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

[goofy4tink]

Okay...I have copied this from Delta's official site...

Liability for Delay or Cancellation
We will exercise reasonable efforts to carry you and your baggage according to our published schedules and the schedule reflected on your ticket, but published schedules, flight times, aircraft type, seat assignments, and similar details reflected in your ticket or Delta's published schedules are not guaranteed and form no part of this contract. Delta may substitute alternate carriers or aircraft, delay or cancel flights, change seat assignments, and alter or omit stopping places shown on the ticket at any time.
If the change is due to circumstances beyond our control, we will have no liability to you other than to refund your ticket price. If the change is due to circumstances within our control, then we will transport you to your destination on our next available flight (or substitute alternative transportation at our discretion) and, depending upon the circumstances, you may be entitled to a partial refund and/or we may provide you with meals, lodging and/or ground transportation to accommodate you during the delay.

As you can see, Delta actually says there are no guarantees...for seating, flight times, etc.

Does it happen? Yes. Does it happen often? No. But, there is a reason that this is in their contract of carriage..to cover their behinds. It's all about the airlines, not about the passengers.

 

[vacationclub]

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

*If you can find a group together that meet you needs.

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

And you're not?

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.

I agree. I never said it wasn't accurate. I've said this multiple times. I said they are overstating the issue a bit when using the language that I highlighted from the very beginning. This is what's called "nuance".

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?

Sure, I agree. But it should come with some sort of extra language (like what you just provided) to explain the reality of the chances of this happening "on any flight". There was none. So I added some. That's why I said it was a bit of an overstatement to explain it in that way.

If the OP buys seats on, say, Airtran, pays for seat assignments, then there's no need for that statement that was simply alarmist. Just like saying there's no guarantee the plane won't crash. Also alarmist. The OP just doesn't want to worry about seat assignments apart, that she can't control...that's the issue....not the finer details of the tiny chances of an airline (besides Delta) separating you from children even when you pay for your seats assignments. I'm just keeping it real here.

OP- pay for some seat assignments. You will be fine. Upon the tiny chance of some airline separating at the gate you after you pay to be together...refuse, do not implicitly accept it.

 

[aubriee]

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?

Not sure why you are arguing with everyone, but I can say that I personally have paid for my seat assignments and have still gotten moved by the airline. Twice on Air Tran we lost our assigned seats. The first time they overbooked the flight. I got to my seat, just to find someone else already in it. When I told him he was in my seat, he pulled out his boarding pass which had the exact same seat assignment as mine. Thankfully he was traveling solo, so let the FA find him another seat. Since they had announced prior to boarding that the flight was overbooked and they were asking for volunteers to take a later flight, I am not really sure how they found him a different seat, but know they did. I guess people who hadn't prepaid for their seats were the ones that got bumped. The second time it happened on Air Tran I was traveling with my mom, had purchased a window and an aisle seat, and one day about a week before our flight I was just checking our seats, realized they had changed to a smaller plane and not only had we had both lost our seats, but we were no longer sitting together either. When I called, I was told that yes they had switched to a smaller plane, the flight was full, and there was nothing they could do. I asked again when we arrived at the airport and again at the gate and was told there was nothing they could do. I did ask for the seat fees to be refunded then and was referred to customer service, who said they would handle it. The money had not been refunded by the time we returned a week later, so I made several more calls, but never get the money back.

Some people may remember a post I made when we got back from WDW last Feb about our nightmare with American Airlines. My husband and I took our 3 y/o GS to WDW. I got an email from American Airlines saying my husband's itinerary had changed. Wondering why his might have been changed and ours hadn't, I went to the AA website where I found they had moved me and my husband to a different flight, leaving MCO an hour before our original flight. OK, fine, until I noticed that they had left our 3 y/o GS on the original flight. I called and the rep at first couldn't seem to understand why I was so upset and said that we could just meet up with him in Dallas an hour after our flight landed. When I finally got through to her that he was 3 y/o, not 30 y/o, she laughed and said she felt like a fool, and yeah, she could see we had checked child and put his age in when we booked the ticket. She said both flights were sold out flights, which is why we were moved in the first place, but put me on hold until she could fix it. She came back to tell me she had moved someone else off the later flight and moved my GS to our new flight. I asked her about the seats and told her at least one of us needed to sit with him since he was just 3 y/o and it was his first flight, plus we originally had seats together and still would have if they hadn't moved us. She put me back on hold and told me she had moved us so we could sit together, but it was further back in the plane than our original seats had been. OK, no problem at least we were together. However, they then screwed up again. Sometime during the week we were at WDW, our seats got mixed up again. We didn't know it until we were on the way to the airport on ME and looked at our boarding passes. We were scattered over the plane, sitting no where near each other. As soon as we got to MCO, I immediately ran to the AA desk, where we were told there was nothing they could do, but to talk with the gate agent once we got to the gate. The GA said there was nothing she could do, but not to worry and ask the FA once we boarded and she'd be able to find someone to change so that at least one of us could sit with him. Instead, a little while later that same GA called us up to the podium and gave us new boarding passes. They had apparently held back the first row in coach and she sat all three us there right behind first class. I had the email showing our flight confirmation showing our seats together on that second flight that I had printed just prior to leaving home the week before, but it didn't do any good. They had changed our seats during the week we were at WDW--still don't know why.

