airline seat assignments

[ducklite]

Actually, I don't believe that's the case. I know of very few people who fly if it's under 5 hours of driving anymore. For many families, it's more like 8 or 10. Buy the time they factor in the huge wait and the airline hassle factor, they just drive instead.

The state of airline security has driven alot of families to the roads these days. Being dumped on by the airlines will only add more folks to the highways.

I can't remember the last time I wasn't on a packed flight, regardless of where it was to/from. So I have toa gree with Bicker.

Anne

 

[Lewisc]

Maybe SW has it right, get to the gate early if you care about your seat. They attribute this policy to getting passengers to the gate early which helps account for the quick turnaround time.

 

[ducklite]

Well, at least I can take solace in the fact I don't fly US Airways.

I fly CO and SW on occaison as well. When I fly SW I print my boarding pass and get there early to obtain a front aisle seat. If I go to that trouble, I'm not giving it up. And I'll buy my own drink, trust me $5 isn't going to "pay" for my time of getting there over some family who couldn't be bothered to arrive early and print boarding passes in advance.

Anne

 

[bicker]

Yes, this was exactly what I was saying....airlines & hotels can't rely solely on business passengers. They need the lowly leisure passenger as well.

Absolutely. The only issue is that the leisure passenger won't be swayed by service quality as much as the business traveler will, and therefore providing better service to the business traveler is a necessity to maximize profitability.

Ducklite's whole argument that airlines don't need to care about the family traveler is totally incorrect, IMHO.

Anne's point isn't that the airlines don't need leisure travelers, but simply that the airlines don't need to provide any priority service to leisure travelers.

Leisure travelers care almost exclusively about low fares.

I know of very few people who fly if it's under 5 hours of driving anymore.

It is a lot less expensive to drive than to fly.

Being dumped on by the airlines will only add more folks to the highways.

Not appreciably, no.

Dependence on "loyal frequent travelers" at the expense of the satisfaction of new and/or infrequent travelers is a recipe for disaster.

Quite the opposite. You have to secure your base, your foundation. The leisure traveler will often choose whoever has the lowest fare, regardless.

Maybe SW has it right, get to the gate early if you care about your seat.

Precisely... they offer the ultimate in less service and low fares: They make it the passenger's problem to find seats together once they board.

 

[ducklite]

In my experience, the vast majority do. Particularly at conferences at WDW or other resort areas. I do attend Pri-Med, which is held at Rosemont Conference center near Ohare. That conference lasts from about 6am to 8pm, and I usually go alone to that one. But, most of the conferences in nice locations are usually magnets for doctors with families, primary care doctors like me. Most of the conferences I've attended have special family activities planned (like a special autograph session at GF for attendees and their families with Disney characters, to name one example). It must be pretty profitable for Disney for them to have the characters come in the evening no less to our conference. I think the only people who didn't bring the kids didn't have kids.

So you are telling me that four times a year every doctor with children brings the entire family to a conference? I'm not buying that one. Even if it is the case--because you aren't loyal to one carrier they ahve no reason to be loyal to you with any special perks.

As far as the character meet and greets, trust me, the conference planners are paying for that. I used to work for a company that put on a dozen conferences and symposiums every year. You'd be surprised what they pay for, one way or another.

Anne

 

[ducklite]

Maybe SW has it right, get to the gate early if you care about your seat. They attribute this policy to getting passengers to the gate early which helps account for the quick turnaround time.

Personally I'd rather have the choice of paying more for a ticket. Maybe they should do a hybrid. Those who have paid a premium for their ticket or their elite FF's can get an assigned seat, for those flying on super low fare's do the cattle call thing.

Anne

 

[delilah]

So you are telling me that four times a year every doctor with children brings the entire family to a conference? I'm not buying that one. Even if it is the case--because you aren't loyal to one carrier they ahve no reason to be loyal to you with any special perks.

As far as the character meet and greets, trust me, the conference planners are paying for that. I used to work for a company that put on a dozen conferences and symposiums every year. You'd be surprised what they pay for, one way or another.

Anne

Actually, I probably pay for it with my conference tuition.

 

[ducklite]

Actually, I probably pay for it with my conference tuition.

Absolutely! The meeting planners negotiate a lot of things--including perks like a free room for every 20 paid, or character M&G's with 100 paid rooms in the block.

Now here's where it gets interesting. Lets say that they know through their research that the market will accept a high room rate of $350/night. The standard rooms at the GF are normally $375. They can negotiate with the hotel for a lower rate, but make up the difference in contracted F&B or conference meeting space rents that they in turn pass on to attendees in the conference fee.

Likewise they can pass on a higher room rate for a lower facilities rental rate. Either way the attendees are paying the same amount, but to them it's a perception of a lower cost. Same pants, different pocket.

In all honesty, *most* of the time you can get a room at lower than the negotiated conference rate at the same hotel using any number of discounts including AAA/AARP. The conference planners HATE when people book outside the block because if they don't book the block they lose a lot of the perks which then must be somehow made up if they've already been promised.

