Our flight has no seats left-Yet they are still selling tickets for it!!

[Disneyfun1]

I usually check my flight info once a day-to make sure times havent changed and to hopefully see if the price has gone down at all.

Well the last 3 days now, when i check my flight on Delta, i look at the seat maps to see how full we are getting. Our outbound flight from Phoenix to Atlanta has no seats left on it at all, and now the return part from atlanta to phoenix is booked solid as well, yet when i search the price, it is still giving the people the option to buy these flight!!

Why are they doing this if there are no seats left???

Does this mean we may not get on the plane? What can we do to make sure we are on this flight??

This is our honeymoon and i dont want anything to mess it up.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

When we flew to Orlando in January they had DH sitting 15 rows ahead of me and DS because we booked the seats at different times. When I looked at the seat map the flight was 100% full. I called American and the lady told me there is a law that they hold a certain number of seats for handicapped access, even if there are no handicapped folks booked for the flight. When it is REALLY close to time for the flight to go they release the seats. It is my understanding that they can SHOW all the seats being sold, even if they aren't.

Our flight did end up being completely full, but they asked someone to trade seats with DH.

Just make sure you get to the airport in PLENTY of time. The later you check in, the greater your chances of being bumped. If you arrive on time there shouldn't be any problem. Enjoy your honeymoon!!

 

[jenndisney]

It is normal for the airlines to oversell. They have found that some people reserve on different flights and then cancell at the last minute. This is how they "try" to make sure the flight is full.

It is always a possiblity that everyone will show up. That means someone will get bumped. The only way I know to keep that from happening to you is to buy the unrestricted (FULL PRICE) fare. Those are the last people they want to bump. I would also make sure I was not the last to arrive for your flight. If all else fails, and they try to bump you, Cry. Let them know it is your honeymoon. Maybe they can find someone else who is willing to wait for the next flight. But I have always heard that they give out stuff to try to get people to be willing to be bumped. So maybe there will be a few who are willing to wait.

Best of luck.

Have a great honeymoon!

 

[extraredstuff]

I agree with the other posters, get there early to make sure you don't have problems.

But what you could also do is check to see if Delta offers flight check-in online.

I always fly American, and they allow passengers to check in online 24 hours before the flight. Then you'll print the boarding pass take it with you to the airport. Once you get to the airport, they then let you check your bags.

This isn't too say that the flight wouldn't be oversold, but it should secure your changes of getting a boarding pass.


Good luck and have a great honeymoon

 

[seashoreCM]

Have you selected seats yourself? On some airlines, I think Delta included, those who booked so late that seats could not be selected are more likely to be bumped, although showing up at the airport early helps.

If you can see your reservations on line, check back every couple of weeks. If there is a schedule change, Delta sometims unselects your seats but if you call on the phone quickly they usually gett he seats back for you.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[mrscoobs]

Though I like to fly on Delta due to frequent flier miles, I will admit they seem to oversell sometimes. If you have already been assigned your seats (when you book online you can choose your seat a lot of times, either through delta.com or through expedia etc.) This basically lets you know that you have a seat and that you are not going to be bumped. If you don't have seat assignments, you can online check in 24 hours in advance and then choose your seat (the seatmap may be full, but they release those who are unassigned so they can choose their seats on the plane when they check in) or just arrive at the airport early to not get bumped. Usually those waiting to get on a flight get on, especially when they start offering $300 compensation monies to wait for a later flight etc. I wouldn't worry to much

 

[disneyldwjr]

If you have your seats assigned and are there within the prescribed time you will most probably not be bumped, regardless of the fare you paid.
Before they begin bumping people they ask for volunteers.
Read the Delta Domestic General Rules Tariff. What you are looking for is on page 50 in the adobe reader. When you get to the Delta web site do a search for "bumped".

 

[DebbieB]

Most airlines block some seats on the online charts, they are not really taken. For example, they usually do not assign exit row ahead of time. I've been at the gate where a family needs seats and they make an announcement that they have some exit row seats available for adults who want to move to make room for a family with children (you have to be 15 to sit in the exit row). I flew PIT/MSP last week on Northwest, I did not have a seat assigned in either direction in advance. When I did online check-in 24 hours before, seats opened up and I got one.