 

[vacationclub]

Not sure why you are arguing with everyone,

I'm responding to each and every one of the people directing a comment at me. So, if they respond to me, that's not arguing, but if I respond back...it's arguing? I'm not sure why you'd even make that statement unless you were looking to argue. I was asking for critical details so people can learn about real experiences to make decisions and come to conclusions, instead of going by statements like "you're lucky".

Twice on Air Tran we lost our assigned seats. The first time they overbooked the flight. I got to my seat, just to find someone else already in it. When I told him he was in my seat, he pulled out his boarding pass which had the exact same seat assignment as mine. Thankfully he was traveling solo, so let the FA find him another seat. Since they had announced prior to boarding that the flight was overbooked and they were asking for volunteers to take a later flight, I am not really sure how they found him a different seat, but know they did. I guess people who hadn't prepaid for their seats were the ones that got bumped.

Yes, it's a good idea to prepay to avoid these situations if they are important to you. You prepaid, and it looks like you may have prevailed because of that. Not really sure.

The second time it happened on Air Tran I was traveling with my mom, had purchased a window and an aisle seat, and one day about a week before our flight I was just checking our seats, realized they had changed to a smaller plane and not only had we had both lost our seats, but we were no longer sitting together either. When I called, I was told that yes they had switched to a smaller plane, the flight was full, and there was nothing they could do. I asked again when we arrived at the airport and again at the gate and was told there was nothing they could do. I did ask for the seat fees to be refunded then and was referred to customer service, who said they would handle it. The money had not been refunded by the time we returned a week later, so I made several more calls, but never get the money back.

Where both of those seats on the same reservation? Were either a reward flight?

Some people may remember a post I made when we got back from WDW last Feb about our nightmare with American Airlines. My husband and I took our 3 y/o GS to WDW. I got an email from American Airlines saying my husband's itinerary had changed. Wondering why his might have been changed and ours hadn't, I went to the AA website where I found they had moved me and my husband to a different flight, leaving MCO an hour before our original flight. OK, fine, until I noticed that they had left our 3 y/o GS on the original flight. I called and the rep at first couldn't seem to understand why I was so upset and said that we could just meet up with him in Dallas an hour after our flight landed. When I finally got through to her that he was 3 y/o, not 30 y/o, she laughed and said she felt like a fool, and yeah, she could see we had checked child and out his age in when we booked the ticket. She told both flights were sold out flights, which is why we were moved in the first place, but put me on hold until she could fix it. She came back to tell me she had moved someone else off the later flight and moved my GS to our new flight. I asked her about the seats and told her at least one of us needed to sit with him since he was just 3 y/o and it was his first flight, plus we originally had seats together and still would have if they hadn't moved us. She put me back on hold and told me she had moves us so we could sit together, but it was further back in the plane than our original seats had been. OK, no problem at least we were together. However, they then screwed up again. Sometime during the week we were at WDW, our seats got mixed up again. We didn't know it until we were on the way to the airport on ME and looked at our boarding passes. We were scatter over the plane, sitting no where near each other. As soon as we got to MCO, I immediately ran to the AA desk, where we were told there was nothing they could do, but to talk with the gate agent once we got to the gate. The GA said there was nothing she could do, but not to worry and ask the FA once we boarded and she's be able to find someone to change so that at least one of us could sit with him. Instead, a little while later that same GA called us up to the podium and gave us new boarding passes. They had apparently held back the first row in coach and she sat all three us there right behind first class.

Both of those situations sound painful, sorry to hear about those. That's why I avoid legacy airlines as much as possible. Did you pay for seat assignments on either of those flights? Were you all booked on the same reservation? I'm not "arguing"...I'm just curious, as those details help in others making decisions about their airline choices.

