WestJet Advance Seat Selection

[Nahanni]

It's been a few years since I've flown WJ and I see they now charge $15 for advance seat selection (and as little as $5 up to 1 hour before departure). Has anyone elected not to purchase this option?

 

[DreamlikeCat]

We chose to drive 3 hours into to the US and fly from there because both AC and WJ are around $1600 more for flights to Orlando from Winnipeg. Yeesh.

 

[bankr63]

It's been a few years since I've flown WJ and I see they now charge $15 for advance seat selection (and as little as $5 up to 1 hour before departure). Has anyone elected not to purchase this option?

The one time we did not do pre-selection (was AC not WJ) our family ended up in 3 different aisles on the flight - and it was our kids' first ever flight . That was actually a TA screwup - they were supposed to book the seats, but I guess just pocketed the fee.

That was the last time I used a TA; now we book online and we always pay for seat selection. Also, always check your flight on SeatGuru http://www.seatguru.com/ so you know you are booking GOOD seats for everyone.

 

[CrazedBee]

WestJet lets you pick your seats for free 24 hours in advance if you do the online check in. I've never had a problem getting seats together if thats what you are worried about. The only thing I've noticed is most of the seats in the front of the plane are taken, even if I chose right at the 24 hour mark.

 

[abirdd]

I don't pay the fee, here's why...

WestJet told me until my kids are over the age of 11 - the computer is setup to auto assign seats for our family *together*. This only works if you correctly purchase tickets with the "adults" and "kids" tickets selected. In our case, this means we end up with 3 people in one row, and the 1 person on the aisle seat.

You can do the online check in before heading to the airport, just to double check. End up with seats you don't like? Tell them at check in, and WJ will do pretty much everything possible to set you up. They may not be right at the front, but at least you'll have seats together (assuming this is what you want )

 

[Golden Amik]

We chose to drive 3 hours into to the US and fly from there because both AC and WJ are around $1600 more for flights to Orlando from Winnipeg. Yeesh.

Which airport do you fly from? We are planning a March 2013 trip with airmiles and though we can fly direct from Winnipeg we are opting to fly out of Thunder Bay. If I can find a better deal out of the US we'd consider it!

 

[TaniaU]

I don't pay the fee, here's why...

WestJet told me until my kids are over the age of 11 - the computer is setup to auto assign seats for our family *together*. This only works if you correctly purchase tickets with the "adults" and "kids" tickets selected. In our case, this means we end up with 3 people in one row, and the 1 person on the aisle seat.

You can do the online check in before heading to the airport, just to double check. End up with seats you don't like? Tell them at check in, and WJ will do pretty much everything possible to set you up. They may not be right at the front, but at least you'll have seats together (assuming this is what you want )

That's good to know!

 

[monkey30]

I don't pay the fee, here's why...

WestJet told me until my kids are over the age of 11 - the computer is setup to auto assign seats for our family *together*. This only works if you correctly purchase tickets with the "adults" and "kids" tickets selected. In our case, this means we end up with 3 people in one row, and the 1 person on the aisle seat.

You can do the online check in before heading to the airport, just to double check. End up with seats you don't like? Tell them at check in, and WJ will do pretty much everything possible to set you up. They may not be right at the front, but at least you'll have seats together (assuming this is what you want )

In the past this has not worked for us, we have booked with westjet many times and many times they have booked a 4 yr old and a 7 yr old at opposite ends of the plane, we have done everything we could to get them together, in the end we got 2 at one end together and 2 at the other end, which was fine for us, but man whos gonna watch the 4yr old!!LOL

 

[monkey30]

But to anwser the OP question yes we have paid for the seat selection when we booked but it was $10 each way and we knew it was a full flight, so this way we guarented we were together.

 

[Nahanni]

Interesting comments about uisng the "children" selection when booking.

We refunded the WestJet flight and rebooked on Air Canada saving $40pp (free seat selection and we should only check 1-2 bags).

 

[Susan2771]

When we travel with our children we always do advance seat selection. It is complete peace of mind for me that I know we will be seated together, I'm not leaving it up to chance. When I fly with just the hubby, I leave it up to fate and destiny that there will be 2 seats together at the 24 hour window when I go print off the boarding passes and save the fee. So far fate has been on our side

 

[KittyKat1978]

Wow, I didn't know that WestJet could seat your family all over the plane! I thought if you booked together, you sat together?

My mom booked a West Jet flight through Air Miles for my grandma, my mom and I. We were all seated together.

I have never been seperated from my party when flying.

For those who have that totally sucks

 

[DreamlikeCat]

Which airport do you fly from? We are planning a March 2013 trip with airmiles and though we can fly direct from Winnipeg we are opting to fly out of Thunder Bay. If I can find a better deal out of the US we'd consider it!

Sorry for the late response! I should really learn how to subscribe to threads...

We're flying out of Fargo on Delta Airlines.

 

[dontthrowsand]

A per an airline agent - airlines try to seat parties that book together in the same area if not the same row but it is possible to not be sat together based on prior seat selections. Anyone who pays is given priority unless it is a special circumstance like Medical aids or young children

 

[jaceraden]

Just an FYI - being a young family and paying extra to be together doesn't guarantee you'll be together. Never, EVER expect it and be prepared.

I paid extra to fly to Mexico with my Mom on one side of me and my sister on the other (and I had a 10 month old) in my lap and in the bassinet. Somehow my Mother ended up a few rows behind me and a complete stranger got to see a lot of my ****s - and got waaaaaay too close to my baby for comfort.

Last year, I paid extra to have hubby either directly beside or in front of me as I sat with our 2 and 4 year olds. Yup, got split up both times as well. Once I think had something to do with what we suspect was an air marshall or whatever but still....

So, yeah. They do *try* in most cases to accomodate but there are never, EVER guarantees.

P.S. I hear it's cheaper to fly Allegiant Air out of Grand Forks but I still like the direct WestJet flight from Winnipeg.

 

[bankr63]

Just an FYI - being a young family and paying extra to be together doesn't guarantee you'll be together. Never, EVER expect it and be prepared.

I paid extra to fly to Mexico with my Mom on one side of me and my sister on the other (and I had a 10 month old) in my lap and in the bassinet. Somehow my Mother ended up a few rows behind me and a complete stranger got to see a lot of my ****s - and got waaaaaay too close to my baby for comfort.

Last year, I paid extra to have hubby either directly beside or in front of me as I sat with our 2 and 4 year olds. Yup, got split up both times as well. Once I think had something to do with what we suspect was an air marshall or whatever but still....

So, yeah. They do *try* in most cases to accomodate but there are never, EVER guarantees.

P.S. I hear it's cheaper to fly Allegiant Air out of Grand Forks but I still like the direct WestJet flight from Winnipeg.

So does WJ refund the money you paid to select seats when this happens? I would expect to get the money back for ALL of the people in the party!

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

With westJet if you book online and pa to pick your seats it takes you to a page with a map of the plane that shows what seats are taken , which are available and which are exit rows, you just click on the available one and it assigns it to you. Once you get your confirmation it will tell you which seats you have.

 

[shenaniganzz]

We pay the money to pick our seats in advance. We have a young daughter and we don't want to take the chance of being separated on the plane.