Question about exit row/preferred seat selection

[seashoreCM]

>>> potent cases of air rage ...

What did they do? What could they do?

 

[jultomzach]

I just struggled with USAIR in early Oct about seat assignments. When you book on line you are choosing "preferred seat assignments", watch the "fine print". USAIR does not assign some seats until 2 hours out from the flight, such as seats for flexibility for families with young children, etc. and exit row seats. Seat assignments by "on line", skycap and kiosk can and will be changed by desk agents at the airport, even if you have a boarding pass. "On line" and #800 number agents have restrictions which they can not override. Elite or frequent flier can call that #800 number, those agents have more access. If you ask, USAir's policy is they must tell you if the flight is overbooked (our flight was). It is harder to get assignments on overbooked flights. My biggest surprise was the sense of "disconnect" between the eticket agents, #800 and airport desk agents. E ticket agents FREQUENTLY told me I would have to call the #800 numer. THe #800 agents told me to deal with the airport desk agents. My summary... desk agents at the airport have FINAL say. If you can not get the assignment you want, go early and deal with them. Boarding passes only guarentee that you get on the flight. They may still ask you to volunteer if the flight is overbooked. More and more USAir is overbooking flights, the desk agents get a lot of angry people. If you want success with them, I suggest you don't get nasty. They tend to put families with young children together before they deal with comfort for taller passengers. It may seem unfair, but they have to make decisions like this all the time on overbooked flights. Good LUCK !

 

[inkkognito]

Seashore, you'd be amazed at people's reactions! Since we're usually in one of the "good" frontish exit row seats, which are near the bad ones, we get to see it whenever we fly (average of once or twice a month). One pair of women absolutely refused to remain in their seats, and the flight attendant promised to try to reseat them when everyone was on board. Their seats were "exits," but did not have extra legroom and did not recline. One of the woman kept trying to force hers back, even though the flight attendant asked her not to. Every 5 minutes, they kept asking, "When are you going to reseat us? When are you going to move us? We want to move!"
Another time, there was a man whose seat was behind a desirable exit, but he asked the flight attendant, "Can't I just sit here?", indicating the seat in front of him. She said, "You can if no one else comes." When the passenger whose seat it rightfully was boarded, Mr. I'm So Important said, "This is my seat. The flight attendant said I could sit here." The other guy said, "Is it your assigned seat?" The other guy said, "Yes, but the flight attendant took my stub." I couldn't believe he would lie blatantly!
And personally, when I had one of my problems with ATA where they reassigned the seat I had chosen 24 hours in advance, I was the target of another passenger's rage. I insisted that ATA restore my seat and change the person who'd gotten it incorrectly. They did, after I demanded the supervisor and made him call the web help desk to clarfiy the policy. As I was sitting in my rightful row, the man who had been assigned there incorrectly and then moved stopped as he was boarding and starting yelling at me! I told him, "It was ATA's mistake...take it up with them."
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

 

[videogal1]

Originally posted by prncess674
Northwest and American Airlines will only pre-assign exit row to elite flyers. All others will have to wait till day of departure to be assigned exit row, and only if elites haven't grabbed them all up already.

I realize the original poster only asked about ATA but I just thought I would throw in some additional info

Of course, for even more additional information, according to the Air Carriers Access Act, a Service Dog team, or someone with fused knee joints, trumps EVERYONE when it comes to extra traveling space, regardless of when the seat was assigned or the perceived value of another passenger. Anyone who thinks I'm going to fold up my 110# Service Dog so he can fit under the seat in front of me is asking for a fight. It's time the airlines start listening to the needs of ALL their passengers...That's customer service, right?

 

[prncess674]

Originally posted by videogal1
Of course, for even more additional information, according to the Air Carriers Access Act, a Service Dog team, or someone with fused knee joints, trumps EVERYONE when it comes to extra traveling space, regardless of when the seat was assigned or the perceived value of another passenger. Anyone who thinks I'm going to fold up my 110# Service Dog so he can fit under the seat in front of me is asking for a fight. It's time the airlines start listening to the needs of ALL their passengers...That's customer service, right?

In both case (service animal and fused knee) you would be assigned a bulk head not an emergency exit row because these situation would rule you unable to assist others fully in the event of an emergency. All airlines have special seating for the handicapped (not exit row) which if assigned to an able bodied person that person can be bumped to a "regular" seat if a handicapped person needs such seat.

My comments only referred to EXIT ROW seating, not bulkhead / handicapped seating. You would not be allowed in an emergency exit row with a service animal because your animal would be considered a danger to others trying to exit the plane in an emergency and you also would not be able to assist others. This is the same reason children under 15 are not allowed in an exit row.

 

[DebbieB]

I just tried to online check-in for a flight on USAirways tomorrow. I'm in 32D and I hoped I could move up. Some of the exit row seats in 8 & 25 were open but it would not allow me to choose them. All the rest are taken.....

 

[inkkognito]

We just got home from our latest trip to Orlando. We used web check-in for both legs of the journey, and for once there was no problem. On the way out, we took an exit row. On the way back, it was a different type of aircraft and we weren't sure of the "good" exit rows, so we selected a bulkhead.
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com