Is this right?

[LisaR]

I've flown Spirit many times without any problems. I booked online, had our seats (4) preassigned and printed our boarding passes. We were at the counter 1 hour and 45 minutes ahead of time. The agent told us we did NOT have seats together. The seats we had prebooked that were in black and white on our boarding passes were not available anymore! These were regular seat, not exit rows or bulk head. We have two kids (6 and 9). I wanted at least one parent and one child together. They couldn't do it. The agent insisted we should have gotten there earlier. She had four seats but we were spread out all over the plane. However, she could get us all together if we pay $35 each to upgrade to Spirit Plus tickets. We did it because I wasn't about to let my kids sit by themselves. Now I am really starting to question this. I just don't understand why that happened and the agent couldn't give me any reason aside from needing to arrive earlier. What is the point of having a printed boarding pass then?

Lisa

 

[ducklite]

Very likely they changed equipment and rearranged people because of it. Those who found out earlier about the change one way or another had ample time in advance to rearrange themselves.

Anne

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

That's not right. It happens, but it's not right.

Just out of curiosity, where on the plane were your preassigned seats? Only thing I can think of is that if they were toward the front of the plane some frequent fliers toward the back pitched a fit to get something toward the front, so your seats were parcelled out to them.

Thing is, it sounds like you were there plenty early. If my guess is right, the frequent fliers probably got it changed over the phone after you booked.

So instead the agent places the blame on you for not getting there earlier. That's real nice. I would fire off a letter to the airline and also the FAA.

I just wonder if you had talked to someone on the phone if they could have noted on your assignments not to split your party up since you have young children. Might be something to consider next time.

Not that something else wouldn't have happened. In February I was flying Delta from Chattanooga to Richmond, changing planes in Cincinnati, and a little boy about 5 was in the seat across the aisle from me. I noticed the flight attendant talk to him and then talk to his mother about 2-3 rows ahead of me. At first I thought the little boy wanted to sit by himself and have a little adventure of his own, but something said to me the mother would rather sit next to her son. I told the flight attendant I'd be glad to switch with the mother, and she did (turns out she also had a toddler in the seat next to her, and the seat next to me was empty, so that all worked out). In Cincinnati I was talking to her and said I was surprised the airline split them up like that. Turns out some boarded the plane ahead of her and took the seat across the aisle from her that was assigned to her son, but didn't want to cause a fuss by getting the flight attendant involved.