 

[LoraJ]

On my last trip to WDW, when I booked the flight, i thought I had selected seats and all had gone through. But the plane was about to be oversold so they wouldn't release any more seat assignments. I was in such a panic.

So, what I did was checked in online the minute I could and selected my seats. Worked like a charm.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Our outbound flight from Phoenix to Atlanta has no seats left on it at all, and now the return part from atlanta to phoenix is booked solid as well, yet when i search the price, it is still giving the people the option to buy these flight!!

The online seat map and the actual seat inventory are two different things.

There are premium coach seats and exit row seats that always show as occupied, unless you're an elite frequent flyer with that airline. There are other seats that are under airport control and that even show as occupied to elite frequest flyers.

So you can't rely on the seat map to indicate the true percentage of seats that have been sold.

Even in cases when 100% of the aircraft's coach capacity has been sold, the airline may be willing to sell additional tickets at sky-high "full coach" prices. Then, prior to departure, the airline can upgrade some coach passengers to first class (typcially elite frequent flyers). Or the airline can make room for the "full coach" passnegers (who may be paying over $1,000) by offering $300-$400 travel vouchers to volunteers who are willing to be moved to a later flight. It's a good deal for the airline and for the willing volunteers.

Involuntary bumping due to overselling is very rare. Passengers are much more likely to be delayed or to be moved to a later flight due to mechanical or weather problems than due to involuntary bumping.

 

[CarolMN]

The online seat map and the actual seat inventory are two different things.

There are premium coach seats and exit row seats that always show as occupied, unless you're an elite frequent flyer with that airline. There are other seats that are under airport control and that even show as occupied to elite frequest flyers.

So you can't rely on the seat map to indicate the true percentage of seats that have been sold.

Even in cases when 100% of the aircraft's coach capacity has been sold, the airline may be willing to sell additional tickets at sky-high "full coach" prices. Then, prior to departure, the airline can upgrade some coach passengers to first class (typcially elite frequent flyers). Or the airline can make room for the "full coach" passnegers (who may be paying over $1,000) by offering $300-$400 travel vouchers to volunteers who are willing to be moved to a later flight. It's a good deal for the airline and for the willing volunteers.

Involuntary bumping due to overselling is very rare. Passengers are much more likely to be delayed or to be moved to a later flight due to mechanical or weather problems than due to involuntary bumping.

I agree with this and would only add that most airlines will raise the "incentive" for volunteers until they get the required number. I still remember one occasion -

On a return trip to MSP from Europe (spring break) we had to change planes in Detroit. Two large school groups (a band and an orchestra) were also booked on the oversold flight. The airline did not want to bump any of them - can you imagine the problems that would have resulted with unsupervised teenagers, LOL?

Anyway, over the course of the next hour or so, compensation went from $200 plus a free flight voucher to $700 plus the free flight voucher, plus First Class on the next flight (next flight was in the morning) and a paid night in a nearby hotel & meal vouchers. I was ready to take it, but my DH said no.

They did finally manage to find a seat for all the students and parents and no one was involuntarily bumped.

Best wishes -

 

[dooley]

how can you tell which seats are booked? we're going on song...

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

how can you tell which seats are booked? we're going on song...

It depends on the airline. I've never flown on Song.

American makes it very easy. You can view your itinerary as long at your record includes your AAdvantage frequest flyer number. You can easily pick new seats, and you can watch for changes in your seat assignment due to an aircraft change or some other reason. You can see how many unassigned seats are on the aircraft, which gives an approximate idea of how full your flight will be.

On American, you can even look at the seat assignment maps for flights that you haven't booked, as long as you have the date and flight number. That feature is at http://www.aa.com/apps/reservations/CheckAvailableSeats.jhtml?anchorEvent=false

 

[CarolA]

The online seat assignment screen does NOT coorespond to the actual seats sold. I have seen planes showing every seat open and then gotten there to an oversold flight. I have also seen the opposite, every seat full on line and an empty plane.

 

[Lewisc]

SW doesn't go very high with their compensation offers. If you check in very late and don't even get a "C" BP there is a good shot you'll get bumped.

Jet Blue is the only airline, I'm aware of, that doesn't overbook.

 

[DrTomorrow]

Congrats and have a great time!

But you have to fly Southwest out of PHX....