 

[Shagley]

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

 

[sam_gordon]

If the OP buys seats on, say, Airtran, pays for seat assignments, then there's no need for that statement that was simply alarmist. Just like saying there's no guarantee the plane won't crash. Also alarmist. The OP just doesn't want to worry about seat assignments apart, that she can't control...that's the issue....not the finer details of the tiny chances of an airline (besides Delta) separating you from children even when you pay for your seats assignments. I'm just keeping it real here.

Then you and I read it differently. I don't see saying there's no guarantee of sitting together as being alarmist. I see it as being realistic.

If someone said "there's no guarantee you won't be pulled aside by TSA", would that be "alarmist"? How many travelers go through security on a daily basis? How many are pulled aside for further inspection? I bet you it's actually a small percentage. The odds are GREATLY in your favor that you'll go through security with no issues. But if you tell someone they might be pulled aside (which is what "no guarantee you won't" means), is alarmist?

We'll have to agree to disagree.

 

[DebbieB]

OP- pay for some seat assignments. You will be fine. Upon the tiny chance of some airline separating at the gate you after you pay to be together...refuse, do not implicitly accept it.

Delta does not charge for seat assignments. The only options would be to pay to upgrade to Economy Comfort or First Class if there are seats together there.

 

[vacationclub]

Delta does not charge for seat assignments. The only options would be to pay to upgrade to Economy Comfort or First Class if there are seats together there.

Or choose another airline.

 

[vacationclub]

Then you and I read it differently. I don't see saying there's no guarantee of sitting together as being alarmist. I see it as being realistic.

If someone said "there's no guarantee you won't be pulled aside by TSA", would that be "alarmist"? How many travelers go through security on a daily basis? How many are pulled aside for further inspection? I bet you it's actually a small percentage.

I don't know these numbers and I'm guessing you do not either, but I will guess that your chances of being pulled aside by TSA are much greater (it's part of their routine and visible everyday) than paying for seat assignments on certain airlines, for multiple people to be together, on the same reservation, and having those people separated anyway with no recourse. Just my opinion. Please don't attack me for it.

 

[robinb]

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.

I think that cancelling the flight is pretty drastic. It's one of those arguments that I hear a lot on the DIS which essentially boils down to: "Quit your kvetching, take your ball and GO HOME!" when someone vents about something. I have been in the same situation with a child the exact same age and honestly felt the same as the OP. The FA asked passengers to move so my DD could sit with me and none of the MEN around our 3 middle seats offered. You don't want to move from your comfy window/aisle seat? Fine. You can sit next to my child who may or may not behave today. Totally your choice. I would have felt no pity for any of those men if she had acted up as a quieter, more enjoyable (albeit more cramped) flight was offered to them. Finally a WOMAN swapped her aisle seat with one of the men and took one of my middle seats. From that day forward I still back back her kindness when someone really wants to sit with their kids and I am asked. In fact, I moved on the very next flight to the last row for a family with a lap baby who needed 3 oxygen masks and there were only 2 in their row.

Who is to say that she isn't preparing her kids to sit alone? In addition, I believe that they will make every effort possible to have a seat for the 4-year old to sit next to the OP because of his age (4 and under). The 7-year old is more likely to be seated away from his family but he has more maturity (much like your own son) to entertain himself.

 

[fiestamomma]

Wow. The only time I've had trouble with seats is when they've been assigned so pretty much every time I haven't flown Southwest. I know some people don't like Southwest, but at least I know going in I have to be prepared to arrive early, look for seats or sit apart from my group.
I would be very upset paying for a flight that allows m to pick a seat only to have it changed!! Or paying an upgrade!!! Good God!!!

 

[maxiesmom]

And it is this exact attitude that prompts people to tell posters to take their ball and go home.

If I was in my preferred aisle seat, I probably wouldn't switch to a middle seat either. Trust me, your 4yr old's attitude has nothing on a middle aged woman having a claustrophobia induced panic attack while trapped in an airplane.

This is wholly a case of see to your family and their needs without relying on strangers to do it for you. That is why I book and pay for an aisle seat. If a certain flight doesn't have seats available that fits your needs, then don't book that flight. It is that easy. And before someone says "Well, that flight is the cheapest one/at the proper time" then that is the choice you are making. To save money by sacrificing your family sitting together. No one else should be expected to accommodate your family for your choice.

 

[robinb]

And it is this exact attitude that prompts people to tell posters to take their ball and go home.

You won't get rid me ME that easy .

This is wholly a case of see to your family and their needs without relying on strangers to do it for you. That is why I book and pay for an aisle seat. If a certain flight doesn't have seats available that fits your needs, then don't book that flight. It is that easy. And before someone says "Well, that flight is the cheapest one/at the proper time" then that is the choice you are making. To save money by sacrificing your family sitting together. No one else should be expected to accommodate your family for your choice.

