Question about seat assignments

[frankiemom]

I just booked my airfare for Philadelphia to Orlando on US Airways. When I went to check seat assignments there weren't any seats together! I am afraid my family of 3 will be split up and I and I am not good on planes at all! I did not pick any seat assignments---I just skipped it and booked it . What can I do about this? Thanks so much!

 

[jel0511]

Unforunately, I really don't have any good news for you but to hope. Instead of waiting until you get to the airport, I'd call US Air now and see if they can get you seats together. We did book seat assignments on-line and they somehow were lost and when we got to the airport, they proceeded to sit my family, myself, DH, DD(3) and DS(4 months) in seats in all different parts of the plane. I explained this plight to the agent checking us in, but she told us that she couldn't do anything, so talk to the gate agent. Well, the gate agent wasn't any more helpful and kept telling me that we would be sitting together. Well, they start boarding the plane!!! I actually held up boarding the plane until they at least had each of my DH and myself sitting with one of our children. They eventually did accomdate us, but they yelled at me for holding up boarding, and DH and I were 11 rows apart!!! WE had to fly home the same way, 11 rows apart!!!! I checked in at the gate for the flight home, asking if we could be seated together since we had small children and they had the nerve to tell me that I was lucky to have two and two, since many families were all over the plane!!! This experience has soured me on US Air, and I will never fly them again. I hope you have better luck and call US AIr today, you'll have better luck now, than at check-in.

 

[atigeg]

Even if you cannot get seats together the first time you call, keep calling!
On another airline (I think it was American or United), there were no seats together when I booked, but they told me they release more seats 24 hours in advance. I called at exactly the 24 hour mark, and sure enough, we were able to get seats together. Persistence usually pays off, and if not, at least it doesn't hurt. I always feel sorry for the droves of people scrambling to get seats together at the airport who didn't even realize they could call for seat assignments in advance. It never ceases to amaze me that so many people don't know.
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

 

[safetymom]

You should always try to get seat assignments when you book your tickets. When they are overbooked those that have seat assignments have preference over those that don't.

You can try calling but they hold back a lot of seats to be assigned at the airport. So even if you get seat assignments go early on the day of departure and see what they can do.

At this stage, any seat on the plane is better than none and then you can see if you can get them all together. Are you a "preferrred" member of a frequent flyer program because then you can get better seats in the plane?

 

[frankiemom]

Thank you all for your help. I called today and the woman was able to give us 23F, 23A, 23B going to Orlando and coming home 5A 5B 5E I guess I should be happy with that at least the same row and 2 seats together. Do you think people would be willing to move over or switch seats or should I keep pressing customer service? Thanks!

 

[ducklite]

Originally posted by frankiemom
Thank you all for your help. I called today and the woman was able to give us 23F, 23A, 23B going to Orlando and coming home 5A 5B 5E I guess I should be happy with that at least the same row and 2 seats together. Do you think people would be willing to move over or switch seats or should I keep pressing customer service? Thanks!

That's Window/Center/Window and Window/Center/Center

Getting someone to give up 23C (aisle) for 23F(window) is remotely possible, but remotely so. Getting someone to give up 5C(aisle) for 5E(center) is not going to happen.

You can ask when you get to the check in area, and again at the gate, but if I were you I'd be happy that you got what you did if you don't get seated together.

I'm very claustrophobic, so I won't give up the aisle seat even if it means a family splitting up. I know a lot of others who feel like I do. Plus I hate crawling over people to use the lav.

Anne

 

[safetymom]

Anne, I agree with you. Most times people pick aisle or window for a reason. I like the window and I wouldn't switch, especially for a center. I would hope there are some extra seats available for some flexibility for the family to seat together.

 

[safetymom]

I wouldn't call the airline again. If you call too many times it can be noted in your records and then they won't do anything for you. You have a better chance if you smile sweetly and arrive early at the airport.

 

[MulanMom]

We had a similar situation after 9/11 caused our flight to be cancelled and we were rescheduled on other flights. We were a party of six...me, DH, DS2, DD4, MIL and FIL. Instead of non-stop direct flights, we were put on flights with two segments each. Our first flight was booked solid and our assigned seats were all over the plane! No two were together. this was USAir. Everyone passed us off to the next person in line, phone rep to check-in to gate to flight attendants...who finally said they couldn't guarantee we could sit with our own children. When I pointed out to the flight attendant that my children were 2 and 4 and there was no way they were sitting by themselves, he still insisted he couldn't assure us he could seat us together. Thankfully, we had some very accommodating folks who were flying solo.

Second leg of the trip, we had 3 seats assigned together and 3 all over the place. Okay, I was to sit with the children. We get to the row and it's an EXIT row, in which children aren't allowed. Fortunately, we had a very attentive, on-the-ball flight attendant who arranged seating for us.

Our seating assignments for the return flights were a little better, but confusing. They wouldn't seat us three across, yet when we got on the plane...no one was assigned to the seats. Plus plane may have been 60% full.

It'll work out. Be nice! Smile! Often it'll be your fellow passengers that'll help you!

Sharon