HELP! Our paid for seats are gone!

[taximomfor4]

We finally, after much hemming, hawing, and deliberation...decided to throw the $1200 out to fly to Orlando from Ohio. Found Southwest and Continental. Southwest, we would have to drive 2 1/2 hrs and park for a week. Continental, we could get a ride to Cleveland Airport. We kept both options open while checking to make sure Continental could seat us (we are 2 adults with 4 children.) When I got to the Choose Seats part, there were just 2 rows available that could fit us, 1 adult with 2 kids in each row (not 2 consecutive rows, but thats ok). We chose those seats, and closed the southwest window. Put cc info and name in, booked the continental flights. Got my confirmation, but it included a notice that all our seats were not available. But card was charged. Checked the plane again for available seats, but now there are only FOUR seats left total, and they are all isolated from each other. We can't put our kids all over a plane full of strangers! So I called Continental. Was told that there is nothing I can do now. That someone "will help me at the checkin desk." Help me do WHAT???? She told me that I need to call the Ressies number every week hoping seats open up for us. And to call the night before the flight when they open the handicap rows if they are not already taken.

Anyone have any experience with this? PLEASE HELP!!
DH is going to KILL me...he didn't really want to spend that much money on top of an already pricey WDW trip that we were scrimping so hard for!
Beth

 

[ducklite]

How old are your kids?

Anne

 

[taximomfor4]

How old are your kids?

Anne

They are 2,5,6,11

 

[Disneyjosh229]

Had a similar experience with Sun Country. I would get to Cleveland EXTRA EXTRA early (3 hrs+ prior to flight departure). Ask for the "Customer Service Manager" and explain your situation. They might be able to move people around to seats that become avalable at the last minute and be able to solve your problem. Hope this helps.....

 

[ducklite]

They are 2,5,6,11

My guess is that they'll try to move poeple around to accomodate you. Sometimes people will switch with you without a flight attendant or gate agent getting involved. If you are using a car seat, the baby MUST go into a window seat per FAA regs. So they will move someone for that reason alone. I've had it happen where I was moved to FC for givign up my seat so a family could sit together. We were all happy

The middle two they will try to seat next to one of you, or at least right in front, behind or across the aisle from you.

The oldest might have to sit by herself, so prepare her in advance for this.

The problem is that if there are a lot of other families on the flight, they aren't going to break them up for you, that would be unreasonable if they bought the tickets/got the seat assignments first.

But, keep in mind that there are generally about 20 seats on each flight reserved for elite frequent fliers and handicapped. The night before the flight they are released to the public. People who do an online check-in often change their seats at that point to grab one of those seats, which free up other seats in the cabin. Also the elites are given their upgrades at that point, and their seats are freed as well. So you really should be OK.

Anne

 

[ls1222]

Hi Beth, We too fly out of Cle on Continental. I just booked our air with them for this September (before they lowered the price)!! Anyway, I am always checking our flights just to be sure of things as they have already changed our time and aircraft type. I use the seat map alot and see changes all the time as some seats open up later. I feel for you as we have 3 children and I would find it completely unacceptable not to sit together. Continental should not have accepted your seats when booking if they were not available!!! I would not want to wait until check in to handle this. Keep checking your flights both online and over the phone.

 

[taximomfor4]

Thanks all...I am just crossing my fingers and hoping it all goes ok. I talked DH into flying. He really had misgivings about spending even more $ to fly the 6 of us. So I REALLY hope this works out.

About 11yo sitting alone, when I tried to book her a flight alone to go see my Marine brother, they said I would have to pay for "Companion" for her??? Was that just extra $ for the flight attendants to keep an eye on her, get her on/off plane etc? I assumed (silly me) that the extra $ would mean they had an airline employee fly with her. How naive am I?

Anyway, she would probably be fine sitting alone, as long as the person seated by her doesn't look too scary/creepy.

Thanks for bringing up the carseat thing! I would have COMPLETELY forgotten. Do kids under 40 lbs or whatever HAVE to be in carseats?? I have 2 still in carseats then. Forgot all about bringing a carseat, DOH!

When I called Customer Service, they told me that they cannot even access the seat map. Then suddenly they could. She said sometimes they change to a bigger plane if the tickets are selling quicky. Hope that happens here!


Oh ! OH! OH! This is the flight coming HOME to Cleveland from Orlando, just figured this out a little while ago. We have the last 2 rows on the flight from Cleveland to Orlando.