Why do you assume that I didn't plan in advance to accommodate the needs of my family? In fact, I booked and paid for seats together. IIRC, there was an equipment change on our return flight home and we were scattered into middle seats by the computer.

 

[maxiesmom]

You won't get rid me ME that easy .

Why do you assume that I didn't plan in advance to accommodate the needs of my family? In fact, I booked and paid for seats together. IIRC, there was an equipment change on our return flight home and we were scattered into middle seats by the computer.

I don't really want to get rid of anyone! But it is very frustrating that so many parents have the attitude that you either need to move to accommodate them and their family members, or you will suffer the consequences!! And threatening that their child will misbehave seems to always be a popular choice.

There is nothing wrong with asking people to switch seats with you. But if you are told "No" then you need to accept it gracefully and maybe ask another fellow flyer. That person may be like me and have an actual need of the particular seat they are in. Muttering something under your breath about how you hope your child has his projectile vomiting under control, and how you are going to get what you deserve is not acceptable.

Not that that is what you said or did, but I think you get what I am saying. Ask, but don't demand. And if told "No", accept it gracefully.

 

[DebbieB]

I don't really want to get rid of anyone! But it is very frustrating that so many parents have the attitude that you either need to move to accommodate them and their family members, or you will suffer the consequences!! And threatening that their child will misbehave seems to always be a popular choice.

There is nothing wrong with asking people to switch seats with you. But if you are told "No" then you need to accept it gracefully and maybe ask another fellow flyer. That person may be like me and have an actual need of the particular seat they are in. Muttering something under your breath about how you hope your child has his projectile vomiting under control, and how you are going to get what you deserve is not acceptable.

Not that that is what you said or did, but I think you get what I am saying. Ask, but don't demand. And if told "No", accept it gracefully.

Someone tried to pull something like that on me one time. I was in the window seat, at the last minute a woman gets on with a toddler and a lapbaby. The toddler daughter sat in the middle seat, the mom and baby in the aisle seat. I looked around to see if there was an empty seat I could move to but didn't see any. I was trying to get the FA's attention. Then she started with a comment to her daughter "I think you look like you are getting sick". Then "let's decide which songs we are going to sing", then a couple more comments. She was trying to push me out of the seat so that she could have all 3. No deal. I just plopped on my headset and closed my eyes.

 

[aubriee]

Someone tried to pull something like that on me one time. I was in the window seat, at the last minute a woman gets on with a toddler and a lapbaby. The toddler daughter sat in the middle seat, the mom and baby in the aisle seat. I looked around to see if there was an empty seat I could move to but didn't see any. I was trying to get the FA's attention. Then she started with a comment to her daughter "I think you look like you are getting sick". Then "let's decide which songs we are going to sing", then a couple more comments. She was trying to push me out of the seat so that she could have all 3. No deal. I just plopped on my headset and closed my eyes.

I had the same thing happen on one of my Air Tran flights. Mom had a lap baby around a year or so old in the window seat, her husband was in the middle seat, and I was in my preferred aisle seat up close to the front of the plane. As soon as they got seated, the mom started with heavy sighing and acting very put out that I was there, saying how they had been hoping to have three seats, so the baby could have the middle seat to play in. I just smiled and ignored them. Even before take off, she changed her pleasant tone to subtle threats of how the baby would probably cry if he had to sit in their laps the whole flight, of how the baby often had projectile vomiting and she hoped I didn't get any on me, and she hoped when the dad was holding the baby he didn't kick me, and how maybe I should ask the FA for another seat. By that point I was getting really irritated with her (dad wasn't saying a word). I finally just smiled, told her I was fine, and was putting my earphones in and going to sleep, so the baby wouldn't bother me at all. All that was left on that flight was a couple of middle seats in the back of the plane. I had paid $15.00 to get the aisle seat close to the front that I needed due to claustrophobic issues and was not moving. I did sweetly ask if they had paid for their seats and was told they had not, that they had gone online at the 24 hours mark and got them for free. Not only did they get their seats for free, but she expected me to give up my $15.00 seat so they'd have three free seats, including an empty seat to put their lap baby in. Wasn't happening. I hate to fly and can not sit in middle seats or seats in the back of a plane due to claustrophobic issues, and always try to close my eyes, listen to my MP3 player and go to sleep ASAP, so paid for the seat I needed. They could have done the same, instead of threatening some stranger with their child misbehaving. Ask me nicely offering me a comparable aisle seat to the one I paid for and I'll probably switch with anyone. Offer me a middle seat in the back of the plane or make subtle threats and I'm not budging.