Which airlines allow you to choose seats when booking??

[DISNEYmooner2008]

Which airline allow you to choose seats at the time of booking??? Me, DH, and my mom and dad will be booking soon for a March 2009 trip and we MUST have seats together and need to fly an airline that allows you to pick seats whenever you purchase the tickets instead of upon check-in.

TIA!!

 

[sammielynn]

Allegiant Air does but it will cost you $11 per person per leg.

 

[disneyfan61]

I booked thru Jet Blue & picked our seats.

 

[Cdn Friends of Pooh]

We usually fly with NWA and are able to pick our seats 90 days out ...

 

[Pinnie]

Just because you pick out a seat doesn't mean that will be your seat. I have been moved on countless occasions on NWA when flights were combined, equipment was changed or just plain screwups.

When you purchase a seat on an airline, they guarantee you a seat, not a specific seat, unless you purchase the upgrade on NWA.

pinnie

 

[DISNEYmooner2008]

Just because you pick out a seat doesn't mean that will be your seat. I have been moved on countless occasions on NWA when flights were combined, equipment was changed or just plain screwups.

When you purchase a seat on an airline, they guarantee you a seat, not a specific seat, unless you purchase the upgrade on NWA.

pinnie

Maybe that's not true for every airline. We flew US air and picked our seats on orbitz.com when I booked and were GUARANTEED those seats - I just didn't care to fly with Delta - they were rude and took forever to get our baggage once we landed (4 hours)....

I booked thru Jet Blue & picked our seats.

Jet Blue looks great!! Did you enjoy flying with them??? I'm on their website checking prices - they are really high!! To fly on a friday in february it would be over $350 roundtrip per ticket.... We are flying out of Charlotte,NC. That's really expensive....

 

[Vijoge]

Or you could purchase Business Select on SWA and be among the first 15 passengers to board. . .

 

[nhrenee]

On Continental Airlines's website you can pick your seats.

 

[Jaymie]

We usually fly Spirit and we get to pick our seats 90 days prior. I've always sat in the seat I picked, but I'm sure there's no guarantee.

 

[bavaria]

Even on airlines which do allow you to preselect seats, you may not be able to do so for your flight.

On United for instance only elite passengers can preselect Economy Plus seating. If there are no regular Economy seats left at time of booking, a non-elite cannot preselect a seat.

And on airlines which do not charge for seat selection, your seat number is subject to change, and is not guaranteed.

 

[thebigk]

American Airlines does. I go to seatguru.com to see where the seats are and choose accordingly. Our family of 3 is always seated together.

 

[traviesojmt]

You can choose your seats on Frontier Airlines. We flew them for the first time last week. They were great.

 

[bavaria]

we MUST have seats together

I just reread your post. Please do be aware that seat assignments are subject to change, and often do change. There is no guarantee that you will be reseated together - the airline only guarantees that they will get you from point A to point B.

Even as an elite I have been FAM'd and DOG'd many many times every year.

In this case this may be the best suggestion

Or you could purchase Business Select on SWA and be among the first 15 passengers to board. . .

 

[pr surfer]

Even as an elite I have been FAM'd and DOG'd many many times every year.

As an elite on Full Fare F I was FAM'd last year JFK-BCN.

I ended up going JFK-ATL-BCN and getting 25k miles compensation, which still didn't make up for getting to Barcelona half a day late.

[/unrelated rant]

 

[Lady Lady]

I see you are flying out of Charlotte. It is the hub for US Air. They could be your cheapest carrier to MCO. They also have seat choice at booking.

 

[DebbieB]

Maybe that's not true for every airline. We flew US air and picked our seats on orbitz.com when I booked and were GUARANTEED those seats - I just didn't care to fly with Delta - they were rude and took forever to get our baggage once we landed (4 hours)....

I've had my seats changed on USAir due to a change in the aircraft model. There's no 100% guarantee. Flight schedules can also change, resulting in flights being consolidated with possible seat changes.

