Anyone have experience with DELTA airlines family seating 7 days prior to flight?

[jrw118]

I just purchased very low airfare from Delta for our departure flight from WDW. When I went to select my seats there were none together. I called Delta and was told to book the flight then call back and they will "unblock" the seats so I can sit with my kids ds7 and ds 4. I did as told and called back only to be told by a supervisor that they cannot unblock them at this time, call back 7 days prior to departure and they will "try" to do it. They will not guarantee that I will sit with my kids???? We could potentially be spread out on the plane!!! ***

ANyone have any insight on this? I have 24 hours to cancel and get my money back. I am NOT letting my 4 or 7 yr old sit alone on an airplane.

 

[DebbieB]

I just purchased very low airfare from Delta for our departure flight from WDW. When I went to select my seats there were none together. I called Delta and was told to book the flight then call back and they will "unblock" the seats so I can sit with my kids ds7 and ds 4. I did as told and called back only to be told by a supervisor that they cannot unblock them at this time, call back 7 days prior to departure and they will "try" to do it. They will not guarantee that I will sit with my kids???? We could potentially be spread out on the plane!!! ***

ANyone have any insight on this? I have 24 hours to cancel and get my money back. I am NOT letting my 4 or 7 yr old sit alone on an airplane.

Even if you book assigned seats together, there's no guarantee that there will not be an equipment change and you could be reassigned seats apart. Most people are good about accomodating young children. I've moved plenty of times (when they asked nicely). So you to decide if you want to take that risk or find another flight where there are open seats together.

 

[sam_gordon]

Even if you book assigned seats together, there's no guarantee that there will not be an equipment change and you could be reassigned seats apart. Most people are good about accomodating young children. I've moved plenty of times (when they asked nicely). So you to decide if you want to take that risk or find another flight where there are open seats together.

First, do NOT count on the bolded. Yes, you can try, but don't COUNT on it.
Second, even at the gate, Delta will TRY to put you all together (more in a moment)
Third, as mentioned, even if you are assigned seats together, that doesn't mean they'll stay together.
Fourth, I'd start "prepping" the 7yo they could be sitting by themselves.

Now, my stories...
1) A couple years ago when flying to WDW, we were sitting next to a family that had gotten separated. Instead of the three seats together they had originally booked, there were two in one row and one in the row behind. One of Delta's "changes" had forced them into different seats from what they had booked.
2) When heading on vacation this year, I had all our seats setup. 2, 1, 2. All three kids get window seats, teenager by her self, the two younger ones with me & DH. The first leg of our trip left 90 minutes late because of mechanical issues. Needless to say, we missed our connection. Delta put us on the next flight to our destination. But they didn't assign seats. When we got to the gate, I told the gate agent that of our 5 tickets, two were younger children (6 & 8). After about 20 minutes, they got us four seats together, and 1 two rows up. I simply wanted two seats together for the 6yo. The rest of us could deal.
3) On the way back from that vacation, at some point, Delta changed the 2, 1, 2 arrangement I had, and sat us all across in one row. I didn't realize it until too late, and it wasn't worth raising a stink.

So yes, you COULD get seats apart from each other, but probably not. Unless SW is available to you, you might as well stay with Delta.

 

[Tara]

Take a deep breath. The airline holds some seats for the purpose of same-day seat assignments. Check in right at the departure-24 hours point and see if you can get seats together. If not, plan on going to the airport earlier than normal and requesting to be moved when you check in. It's possible they can move you.

There's no guarantee that you will sit with your kids on any flight, so if you refuse to fly knowing that, you would be better off canceling now. It's unlikely you'll be separated from one or both of your kids, but not impossible.

 

[vacationclub]

I think this is mostly a Delta issue, as they seem to have a lot of changes, and apparently change equipment more that others too.

Not sure how SW would be an advantage, as they have no assigned seats at all. Jetblue, Airtran and others are very good and giving you assigned seats and sticking with them.

If you have 24 hours to cancel, try calling back one more time, ask them about picking your seats and if they don't let you view what's really available and pick, then threaten to cancel (be prepared to really go through with it) and see if they bend.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I just purchased very low airfare from Delta for our departure flight from WDW. When I went to select my seats there were none together. I called Delta and was told to book the flight then call back and they will "unblock" the seats so I can sit with my kids ds7 and ds 4. I did as told and called back only to be told by a supervisor that they cannot unblock them at this time, call back 7 days prior to departure and they will "try" to do it. They will not guarantee that I will sit with my kids???? We could potentially be spread out on the plane!!! ***

ANyone have any insight on this? I have 24 hours to cancel and get my money back. I am NOT letting my 4 or 7 yr old sit alone on an airplane.

You may need to cancel.. Delta has a new "low fare" option that does NOT allow you to pick a seat. I am not sure if you booked that but if you did, then .....

Call back and ask if that's the type of fare you bought. If it is, cancel. It's suppose to be clearly noted on the screen, but so far I have not booked a fare that qualified so I am not sure.

And do not assume "people will accommodate" especially for a 7 year old. They are old enough to fly as unaccompanied minors....

