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

[francie57]

We used to fly Delta all the time but since they have done away with all non-stops in our area we now used JetBlue and SW. My only suggestion would be to keep checking your flight at least once a week because we had Delta change the type of plane many times and they just throw all the names back into the computer and the seats are randomly assigned. When this happened as soon as I saw it I would go in and change the seat selection.

 

[robinb]

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.

Yes, seats that I paid for and selected in advance. The fact is, there are NO GUARANTEES that you will have the seat you selected and paid for and yes you are lucky that you have not run into problems as you appear to fly frequently. Airlines can and will reseat people.

The good news is that Delta is likely to work with the OP to seat her family together. If they can't, she can always ask other passengers to move. I have also moved more than once so a family can sit together, the last time on my return trip from Atlanta. Delta changed equipment and scattered passengers all over the plane. We all played musical chairs and my DD and I moved where ever was best for the families with smaller children.

 

[sam_gordon]

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.

First, please show us ANY airline that has a GUARANTEE that you will keep the same seats you booked.

I'm sure you have more flying experience than me. On our last trip (four flights) we had different seats on two of them.

The trip before that, the family sitting with us had different seats than what they booked.

Yes, there is probably a 99.5% (if not higher) "success" rate of getting the seats your booked. However, it is NOT a "guarantee" which is what Tara was talking about.

 

[Shagley]

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.

I know this isn't directed to me, but my sister and I also got separate by an airline after we had assigned seats (booked together and on the same confirmation number). The airline was United and it was in July of 2010. It was a short flight, and we are both adults so it wasn't too much of an issue, but it still irritated me. It was a flight from Chicago to Peoria and even though I had been checking periodically for changes, by the time I noticed there was a change, the flight was full and we were sitting a few rows apart. I called to see if we could be moved together, but they said since the flight was full I would have to ask at the counter. Since it was only a 45 minute flight and we had just gotten off of a long flight from Hawaii we didn't bother to ask to be moved.

Our assigned seats on the flight from Hawaii to Chicago had also been changed and they had us separated on that one too. Luckily that was a big enough plane and not sold out so they could move us back together for that flight.

So, yes, this can happen. Now I always check my flights multiple times to make sure our seats haven't been changed. Maybe it is just an issue with United.

 

[vacationclub]

I know this isn't directed to me, but my sister and I also got separate by an airline after we had assigned seats (booked together and on the same confirmation number). The airline was United and it was in July of 2010. It was a short flight, and we are both adults so it wasn't too much of an issue, but it still irritated me. It was a flight from Chicago to Peoria and even though I had been checking periodically for changes, by the time I noticed there was a change, the flight was full and we were sitting a few rows apart. I called to see if we could be moved together, but they said since the flight was full I would have to ask at the counter. Since it was only a 45 minute flight and we had just gotten off of a long flight from Hawaii we didn't bother to ask to be moved.

Our assigned seats on the flight from Hawaii to Chicago had also been changed and they had us separated on that one too. Luckily that was a big enough plane and not sold out so they could move us back together for that flight.

So, yes, this can happen. Now I always check my flights multiple times to make sure our seats haven't been changed. Maybe it is just an issue with United.

You never mentioned if you had picked those seats, or if you had paid for those choices. Did the airline just randomly assign your original seats to you? Or did you pick them? Did you have to pay to pick them?

 

[vacationclub]

First, please show us ANY airline that has a GUARANTEE that you will keep the same seats you booked.

Why? That's not the issue. Nothing in life is "guaranteed. But when paying for specific seats is an option, and then telling the OP that no matter what, you can't ever be guaranteed to sit with your kids, I believe that's a bit of an over dramatic statement. I didn't say it wasn't "technically' accurate, I said it was overstating it. The OP certainly can have a very reasonable assurance that she can sit with her kids on some flights.

I'm sure you have more flying experience than me. On our last trip (four flights) we had different seats on two of them.

The trip before that, the family sitting with us had different seats than what they booked.

Yes, there is probably a 99.5% (if not higher) "success" rate of getting the seats your booked. However, it is NOT a "guarantee" which is what Tara was talking about.

In any of these situations, did they pay for the seats and were they separated? None of your examples actually speak directly to the issue at hand unless there are more details you haven't revealed.

 

[Shagley]

You never mentioned if you had picked those seats, or if you had paid for those choices. Did the airline just randomly assign your original seats to you? Or did you pick them? Did you have to pay to pick them?

We did pick our seats, but we didn't have to pay extra to for them. With United the seat selection was included in the ticket price. So, we had originally picked the seats we wanted, but when they change the type of plane, they randomly assigned us seats that were not together.

 

[vacationclub]

Yes, seats that I paid for and selected in advance..

I was hoping that you might provide the circumstances about this. What airline? When did you discover it? What was their response? What ended up happening? Please explain.

The fact is, there are NO GUARANTEES that you will have the seat you selected and paid for and yes you are lucky that you have not run into problems as you appear to fly frequently. Airlines can and will reseat people.
.

