Delta changed my seats!

[mom of 3G's]

Have you tried hypnosis? I have two friends who were SO claustrophobic they couldn't even GET on a plane, never mind with drugs. They've both had sessions with a reputable hypnotist in the Boston area, and now both fly. Better and faster than one's previous four-day train trips to California!!!!

I never even knew hypnosis could help with claustrophobia!

 

[kaytieeldr]

You might also want to take an Ativan, or half of one, any day you plan to ride Haunted Mansion. I'm NOT claustrophopic, but the last two times I tried, the crowds rushing to get to the Doom Buggies sent me into panic attacks.

 

[policycobb]

I purchased my tickets for our October trip in Feb/March. Delta changed my reservations over nine times. At one point, two of us were on one flight and the other two on different flights. My sister was put on a flight to come the next day! After this trip, I will not fly Delta and stick with SouthWest and drive the two hours to Nashville.

 

[RCMommy]

And if you had paid $2475 for the airline tickets, you wouldn't be just a little upset?

I just wanted to chip in that I can understand your concern. We have two 7 yr olds that have flown many times, including the long haul to England. Our two are great fliers but both of them would not want to sit apart from us during take off and landing. Or what if there is a lot of turbulence? Our kids would be nervous, heck it even makes adults nervous!

I always buy seats in advance and we haven't had them changed yet, so my fingers are crossed it doesn't happen.

Good luck and I hope it works out for your family.

 

[Jestocost]

I always buy seats in advance.

But the whole issue at hand is that you actually have not ever "bought seats" in advance. You have purchased air travel from one point to another. Period.

There may have been a non stop flight or advantageous times when you bought the tickets, and you may have been given the option to pre-select seats. However, the airline reserves the right to change routing, flight times and seats--unilaterally and without prior notice. If the changes in times or routing are significant you MAY be entitled to make changes without paying a fee or to cancel and receive a full refund, but those are pretty much the sum total of your rights to some kind of remedy.

I'm not trying to be harsh or to defend the airlines (who by and large clearly have absolutely no ability to deliver acceptable customer service), but the statement just reflects a common misunderstanding of how things actually work. The more travelers can understand exactly what they are purchasing and what their options are, the better they will be able to figure out how to resolve problems when they arise. If you are trying to solve the problem of "I bought seats and now I don't have them," then you are never going to solve that problem.

 

[mom of 3G's]

The more travelers can understand exactly what they are purchasing and what their options are, the better they will be able to figure out how to resolve problems when they arise.

Yes, this is true. I simply had no idea, and I admit I did not read the fine print so if it was stated there that their flights change frequently and that my seat may be changed, I would have been more prepared.

 

[skatingmom]

Mom of 3G's, I just want to say that I understand what you are saying, especially about paying such high airfare just to have flights and/or seats switched. I live in NW MN so I, too, am stuck with Delta and the puddle jumper that gets us to MSP (and leaves us outside, as you said)! You are right that paying to get from MSP to MCO is very little--it's the trip from home to MSP. It is frustrating to have chosen flights that fit our schedule (and paid $525 for each ticket) just to have Delta move them around and bump us to a flight at a time that really isn't good. Then, because, I assume like you, there are so few flights flying from MSP to home that we can't even change to anything else. It is good that your seats are at least in two groups so nobody is completely alone, but it certainly is frustrating! Hope your trip is wonderful!!

 

[mom of 3G's]

Mom of 3G's, I just want to say that I understand what you are saying, especially about paying such high airfare just to have flights and/or seats switched. I live in NW MN so I, too, am stuck with Delta and the puddle jumper that gets us to MSP (and leaves us outside, as you said)! You are right that paying to get from MSP to MCO is very little--it's the trip from home to MSP. It is frustrating to have chosen flights that fit our schedule (and paid $525 for each ticket) just to have Delta move them around and bump us to a flight at a time that really isn't good. Then, because, I assume like you, there are so few flights flying from MSP to home that we can't even change to anything else. It is good that your seats are at least in two groups so nobody is completely alone, but it certainly is frustrating! Hope your trip is wonderful!!

Finally...somebody in the same Delta boat!

 

[skatingmom]

Finally...somebody in the same Delta boat!

Exactly my thoughts when I read your post!

