It's surprising that on line check in isn't always available for groups. I've flown on Easyjet from Stansted on several JY holidays, and have been supplied with a booking code each time as Easyjet don't have facilities for checking in at the airport. For my upcoming flight I was able to pay a small supplement to select my seat when I booked my holiday. I normally upgrade on long haul flights and usually am able to select my seat at the time of booking. The only exception to this so far has been BA, when seat selection was only available four weeks in advance of departure at additional, very high, cost. On the subject of BA the service and cramped state of the business cabin was very poor value for money. I would definitely not recommend upgrading on BA flights beyond premium economy. All the other carriers I have flown with offered a far superior service to business passengers. My favourite has to be Virgin Atlantic, followed by South African airlines.
