Unassigned Airline Seats

[UBSHANG]

Since my particular AA flight between ORD and MCO has already assigned 80% of the seats, AA has informed me of the distinct possibility that my family may not be able to sit together in the remaining unassigned 20%.

AA also informed me that major air carriers tend to overbook flights based on the statistical probability that not everyone with a ticket will show up.

If everyone does arrive as planned, however, the airline will offer significant discounts to those passengers who opt for a later flight.

In the more common situation where no one accepts the offer to fly later, it is at the airlines discretion to reschedule those passengers in order of who has unassigned seats, discounted tickets, checked in late, and other variables.

Does anyone who has experienced such an unfortunate situation have any advice or suggestions?

 

[SB in KY]

If you have a ticket and want on the flight you will get on (assuming you are not so late ariving at the gate that they have already let standby passengers on)....they will start offering people $200 in flight vouchers and a seat on the next flight...if they don't get enough takers they will up the anty until they get enough volunteers....too bad you aren't flying with me...I ALWAYS leap up and turn in my tickets and the rest of the family's also (a few years ago we gave up seats on a flight from Louisville to Orlando (changing planes in Atlanta)...got put on a non-stop to Orlando that left 1 hour later, they gave us dinner vouchers, we ate and got on the flight and arrived 15 minutes BEFORE our scheduled flight (and had free flight vouchers to anyplace Delta flies for all 4 of us...we had a great trip to London on those and on the way home we did the same thing...only arrived home 2 hours later than scheduled and got tickets we used for a week in St Croix!!)

I have never known of a flight where they could not find enough volunteers to take their incentives...don't worry

 

[CarolMN]

Agree with the previous poster. In the unlikely event that they cannot find enough volunteers, the usual practice is to bump the last people to arrive at the gate without a boarding pass. can't actualy get a boarding pass without a seat assignment.

If getting on that flight is important -

Try to check in online (assuming AA offers this service). You will be able to select your seats at that time. Check in as soon as the window for it opens. Some airlines allow you to check in up to 24 hours ahead of time. Check AA's website now for information/procedures.

If you cannot do that, then plan to get to the airport extra early. You'll b assigned to whatever seats are available when you get there. The earlier you arrive, the more likely you will get something together. If you have small children, there is usually someone on the plan who will switch with you to allow at least one parent to sit with the child.


Good luck -

 

[Chicago526]

The above posters are correct. Your best chance is to check in online with AA (they do allow it, and I think it's 24 hrs prior, so if you leave at 7 am on Saturday, you can check in at 7 am on Friday). You need to be a member of AA's frequent flyer program to do so, and set up a user name and password with the website. I'd do that now, so when the time comes you can just log in and away you go!

If you can't do that for some reason, the get to the airport as early as humanly possible. Since you're a family, they will do their best to get you all together. If not, people are usually willing to switch (who wants to sit next to a kid that isn't theirs?).

If you still manage to get bumped, they'll give you some compensation (a discount or free tickets for your next trip, not too bad really) and you'll be put on the standby list for the next flight. Sometimes you can even score first class, though that's more rare these days. Remember, the gate agent holds your future in their hands. No matter how upset you are that you've been bumped, be calm and polite (but firm) with the agent. Yelling is only going to make them NOT want to help you. And it isn't their fault anyway.

 

[seashoreCM]

American is one of the airlines where passengers who did not succeed in getting advance seat assignments may be bumped first.

But no airline will bump in such a fashion so as to leave a child flying alone.

If you are bumped involuntarily you can choose between the involuntary (legal) compensation (can get cash) or the best offer made to volunteers (rarely any cash) for that flight.

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

 

[Took]

As a regular "bumpee" (i nearly ALWAYS volunteer), I can say that I have only once seen anyone "force bumped" and he arrived at the gate at the last minute (and was WELL compensated). So, don't worry. You almost certainly won't be bumped if you don't want to be.

About separating a family: if you check in early (on-line is best), then your chances of sitting together are high. However, you probably should develop a mental plan for what to do if the whole group can't sit together (we have this happen fairly often). Usually, you'll be seated at least CLOSE to each other and almost always adults will be seated with children (particularly young children). As a last resort, ASK others. Almost anyone will give up a seat (particularly a less desirable one) to keep a parent and child together! I've seen this many, many times so don't fret. It will be OK.

Took

PS The one time my DD and I were separated, she was 7 and sat only a row away. She was absolutely fine.