ATA Web Check-In - BEWARE BEWARE

[inkkognito]

Three times in a row now we've used ATA's web check-in, and all three times we've discovered as we board the plane that our seats have been given away. I even called the last time right after doing the web check in to make sure that it worked, and I was assured that everything was fine. The first two times, they ended up giving us our original seats (I check in as far as possible in advance to get an exit row), but on Friday they refused and tried to stick us in row 33. They ended up putting us in row 4 (another reason I did web check-in was to make sure we'd be towards the front...with a midnight arrival and only carry-on luggage, I wanted to get off the plane as soon as possible). We definitely had taken the seats first, but they still gave them to the people who were erroneously assigned them at the airport, even after I spoke with a supervisor.
We are flying home on Sunday, and once again I have tried web check in. After several conversations with the ATA web dept. on the phone, I will be asking to see supervisor and demanding that he or she call the web dept. if they try to refuse to give me my seats. I'll be sure to post what happens.
We fly ATA once or twice a month, so we're very good customers. Web check in is nice in theory, but if it doesn't work, they should stop claiming to offer it. And when a person has done web check in and can prove it with the proper documentation, they should get the seats they selected and the person who was assigned later, at the airport, should be the one to be moved.
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

 

[safetymom]

If it isn't working then I wouldn't keep doing it. You should talk with someone at ATA about the problems but if they say it is fixed I wouldn't count on it.

Being in row 33 isn't nice but it doesn't take that much longer to get off the plane. As a very very frequent flyer I have learned to not sweat the small stuff.

You are in Orlando for fun and to escape. Don't let the seating assignments upset your trip. Hope all goes well on next trip.

 

[seashoreCM]

Web check in saves you having to wait in line at the ticket counter.

Sometimes people had their assigned seat taken away just as they were sitting down in the plane, having nothing to do with web check in.

Was (were) the only time(s) you ahd problems with web assigned seats having to do with the exit row?

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[inkkognito]

It is definitely a web check in problem. On our return trip, the exact same thing happened. This time I was prepared after having spoken to the web check in people. When we got to the airport, I asked at the counter, and sure enough our seats had been given away. I immediately asked for a supervisor, and when they would not give my seats back, I whipped out my cell phone and called the web check in people. They remembered me due to my phone call the previous day and spent quite a while discussing the situation with the supervisor. It is apparently a paperwork thing and should not be happening. My point was that because I reserved the seats first, they should be given to me and the people who got them at the airport should be moved. The supervisor wasn't going to do it, even with the web check in people on the phone telling him that my boarding passes should be honored. But after he gave me the phone back, I chatted with them, taking down names and information for who I should call on Monday, and the person on the phone said she would be talking to her supervisor too. I think that worried the supervisor because his name was on my list, so suddenly he was able to give us back the seats.
I'm going to call the number I was given tomorrow and see if web check in is worth the hassle. We fly to Orlando twice a month, so it's a real convenience (when it works!). But four times in a row of problems is something they definitely need to address, especially since I know what the problem is now.
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

 

[pumpkinboy]

Whatever the status of their web check-in, this morning's Wall Street Journal (pg A6) reports that ATA is negotiating with creditors, and may need to file chapter 11! The stock price seems to be holding up for now, but it gives me pause when I am quoted a great fare on ATA, as to whether the airline is going to be able to follow thru. I expect that on routes where ATA is the cheapest carrier that prices will go down in the near term, then up if they are forced to pare back routes.

 

[erikthewise]

Barb,

At least they are consistent.

We were booked on ATA until they cancelled our flight. I guess it's just as well we got a refund and rebooked on another airline. But we had preassigned seats. Am I right in assuming you did not have preassigned seats, but were being assign a seat for the first time with web checkin?

Now we're on Airtran, which I'm comfortable with except that we will be using web checkin to get our seat assignments...

 

[inkkognito]

Erik,
Actually we already had assigned seats that I chose when I booked our flights over the internet. I changed them to exit rows when we did the web check in. That's why I do it 24 hours in advance. I know the really good seats, and I like getting first crack at them. In theory there is supposed to be no problem with getting exit rows that way. You even have to check "Yes" to an information screen that lists all the exit row questions they normally ask you at the airport. On one occasion the gate agent tried to use the exit row as an excuse as to why our assignment was taken away("We have to see you in person."). But all my research and talking to various people at ATA has indicated that was just an excuse, and exit rows can definitely be chosen via web check-in.
Pumpkinboy,
That's scary about the Chapter 11, although not surprising. ATA has done a lot of expansion, and I've been wondering how their financials are. That seems to be our luck in Chicago whenever we get an airline with good fares to Orlando. I remember the old Midway Airlines...I loved them (good service and great fares) but of course they went belly up. I hope that ATA will be able to reorganize if they file. I've noticed that lately their fares are not as cheap as usual.
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

 

[msdis]

At first I thought there was a closed case here. But in your last reply it leads me to think that there may need to be end of day closings/updates for all divisions to read the same info. If you are changing seats less than 24 hours prior to boarding I wonder if this is a factor. Your seats should still be yours, but there has to be a logical reason why this is happening and it can't be happening to lots of other passengers, you would have overheard things.
BTW Barb-how many Disney cruises are you up to? I have always enveyed you, and I don't envey too many people!

 

[inkkognito]

34 Disney cruises, with number 35 coming up at Thanksgiving.
You are on the right track about the reason...they explained it to me, but since I'm not familiar with the process, what I understood was that the airport is supposed to have some type of paperwork done 24 hours in advance, and they are not getting it done. I think this isn't happening a lot because not many people are using web check-in. Our home-printed boarding passes almosts always initially confuse the personnel at the gate. Flight attendants on one flight told us that they have seen the seat confusion happen several times.
My reservation for our flights on Fri. and Sun. are supposed to be marked that we keep our seats no matter what, so we'll see!
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com