 

[vacationclub]

There's no guarantee that you will sit with your kids on any flight, so if you refuse to fly knowing that, you would be better off canceling now.

Hmm...in my years of flying, mostly on Airtran and US Airways and Jetblue, I've never been surprised by not getting the seat(s) I picked. I have a 100% success rate. So to say there's no guarantee that you will sit with your kids on any flight is kind of (in my opinion) a bit of an overstatement. It's actually very likely you will sit the in the seat you picked or paid for, but this statement doesn't necessarily apply to Delta due to their high incidents of flight changes. Delta did a bait and switch on me once, forcing me to to a different flight with different equipment but I still received 4 seats together.

 

[Tara]

Hmm...in my years of flying, mostly on Airtran and US Airways and Jetblue, I've never been surprised by not getting the seat(s) I picked. I have a 100% success rate. So to say there's no guarantee that you will sit with your kids on any flight is kind of (in my opinion) a bit of an overstatement. It's actually very likely you will sit the in the seat you picked or paid for, but this statement doesn't necessarily apply to Delta due to their high incidents of flight changes. Delta did a bait and switch on me once, forcing me to to a different flight with different equipment but I still received 4 seats together.

Please re-read what I said. I said there's no guarantee, as in, the airline will not guarantee you can sit with your children. That is in no way an overstatement.

 

[jrw118]

Update well sort of. I went online and chose three middle seats in a row 13e,14e,15e. At least I have these selected. I will keep trying to have seats together but if not I will deal. I paid $269 for 3 seats non stop from JFK in nyc The price is well worth it. I pity the person who sits with my little guy lol. My guess is once they get a good luck at ds 4 they will want me to sit with him. He is a menace. Lol.
Also we are flying with sw for the trip to wdw. The price with delta was $75-$99 cheaper each. So it saved $300 worth it

 

[jrw118]

Oh and thanks for all the replies.

 

[DebbieB]

Update well sort of. I went online and chose three middle seats in a row 13e,14e,15e. At least I have these selected. I will keep trying to have seats together but if not I will deal. I paid $269 for 3 seats non stop from JFK in nyc The price is well worth it. I pity the person who sits with my little guy lol. My guess is once they get a good luck at ds 4 they will want me to sit with him. He is a menace. Lol.
Also we are flying with sw for the trip to wdw. The price with delta was $75-$99 cheaper each. So it saved $300 worth it

It's possible the aisle and window seats in those rows are being held for preferred flyers and may possibly open up. Or they could be upgraded to first class, which will open up seats.

 

[vacationclub]

Please re-read what I said. I said there's no guarantee, as in, the airline will not guarantee you can sit with your children. That is in no way an overstatement.

Based on the my personal experiences that I discussed, it is an overstatement to say that you won't be guaranteed to sit with people in your party (after you picked and possibly paid for seat assignments) on any flight. If you pick a seat, especially if you paid for it, there's a very high chance (100% success rate for my entire flying career) that you will sit in these seats.

Or were you comments limited only to Delta?

 

[goofy4tink]

Update well sort of. I went online and chose three middle seats in a row 13e,14e,15e. At least I have these selected. I will keep trying to have seats together but if not I will deal. I paid $269 for 3 seats non stop from JFK in nyc The price is well worth it. I pity the person who sits with my little guy lol. My guess is once they get a good luck at ds 4 they will want me to sit with him. He is a menace. Lol.
Also we are flying with sw for the trip to wdw. The price with delta was $75-$99 cheaper each. So it saved $300 worth it

Please understand where I'm coming from when I say this, I don't mean to sound 'snarky', but......you chose very inexpensive seats. You knew, when buying them, that it could very well mean being seated apart from your children. If I have paid my fare, and chosen my specific seat, I am not going to be likely to give up my seat in order to take a middle seat so that you can be next to your child. And I think you will find the vast majority of fliers are going to feel that way. I take a middle seat only when flying with my family. So, in order to not get stuck in that middle seat, I pay what I need to pay in order to get the seat I want.
So, know that if I were seated next to your 4 y/o?? I wouldn't be much concerned about how he 'looks'. He may, indeed, be a menace. Not my issue. Obviously, if there were to be an immediate issue..he was choking or hurt, I would help him. But I won't entertain him, I won't deal with any outbursts.

We see parents here, all the time, who get cheap fares, and then aren't able to get seats with their kids. So, they tell us..'well, I hope they don't mind sitting next to my child....he can be a handful. I think that they'll be happy to move for me rather than deal with my child.'....and it seldom works.

Again, I don't mean to sound harsh, I really don't. But, it's no one's responsibility to deal with another person's child.

 

[goofy4tink]

Based on the my personal experiences that I discussed, it is an overstatement to say that you won't be guaranteed to sit with people in your party (after you picked and possibly paid for seat assignments) on any flight. If you pick a seat, especially if you paid for it, there's a very high chance (100% success rate for my entire flying career) that you will sit in these seats.

Or were you comments limited only to Delta?

