Midwest Airlines- check your seats assignments!

[Inkmahm]

See update in post number 12 and additional update in post number 13



I've been flying AirTran for the last couple years rather than Midwest out of Milwaukee. But I had miles to use and there was a good deal on a flight with a good time for us in March, so I have 3 separate Midwest reservations for trips to WDW in Jan and March.

All three of them changed from when I originally booked them and all 3 ended up being on Frontier codeshares. I talked to a Midwest rep for all three and got seat assignments in writing back in Sept and November. Yesterday, I checked the online reservations and NONE of my seat assignments were there for any of the 3 flights.

I called Midwest and they had to rebook us in less desirable seats that were still open at this point. Midwest couldn't tell me what happened to all the seats that had been assigned to me after the initial changes to each of our reservations. They told me to call Frontier to complain because it was their fault.

I did call Frontier and Frontier told me they can't even see anything booked by Midwest in their system and Midwest shouldn't have told me that it was Frontier's fault for our seat assignments disappearing.

Beware- check your seat assignments for any Midwest flight to make sure they are still there. Especially if the flight is really on Frontier!

 

[twinsplusone]

We had the same thing happen to us. They changed from the 5 across to the 4 across when we originally booked. I called, talked to an agent, with their help chose our seats, and now we once again have the last 2 rows going to Tampa. The kids won't have windows. Coming home 3 of us are in the last row and two of us in row 10. So much for booking in April for a Feb trip. Now, how does one get the last row both times? I'm not happy and will have no problem trying a new airline. They blamed it on the computer and that no human moved the passengers around.

 

[agnes!]

We had the same thing happen to us. They changed from the 5 across to the 4 across when we originally booked. I called, talked to an agent, with their help chose our seats, and now we once again have the last 2 rows going to Tampa. The kids won't have windows. Coming home 3 of us are in the last row and two of us in row 10. So much for booking in April for a Feb trip. Now, how does one get the last row both times? I'm not happy and will have no problem trying a new airline. They blamed it on the computer and that no human moved the passengers around.

Hoo-boy, that's a good one. As if the computer does things all on its own?...

agnes!

 

[Inkmahm]

We had the same thing happen to us. They changed from the 5 across to the 4 across when we originally booked. I called, talked to an agent, with their help chose our seats, and now we once again have the last 2 rows going to Tampa. The kids won't have windows. Coming home 3 of us are in the last row and two of us in row 10. So much for booking in April for a Feb trip. Now, how does one get the last row both times? I'm not happy and will have no problem trying a new airline. They blamed it on the computer and that no human moved the passengers around.

So Midwest confirmed different seats for you after the equipment change and then the seats changed again so that now you're in the back of the plane?
My confirmed seats weren't changed by the computer, they were just deleted! We had no seat assignments at all when I checked the Midwest site last night, on any of the 3 itineraries.

 

[rony1434]

Hi.
Hey mate thanks for sharing this useful post with us.
Its really helpful.

 

[kaytieeldr]

And this is another good thread in which to note: no matter what the airline*, the only absolute to which your ticket entitles you is passage from Point A to Point B on the stated date. Everything else is subject to change - flight numbers, flight times, equipment, seat assignments... and even the travel date can be changed by circumstances beyond the airline's control (e.g. weather).

*Except, of course, Southwest which doesn't assign seats in advance.

 

[rony1434]

Hi all.
I found an online service, http://www.checkmein.eu/which provides online check in by giving the best seats preferred by us.
They send boarding pass by email.

 

[goofy4tink]

Hi all.
I found an online service, http://www.checkmein.eu/which provides online check in by giving the best seats preferred by us.
They send boarding pass by email.

The vast majority of airlines frown upon this type service. It really isn't a big deal to check yourself in...especially when flying domestically. SW now offers early bird checkin for a price. Other airlines don't require any online checkin, unless you prefer to do it that way.


