Can you find out this information....?

[Nadjalu]

I am wondering if you can find out how "booked" your flight is a few days before you leave?

Not sure if that makes sense. I am wanting to know if our flight to MCO will be booked (like all seats taken) or if there will be "x" amount of seats left empty.

How can I find out that info? We are flying Spirit if that matters.

Thanks.

 

[beccasmom]

We've never flown Spirit, but on USAirways you can choose your seat when you book your flight. The chart shows which seats are taken, so it is a pretty good indication of how full the flight is.

 

[Missytara]

However, if people have opted out for paying for seat assignments, say on Airtran - you cannot necessarily tell if it is truely booked.

I watched my Airtran flight for five months and the seat next to me on the way back was empty the entire time. When we departed a woman was sitting next to me on the aisle seat (I was at the window). I know she didn't choose to pay for a seat assignment, because she asked me to switch with her husband so they could sit together. No such luck - he was all the way in the back of the plane on the other side of the aisle, in the middle seat.

 

[kaytieeldr]

You could do a dummy booking for X seats (10? 20?) to see if there's availability. I know on JetBlue that would be an accurate indication IF the website doesn't consider that a group booking - JetBlue doesn't oversell their flights.

Might I ask what the intent is in determining how many, if any, empty seats there may be on the flight - remembering that airlines sell seats almost up until the door closes, or at least move passengers to other flights or have some version of standby?

 

[prncess674]

A few days before is totally useless information. While I realize the DIS books many months in advance the reality is the maority of tickets on a plane are sold 7 to 21 days in advance. Many people do not have assigned seats and you have no idea if flights earlier in the day (or the day before) may be cancelled which in turn will turn all flights the next day into sardine cans. You paid for one seat and that is all you are entitled to with your reservation. If you are "passenger of size" and hoping for an empty seat next to you then I suggest you purchase the second seat if that is your requirement. Most airlines allow you to move seats online all the way up to checkin so keep checking for a seat that hopefully gets you what you want.

 

[sharona]

If you do a dummy booking of your flight on Expedia you can click on the "preview seat availability" for each flight. Sometimes it comes up and sometimes it says not available. I don't know if Spirit can be booked via Expedia....

Anyway, hope this helps!

 

[dudspizza]

I keep an eye on the seat map, but that can't always be a great indicator of how many seats are truly available, since some now charge for seating, meaning people wait until check in to get their seats.

In years past (when I hadn't flown as much), I would watch the seat maps and choose my seat with the hopes that the seat next to me would stay empty. After many, many flights, over half of those to/from Orlando, I can say that the seat next to me very seldom stays empty! Flights are so full these days that it just isn't worth it worrying about who might end up next to me, though I do know if most likely will be someone!

Have a great trip!

Duds