I will say that only with Delta have I been split up from my child. And yes, that was partly my fault. I was traveling solo, and then allowed my child to accompany me...so we were on two different confirmation numbers. So, when Delta cancelled our flight, they put people on two different flights. When I called to tell Delta that I really did prefer to have my, then, 11 y/o dd with me, on the same flight, they were more than happy to move her back to my flight, with seats together!!! We have also been split up seatwise with Delta as well...same reservation number, but the flight was changed, and the computer assigned new seating!!! Delta had no issue putting us back together again.

But, if you book seats that aren't together, hoping to get seats together, at the gate??? Then, all bets are off. Yes, many times they are able to accommodate families. But there are instances where it doesn't work out, not often but it does happen.

 

[jrw118]

Please understand where I'm coming from when I say this, I don't mean to sound 'snarky', but......you chose very inexpensive seats. You knew, when buying them, that it could very well mean being seated apart from your children. If I have paid my fare, and chosen my specific seat, I am not going to be likely to give up my seat in order to take a middle seat so that you can be next to your child. And I think you will find the vast majority of fliers are going to feel that way. I take a middle seat only when flying with my family. So, in order to not get stuck in that middle seat, I pay what I need to pay in order to get the seat I want.
So, know that if I were seated next to your 4 y/o?? I wouldn't be much concerned about how he 'looks'. He may, indeed, be a menace. Not my issue. Obviously, if there were to be an immediate issue..he was choking or hurt, I would help him. But I won't entertain him, I won't deal with any outbursts.

We see parents here, all the time, who get cheap fares, and then aren't able to get seats with their kids. So, they tell us..'well, I hope they don't mind sitting next to my child....he can be a handful. I think that they'll be happy to move for me rather than deal with my child.'....and it seldom works.

Again, I don't mean to sound harsh, I really don't. But, it's no one's responsibility to deal with another person's child.

Not harsh. Factual. I understand but please understand that before booking I called delta and was misinformed! I would have never even known to call for family seatin had not been instructed to do so. In addition, had I been informed that a more expensive seat opened up more choices I may have paid more. When I asked the supervisor about the cost to upgrade to preferential seating she said that it is done 24 hrs before flight and would be $9-$29. She said she could not be specific because her computer was down. After waiting more than 45 min on hold originally and the wait for a supervisor I did not want to wait any more.

 

[vacationclub]

I will say that only with Delta have I been split up from my child. And yes, that was partly my fault. I was traveling solo, and then allowed my child to accompany me...so we were on two different confirmation numbers. So, when Delta cancelled our flight, they put people on two different flights. When I called to tell Delta that I really did prefer to have my, then, 11 y/o dd with me, on the same flight, they were more than happy to move her back to my flight, with seats together!!! We have also been split up seatwise with Delta as well...same reservation number, but the flight was changed, and the computer assigned new seating!!! Delta had no issue putting us back together again.

But, if you book seats that aren't together, hoping to get seats together, at the gate??? Then, all bets are off. Yes, many times they are able to accommodate families. But there are instances where it doesn't work out, not often but it does happen.

Delta seems to be mentioned a lot in these stories, including my own.

 

[robinb]

Based on the my personal experiences that I discussed, it is an overstatement to say that you won't be guaranteed to sit with people in your party (after you picked and possibly paid for seat assignments) on any flight. If you pick a seat, especially if you paid for it, there's a very high chance (100% success rate for my entire flying career) that you will sit in these seats.

Or were you comments limited only to Delta?

My personal experience is that your personal experience is lucky. My family has been separated more than once.

 

[vacationclub]

My personal experience is that your personal experience is lucky. My family has been separated more than once.

Under what circumstances? What airline? Did you select seats....pay for that selection? I find it hard to believe that you have to be "lucky" to get a seat or seats you paid for and check in early for.

 

[Tara]

Based on the my personal experiences that I discussed, it is an overstatement to say that you won't be guaranteed to sit with people in your party (after you picked and possibly paid for seat assignments) on any flight. If you pick a seat, especially if you paid for it, there's a very high chance (100% success rate for my entire flying career) that you will sit in these seats.

Or were you comments limited only to Delta?

There is a world of difference between your personal experience, what is likely, and what the airline will GUARANTEE. Again, my comments are not an overstatement. I even went on to say it was improbable that the OP and children would be separated. But there is no guarantee offered by Delta that they won't be.

I have had experience having my seat assignments moved, and not only by Delta, and not only in coach.

 

[vacationclub]

There is a world of difference between your personal experience, what is likely, and what the airline will GUARANTEE. Again, my comments are not an overstatement. I even went on to say it was improbable that the OP and children would be separated. But there is no guarantee offered by Delta that they won't be.

I have had experience having my seat assignments moved, and not only by Delta, and not only in coach.

Ah, "offered by Delta". OK, so you were referring only to Delta. You originally said "on any flight"....not specifically Delta flights, which is why I asked about that.

You mentioned having seat assignments moved. Did your party get separated and did you pay for those assignments (or even pick them to begin with). Details please.