Do you preselect your airline seats?

[quoo]

I also tend to carry on because of fear of bags getting mis directed or lost - but I do feel that the charging for checked bags change definitely made the carry on situation worse.

I need to remember to buy an AirTag or two before the trip - I've heard a good tip to stick an air tag (or Tile or similar) in your checked bags so you can easily locate them if they go astray - Disney is one trip where we tend to check bags.

 

[leebee]

The carry-on issue wouldn't be as challenging if the airlines would enforce the bag-size limitation, but IME they don't. Makes me crazy.

We usually fly SW and don't do EBCI. I DO check in right at t-minus 24 hours, though, for the best boarding position. DD and DH both have medical issues that require pre-boarding (they each need an aisle seat due to orthopedic reconstructions); if we get A boarding positions we just queue up with everyone else. However, if it's a B position, we'll pre-board, especially flying to/from Orlando. TONS of families fly to MCO, and there is no guarantee that after family boarding there will be available aisle seats. I mean... probably, but we are not willing to take the chance. If for some reason we get C positions, pre-board is the only way to go. The only time I do EBCI is flying home from MCO, depending on the time of the flight. I don't want to have to remember to check in while I am in a theme park, and without a cell phone this could mean hanging in the hotel room WAY longer than I want. In that instance, it's worth the cost of EBCI to me.

Flying other airlines, I always pre-select my seat, and if I have to pay for it, I'm not giving it up. OK... if I am flying solo and can swap my aisle/window for an aisle/window, I'll do it but I'm not paying for an aisle/window and giving it up for a middle seat. I was responsible, planned, and paid to cover my needs. Everyone should.

 

[myth2001]

I usually fly JetBlue and because I have a JB cc, my seat selection doesn't have an added cost, however, I usually get an even-more-space seat, which does come with a price tag. So although I don't have to pay for seat selection, I do.

I have Jetblue credit card too, I believe it only gives you free checked bags.
Seat selection for Jetblue basic fare prior to 24 hours before flight will still costs you. (seat selection is free for all other fare types)

 

[myth2001]

Jetblue flight in Feb, had pre-selected seats via blue regular fare, 3 person including my 5 year old together in one row.
A few hours before the actual flight (after online check in), seat assignments on boarding pass changed by itself and everyone got moved to a middle seat on a different row, with my 5 year old seated by herself. (the reason for the seats change seem to be automated due to last minute change to the plane used for the flight)
Customer service was no help at all, refusing to seat us together unless we paying more for upgraded seats.
The issue was only resolved on the plane, when the nice people agreed to switch seats.

Jetblue customer service has really went down hill the last year or so...

 

[dreamer17555]

My son really struggles with flying so when he does we always both pay to sit together and pre board him (autism). So he can complete his rituals and can hopefully calm down before takeoff

 

[keishashadow]

SWA: no issue without buying EB, do when i have a child along. Even when not buying it, never have been split up from boarding party as long as we check in promptly and willing to head to back 1/3rd of plane…knock on wood lol

spirit: don’t pay for pre-selected seats with them. The worst we’ve gotten as a couple is across the aisle on end seats from each other. Going to guess that’s dumb luck or maybe since their reward members?

Will be interesting to see what transpires once they are gobbled up by jet blue. For now, informed our current points etc will hold.

allegient: the mr is military, if assigned lousy seats, we ask to be upgraded when we check in and get those other freebies (2 checked bags up to 99# & carry on-thank you very much for the acknowledgement of service allegient!!!)

 

[Darcy03231]

We usually fly Delta Comfort and select our seats when we book. We pay a bit more for Comfort, but DH is 6'4" and really needs the extra leg room.