Help!! I got 3 different answers from USAir about seat assignments!

[jultomzach]

I have been unable to get seat assignments for our family (2adults, 4 & 5 year old). When I booked, I was told that the seats were airport check-in only but to keep calling back to check. I had tried several times in past three months to get seats but with no success. Yesterday, the first agent immediately gave me four seats together. HOORAY! Feeling it was too good to be true, I called back today for a comfirmation and was told that the seats were not assigned to us and again, it was airport check-in only. We are tring to avoid standing in the ticket line so I asked the second agent these questions....Can we get seat assignments with web check-in? "no" with Kiosk at airport? "yes" on 1-800# before flight? "no" Can we curbcheck? "no, got to have a seat assignment" We can not go through security point without boarding pass, we have to get one before the gate (Phila). So I emailed USAir and the third agent's response was the ONLY way is to go to the ticket line. SO who do you think is right? (obviously not the first agent that gave us the seats) Any suggestions? Thanks.

 

[DebbieB]

I would get to the airport early. I think you'll have the best luck getting seats together at the ticket counter. I have a friend who was traveling with her husband and 2 sons and they did not have seats and they put them in first class! Good Luck!

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

You can get a boarding pass from the skycap and that should also assign your seat. http://www.usair.com/travel/airport/index.htm#BoardingPasses

 

[jel0511]

I sugget you get to the airport as early as posible, as well as try to call US Airways EVERY DAY. I've had numerous problems with them gettting my family of 4 (children 5 and 2) together. We've flown then 5 times in the last 2 years, and only once they've gotten our family together in 4 seats and we had 4 seats together when we booked the flight. Just a word of warning, they are only required to have the 4 YO sitting with one parent, the 5YO can travel alone since they allow 5 YO to fly as unaccompanied minors. Your best bet is to continue to call everyday to get seats, since in my expereince in waiting until the day of flight, they are usually unable to help you if your seats are all over the place. The check-in agent pushes you off to the gate agent, saying it's in their power to change seat assignments on the day of flight. The gate agent usually says they'll "try" to help, but if the flight is full, they have to rely on asking people to move. We once flew US Airways with a 3 YO and a 4month old, and we were all seated all over the plane, not even one parent per child. I asked everyone I could, and all the response I got was that no passenger would want to sit next to my unaccompanied children and was sure they'd switch with me. Well, of course that wasn't good enough for me, and I ended holding up boarding during pre-boarding until they had at least one parent to one child. We were about 15 rows apart, this was pre Sept 11th, now I probably would have been arrested!!!! We basicaly try to avoid US Airways now, but they are usually the cheapest, so we sometimes have no choice. I hope you have better luck with US Airways than I have, luckily on our next two trips we're flying Continental, which has MUCH better service when it comes to seat assignments with children. I'm lucky since I live right in between EWR and PHL, so I can have a choice in airports and airlines.

 

[mad4themouse]

I booked with USAir in August for next July's trip. I did it online using frequent flier miles and I was able to choose our seats at that time. And I'm also flying out of Philly. I'm not sure why you cannot get a seating assignment, it could be that your flight is overbooked and there are no unassigned seats left. This happens a lot with flights to MCO out of Philly because they've reduced the number of flights considerably in the past two years.

My advise would be to get there early for your flight and try a skycap first and then head inside to a ticket kiosk if you can't get a boarding pass from him. It's been my experience that there are more than enough skycaps available at PHL and they're pretty helpful.

 

[jultomzach]

There are three reservations on this flight that I am "working" with: reservations for my husband (1) myself and my son ( 2) and sister & brother-in-law/nephews-4 & 5 years old (3). My husband, son and I have seat assignments. I always separate my husband as we curbside check, he parks the car and I meet him at the gate. As we are different itinerarys, we go through security apart. I only take my son and he brings ALL the carry on's. It is so easy to go through security with a child when you are not carrying anything! It has been a great system and we travel about two to three times a year. It is my in-laws first time and they booked their flights on UsAir website but were instructed they could not get assigned seats (we booked these in May 2003 at the same time). She is anxious about flying and her sister just flew in May 2003 - same route - and the same problem. She felt that there was little effort at the airport and as a previous poster said that one dept put it off to another dept. She was also told that 5 year olds can fly ALONE and this is my nephews first flight. Let alone that he is 5 YEARS OLD! USAir emailed me and said I could not check in Web as I did not have a seat. I emailed them back and said their site stated I could select seats (this has been the policy for at least a year now) and asked if the site was incorrect. The response was "we are updating our webcheck in site daily" and that I could "try" to see if that works. At this point, I think they are just guessing.

