Changed seat assignments

[Claudia1]

We have always made sure that we had seat assignments when we booked our flights but we have have some bad luck recently. We are a family of 5, with a baby, and share carry-on bags. We also take DH's laptop for movies, so we choose to sit in together.

Over spring break, our seats (that had been reserved over 4 months before) were changed between the time we checked in on-line at home and we arrived at the gate. There was not an equipment change and the gate attendants were stumped. They said that a disabled person could have needed the seats or that there was an equipment change. Upon checking, neither applied. They apologized over and over but the flight was full and they could not get us back together. (We ended up with 2 of us being 3 rows back.)

On our last flight, we had 3 different ressies (DH went early for business, DD and I used vouchers, DS was a new purchase). They made comments about linking our ressies so that our minor children would not be separated from us. Well, it happened again on the second leg of our flight. When we checked in for the first leg, we discovered that were were all in middle seats, in 4 different rows. The originating ariport couldn't touch the connecting airport's seating assignments, so we had to wait. When I calmly approached the connecting gate agent, he firmly stated that the flight was full and he could not make any changes. I was very, very careful to be cooperative and asked why I was separated from my minor children. He refused to look and took the next guest. I stepped away, to cool down and re-think our options. DH had the kids down the terminal, eating a quick lunch. They announced that upgrades were available for $25 each, so I thought, this is it! I approached the counter again but a different agent was there. I calmly told her that I needed to try to get us at least in pairs (1 adult, 1 child) and she was quite wonderful. She told me that I didn't need to pay for the upgrades to get seats together and she immediately started looking for options. Within a minute, she had a plan. The other (rude) gate agent, suddenly turned warm & friendly, too, and helped her get us better seats.

(Yeah.... long post.... I know.......)

With the flights being so full these days from dropped flights, seats have become an issue for for. So, my questions are:

Have you lost your seat assignments for unknown reasons?

Have you been able to work successfully at the gate for seat problems?

Any hints?

 

[jel0511]

Have you lost your seat assignments for unknown reasons?

Yes.

Have you been able to work successfully at the gate for seat problems?

No.

Now for my story. We lately have been flying USAir out of PHL because lately they've been MUCH cheaper than Continental out of EWR. The first time this happened, our seats were changed about 48 hours before the flight. I always check our seat assignments, and reconfirm a couple of days before. Upon arriving at the airport, I was informed that DH, myself, DD3 and DS 4 months (we bought him a seat) were scattered through out the plane!!! I informed the lady at check-in that this was unacceptable, since my children were so little. She explained she could do nothing to help me, I'd have to go ask the gate agent. Well, I then approach the gate agent, and all they can tell me is that they'll see what they can do and to check back, but that I'm sure someone would have switched with us, so they wouldn't be sat next to an unaccompied child. I'm sorry, but I don't want to leave that up to chance. Well, the flight gets delayed, gate change, etc. After the gate change, I then go up and re-check. I get another VERY RUDE employee who says, "We're aware of your problem, we'll call you when we have it fixed!" O.K. I calmly walked away. Next, they start boarding the plane!!!!! I get on line to board, and the RUDE woman is there. I ask her if she has gotten my family together. She then tells me, why didn't you ask this before!!! I said I did, but you told me to wait. I then proceed to hold up boarding until they at least have us sitting one parent to one child. They eventually accomdate us. Now, I must preface that this was before Sept 11th, so now a days, I'd probably would have been arrested. What amazed me was the lack of caring the employees showed. I've been in similiar situations before, and the airline's representative (different airline) have always been VERY accomdating, especialy when flying with an infant. Anyway, I now re-confirm all airline reservations approx every 2 weeks, and call pretty quickly after schedule changes. This does seem to help, since you head off any potential problems long before take off. On another flight, this got us back together before getting to the airport. So, I've learned not to trust the airlines anymore when it comes to seat assignments, since it seems to be basically random anyway.

 

[Pinnie]

I guess SWA has the answer to this seat assignment thing. Show up early and get seats together. I have a feeling one of these days ALL the airlines are going to go to this procedure.


pin

 

[CarolA]

I was flying back from Paris France a few weeks ago. I checked my seat assignment at the hotel at 7 am. (Exit row, window) Less than 30 minutes later I checked in and my seat was gone! Pretty interesting since I was one of the first 5 people to check in for this flight.

I just kept politely asking for either the seat I had reserved on and aisle seat. Took the Air France woman about 20 minutes to call Delta (the airline I was on) and deal with this.

I get on the plane and there is someone in my seat. Now there was a strike the day before and this plane in coach is FULL! I got very lucky and was handed a new boarding pass for a Business Class seat. YEAH!

I have no idea why they changed my seat and/or double booked it. Things just happen. Do keep in mind that most travelers are going to move rather then sit next to a small child they don't know, but sometimes.