 

[Liv's Mommy]

Well, I am dealing with this right now. We are Leaving Disney tomorow and our flight from Atlanta to home has us not all together. Thankfully, I was able to at least get 1 adult with 1 kid in 2 separate rows. That is the best I could do so far, but I will ask tomorrow at the airport and see.

Good luck and I understand your frustration. This trip is my kids (8 and 5) first time flying and I am a nervous flyer, so it would be ideal to have us all together. I guess it is what it is though and I just have to go with it.

 

[tinkermom23]

Mom of 3G's, I just want to say that I understand what you are saying, especially about paying such high airfare just to have flights and/or seats switched. I live in NW MN so I, too, am stuck with Delta and the puddle jumper that gets us to MSP (and leaves us outside, as you said)! You are right that paying to get from MSP to MCO is very little--it's the trip from home to MSP. It is frustrating to have chosen flights that fit our schedule (and paid $525 for each ticket) just to have Delta move them around and bump us to a flight at a time that really isn't good. Then, because, I assume like you, there are so few flights flying from MSP to home that we can't even change to anything else. It is good that your seats are at least in two groups so nobody is completely alone, but it certainly is frustrating! Hope your trip is wonderful!!

Finally...somebody in the same Delta boat!

Us too! We live an hour from Fargo and a little over 3 hours from Minneapolis. We decided to drive to the cities and fly from there. Saved us over $1000. Yes, it's very frustrating.

 

[QT Pooh]

The best thing to do is to keep one adult with each set of children. When you board, you can ask the flight attendants to ask the people that are sitting in the row in front or behind your party (the ones further back) if they would mind switching - be as nice as possible. It's been my experience that people that are further back would be more willing to switch if they're allowed to move forward (unless they are also sitting with family).

Good luck...it's a frustrating situation, but it's only a slight bump in the road. I've had Continental do that to me several years back...a single parent separated from a 3 and 2 year old - gate agent said there was nothing they could do - it got resolved on board.

 

[AlexDurrani]

The best thing to do is to keep one adult with each set of children. When you board, you can ask the flight attendants to ask the people that are sitting in the row in front or behind your party (the ones further back) if they would mind switching - be as nice as possible. It's been my experience that people that are further back would be more willing to switch if they're allowed to move forward (unless they are also sitting with family).

Good luck...it's a frustrating situation, but it's only a slight bump in the road. I've had Continental do that to me several years back...a single parent separated from a 3 and 2 year old - gate agent said there was nothing they could do - it got resolved on board.

Sadly when a flight gets full with standby passengers trying to get on the only way to resolve the seating issues are on board. I have had simular issues with different airlines either with my family (direct) or my cousins. I had a cousin and his son come down back in January when the big snow storm hit the eastern seaboard for several days causing flight cancellations and delays, they were stuck with us for 4 days past their departure date. They were flying South African Airways from Dulles to Johannesburg, South Africa and using United as their Domestic carrier. After 3 attempts to get home (days i mean) they started asking for various means of getting home either by flying through London or Paris or where ever. The airline had the strange idea that a 10 year old flying on a companion ticket could fly home on his own which included possibly staying overnight in either NY or DC and my cousin could fly home on his ticket. Let me say I sort of gave the agent on the other line a earful and said I will not put the 10 year old on a plane that has no guarentee of making it onto the connecting flight or having to stay overnight on his own. The father was livid also and from what I understand contacted SAA (South African Airways) Corporate about the situation when he got home 3 days later.

The moral of the story is that a lot of CS people at airlines really don't care anymore. They are just there to fill seats and make money for their company. Really if the airlines really cared they would have had no trouble putting key information in criteria searches and seating arrangements to help with the flights. I usually do not have issues of airlines seperating my family from each other it usually is the opposite. i like to sit by my self because it makes it easier to just relax with out dealing with family arguments (especially at the end of the trip). They also used to reassign me out of a window seat and put me in a middle set of seats in big planes or an aisle seat (which i don't mind on short flights but not long ones). I have to let the gate agent know I am a bit claustrophobic and need a window seat so I don't go stir crazy. Being able to see out the window helps. You say the big "C" word and they start searching for possible solutions, including one time I ended up being upgraded to First class.

Ok seriously I am now rambling, just be patient with the Agents and FA on board and they sometimes can do wondrous things.

