Allegiant Air Questions

[wdwlovin'family]

I will be flying on Allegiant Air for the first time on Sunday. I have not purchased my seat yet and I am starting to worry that I should. I don't want to get stuck in the middle of a row of 3 seats. Do they give you your seat assignment 24 hrs. before or at the gate? I was thinking that if I didn't like the seat that I saw for my assignment online, I would just pay for different one. Does everyone pre-purchase their seats or is there a lot of open seating? I am flying from WI to Sanford, btw.

Thanks for your help.

 

[malibuconlee]

I haven't flown Allegiant but according to their website:

Does Allegiant have seat assignments?
Passengers may pre-purchase seat assignments for a nominal fee both online and at the airport on the day of travel. Those passengers that do not purchase a seat assignment will participate in open seating after customers in the pre-boarding group and customers with pre-purchased seat assignments have boarded.

The best way to ensure that passengers who wish to sit together will be able to sit together is to pre-purchase a seat assignment.


So, I would say if you don't pay to pick your seat prior to travel or at the airport you will board after those who did and take whatever is left.

 

[TaraPA]

We haven't flown Allegiant since last year, so this could have changed, but we didn't pre-pay for seats & they assigned them to us AT the airport, not 24 hours prior. It's not like Airtran or other airlines where if you don't pre-pay you can still "pick" your seats online at the 24-hour mark. You get what you get once you check in at the airport.

 

[Halloweenqueen]

It has changed.

They offer priority and pre-assigned seats. Both for an additional cost.

Then there is general boarding.

This is how it works....

Priority gets you an assigned seat, guaranteed carry-on space, and first boarding rights. I usually only see a handfull of people choosing this option.

Assigned seats...board after priority, they get a guaranteed seat for the first few minutes of boarding. They must board immediately after being called or risk losing their seat.

Then comes general boarding. No one has assigned seats after this. Our airport asks that families board first in an effort to keep them together. I have heard of airports that do not do this. Just make sure you are close to the gate when general boarding is called if you do not want a middle seat or need seats together.

At this time anyone with an assigned seat loses their right to have it, unless they are sitting in it. This is where I've seen problems. People assume since they bought their seat that it will be waiting for them, so they board towards the end of the boarding phase. They get to their seat and someone from general seating has now claimed it. The flight attendants explain they have lost their seat and people can get very upset.

I have a family of seven and we do not buy our seats anymore. We just board when families are called and never have a problem seating together.

The best advice is to sit close to the gate and attendant desk and listen to what ticket is boarding. Our airport does not allow anyone to be standing anywhere near the gate or they won't let anyone board. It just becomes chaotic when general boarding is called. You are at the best advantage if you get there early and snag a sit close to the gate.

Enjoy your trip!