American Airlines charging a seat assignment fee.

[TLinden16]

I'm going to move this to our transportation board.

 

[hookedonears]

If I understand things correctly, they're asking 26 more if the customer wants a specific seat. That option has been added since I flew American. We didn't have that option. We were stuck getting our seat assignments at check in for the first flight. Personally, I don't agree with the extra 26. But it's not all that much different than Southwest adding a fee if you want to check in earlier than their non fee added check in time. And you have to do that if you want to be A cattle rather than B or C cattle.

We don't want specific seats. We want seats period. All we have now are tickets without a seat assignments. AA told us that we can get our seat assignment when we get to the gate in Dallas, or we can pay $26 per person and get one 12 hours before the flight. What happens if the flight is over booked. We're out of luck. The problem with our flight is, we're flying to Vail/Eagle, CO, which is a very small airport, and there are no more flights on American that we can catch. More than likely, there's a large group holding a bunch of space. Hopefully seat assignments will open up between now and then, but if not, we may be SOL.

 

[Brian Noble]

And the people that accept that is why customer service is pretty much dead. So are you saying that people should just accept being treated poorly because they are getting a deal? If that's the case I weep for society.

It's worse than that. They don't *accept* being treated poorly, they *seek it out*, because they can save $20 on a roundtrip flight with airline A vs. airline B, and it doesn't matter if A's reputation for customer service is horrible. A lot of people lambasted Spirit's CEO for this letter, but he was absolutely, 100% correct.

I fly a fair bit---not a lot by road-warrior standards, but usually around 40-50K air miles in a year. Most of those flights are on Delta, but in the past year I've been on Southwest, Delta, AirTran, and USAir domestically, and AirFrance and KLM internationally. The domestic carriers are all pretty much the same: if you have status with them, they treat you pretty well. If you don't, you are effectively just being transported from point A to point B. The marketplace here has made it clear that that's what they want: cheap transportation, period.

The international carriers, interestingly, seem to make fewer distinctions in-flight between elite-status and "regular" customers, but the overall base level of service is a little higher. On a 2 hour and change flight from LIS to AMS, KL served us a hot breakfast sandwich, and then an hour later a nice piece of peach coffeecake. In coach!

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Whenever I see a thread like this one, I always wonder why people buy airline tickets and never bother to read the airline's policies and rules, which are available on every airline's website. Read these FIRST, then if you don't agree, chose another airline.

AA doesn't charge for seat assignment for regular seats; clearly stated on their website. If the OP had bothered to look, it might have saved some grief:

http://www.aa.com/i18n/urls/seats.jsp?anchorLocation=DirectURL&title=seats

Pre-Reserved Seats

You may select an available seat based on seat inventory when you book your flight or any time prior to departure at no charge
If there are no seats available or you choose not to select a seat, you will receive an automatically-assigned seat at no charge at check-in as early as 24 hours before departure

We don't want specific seats. We want seats period. All we have now are tickets without a seat assignments. AA told us that we can get our seat assignment when we get to the gate in Dallas, or we can pay $26 per person and get one 12 hours before the flight. What happens if the flight is over booked. We're out of luck.

Why are you complaining, when there is an easy solution to your dilemma? PAY the $26 for a preferred seat. Problem solved. I think some people enjoy ranting more than actually figuring out how to resolve problems.

 

[ironz]

Whenever I see a thread like this one, I always wonder why people buy airline tickets and never bother to read the airline's policies and rules, which are available on every airline's website. Read these FIRST, then if you don't agree, chose another airline.

AA doesn't charge for seat assignment for regular seats; clearly stated on their website. If the OP had bothered to look, it might have saved some grief:

http://www.aa.com/i18n/urls/seats.jsp?anchorLocation=DirectURL&title=seats

Pre-Reserved Seats

You may select an available seat based on seat inventory when you book your flight or any time prior to departure at no charge
If there are no seats available or you choose not to select a seat, you will receive an automatically-assigned seat at no charge at check-in as early as 24 hours before departure




Why are you complaining, when there is an easy solution to your dilemma? PAY the $26 for a preferred seat. Problem solved. I think some people enjoy ranting more than actually figuring out how to resolve problems.