Anne

 

[Lewisc]

Precisely... they offer the ultimate in less service and low fares: They make it the passenger's problem to find seats together once they board.

Actually they make it easy, get your BP early and get to the gate early. SW provides the level of service that allows it to profitably offer the fares that the customers are willing to pay.

Some of us are convinced the main reason SW doesn't participate with DME's resort checkin program is because they are unwilling to pay what it would cost to participate; either a fee or at least the expense in adjusting their computer system.

 

[abk96]

She needs to be REALISTIC and educate them in what they might need to know--how and when they can use the Gameboys, put their seat back, etc. How to handle an emergency--and NO, she is not going to be able to climb over other passengers to get to them--that is unrealistic and NOT going to happen.

Anne

I'm not sure if you all understand what happened in the first place. I'm not trying to be mean and bump people out of their seats. We had seats that were 5 in a row and now because of a TA who didn't keep up with our ressie we have lost them.

Not our fault and the manager is working on it for us. If anything the TAgency should foot the bill to switch us to a different flight. There are lots of them the day we leave so I'm sure something can be done.

I'm not going to let our children sit alone, end of discussion.

And we don't have cheap tickets either.

 

[ducklite]

I'm not sure if you all understand what happened in the first place. I'm not trying to be mean and bump people out of their seats. We had seats that were 5 in a row and now because of a TA who didn't keep up with our ressie we have lost them.

Not our fault and the manager is working on it for us. If anything the TAgency should foot the bill to switch us to a different flight. There are lots of them the day we leave so I'm sure something can be done.

I'm not going to let our children sit alone, end of discussion.

And we don't have cheap tickets either.

Like I said long ago, it sounds to me like your flight was combined with another. In essence "those people" might have already had their seats on that flight--so now because your flight no longer exists, you think it's right to bump them out of seats they had reserved?

If you don't want your children to sit alone, you need to first off get to the airport very early. Like around four hours early. That's when they start to release the unused frequent flier seats. If you still can't get seats together, then get to the gate and ask again. And let them know that you are willing to take a later flight if they can't accomodate you. They will probably ask people to move, but will not force them. If they can't accomodate you, it's my experience that they will move you to the next flight that they can accomodate you on at no charge, but it might not be that day, and they will not give you any expenses for the delay.

It is NOT the carriers fault, as you recognize, your TA is a moron, and they shuld do whatever they can to take care of you.

But I've got one thing to ask...what if (and this HAS happened to me more than a few times) you get the seats together and your flight is cancelled due to weather? And the only option to get you home for the next three days is to take seats all over the plane?

In the case of weather related cancellations and delays, they are under NO obligation to pay for any of your expenses due to the delay or accomodate you in any way other than offering available seats on the next flight--which will probably not mean "together."

And out of curiousity where are you flying from?

Anne

 

[Lewisc]

I kind of see the posters point. Their flight is leaving at approximately the same time as originally scheduled but with a different flight number. Their original flight number is leaving hours earlier.

Your point is good, there is no guarantee that flight changes due to weather or even mechanical problems won't result in last minute seat changes. Airlines/other passengers will move for young children but not older children.

Like I said long ago, it sounds to me like your flight was combined with another. In essence "those people" might have already had their seats on that flight--so now because your flight no longer exists, you think it's right to bump them out of seats they had reserved?

 

[ducklite]

I kind of see the posters point. Their flight is leaving at approximately the same time as originally scheduled but with a different flight number. Their original flight number is leaving hours earlier.

Your point is good, there is no guarantee that flight changes due to weather or even mechanical problems won't result in last minute seat changes. Airlines/other passengers will move for young children but not older children.

OK, if their original flight number still exists, and they are on a different flight number at the same time, my hunch is that their flight time was changed, adn their TA was notified. The TA thena greed to putting them on a different flight at the same time, but didn't follow through on the seating.

Again, that's the TA's problem, not the problem of other pasengers who were either already booked or booked seats in good faith.

This is a prime example of why I NEVER EVER would book flights with a TA--and I use a good one.

ETA: A couple weeks ago, I saw gate agents trying to move passengers so they could seat families together. Families with young kids were moved around first--they called solo passengers up to the desk and asked if they would be willing to move--offering better seats to them. No one with a seat assignment was "forced" to move.

They were able to get all kids under about six with their parents, and a couple kids who were in the 6-9 range within a couple seats of the parents. But there were still a lot of older kids who were scattered all over the plane.

I only saw one person refuse to give up his seat, and I can't blame him--they wanted to move him from a mid-plane aisle to first exit row window--a non-reclining seat and window over aisle. I can't blame him--I get terribly claustrophobic in anything but aisle seats--and no recline is a killer.

Anne

 

[abk96]

Like I said long ago, it sounds to me like your flight was combined with another. In essence "those people" might have already had their seats on that flight--so now because your flight no longer exists, you think it's right to bump them out of seats they had reserved?

