New Delta charges (?!?)

[OKW Lover]

On our upcoming Delta flight the first 26 rows only the middle seat is not preferred. Rows 27-45 none of the seats are preferred, thus we are in row 27 a b c and d.

Any of the airlines will work with families to get them together at the gate, big brother won't let kids sit with strangers.

The first 26 rows? Or rows #20 - 26?

 

[nichollenoyes]

We are currently experiencing this problem for our flight home from Florida to Los Angeles. We have a 5 YEAR OLD. As of now, we have 3 middle seats, directly behind each other.

The person who paid more for the aisle seat & gets to sit next to my 5 year old son for 6 hours is going to regret it (I hope he/she likes to hear "are we there yet", "I am bored", "do you want to play a game", "can I have some of your food", "I have to use the bathroom"). There must be some exclusion for families, right? What about in the case of an emergency. There is no way my kiddo could follow directions during an emergency. Seems like a safety hazard to me. But, I am not that worried about it, I think that someone will move so at least my husband or I can sit next to my son.

 

[jlwhitney]

Basically they are charging for what people do any way. The common single and even couples are always booking the aisle and windows as close to the front as possible. Many groups of two book aisle and window hoping no one will book the middle and have the row to themselves, then if someon does they switch.

So now if they want to do that they will pay for it. The crazy part is how many people pay extra. Again if people will pay they will keep doing it.

For American when I booked with them a few weeks ago the back half was non premium. Actually there were more premium seats booked then non premium so people do pay (or businesses)

Its dumb but airlines are really struggling.

 

[sissy_ib]

Basically they are charging for what people do any way. The common single and even couples are always booking the aisle and windows as close to the front as possible. Many groups of two book aisle and window hoping no one will book the middle and have the row to themselves, then if someon does they switch.

So now if they want to do that they will pay for it. The crazy part is how many people pay extra. Again if people will pay they will keep doing it.

For American when I booked with them a few weeks ago the back half was non premium. Actually there were more premium seats booked then non premium so people do pay (or businesses)

Its dumb but airlines are really struggling.

They really are. We hear about airlines being on the verge of or going bankrupt all the time. Airfare is high but it is still a vary good deal for what you are getting.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

They really are. We hear about airlines being on the verge of or going bankrupt all the time. Airfare is high but it is still a vary good deal for what you are getting.

Is it?

We recently flew on Air North (Yukon). Their fares were comparable with similar flights in the US. The difference: From the time we checked in at the airport until we left the terminal at the end of our flight, the employees were smiling, chatty, and always available. On the flight we had knee room between the seats (no problems getting up to use the restroom). We also had food: first we had a drink service, with snacks; then wet washcloths to wash hands; then a lunch service(chicken/pita wrap, fruit, chips, drinks). Then another drink service.

There are a large number of airlines that could take lessons from them.

 

[jlwhitney]

Is it?

We recently flew on Air North (Yukon). Their fares were comparable with similar flights in the US. The difference: From the time we checked in at the airport until we left the terminal at the end of our flight, the employees were smiling, chatty, and always available. On the flight we had knee room between the seats (no problems getting up to use the restroom). We also had food: first we had a drink service, with snacks; then wet washcloths to wash hands; then a lunch service(chicken/pita wrap, fruit, chips, drinks). Then another drink service.

There are a large number of airlines that could take lessons from them.

The large airlines can't afford to those things without raising fares which would just cause another who set of issues.

 

[ranidayz]

The smart airline will someday realize that providing honest prices, great service, some extra perks and no lip will book up like crazy and leave the rest in the dust. SW is close, but not quite there.

 

[jlwhitney]

The smart airline will someday realize that providing honest prices, great service, some extra perks and no lip will book up like crazy and leave the rest in the dust. SW is close, but not quite there.

the problem with southwest is that they are usually alot more expensize for us out of jacksonville and many routes involve 2 stops and the times arent always the best.

so thy are only good for some poeople.

 

[TLSnell1981]

Per Delta's web site, "preferred" seats include aisle and window seats toward the front of the plane, bulkhead seats, and exit row seats. Medallion class flyers may reserve a preferred seat at no additional cost. Others can purchase these seats.