In Orlando last Sunday there was a family of 12 going to Nassau. The plane was a small commuter jet with 2/2 seating and they had one person in another row. The MOM kept insisting they had to get one more seat on one row. They seemed to be sitting back to back, ie, two in row 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and one in row 16. She had 5 kids and 4 adults and wanted one row with three across. I promise that agent tried everything. She called up serveral people to see if they would move, but all of them were sitting with family members also. I figure that finally two of the kids were going to have to sit on a row alone.

 

[Claudia1]

We also check our ressie & seat assignments every week or so. It amazes me at how quickly those seats get taken away, especially at the last minute.

I forgot to add that the rude gate attendent told me to just board the plane and ask someone to change seats so that we could be together. No way!!!! That is rude to those who may have pre-selected their seat and they could also be families, too, that want to stay together.

 

[hercamore]

Hi,

What airline were you flying with?

We usually fly Northwest (only two carriers at our airport) and as much as I complain about their stiff prices, I cannot remember them ever chanign seat assignments on us.

(knock on wood here)


herc.

 

[Pinnie]

Hercamore,

I wondered the same thing. I usually fly SWA or NWA (tomorrow as a matter of fact) In all the years I have flown NWA, I have yet to have a seat assignment changed!!!

pin

 

[Claudia1]

Delta and United. We have flown Delta for years and it is our preferred airline. Don't like United.

It used to be the the planes were never full. I think that the fuller planes (from absorbing discontinued routes) are making the difference.

 

[mcnuss]

Anyway, I now re-confirm all airline reservations approx every 2 weeks, and call pretty quickly after schedule changes.

Please don't take this the wrong way, but what does this accomplish? The only seat assignment that matters is the one on the day of your flight. If you are hassling with the airline multiple times, then each time before was for naught. I would wait until the day before the flight, check on things, straighten them out if you can, and if you can't, get to the airport very early. Also, make sure you belong the the FF program of the airline you're flying, even if you don't travel often. They will mess with the non-FF's seats first, and you get very last priority.

Most of these problems are happening due to a) changes in aircraft and b) merging cancelled flights. Hopefully, it will happen less and less as the airlines get back to "normal" or adjust to the new normal.

 

[jel0511]

What it does accomplish is me heading off a seat assignment problem before the flight becomes too full for anything to be done about it. If you wait until 24 hours before a flight and the flight is full, and your seats are all over, you're basically scr*wed. There is no wiggle room, especially when traveling with small children. You can't be assigned the exit rows (children under 16 are prohibited from sitting in these seats), which are the seats that airlines hold back for assignment at the airport. Yes, if there is another schedule change or equipment change, I have to do it all over again. But when you're traveling with a 5yo and 2 yo, the last thing I want to face again is being scattered like I was before. Also, I've ammassed over 300k miles with this particular airline, so I'm a pretty good customer, and still get treated like this.

 

[DebbieB]

It happened to my mom and I on a trip a couple of years ago. I checked our seat assignments for our return flight before we left. We had a window & center in the front bulkhead row, reserved months in advance (USAirways). When we got to the gate to get our boarding passes (before they required to get it before security), we had seats across the aisle from each other in the back! The agent seemed dumbfounded because she saw our original seats on one screen but they were gone on the other. They did have empty exit row seats window/center so we took them. When we got on the plane, I looked up at our original row and there was a couple with a toddler. So my guess is they bumped us out of our seats so the family could sit together. I'm glad the family got to get their seats together but I don't think it's right that they involuntarily bumped us out of ours.

 

[prncess674]

Originally posted by DebbieB
It happened to my mom and I on a trip a couple of years ago. I checked our seat assignments for our return flight before we left. We had a window & center in the front bulkhead row, reserved months in advance (USAirways). When we got to the gate to get our boarding passes (before they required to get it before security), we had seats across the aisle from each other in the back! The agent seemed dumbfounded because she saw our original seats on one screen but they were gone on the other. They did have empty exit row seats window/center so we took them. When we got on the plane, I looked up at our original row and there was a couple with a toddler. So my guess is they bumped us out of our seats so the family could sit together. I'm glad the family got to get their seats together but I don't think it's right that they involuntarily bumped us out of ours.

When you booked those seats (bulkhead) the agent should have informed you that you could be bumped for a family or a disabled person. This is standard procedure on most carriers. You were just unlucky that someone actually needed those seats. I rarely book bulkhead because the changes come at the very last minute and you could be stuck with some very undesireable seats. The airlines did nothing wrong in this situation.

 

[peg2001]

Originally posted by jel0511
What it does accomplish is me heading off a seat assignment problem before the flight becomes too full for anything to be done about it. If you wait until 24 hours before a flight and the flight is full, and your seats are all over, you're basically scr*wed.

I do the same thing, Lori. We make our plane reservations months in advance so I KNOW things will change before we actually take the flights. When flying Delta, I just check our seat assignments weekly online. When flights are changed and we no longer have seat assignments, a quick call to a friendly Delta agent sets everything right again. I would NOT wait until a day before the flight when every seat is booked!

Peggy

 

[mcnuss]

Also, I've ammassed over 300k miles with this particular airline, so I'm a pretty good customer, and still get treated like this.

