Who can book and sit in Row 1 on British Airways?

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Who can book and sit in the front row, Row 1, on British Airways flights?

The front of the cabin has always been the best place to be – not only is it quieter but it’s also closer to the doors, meaning you’ll be out of the plane sooner than everyone else. In this article I want to look at how you can book the front row, Row 1, on British Airways flights.

Depending on what aircraft you are on, Row 1 might be in different cabins. On some long haul planes, row 1 is part of First Class. On others, it’s part of Business Class. On short-haul, it’s part of Club Europe Business Class.

Head for Points has published a series of British Airways seat map which are indexed here.

However, a common rule on every aircraft is that row 1 is reserved for British Airways Executive Club Gold status holders. Whether that row is in First or Business, you must hold Gold status to book these premium positions.

Fellow passengers booked on the same ticket as a Gold member can also sit in Row 1. The only exception is First Class where you must be a Gold member to sit in the front row. If your partner is not a Gold member they will need to sit behind you!

One exception to the rule is that on particularly busy flights, Row 1 seats may be released at the time of check-in opening – 24 hours before departure – to non-Gold members.

If you’re lucky, you might be able to bag a seat but the odds are not high. If a flight is not busy, British Airways prefers to leave empty seats in Row 1 blocked to give extra space to those Gold members who are booked into it.

(This article is part of our ‘BA Q&A’ series which explains how British Airways Executive Club works. You can see all of our ‘BA Q&A’ articles here. )

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