they will be assigned an alternative seat. The additional amount paid for an exit row seat will be forfeited and will not be refunded. 
• If after the date of requesting an exit row seat you become unable to fulfill the requirements to sit in an exit row seat then you should contact British Airways. You will be eligible to apply for a refund if you contact us at least 48 hours before your flight.
• If any passenger in the booking is not eligible to sit in an exit row, exit row seats will not be offered for the entire booking.