What it doesn't say is exactly what constitutes "toward the front of the plane."

.

This is not new. Delta has offered, the first few rows as preferred seating for quite some time. Medallion members have first dibs and anyone can purchase unclaimed seats, a day before the flight. There are also a few seats saved for handicapped travelers and children flying alone.

Generally, "Toward the front" constitutes, the first row through the exit rows.

 

[juliebug1997]

Southwest is usually about $100 more expensive for the two of us ($50 each). However, since we usually check at least one bag each (and two if we're on longer trips), we are still saving money considering that it would be $240 round trip for our bags to come with us.

 

[bumbershoot]

Is it?

Sure. I'm 42. When I was in 8th grade I did the Washington DC trip, and flew from San Francisco. Airfare was $800 for each of us, booked as a group.

That was the early 80s. If the prices had gone along with inflation, what would that fare be now?



FWIW airlines can't always help with seating issues at the gate. DS and I flew on Saturday, and had 3 flights that day (low Miles-cost flight involved 3 flights just to get to Orange County in California). We were never assigned seats on the second flight, then that flight was cancelled anyway and we were put on a flight 2 hours later. When we were assigned seats, they were 5 rows away. The instant I realized that this could happen I started helping DS deal with the possibility if we couldn't switch. I asked at the gate about switching, but it was 100% full with people hoping to get on board (if we'd been more flexible I would have taken the $200 per person credit they were offering and not continued on that day!). So when I got on board I put my bags on my seat, took DS to his seat, got him settled, and made sure the FA knew we'd love to know if someone else would like to switch. I ended up making two deals (one with a guy who wanted to sit near the college women who were sitting near my seat, LOL, and the other with a woman who had been separated from her family and didn't mind switching for a kid younger than her daughter), and got one row away from DS.

The FA was happy we got closer, but couldn't help. He was actually too busy trying to get people to put their bags in properly (he was fabulously sarcastic, it was awesome and I thanked him at the end of the flight) and trying to keep people from just randomly switching seats *in hopes* that no one would show up and take it, so that was fine with me!

And in the end DS had a fabulous time on the flight and only checked in with me once (putting his hand through the space between the seats and saying hi), and now WANTS to sit separately from us in the future.

 

[rosermama]

Sure. I'm 42. When I was in 8th grade I did the Washington DC trip, and flew from San Francisco. Airfare was $800 for each of us, booked as a group.

That was the early 80s. If the prices had gone along with inflation, what would that fare be now?

FWIW airlines can't always help with seating issues at the gate. DS and I flew on Saturday, and had 3 flights that day (low Miles-cost flight involved 3 flights just to get to Orange County in California). We were never assigned seats on the second flight, then that flight was cancelled anyway and we were put on a flight 2 hours later. When we were assigned seats, they were 5 rows away. The instant I realized that this could happen I started helping DS deal with the possibility if we couldn't switch. I asked at the gate about switching, but it was 100% full with people hoping to get on board (if we'd been more flexible I would have taken the $200 per person credit they were offering and not continued on that day!). So when I got on board I put my bags on my seat, took DS to his seat, got him settled, and made sure the FA knew we'd love to know if someone else would like to switch. I ended up making two deals (one with a guy who wanted to sit near the college women who were sitting near my seat, LOL, and the other with a woman who had been separated from her family and didn't mind switching for a kid younger than her daughter), and got one row away from DS.

The FA was happy we got closer, but couldn't help. He was actually too busy trying to get people to put their bags in properly (he was fabulously sarcastic, it was awesome and I thanked him at the end of the flight) and trying to keep people from just randomly switching seats *in hopes* that no one would show up and take it, so that was fine with me!

And in the end DS had a fabulous time on the flight and only checked in with me once (putting his hand through the space between the seats and saying hi), and now WANTS to sit separately from us in the future.

$800 dollars WOW

I live in DC and can get to San Fran for 1/2 that now whew I am never complaing again... But I do believe that school trips are booked at full fare so that might be it but still...WOW

 

[sissy_ib]

the problem with southwest is that they are usually alot more expensize for us out of jacksonville and many routes involve 2 stops and the times arent always the best.

so thy are only good for some poeople.