You are very unlucky, or I have been very lucky, not sure which. I have only once had a problem with US Airways (and that was Metrojet), and I personally fly about 100 segments per year just with them, not counting the 25-30 others on United or other carriers, and DD9 is with me 5-10x when I go to FL. If you have 300k miles with US Airways, and are still getting treated like this, you need to call the CP desk. (I assume you are CP with this much flying?) Also, if you are flying this much, do you belong to any of the Clubs? I find the personnel in the Clubs to be much more accomodating and deferential to VFFs. Also, the lines are shorter when there are problems. For me, the $225 per year I pay for this is well worth it the first time I am stuck in an airport with a delay, and the agents there get me out before I'd have cleared the line at the gate.

 

[prncess674]

Also, I've ammassed over 300k miles with this particular airline, so I'm a pretty good customer, and still get treated like this.

I don't think the OP has actually flown 300K this year. The OP has probably amassed this amount of mileage through lots of "b*tt NOT in seats" items such as credit cards, long distance carriers, etc over a long period of time. I have set both of my parents up with FF accounts and they fly very little but both have tidy balances in their FF accounts. Neither of my parents are very flying savvy even though they have hefty accounts.

For those not familiar CP stands for Chairman's Preferred Elite Status

To obtain CP status one must actually put their b*tt in a seat on USAir for 100,000 miles or fly 100 segments in ONE calendar year. Even gaining low tier elite status will automatically vault how the airlines treat you. The lowest tier on USAir can be obtained by flying 25,000 miles or 30 segments.

 

[jel0511]

Originally posted by prncess674
I don't think the OP has actually flown 300K this year. The OP has probably amassed this amount of mileage through lots of "b*tt NOT in seats" items such as credit cards, long distance carriers, etc over a long period of time. I have set both of my parents up with FF accounts and they fly very little but both have tidy balances in their FF accounts. Neither of my parents are very flying savvy even though they have hefty accounts.

For those not familiar CP stands for Chairman's Preferred Elite Status

To obtain CP status one must actually put their b*tt in a seat on USAir for 100,000 miles or fly 100 segments in ONE calendar year. Even gaining low tier elite status will automatically vault how the airlines treat you. The lowest tier on USAir can be obtained by flying 25,000 miles or 30 segments.

Yes, I have actually FLOWN these miles (over a few years), not using other ways of collecting miles. I used to fly A LOT for business, but haven't flown as much due to me becoming a stay at mom. So, since I'm not flying as much anymore, I've lost all my elite status with this airline. I did belong to the airline Club, and I did it find it very helpful and useful, but since I now fly only 5 round trips per year, I just don't find it worth the money anymore.

 

[prncess674]

Originally posted by jel0511
Yes, I have actually FLOWN these miles (over a few years), not using other ways of collecting miles. I used to fly A LOT for business, but haven't flown as much due to me becoming a stay at mom. So, since I'm not flying as much anymore, I've lost all my elite status with this airline. I did belong to the airline Club, and I did it find it very helpful and useful, but since I now fly only 5 round trips per year, I just don't find it worth the money anymore.

Unfortunately the airlines really only care for what you have done for then lately. You stopped flying regularly so they stopped caring. It sounds heartless but it is true. Actually now that you have accumulated many miles and are not producing any revenue for them you are WAY down on their priority list. You are now just a liability on the books.

 

[DebbieB]

Originally posted by prncess674
When you booked those seats (bulkhead) the agent should have informed you that you could be bumped for a family or a disabled person. This is standard procedure on most carriers. You were just unlucky that someone actually needed those seats. I rarely book bulkhead because the changes come at the very last minute and you could be stuck with some very undesireable seats. The airlines did nothing wrong in this situation.

Actually I don't think they were bulkhead seats when I originally booked it, so no one ever told me (I probably booked online anyway). There was a change in equipment, I think wey were originally 1 row behind the bulkhead (but the same row#). I really didn't want bulkhead seats because I like to put my stuff under the seat in front of me. As I said, it all worked out we got exit row seats about 5 rows behind. It just bugged me that we were bumped last minute to the back.

 

[safetymom]

It's all about your status with the airlines these days. I am GP with USAirways and hopefully will stay that way this year. It helps when problems come up.

It came in handy when I had a one stop flight to MCO. Went to the airport and asked if their were any seats on the non stop. I got to switch and be confirmed in First for the $25 standby fee.

 

[DeeCeeSW]

I tried making online reservations for our last flight to MCO in May, but could not find 3 seats together for myself, my DH, and my 2 y.o. DS. I cancelled the transaction. I called up Continental and spoke with an agent who told me that there were no seats together and that there was nothing he could do. So I replied with, "Well, I'm not going to book this flight unless we're all together." He told me to hold and miraculously came back with 3 seats together in the "Elite" section of coach. All three of us are FFs with the airline (yes, even my DS!), so I assume that is why he was willing to do that for us. Or maybe they need the business. Or maybe we just lucked out. Whatever the reason, I'm happy he did it. I doubt it will happen again.