This.
I put out several good suggestions in my post (on p. 2)...
And really, the one agent the OP did talk to assured him/her that they have seats, just not assigned.
I don't think they need to play the $26...I think they just need to be patient, make at least one more phone call now to verify. Then try later to get their seats. They might be split up, but they do have places on the plane.

I get this alot with business travel, since those are often booked about 30 days from travel....'seat will be assigned at check in or at airport'....I've always had someplace to sit on the plane.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

The concern about being involuntarily denied boarding due to not having a seat assignment is overstated. On average, AA flies 275,000 passengers and about 24 of them are involuntarily denied boarding. Those that are involuntarily denied boarding and delayed as a result are entitled to cash compensation. In most cases the airline can find those willing to accept a voucher and be voluntarily denied boarding. -- Suzanne

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Sounds like the only seats left on the flight are preferred seats. That's what happens when you book six weeks or so before Christmas. If you wanted to choose your seats for free you should have booked earlier.

Well put!

The title of this thread, "American Airlines charging a seat assignment fee," is WRONG. American offers the vast majority of the seats on every flight for pre-assignment with no fee.

A limited number of seats (toward the front of the coach cabin) are considered preferred seats. They're available for pre-assignment without a fee to passengers of full-fare ("Y") coach tickets and elite-level frequent flyers; and they're available with a fee to anyone who is willing to pay a relatively modest fee. It makes sense; it means that last-minute business flyers who often pay very high fares don't get stuck with middle seats at the back of the plane.

NOBODY is required to pay a seat-assignment fee on American. If you plan ahead, you get a free seat assignment.

And if you don't plan ahead, you can check in online 24 hours ahead of time and get free seat assignments. At that time, the preferred seats are released into to the pool of seats available to everyone. And some elite frequent flyers have been upgraded to first class, freeing their coach seats.

Finally, a small number of seats, such as the bulkhead seats are held back for day-of-flght assignment at the airport.

Being "bumped" (involuntarily denied boarding) because of not having seat assignments is a non-issue. On leisure routes, involuntarily denied boarding is very rare because there are plenty of passengers eager to accept tickets on a later flight in return for airline vouchers. And it's seldom even necessary to make such offers because the airlines (including American) have became very good at filling seats seats without having to deny boarding.

The real lesson from this thread should be that families planning a vacation should not wait too long to buy airline tickets, especially for time periods when there are school vacations.

 

[hookedonears]

Sounds like the only seats left on the flight are preferred seats. That's what happens when you book six weeks or so before Christmas. If you wanted to choose your seats for free you should have booked earlier.

Unfortunately, our trip didn't come together until the time we booked. Would have loved to have booked earlier. The ticket prices were actually pretty low ($519 and $569) leading me to believe that the flight isn't full, though there must be a large group holding space. I don't know where people get that we're trying to sellect specific seats? That's not the case at all. When you typically book an Airline ticket, you get a seat assignment. In this case, they aren't available. What gets me is that the AA booking agent told me that if we still don't have seat assignments prior to our flight, I can call 12 hours before the flight and pay $26 per person to get my seat assignments (if available), or wait and try to get them at the gate. Paying the $26, because we're not going to wait, is just wrong.

 

[hookedonears]

Next time buy a ticket that includes a seat, you know, like first class. Don;t blame the airline because you bought a cheap ticket.....

Okay, why didn't I think of that?

 

[kaytieeldr]

Unfortunately, our trip didn't come together until the time we booked. Would have loved to have booked earlier. The ticket prices were actually pretty low ($519 and $569) leading me to believe that the flight isn't full, though there must be a large group holding space. I don't know where people get that we're trying to sellect specific seats? That's not the case at all. When you typically book an Airline ticket, you get a seat assignment. In this case, they aren't available. What gets me is that the AA booking agent told me that if we still don't have seat assignments prior to our flight, I can call 12 hours before the flight and pay $26 per person to get my seat assignments (if available), or wait and try to get them at the gate. Paying the $26, because we're not going to wait, is just wrong.