Now....as to seat changes. Yes, the computer can, and does, it all by itself. If equipment changes, the computer takes the passengers and places them in seats as allowed by the plane configuration. There isn't, to the best of my knowledge, someone sitting there, at the computer, moving passengers around if there is an equip. change. And yes, it has happened to me. Usually, my group is seated together but if I had to book us on two different reservations (perhaps dh decided at the last minute to go), then the 'computer' didn't recognize that we were together. It just does what it wants.
It is always a good idea to constantly double check on your flights. I usually check on what's going on with a flight every few weeks. Then about 2 months before departure, I check every week. A month before, I'm checking almost every day...better safe than sorry.
This is one reason I've started flying SW more and more. They seldom make changes. And because you don't book a particular seat, you won't get it changed.

The airlines only contract to get you from point A to point B on a particular day. And even that can change!!!

 

[Inkmahm]

Just to be clear, there were NO equipment changes from the time I had confirmed seats to when the seats all disappeared. The seating arrangements were exactly the same on the planes, just that ours were no longer there! I have no idea what happened. I'd understand it better had there been an equipment change to force the seating change. There wasn't.

 

[cbjl]

Thank you so much for posting this!
We had talked to Midwest after the change to a Frontier plane & we got new seat assignments then, so I figured we were fine since our schedules & equip were the same.
After I saw your post, I went to check & we had lost our seats, too! All seats deleted for all 5 flights we had scheduled.
We've got seats again & will be checking more often now. I thought Midwest flights were a little "safer" in scheduling, etc. than AirTran. I guess not.

Thanks a lot for posting!

 

[funforfive]

thanks for the heads up.....I checked my flights for April and the return flight seat assignments were gone...I called and got them reassigned, but the agent couldn't give me any explanation for them being unassigned

I'll keep on checking them to make sure it doesn't happen again!

 

[Inkmahm]

Our flight leaves tomorrow and I think I figured out what happened to our original seat assignments. Frontier started something called "stretch seating" in the first 4 rows of their planes. I booked this trip before that was announced and we were in row 2 originally. So, it appears they just deleted our row 2 seat assignments and didn't bother to replace them when the first 4 rows became "stretch" rows.

What is even more irritating is that neither Midwest or Frontier could just TELL me that when I called originally to find out what happened to my seats! I'd rather have the truth than a run around answer with Midwest and Frontier both pointing fingers at each other.

 

[Inkmahm]

Midwest did it AGAIN!!!

Yesterday I got an email from them with our itinerary for March 18 to fly to Orlando. They moved us from row 2 and 3 to the very LAST row in the plane! Row 2 showed up yesterday as not being available to book until the day of the flight.

I called Midwest and after being on hold forever, explained my story of how this is about the 4th time that my seats have changed for this one flight. Back in January, I explained to Midwest that we want to be in the front of the plane so my mom (in a wheel chair) doesn't need to walk too far down the aisle. We've had the row 2 and 3 seats since then, until yesterday.

Last night, Midwest tried to tell me the issue was that the plane configuration changed again. No, it didn't. What changed is they now charge $25 per seat EXTRA to sit in any of the first 4 rows as they are stretch seating. You can't tell me that Midwest didn't know those were stretch seats when we were put into them in January. There were no other seats open on the plane (other than a scattered single seat here and there in a middle seat) so I had to pay another $100 to get us back to the seats that we had originally. If Midwest had not waited until the last minute to move us, I'd have been able to put us in row 5 or another row closer to the front before all the seats were taken.

Midwest customer service is NOT what it once was. Check your seats to make sure you haven't lost them, especially if you are assigned seats in the first 4 rows of the plane!

 

[Inkmahm]

I've heard from Midwest and was offered for each of us to get $25 future flight credits good for a year. I requested a refund of my $100 instead as I won't be taking my mom flying again in the next year OR my niece as this was a gift to her for graduation. As for DH and me, we usually fly Airtran and do not have any other flights to book with Midwest coming up, either.