South West is ALWAYS more for us. I don't know why. Out of Omaha it was a lot more. I was active duty military so I got free bags any how but even if I wan't it was still more expensive. DH is still active so we still get free bags.

Is it?

We recently flew on Air North (Yukon). Their fares were comparable with similar flights in the US. The difference: From the time we checked in at the airport until we left the terminal at the end of our flight, the employees were smiling, chatty, and always available. On the flight we had knee room between the seats (no problems getting up to use the restroom). We also had food: first we had a drink service, with snacks; then wet washcloths to wash hands; then a lunch service(chicken/pita wrap, fruit, chips, drinks). Then another drink service.

There are a large number of airlines that could take lessons from them.

For $3-400 I can be almost anywhere in the continental US in less than 6 hours. I might even get a good deal for $250-ish Yes, that is a VERY good deal. Sure I have to feed myself but I would have to with any other form of transportation as well. The airlines can not afford perks like free food and snacks. Prices are near what they were 20 years ago but the cost of running the industry is always increasing. That is why they have to cut services, add more seats and charge additional fees.

 

[wannagoback]

I flew Delta in March and the seats at the front of the plane definitely had a surcharge for window and aisle seats. What was worse though was that we had three people traveling together and all of the less-expensive middle seats were already taken, leaving no groups of three! This was workable for three adults on a business trip but would not be okay for a family with small children! Your only option would be to pay for the premium seats and ask someone in the middle to trade, so they get your premium seat!

 

[grahamgallagher]

Just booked our connecting flights from the cruise to NY for our UK connection and yes it is correct! We had to pay an extra $35 per seat for my wife and son to sit together! Delta class this as economy comfort!

There was no other option other than wait at the airport for a further 6 hours...I will certainly not book Delta in the future.

G

My local news just did a thing on new Delta airline charges. Per the news cast, Delta has declared all aisle and window seats to be "premium" seats for which they charge an additional fee. They made the point that if you are a family flying together, your only options are to pay the extra fee or go as a line of middle seat passengers. They also said that Delta is "considering" a fee to allow passengers to get off the aircraft first.

Their suggestion--fly only airlines that don't do these ridiculous things.

I honestly don't know if this info is accurate--just know what the TV news said.

 

[MandyGirl]

You also have to keep in mind if an airline does an aircraft swap, your seats are "out the window" so to speak. For our DFW-JFK-BCN flight for the transatlantic out of Barcelona in Sept 2011, I booked myself by my two children (one turned 5 years old the day before leaving DFW, the other was 15 MONTHS old). American Airlines did an aircraft swap a couple months prior to cruise and gave us new seats since a different seating configuration. The 5 year old and i were on the same row, but now 5 seats apart. The 15 month-old was placed 13 rows behind me. Yes, mother and 15 months old 13 ROWS apart. (And yes, we input birthdates and passport numbers)

I called AA immediately when seeing our seats were changed. The only seats left were premium, or as the agent said, that only the airport could override the seating (blocked for local control). That would happen the day OF the flight. Nothing she could do for me over the phone in advance when there were plenty of extra seats that would work - just let me stress until the day of the flight and pray I could at least sit next to the 15 month old. (Heck, at that point I wished I would have just booked her as a lapchild for 10% of the fare for flying international, but stupid me thought it would be good for her to have her own seat with her own car seat for safety and so we could BOTH sleep).

I watched the seats religiously online, and got extremely lucky when I did find two pop up together. Snagged those so I could sit by the 15 month old. The 5 year old sat on a different row. Luckily, she has flown 100+ times and is good with flying. Hubby ended up getting on our same flight and next to the 5 year old for the transatlantic leg. I was soooooooo thankful we were flying Southwest after the WBTA - from Florida to Dallas. At least I knew with family boarding and open seating, I'd be able to sit by my 15-month old and could breathe easier on the cruise instead of stressing about what American was putting me through with the outbound flight.

It was one thing to assign seats with birthdates 13 rows apart, but another thing to have the system set up where an agent could not change seats to an available seat for something the airline screwed up themselves. We were on frequent flyer miles and never given an option during all that to pay extra so baby and mother could seat in the vicinity of each other after the aircraft swap, although I had booked the three of us together next to each other on the original flight (non-premium seats).