And we're trying to tell you to call back and talk to a different agent, because neither the timing nor the price sound right. Honestly, I've never heard of a twelve hour advance seat assignment; it's always been at booking, or 24 hours in advance, or SWA's not at all. And AA's preferred seat selection charge starts at $4... twenty-four hours before departure. See the link in my earlier post.

Also don't see where you are getting this 'large group' thing. It seems more that AA has reached their limit of preassignable seats on that flight.

 

[Jey12]

And we're trying to tell you to call back and talk to a different agent, because neither the timing nor the price sound right. Honestly, I've never heard of a twelve hour advance seat assignment; it's always been at booking, or 24 hours in advance, or SWA's not at all. And AA's preferred seat selection charge starts at $4... twenty-four hours before departure. See the link in my earlier post.

Also don't see where you are getting this 'large group' thing. It seems more that AA has reached their limit of preassignable seats on that flight.

This. Simply call again. I also have never heard of a 12 hour window. Most airlines allow for online check in at the 24 hour mark, and you can pre pay your checked bags at this time as well. The fee you were quoted is also extremely high compared to other airlines. I gladly paid the $6 one from Air Tran last year to make sure I would be sitting next to my daughter. I would be willing to roll the dice leaving my home airport because usually there's more business travelers and the seats are pretty open until that 24 hour mark, but once we hit a bigger airport for our connecting flight, in our case Atlanta to Orlando, and obviously there's going to be more families and I want to ensure a seat next to my child.

I'm going to imagine once you call again and get a different agent you will get a completely different answer. If you don't politely ask to speak with a supervisor for futher clarification.

 

[Jey12]

Double post

 

[Scrappy_Tink]

Interesting that you're laughing because a passenger with a window seat was forced to move because the military messed upon your seat assignment and you didn't try to resolve it before boarding; and that you so easily burdened her with a list of directions

This was 20 years ago, when there wasn't internet to check your seat assignments...the ticket's simply showed that our seat numbers were together, so I didn't know until AFTER I boarded the plane that there was an aisle between us. The only reason I "burdened" her with a list of directions was because of the HUGE fit she threw. She didn't care that a child/mother was going to be separated...and it's not like she had to comply with the list, I was just trying to make a point...it ain't no fun be straddled next to an 18 month old baby!!

 

[Scrappy_Tink]

Whenever I see a thread like this one, I always wonder why people buy airline tickets and never bother to read the airline's policies and rules, which are available on every airline's website. Read these FIRST, then if you don't agree, chose another airline.

AA doesn't charge for seat assignment for regular seats; clearly stated on their website. If the OP had bothered to look, it might have saved some grief:

http://www.aa.com/i18n/urls/seats.jsp?anchorLocation=DirectURL&title=seats

Pre-Reserved Seats

You may select an available seat based on seat inventory when you book your flight or any time prior to departure at no charge
If there are no seats available or you choose not to select a seat, you will receive an automatically-assigned seat at no charge at check-in as early as 24 hours before departure




Why are you complaining, when there is an easy solution to your dilemma? PAY the $26 for a preferred seat. Problem solved. I think some people enjoy ranting more than actually figuring out how to resolve problems.

This.
I put out several good suggestions in my post (on p. 2)...
And really, the one agent the OP did talk to assured him/her that they have seats, just not assigned.
I don't think they need to play the $26...I think they just need to be patient, make at least one more phone call now to verify. Then try later to get their seats. They might be split up, but they do have places on the plane.

I get this alot with business travel, since those are often booked about 30 days from travel....'seat will be assigned at check in or at airport'....I've always had someplace to sit on the plane.