 

[jel0511]

AH HA, the good 'ole Us Airways Website for booking tickets. Yes, I've been here as well. According to Us Airways, when you book a ticket on their website, IF you get the option to choose seats, they are only "seat preferences" not seat assignments. Yes, that is true, I've been through the ringer with this one, and many managers in the Internet Department at US Airways. I found out this one the hard way, and will not book on-line at their website anymore. I'll pay more to talk to a representative to get an actual seat assignment, if there is a webfare in progress. It seems to me that it is possible that they booked a fare class that US Airways is not allowing seat assignment on, until check-in. I know that Air Tran does this for their cheapest internet fares, and since Air Tran directly competes with US Air out of PHL, US Air might have adopted this practice as well. Leaving them with no recourse except to wait until check-in, which almost guarantees them not sitting all together. Also, since they do not have seat assignments, they aren't guaranteed on the flight until they are assigned, since the flight might be oversold. Now, they won't be denied boarding, since they will ask for volunteers first, but if they can not get seat assignments until they check-in at the airport, I'd advise them to get there as early as possible. If you're on the first flight at 6:50, I'd tell your sister to get there as soon as the counters open, which is either 5:00 or 5:30, I'm not sure. If you're not on that flight, I'd plan on getting there 3 hours before to ensure seat assignments, maybe getting 2 and 2 together be possible then. At least then each child would have a parent to sit with. I'm sorry this has happened to your family, but in my experience with US Airways, I'm not suprised.

 

[safetymom]

I am gold preferred with US Airways. You will find the front line people at the airport to be the best. I suggest you get to the airport early and deal with the people at the counter.

You might not have been given seats when you reserved because they may have been deciding on the equipment that they will use based on bookings. Or they are in an overbooked situation.

The day of travel certain seats are released. Also certain seats are blocked and the only ones that can do anything with them are at the airport on the day of travel. You could take your chances with web or kiosk, or curbside check in but I think you will get the best outcome by dealing with the ticket counter. If you mention at the counter that you are trying to seat your entire party close together they will do the best they can to accomodate you.

I go out of my way to fly USAirways because of the great front line people. They haven't disappointed me yet.

 

[Dopey Sharon]

I've booked on their website and over the phone and got our seat assignments both ways. The last trip I booked, two seats were on the web site and about two weeks later, I called and got our kids their seats. When I called, I told the woman that I had already booked two seats, she told me what seats I had (which were the ones I booked online) and put my kids in the seats next to ours. I fly out of Philadelphia and have never had a problem with our seating assignments.

 

[jultomzach]

I called UsAir and the flight is overbooked. I have never had problems getting seat assignment either and we fly two times a year, same route so I was suspicious. They would not move us to another flight. The best we can do is checkin 3 hours before the flight and "see what happens". This is really frustating!

 

[DebbieB]

I'm sure everything will work out. When are you going? Let us know how it went when you come back.

 

[jultomzach]

Thank you for your kind words. Traveling with three young boys 4 & 5 year olds, I was trying to avoid a 3 hour wait at the airport. We are leaving Sat Oct 4, 12:15pm flight. I am frustrated because we are willing to move to the 10:30 am flight which has seat availability. We did not chose that flight ase did not want to be at the airport at 8:30 am, busy time. When I booked it was in the same price range. These are my sister-in-law's family's seats and she is nervous about flying and the whole airport scene. You are right it will all work out, just a tough way to start a trip. My other sister-in-law has 5 year old twins and was told at checkin in May 2003 (same route) that they could fly without a parent seated beside them. They did get seats but not until everybody had boarded. She said it was quite stressful and found the USAir staff to be indifferent. I have always had seats so this is a new venture for me. I have always had a positive experience with USAIR.

 

[safetymom]

You could always pay the $25 standby fee to go on the earlier flight.

I am sure you won't have any problems with your original flight. When the flight is booked they look for volunteers. I am sure they won't have any problems finding people that will give up their seats for a free ticket.

Also they do hold seats that they only can assign at the airport. I don't think you need to be there 3 hours early. 2 hours should be fine.

 

[mcnuss]

I agree with safetymom, getting there 3 hours ahead will not buy you much. 2 hours is plenty, especially on a non-holiday Saturday morning. I fly US Airways pretty much weekly, so does safetymom, and so we're kind of experts in this game. You should absolutely have the people w.o seat assignments check in with a person at the counter. Don't play around with any machine or the skycap. If the counter agent cannot help, sometimes a supervisor can. In an overbooked situation, it can be tough. I also agree with safetymom that for peace of mind, you could try the earlier flt. standby, sometimes they won't charge the $25 fee (it's a lot cheaper for them to waive the fee than pay volunteers later). Since I tend to believe you'll go to the airport 3 hours ahead no matter what we advise you to do ( ), you'll be there in plenty of time to inquire about the 10:30 flight.

One last point: TSA can be very strict about the 2 carry-on rule, so I am not sure you want to leave your DH to go it alone unless he is only carrying 2 items. They will not take his word that his wife & child went thru empty-handed! You may not want to risk that.

 

[jultomzach]

We only have two carryons so no problem getting through security. Thanks for your help. I fly this route two - three times a year and have never had problems.

 

[mcnuss]

jultomzach - you're right, 2 carry-ons will not present a problem.

Since you have not responded to my 2 PMs offering to call inventory control for you, I will assume that you are no longer worried about your situation.

 

[jultomzach]

mcnuss, I just sent you a PM. Thanks, jultomzach

 

[jultomzach]

Just bumping up hoping that mcnuss got my pms.

 

[safetymom]

Is there something that I could help you with?