No, there are no guarantees for anything, including the airline not going out of business before your flight, or that a giant squid wont come down and eat the plane. Nothing is completely ruled out. But the reason airlines sell you the privilege to pick your seat assignment is precisely to imply a guarantee for you, as opposed to the other method of not implying a guarantee for you. So to tell the OP who is concerned about sitting with children that no matter what there is no guarantee that they can sit next to their kids, on ANY flight, on ANY airline, even if they pay for the privilege, I believe is overstating the risk just a wee bit. The risk is very, very low on most airlines if you pay. Perhaps not 100% likely, but 99% likely, Delta not included.

Just curious, under what circumstance, that you believe the airlines will simply ignore the seating purchases and just move people around and separate them if they paid to be together? (Beside the obvious discussion of Delta and equipment changes... Some other airlines don't seem to have anywhere near their level of change incidents.)

 

[Tara]

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.

I am quite certain that no airline guarantees you will sit with your travel companions, regardless of whether you pay for your seat assignments.

I have been moved in first class (not an upgrade, a full-fare ticket from Newark to Houston that continued to Mexico City) when the airline (Continental) switched aircraft and the cabin configuration was different. Yes, I was separated from my travel companion. We ended up switching with someone onboard. Do you want the exact date? My confirmation number? What level of detail will be sufficient?

Furthermore, feel free to question me all you want. When you provide details about an airline that guarantees you will sit with people with whom you are traveling, then I will reconsider my statement. Also, for the record, if you are going to question someone's word choice, you might want to start by examining your own. You are the one who seems to be confusing things like "possibility" and "likelihood" with "guarantee."

 

[vacationclub]

We did pick our seats, but we didn't have to pay extra to for them. With United the seat selection was included in the ticket price. So, we had originally picked the seats we wanted, but when they change the type of plane, they randomly assigned us seats that were not together.

OK, thanks. So, United simply didn't offer any type of guarantee to begin with, so they didn't violate one. I never said that seats can't be re-assigned, I said that to tell the OP there is simply no guarantee she can sit with her kids on any flight, on any airline, when the opportunity to purchase seat assignments exists, is a bit of an overstatement.

 

[kda]

Keep checking your flight and look at the seating plan. Delta upgrades a lot of their frequent flyers in the days before the flight, and people change their plans. Seats could open up at any time. And definitely call at the 7 day mark and continue to call.

Good luck!

 

[vacationclub]

I am quite certain that no airline guarantees you will sit with your travel companions, regardless of whether you pay for your seat assignments.

Me too. I don't believe any of them use that language, but it's certainly implied when they take your money for the chance to pick where you sit.

I have been moved in first class (not an upgrade, a full-fare ticket from Newark to Houston that continued to Mexico City) when the airline (Continental) switched aircraft and the cabin configuration was different. Yes, I was separated from my travel companion. We ended up switching with someone onboard. Do you want the exact date? My confirmation number? What level of detail will be sufficient?

Just the situation....I think you know that. Why all the extra drama? Did they take any money for the seat assignment? You described equipment change. Not every airline has this issue, which is usually the cause of these seating problems, so the phrase "on any flight" is still a bit of an overstatement.

I never said that the it's not possible for a change, I said your "on any flight" wording was a bit of an overstatement. You might as well have said there is no guarantee the flight won't crash. That's also true, but not really necessary language to use for an OP concerned about finding a better option to sit with her kids.

Furthermore, feel free to question me all you want. When you provide details about an airline that guarantees you will sit with people with whom you are traveling, then I will reconsider my statement.

Why do I need to do that? I never said that no airline makes that guarantee, I said your language was overstating the risk involved to the OP regarding her concerns.

Also, for the record, if you are going to question someone's word choice, you might want to start by examining your own. You are the one who seems to be confusing things like "possibility" and "likelihood" with "guarantee."

No, as I've said repeatedly, I never claimed there is or is not any guarantee. My word choice (that all of this seems to be based on) was to say you were overstating the issue....or perhaps being unnecessarily dramatic, much like this post as well.

 

[Hannathy]

Our seats have been changed many times. On several airlines, heck going back to Midwest Express, way before the idea of charging for seats ever appeared. It has happened on United, United Express, Delta, Northwestern, and several feeder airlines. With all ages of kids.

Even when my DS flew last summer and I paid for his seat it was changed. I was a bit annoyed when he told me cause he was 12 flying alone and we had picked where he wanted to sit, but my sister didn't know and when she dropped him off at the airport didn't know they had changed it.

So pick your seats but if it will bother you that much if they change then maybe flying isn't for you.

All kids should be ready to sit apart from you at anytime and have their own bag of snacks and entertainment. It really isn't that big of a deal, they can't go anywhere and everyone goes to the same place at the same time!

 

[vacationclub]

Our seats have been changed many times. On several airlines, heck going back to Midwest Express, way before the idea of charging for seats ever appeared. It has happened on United, United Express, Delta, Northwestern, and several feeder airlines. With all ages of kids.

Even when my DS flew last summer and I paid for his seat it was changed. I was a bit annoyed when he told me cause he was 12 flying alone and we had picked where he wanted to sit, but my sister didn't know and when she dropped him off at the airport didn't know they had changed it.

So pick your seats but if it will bother you that much if they change then maybe flying isn't for you.