Yeah, I was thinking when I booked our up-coming flight that choosing the seats was free....with the OPs post, I thought maybe it's changed since then. I do remember trying to choose the Exit Rows because you have a lot more leg room and saw that disclaimer. I'm debating whether it's worth it or not.... Our last flight in May, they had made an announcement before the flight that there were exit row seats available, and if you wanted to switch seats to report up front. My DH had just went to the bathroom, so I would have had to drug all the carry-on stuff with me, which I couldn't leave unattended, otherwise I'd been racing up there!!

 

[hookedonears]

Whenever I see a thread like this one, I always wonder why people buy airline tickets and never bother to read the airline's policies and rules, which are available on every airline's website. Read these FIRST, then if you don't agree, chose another airline.

AA doesn't charge for seat assignment for regular seats; clearly stated on their website. If the OP had bothered to look, it might have saved some grief:

http://www.aa.com/i18n/urls/seats.jsp?anchorLocation=DirectURL&title=seats

Pre-Reserved Seats

You may select an available seat based on seat inventory when you book your flight or any time prior to departure at no charge
If there are no seats available or you choose not to select a seat, you will receive an automatically-assigned seat at no charge at check-in as early as 24 hours before departure




Why are you complaining, when there is an easy solution to your dilemma? PAY the $26 for a preferred seat. Problem solved. I think some people enjoy ranting more than actually figuring out how to resolve problems.

This.
I put out several good suggestions in my post (on p. 2)...
And really, the one agent the OP did talk to assured him/her that they have seats, just not assigned.
I don't think they need to play the $26...I think they just need to be patient, make at least one more phone call now to verify. Then try later to get their seats. They might be split up, but they do have places on the plane.

I get this alot with business travel, since those are often booked about 30 days from travel....'seat will be assigned at check in or at airport'....I've always had someplace to sit on the plane.

Uh, excuse me. I don't care what AA's website says. I know what's available and what I was told by an AA booking agent. These are regular seats, booked directly through AA and there are no seat assignments available for coach period We chose this airline because it was the only carrier that had a flight that would fit our schedule. We live in a small market and Vail/Eagle is a very small airport and has very few flights in and out of each day, and by only a very few carriers period Having to pay for a seat assignment for a ticket we've already purchased is completely wrong. We are going to be patient, and hopefully, seats will become available. This whole Post was about AA saying they would charge $26 per person for seat assignments if we call starting 12 hours before our flight, or we could just take the chance and wait until we get to the gate.

 

[Lewisc]

Unfortunately, our trip didn't come together until the time we booked. Would have loved to have booked earlier. The ticket prices were actually pretty low ($519 and $569) leading me to believe that the flight isn't full, though there must be a large group holding space. I don't know where people get that we're trying to sellect specific seats? That's not the case at all. When you typically book an Airline ticket, you get a seat assignment. In this case, they aren't available. What gets me is that the AA booking agent told me that if we still don't have seat assignments prior to our flight, I can call 12 hours before the flight and pay $26 per person to get my seat assignments (if available), or wait and try to get them at the gate. Paying the $26, because we're not going to wait, is just wrong.

At some point all the seats together are taken and the only remaining seats are scattered throughout the plane. At some point you could literally be buying middle seats, scattered throughout the plane. You booked your flight late. These are (or were) your options.

1. You could have selected a different flight with seats available.
2. You can pay extra for "preferred seats"
3. Airlines hold back some seats for gate assignment. They'd prefer at least one parent can sit next to a very young (under 5) child. You can get to the gate early.
4. You can keep checking. As elite fliers are upgraded to first class and or preferred seats. Some seats might even get released when you do OLCI

 

[hookedonears]

And we're trying to tell you to call back and talk to a different agent, because neither the timing nor the price sound right. Honestly, I've never heard of a twelve hour advance seat assignment; it's always been at booking, or 24 hours in advance, or SWA's not at all. And AA's preferred seat selection charge starts at $4... twenty-four hours before departure. See the link in my earlier post.

Also don't see where you are getting this 'large group' thing. It seems more that AA has reached their limit of preassignable seats on that flight.