 

[kaytieeldr]

The moral of the story is that a lot of CS people at airlines really don't care anymore.

They care. They simply can't create seats or planes out of, well, thin air. I don't have any idea if the agent knew the age of both passengers from the outset, but he/she was likely trying every way possible to get both passengers home under difficult conditions in any way possible - what with most of the Eastern Seaboard shut down due to consecutive storms?

 

[PKWallaby]

Finally...somebody in the same Delta boat!

Another small town, puddle jumping flyer here, too! We live in Central Wis and have done the hopper over to MSP many times (mostly when it was NWA). I believe they only fly the smallest turbo props to Detroit now, but having done the "land, deplane onto the tarmac and walk in the airport in order to find the big planes" many times in MSP, you should be fine with the hour and a half layover.

Sorry you were split up...had this on our last trip via Delta: we asked nicely at check-in (after walking the 20 feet from the parking lot...have to focus on the positives of small town airports! ) and the gate agent advised they usually keep the last row (of 4 across) for families and placed us there.

Since your first connecting flight is likely a fairly small plane (Saab or Embraer seating around 35 or so?) it will definitely feel "close." crowded If you experience periods of claustrophobia, you would be best to take something before that one.

Hope all goes well. Your ticker looks like you have a great trip planned!

 

[SmallWorld71]

Once, I was flying Delta alone with two kids who were 5 and 1 at the time. I had reserved seats many months in advance. I got paged to the counter where they told me that they had to change my seats; we were now seated in 3 seats nowhere near each other! When I protested, the lady got all snippy with me and said they "had a family that wanted to sit together so they needed to change some seats." I tried to explain that I was traveling alone with two little children (they were with me, she could see them) but she wouldn't budge. At this point, I was in tears and quite worried. She told me very nastily to go sit down and she'd let me know if there was anything she could do. Right before boarding, they called me over and gave me new assignments that were together. In all my years of flying, I have never met anyone so rude. Anyway, good luck.

 

[DebbieB]

Once, I was flying Delta alone with two kids who were 5 and 1 at the time. I had reserved seats many months in advance. I got paged to the counter where they told me that they had to change my seats; we were now seated in 3 seats nowhere near each other! When I protested, the lady got all snippy with me and said they "had a family that wanted to sit together so they needed to change some seats." I tried to explain that I was traveling alone with two little children (they were with me, she could see them) but she wouldn't budge. At this point, I was in tears and quite worried. She told me very nastily to go sit down and she'd let me know if there was anything she could do. Right before boarding, they called me over and gave me new assignments that were together. In all my years of flying, I have never met anyone so rude. Anyway, good luck.

Glad it worked out. That's what can happen when one family demands that others be moved to accomodate them, it can displace someone else. Once on the plane, people are usually pretty accomodating when small children are involved. No one would want to sit by a 1 year old by themselves or even a 5 year old.

 

[Liv's Mommy]

Just wanted to let you know what my expereince flying home yesterday was. We went to the Delta check-in desk and the man there was very nice. He told me to go to the gate agent as soon as we saw here get there. My dh went over as soon as she got there and was able to get himself with one dd and me with the other dd on our flight to Atlanta. Then when we got in Atlanta we did the same thing at the gate for our flight to Maine. The woman was able to get us all in the same row. Some nice lady was willing to give up her seat so that we could all sit together. It really wasn't a problem at all. The man at the check-in desk at Orlando told me to make sure the gate agent got us all seats together. I thought that he made it sound like we would definitely get seated together and that it wasn't a problem. Maybe, it doesn't always work out that way, but it did for me anyway.

So, I would definitely speak to the gate agent as soon as you see him/her. If that doesn't work then I would ask one of the passengers when you get on the plane. Which is what I would have done if the gate agent couldn't have done anything.

Good luck!

 

[grafxgirl]

Back in April, I booked seats through Airtran for a client of mine who was traveling with 2 small kids. Between that time and their trip in September, the airline switched their flights and their seats around 3 times!! I had to keep calling them back to get their seats arranged so the kids weren't sitting by themselves. It's frustrating for people who plan ahead.

 

[PixieDustandEeyore]

Okay i dont understand everyone always complains about Delta changing seats i've never had it happen? I fly Delta alot so its weird reading about this topic all the time, does this occur frequently ive never heard anyone complain at the counters or on actual flights