Beth

Beth

 

[ducklite]

Thanks all...I am just crossing my fingers and hoping it all goes ok. I talked DH into flying. He really had misgivings about spending even more $ to fly the 6 of us. So I REALLY hope this works out.

I'm sure it will. Keep calling and trying to get seated together, or even closer.

About 11yo sitting alone, when I tried to book her a flight alone to go see my Marine brother, they said I would have to pay for "Companion" for her??? Was that just extra $ for the flight attendants to keep an eye on her, get her on/off plane etc? I assumed (silly me) that the extra $ would mean they had an airline employee fly with her. How naive am I? Anyway, she would probably be fine sitting alone, as long as the person seated by her doesn't look too scary/creepy.

No one would actually fly with her, they just make sure she gets ont eh right plane. In thsi case she's not flying alone, she's with you. FLying alone would be on the plane all alone. When you are on the plane with her, although not seated together she's not alone.

Thanks for bringing up the carseat thing! I would have COMPLETELY forgotten. Do kids under 40 lbs or whatever HAVE to be in carseats?? I have 2 still in carseats then. Forgot all about bringing a carseat, DOH!

No. although I'd strongly suggest you bring the car seat onboard for the infant. Boosters aren't allowed to be used on teh plane, but you might want to check that to use in your rental if you are getting one. OTherwise, just leave it home.

Anne

 

[SB in KY]

I would not lose sleep over this one....I did not see when you were flying, but if it is more than 30 or 45 days from now Continental will probably change the flight times and/or numbers which means that all of the preassigned seats go out the window anyways!!!

If I had a dime for everytime I thought I had a seat on Continental and wound up someplace else on the plane I would be writing this from my yacht in the Greek Isles!!!

They have probably over booked the flight anyways from what you have said (they sold you 5 seats on a plane with 4 available)....just print out your boarding passes from home before you leave and see what they show....if they aren't together then do as the others have suggested and ask for help when you get to the airport...generally people do not want to sit by your unattended toddler anymore than you want to leave them alone anyways.

 

[taximomfor4]

I would not lose sleep over this one....I did not see when you were flying, but if it is more than 30 or 45 days from now Continental will probably change the flight times and/or numbers which means that all of the preassigned seats go out the window anyways!!!

If I had a dime for everytime I thought I had a seat on Continental and wound up someplace else on the plane I would be writing this from my yacht in the Greek Isles!!!

They have probably over booked the flight anyways from what you have said (they sold you 5 seats on a plane with 4 available)....just print out your boarding passes from home before you leave and see what they show....if they aren't together then do as the others have suggested and ask for help when you get to the airport...generally people do not want to sit by your unattended toddler anymore than you want to leave them alone anyways.

My flight out (which has seat assignments, for now at least, lol) is 8/11. The return flight, which has 4 seats available and 6 of us, is on 8/19. So about 33 days out, I guess. I will keep an eye on it. This is my first time flying Continental since the airlines who assign seats have started doing it ahead of time. Way back when I flew a bunch, all those airlines assigned your seats when you checked your baggage or whatever.

Thanks! I will just relax, keep checking. I did, just in case, read up on their Overbooking policies. Looks like they will get us home SOMEHOW, hehe.

You are right, nobody wants to sit with an unattended toddler. Although my 5 and 6 yo's are the ones I am truly more worried will annoy people if we are not nearby.

Beth

 

[sln88]

I don't know about Continental, but a couple of years ago, we flew Midwest, and the flight attendants told us we could not take off until someone switched their seats so that a family with a small child could sit together.

 

[tjmw2727]

Don't worry....even if you had picked seats they often change,its happened to me too many times!!

Often when an airline changes equipment - larger/smaller aircraft they reassign seats and 9 of 10 times our family has been separated after the reassignment. So you are really not in that bad a position.

Like others have said, call every once in a while in case they do upgrade eqipment and can get you seats. Get to the airport early and try and stay calm. The FA or Desk Agent is more likely to go the extra if you are willing to. Pick your best case senerio - 3 and 3 and then be willling to compromise. Have a worst case senerio - 1 adult with the baby and 1 with the younger two and maybe the 11 yo right in front or in back of one of you.

In my experience the more I am willing to work with them the more they are willing to work with me - sad that it even ended up this way but it will be ok.