Have know idea what your talking about. 99% of the time, you get your seat assignment as soon as you book your ticket. You don't get your boarding pass untill 24 hours in advance. If you book your ticket directly through AA, you get your E-ticket which includes a seat assignment immediately. If you book through a 3rd party, you typically don't get your E-ticket until 24 hours in advance, but you still have a seat assignment tied to your reservation. 24 hours in advance, as said you get your boarding pass. That's how it works. This isn't the first time we've havn't received a seat assignments for a particular flight, but this is the first time that an Airline has told us that if we don't have seat assignments for a flight, we could call 12 hours in advance and pay $24 ($26+ after taxes) for the seat assignments.

 

[Jestocost]

Uh, excuse me. I don't care what AA's website says. I know what's available and what I was told by an AA booking agent. These are regular seats, booked directly through AA and there are no seat assignments available for coach period We chose this airline because it was the only carrier that had a flight that would fit our schedule. We live in a small market and Vail/Eagle is a very small airport and has very few flights in and out of each day, and by only a very few carriers period Having to pay for a seat assignment for a ticket we've already purchased is completely wrong. We are going to be patient, and hopefully, seats will become available. This whole Post was about AA saying they would charge $26 per person for seat assignments if we call starting 12 hours before our flight, or we could just take the chance and wait until we get to the gate.

If there are non-preferred seats available any time before your flight date you should be able to select them at no charge whether it's today, 12 days out or 12 hours out. It appears that there may be no non-preferred seats available at this time. If you can't select one in advance, one will eventually be assigned to you--although it could be after you are at the gate--at no charge unless the flight is oversold, which is a whole different issue. If you choose to wait and not to pay, you obviously will have little or no control over the location or over whether or not you sit next to (or even close to) the rest of your party.

Preferred Plus seats are available to full-fare ticket holders and premium AAdvantage members at booking or up until flight time at no additional charge. You cannot purchase an upgrade to these seats, IIRC.

Preferred seats (select aisle and window seats closer to the front of the cabin) are available for purchase at prices starting at $4 per seat 24 hours before the flight (and to full-fare ticket holders and premium AAdvantage members at no charge). I'm assuming this is what the agent was telling you about as far as paying to get a seat assignment. I've never seen it at $26, but I suppose that's possible. No clue why you were told 12 hours vs. 24 hours.

So, unless the flight is oversold you eventually will get a seat assigned somewhere on the plane at no additional charge and it could even wind up being a Preferred seat. If you want more control over the process and location, and/or access to more desirable seats, you can choose to pay for a Preferred seat starting 24 hours before your flight. You will not be forced to pay for a seat assignment as long as there are seats available to assign, although I can see how you may feel that AA essentially isn't giving you much of a choice. At best, the whole thing was poorly explained.

 

[ppony]

Deal!! Someone else's kid doesn't know where all my buttons are and don't tend to annoy me near as much as my own!! Can I bribe him with lollypops?

You don't know HOW funny that is! Becuase it's the ONLY candy he likes!

 

[hookedonears]

At some point all the seats together are taken and the only remaining seats are scattered throughout the plane. At some point you could literally by buying middle seats, scattered throughout the plane. You booked your flight late. These are (or were) your options.

1. You could have selected a different flight with seats available.
   No others fit our schedule.
2. You can pay extra for "preferred seats"
   When you look at AA's seating chart for our flight, No seat assignments are available period, unless your talking paying to be bumped to first class, buisness is not available, Perferred seating is NOT AVAILABLE PERIOD
3. Airlines hold back some seats for gate assignment. They'd prefer at least one parent can sit next to a very young (under 5) child. You can get to the gate early.
   We can only get to the gate as soon as our origination flight gets there. We don't care if we sit together, well maybe our daughter and her friend does (16 yrs old), but my wife and I don't care where we sit as long as we get on the plane.
4. You can keep checking. As elite fliers are upgraded to first class and or preferred seats. Some seats might even get released when you do OLCI

We'll keep checking at least twice a day.