 

[CarolA]

Maybe that's not true for every airline. We flew US air and picked our seats on orbitz.com when I booked and were GUARANTEED those seats - I just didn't care to fly with Delta - they were rude and took forever to get our baggage once we landed (4 hours)....



Jet Blue looks great!! Did you enjoy flying with them??? I'm on their website checking prices - they are really high!! To fly on a friday in february it would be over $350 roundtrip per ticket.... We are flying out of Charlotte,NC. That's really expensive....

No, that's true on every airline. You are not GURANTEED those seats no matter WHAT Orbitz told you! You can't be guranteed. If the airline changes the aircraft then your row might not even exist.'

On USAir, AA, DL, United and NW I have been moved many times......

This is my big gripe with the airlines that are CHARGING for seat assignments. They are still moving folks. Sorry if you CHARGE me extra for the seat then I expect to keep it LOL!

 

[aribelle]

Flown US Air probably a dozen times in the last two years and always buy tickets online and pick my seat as part of the process. You can even view what seats are available when you're just looking at flights.....if you're picky about what seat then just click on the availability link before you buy to be sure something you'd like is available (obviously this works best when there are many flights to choose from, or you're really flexible).

I personally like to go check the day before I fly to see if anyone has picked the center seat in my aisle (I fly with my business partner and he picks the window seat and I take the aisle seat every time). About half the time no one sits between us and we have some extra shoulder room! Of course, lately the flights are booked up so full that seat does eventually fall, but it's fun to watch how all the window/aisles go first and then you can almost feel and hear people's discomfort in having to take a center seat.

Yeah, it's probably never guaranteed that you'll get that exact seat....I mean some very offbeat situations I can think of that they'd change you, but it's never ever happened to me or my partner. And we have booked them all...months in advance, weeks in advance, days in advance and even the night before a morning flight! Of course, we've also never had them cancel or change a flight on us either, yet people on this board seem to have that happen on a regular basis.

Maybe I need to go make another payment to airline gods.

 

[DISNEYmooner2008]

Thanks so much for the replies everyone - it really has helped! Can't wait for the fares for March 2009 come out so I can begin looking.

I see you are flying out of Charlotte. It is the hub for US Air. They could be your cheapest carrier to MCO. They also have seat choice at booking.

Yes, we flew roundtrip to Orlando in January US Air/Delta for $212 per person. I'm hoping to find an even better deal for March 2009.

No, that's true on every airline. You are not GURANTEED those seats no matter WHAT Orbitz told you! You can't be guranteed. If the airline changes the aircraft then your row might not even exist.'

On USAir, AA, DL, United and NW I have been moved many times......

This is my big gripe with the airlines that are CHARGING for seat assignments. They are still moving folks. Sorry if you CHARGE me extra for the seat then I expect to keep it LOL!

Yes, I understand there are no guarantees, but I also know some airlines don't allow you to choose seats until check-in or don't allow you to choose at all - I'd like to steer clear of those.

 

[disneyfan61]

Maybe that's not true for every airline. We flew US air and picked our seats on orbitz.com when I booked and were GUARANTEED those seats - I just didn't care to fly with Delta - they were rude and took forever to get our baggage once we landed (4 hours)....



Jet Blue looks great!! Did you enjoy flying with them??? I'm on their website checking prices - they are really high!! To fly on a friday in february it would be over $350 roundtrip per ticket.... We are flying out of Charlotte,NC. That's really expensive....

We have flown Jet Blue for the past few years with NO problems. I really enjoy flying with them. Very smooth flights & a little more leg room than some other airlines. I have always picked our seats & have always gotten those seats. When I was checking prices I checked Delta, American, Southwest & Jet Blue was the cheapest. I have since checked the same flight that I booked a few weeks ago & it has gone up $300 in just 2 weeks. We are paying about $300 a piece. This is a non-stop flight (the only ones I will book) & the news was reporting that airline prices would be going up so I booked it.
I am glad I did not wait any longer. I'm not sure how much the prices will fluctuate but I'm glad I booked when I did. Good Luck!!