If you can, I would pack a small backpack for each of the kids as a carry on - as well as yours and dh's. This way no matter what combination of seats you come up with you just take the backpack and the kid. I made the mistake of packing both my kids stuff on one backpack once - easier I thought and we got separated. Nothing like "honey pass the crayons" and "honey please pass the ritz bits" to make a trip more stressful!!.

HTH
TJ

 

[taximomfor4]

.

If you can, I would pack a small backpack for each of the kids as a carry on - as well as yours and dh's. This way no matter what combination of seats you come up with you just take the backpack and the kid. I made the mistake of packing both my kids stuff on one backpack once - easier I thought and we got separated. Nothing like "honey pass the crayons" and "honey please pass the ritz bits" to make a trip more stressful!!.

HTH
TJ

Maybe that would encourage the surrounding passengers to want to switch with you...so they can stop passing the ritz bitz for you, hehe.

As long as the youngest kids are with an adult (or split between the adults) we are ok with this. I just don't see how the airlines would be able to stick a 2yo in 12c, a 5yo in 22a, the 6 yo in 30f, a parent in 6b, and other parent in 18f. I guess I could do that, and just let whoever is in the seats near my kids deal with them on the flight. Like free babysitting.

Being separated is not a problem for us, since there are no rows of 6 we would have been divided up anyway, of course

I'll keep calling, and checking the website.
Thanks!

 

[ncbyrne]

Last November I was traveling with my grown DD and my 2 DGDs (7 + 11) and this same situation happened to us on Continental. My DD was ADAMANT that her children were NOT sitting alone. After a few panicky moments the flight attended told us to wait to the side. They shuffled a few passengers easily accomodated us. All four of us were not able to sit together, but I sat next to one child and my DD sat next to the other. It was fine. Actually, the third seat in our aisle was a 7 yr. old boy whose father was directly behind us. He and my DGD had a ball together talking about the WDW vacation and playing with the games they each had brought on board. Wound up to be one of the best flights the kids were ever on. Not to worry....the flight attendent assured us that no young child would ever have to sit alone.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Hi Beth, We too fly out of Cle on Continental. I just booked our air with them for this September (before they lowered the price)!! Anyway, I am always checking our flights just to be sure of things as they have already changed our time and aircraft type. I use the seat map alot and see changes all the time as some seats open up later. I feel for you as we have 3 children and I would find it completely unacceptable not to sit together. Continental should not have accepted your seats when booking if they were not available!!! I would not want to wait until check in to handle this. Keep checking your flights both online and over the phone.

But in the not-unlikely situation that somebody else was booking at the same time and hit the 'purchase' button first, it makes sense that the selected seats were then not available when the OP bought her tickets.
There ARE seats available on the flight - it's just that only a certain percentage of seats can (or do) get assigned in advance.

 

[tjmw2727]

More thoughts, dh and I have been asked to move and or separate to accomodate a family, and we always do! Most times they just ask and people are glad to help, sometimes they offer free drinks or an exit row to "sweeten the pot".

Also since they don't assign the exit rows until flight time so there are seats for you. They want to be sure that a capable adult is in these seats but they can't give them to a family.

This means they have 18/24 or more seats that they haven't assigned yet. 99% of the time people like my DH will check in early to "volunteer" for the exit row - freeing up his seat for someone else. Then the gate agents will look up singles/couples and ask them to move. We fly often and they really do go out of the way to accomodate families.

My guess is that you will end up with two rows of 3 but probably not close to each other. In the worst case - your 11 yo will be alone but often if she is the gate agent will try and assign her a "desirable seat" so that your neighbor will switch with her.

TJ

 

[taximomfor4]

I guess it is not as nerve-wracking as I thought. Like I posted earlier, I have only traveled SWA recently, with NO assigned seats. Its been a few years since I flew any other airlines, not since they stopped assigning seats at checkin


Beth

 

[stacy6552]

No one is going to want to sit by an unattended child. People will move for you. Dont sweat it.

 

[pennst8r]

don't stress. We had a similar experience last year, and everyone was very willing to move around to accomodate us(3 boys 4, 7 and 8) ..... let's face it--other passangers didn't want to have to chat and play with kids that weren't theirs if they didn't have to!

 

[zippehsmom]

taximom,

How big is your 2 year old? If she is on the big side, I would not put her in a carseat on the plane. Last year when we flew with my then 18 month old, it was so tight. She literally kept kicking the person in front of her because the car seat took up so much space and her feet had no where to go. This year at 2 1/2, we have to take the car seat because we are renting a car, but we are checking it as luggage.

zippehsmom