If you don't want your children to sit alone, you need to first off get to the airport very early. Like around four hours early. That's when they start to release the unused frequent flier seats. If you still can't get seats together, then get to the gate and ask again. And let them know that you are willing to take a later flight if they can't accomodate you. They will probably ask people to move, but will not force them. If they can't accomodate you, it's my experience that they will move you to the next flight that they can accomodate you on at no charge, but it might not be that day, and they will not give you any expenses for the delay.

It is NOT the carriers fault, as you recognize, your TA is a moron, and they shuld do whatever they can to take care of you.

But I've got one thing to ask...what if (and this HAS happened to me more than a few times) you get the seats together and your flight is cancelled due to weather? And the only option to get you home for the next three days is to take seats all over the plane?

In the case of weather related cancellations and delays, they are under NO obligation to pay for any of your expenses due to the delay or accomodate you in any way other than offering available seats on the next flight--which will probably not mean "together."

And out of curiousity where are you flying from?

Anne

Like I said before, No our flight was not combined with another. The original flight # we were on is now leaving 3 hrs. earlier. We are on a different flight #. My flight does exist, just earlier. I don't feel it's right for others to bump me out of my seats.

ETA: I'm not thinking of weather right now. We're leaving soon and I want this taken care of now!

 

[ducklite]

No our flight was not combined with another. The original flight # we were on is now leaving 3 hrs. earlier. We are on a different flight #. My flight does exist, just earlier. I don't feel it's right for others to bump me out of my seats.

Like I said, they didn't just move you if your flight was moved earlier. I strongly believe that when they moved your flight, they contacted your TA and offered the one with a closer departure time. She agreed, but didn't follow through on the seat assignments.

If this is the case the airline is NOT to blame and frankly under no obligation to accomodate you--this is all on your TA.

Anne

 

[bicker]

It is NOT the carriers fault, as you recognize, your TA is a moron

Just a moment please. Let's be fair. Did the OP pay the TA any more than they'd have paid the airline? If not, what reason is there to expect better service from the TA than is outlined in the airlines terms and conditions?

If the OP paid a premium to the TA for their service, then absolutely, the TA is in the wrong. (I still wouldn't say that TA is a "moron". )

 

[abk96]

Like I said, they didn't just move you if your flight was moved earlier. I strongly believe that when they moved your flight, they contacted your TA and offered the one with a closer departure time. She agreed, but didn't follow through on the seat assignments.

If this is the case the airline is NOT to blame and frankly under no obligation to accomodate you--this is all on your TA.

Anne

Finally you understand. I know it's my TA's fault. "LIKE I SAID" in my other posts.

Actually, I called the airline directly myself a few days ago and two different people I talked to told me I would get priority and it would be noted on my ressie that my children are to be seated with DH or myself.

 

[abk96]

Just a moment please. Let's be fair. Did the OP pay the TA any more than they'd have paid the airline? If not, what reason is there to expect better service from the TA than is outlined in the airlines terms and conditions?

If the OP paid a premium to the TA for their service, then absolutely, the TA is in the wrong. (I still wouldn't say that TA is a "moron". )

Actually, I did pay a little more than I would have if I booked straight with Disney and the airline. I priced it myself online but decided it was worth it to go with the TA.

 

[ducklite]

Just a moment please. Let's be fair. Did the OP pay the TA any more than they'd have paid the airline? If not, what reason is there to expect better service from the TA than is outlined in the airlines terms and conditions?

If the OP paid a premium to the TA for their service, then absolutely, the TA is in the wrong. (I still wouldn't say that TA is a "moron". )

Most TA's pass the fee that the airlines charge them for ticketing on to the customer. With the reduced revenues TA's are seeing these days if they didn't they are a "moron".

Either way, once they booked the ticket they accepted an agency responsibility, and it was up to them to manage the process acceptably. If they didn't want to do this, they should ahve declined to book the air to begin with.

Anne

 

[ducklite]

Finally you understand. I know it's my TA's fault. "LIKE I SAID" in my other posts.

Actually, I called the airline directly myself a few days ago and two different people I talked to told me I would get priority and it would be noted on my ressie that my children are to be seated with DH or myself.

OK, I agree that the TA screwed up. But the airline is NOT under any obligation to rearrange passengers who have seat assignments to accomodate you. Priority only means that if they have open seats or are able to move people, you will get those seats over say a couple without kids. It does not guarantee that your kids will be seated with a parent.

Like I've been saying all along, the chances of getting you a two and a three are slim if the flight is full--which it sounds like it is. You need to face the reality of the situation. They aren't going to stop an entire plane from taking off so your older two kids can sit with a parent. Because it's a flight to/from MCO, 80% or more of the passengers are going to be families who are not going to split up for you. Most of the others will be business travelers who probably have the aisle seats and aren't going to give them up.

I'm not trying to be mean, I'm letting you know the realities of the situation. I'd say you've got less than a 30% chance of getting a 3-2. You, and your children need to be prepared for that. End of story.

Anne