We'll see what happens.

 

[Inkmahm]

Instead, I was offered $50 refund for my mom and a companion to sit in stretch without charge. I still have to pay the $50 for DH and me to sit there with them. At this point, $50 back in my pocket now is better than $100 of credit for 4 people on future flights.

 

[bntlyclg89]

Midwest customer service is NOT what it once was. Check your seats to make sure you haven't lost them, especially if you are assigned seats in the first 4 rows of the plane!

I totally agree with this statement! My DH and I have all but stopped flying on MW airline which is really too bad seeing as we used to sing its praises here on the boards.

The flights have changed, no longer a direct flight from KC to MCO (although there is from Omaha ?!?!). No more 2x2 seating unless you're willing to pay extra for it. We've switched to SWA. No frills but hey, you are getting what you pay for. I'd rather know I have cattle car seating than expect a good seat and end up with whatever's left!

 

[disneygrandma]

We also loved Midwest & sang their praises! We could fly non-stop from Omaha to either LA or Orlando, and have great seats & great food. The last trip we took on Midwest was in Sept 2007 & we flew non-stop from KC to Orlando. (great seats, but paid extra for the food) But sadly, that all ended.

The non-stop flights from Omaha are just a current, seasonal thing. I believe it goes thru the middle of April. I wish it was permanent & maybe they could gain back some of the business they've lost in Omaha.

As for the seats, Midwest no longer has the planes with the 2 across, wide leather seats. To make up for this, on some of their current planes, they removed the 1st few rows to add wider seats........but charge about $25 per seat extra now. Midwest could have handled the situation much differently, and given these seats for free IF passengers were already booked in these seats for an upcoming flight. At the very least, Midwest should have notified these passengers immediately & advised them as to what was happening.

SW is now getting more of our business. Besides the free luggage perk, I LOVE the fact that you can cancel your SW flight, and then use that money to book a different SW flight. If we want to extend our trip with Midwest, it will cost $100 each to make changes. SW just handles this situation so much better than other airlines.

 

[Inkmahm]

As for the seats, Midwest no longer has the planes with the 2 across, wide leather seats. To make up for this, on some of their current planes, they removed the 1st few rows to add wider seats........but charge about $25 per seat extra now. Midwest could have handled the situation much differently, and given these seats for free IF passengers were already booked in these seats for an upcoming flight. At the very least, Midwest should have notified these passengers immediately & advised them as to what was happening.

The seats in the first 4 rows aren't any wider, are they? Don't they just have more legroom? They are $25 extra and they are called stretch seats.

 

[tink'smom2B]

They have moved our seats 4 times since I purchased our tickets last July. We are flying out April 1st (April fools??) Last year I didn't pay attention and our family had to sit in the last row next to the lavatory. It was noisy and the kids were scared. Everytime they send me an email about my itinerary, I pay attention. I also had to pay the extra $25 per seat so I wouldn't have to sit in row 18! We will be driving next year!

 

[disneygrandma]

We are flying in early April on a non-stop flight, and the 1st few rows of our plane (both ways) are configured with 2 wider seats on one side, and 1 seat by itself in the row on the other side. So the diagram shows that when you enter the plane, once you are past these first few rows, the aisle jogs over. The rest of the plane has 2 seats on each side. The seats in the front are wider and also have more leg room. When I first booked our flight in mid-January, these Signature seats where $50 each. A few weeks ago I noticed that the price had dropped to $25 each, and I believe they are now called Stretch seats. Not all of the Midwest flights offer this seating.

These non-stop flights with Midwest are our only non-stops from OMA to MCO. They were reasonably priced & offered good flight times. I jumped at them, but these non-stops will end mid-April. SW is what we have been flying, and will continue to do so unless Midwest comes up with some more non-stops. With SW we're able to book flights that will have 1 stop, but we don't have to change planes.