All kids should be ready to sit apart from you at anytime and have their own bag of snacks and entertainment. It really isn't that big of a deal, they can't go anywhere and everyone goes to the same place at the same time!

This example actually does not apply to the OP's situation, though. The situation in question is not if seating positions will change, it's if people who pay for seats will still sit together, even if perhaps moved to a different set of seats. I think single travelers are more likely to be targeted by some airlines for movement since there is no "party-splitting" involved.

Just curious if they refunded your seat assignment fee (or if you asked).

 

[mb187143]

This example actually does not apply to the OP's situation, though. The situation in question is not if seating positions will change, it's if people who pay for seats will still sit together, even if perhaps moved to a different set of seats. I think single travelers are more likely to be targeted by some airlines for movement since there is no "party-splitting" involved.

Just curious if they refunded your seat assignment fee (or if you asked).

my fiance and I flew to Atlanta on US Air last week for a conference. He booked our seats and paid for the choice seats, despite my reservations after the problem we encountered in December, but i didn't pay for it so i let it go. Well we checked in at 24 hours, got to the airport (PHL) 2 hours early (in fact closer to 2.5 hours early), and sure enough, about 45 minutes before boarding we got paged to the podium to let us know our seats had been moved, further back in the plane, and not together any longer. Since we both had work to do on the plane, we didn't really fight it, but we did ask for the seat fee to be refunded, the gate agent told my fiance to call customer service, which he did. So far, no refund, and customer service tried to tell him since we accepted the change, we're not eligible for the refund of the seat fee.

 

[robinb]

Just curious if they refunded your seat assignment fee (or if you asked).

I think I finally see the disconnect here. The OP is flying on a legacy airline: Delta. Unless she booked their new Basic Economy, she did not pay extra for a seat assignment. It comes with the tickets and can be reassigned at Delta's discretion.

 

[vacationclub]

So far, no refund, and customer service tried to tell him since we accepted the change, we're not eligible for the refund of the seat fee.

Sounds like some slight of hand going on here. The gate agent didn't say you had any choice, or at least worded something in a way that veiled the fact that you actually had to accept this. Since you didn't "refuse" it, perhaps that's how they get away with it, based on what customer service is telling you now. Especially since you have a printed boarding pass with your seat assignment, they may need your acceptance, and if you don't refuse, they take that for acceptance.

So, for future flights and other flyers, keep that in mind. If they try to pull this on you....refuse. Perhaps that will change the dynamic.

 

[mb187143]

Sounds like some slight of hand going on here. The gate agent didn't say you had any choice, or at least worded something in a way that veiled the fact that you actually had to accept this. Since you didn't "refuse" it, perhaps that's how they get away with it, based on what customer service is telling you now. Especially since you have a printed boarding pass with your seat assignment, they may need your acceptance, and if you don't refuse, they take that for acceptance.

So, for future flights and other flyers, keep that in mind. If they try to pull this on you....refuse. Perhaps that will change the dynamic.

i'm sure if we put up enough fuss we could have kept our original seats. This time though, we both had work to do anyway, so it wasn't like we were going to be chatting on our flight down. I think my fiance called US Air about the refund for sport more than out of a sense of confidence that they'd refund the seat fee. We usually don't fly US Air unless they have an unbeatable price, so it is what it is. It's not going to break us, and it's not worth his time to fight them for the refund when all is said and done.

 

[bumbershoot]

Not sure how SW would be an advantage, as they have no assigned seats at all.

Because you walk onto the plane, walk past the seats that are taken, find seats that are empty, and *sit in them*.

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.

Lovely. Fabulous.

You should have cancelled. Now you're stressed, you might not actually prep the kids for sitting alone (b/c you're amused by the poor traveler who sits next to one of the children you had and are raising), and it just FEELS like you're not taking this seriously.


My 8 year old recently got to sit apart from me. He was so nervous going into it, but I just kept talking to him about it. IN our situation it was a nearly last-minute thing when I realized I wasn't getting seat assignments for our second flight of the day, but I did my best. Then I managed two trades to get closer to him, trades with fabulous, wonderful, KIND people who either wanted to sit next to the college girls near my original seat or were separated from their own family and were fine moving to their row, but I was still in front of him.

And now he wants to travel like that all the time.

 

[sam_gordon]

Why? That's not the issue. Nothing in life is "guaranteed. But when paying for specific seats is an option, and then telling the OP that no matter what, you can't ever be guaranteed to sit with your kids, I believe that's a bit of an over dramatic statement. I didn't say it wasn't "technically' accurate, I said it was overstating it. The OP certainly can have a very reasonable assurance that she can sit with her kids on some flights.

I think you're either reading too much into the statement or trying to argue for arguments sake.

If a statement is "technically" accurate, it's accurate. If I tell the OP "There's no guarantee you'll get to the airport without having an accident" doesn't mean they'll have an accident, just that the possibility exists.

There are a couple reasons why seats could get changed and people not sit together... equipment/schedule changes or delays (mechanical or weather). Yes, the odds are GREATLY in favor of a party (especially one with younger kids) sitting together. But why not let folks know that may not happen so they can plan accordingly?