What should we do regarding flight change?

[KathyTX]

ROFL, Bavaria!!!!

I'm here because I'm a Disney fan, too. And sometimes a frustrated traveler.

 

[SurfinTX]

This is why I'm so hesitant to fly anywhere these days, especially with children. The way the airlines are trying to max fill every flight almost guarantees their will be changes to your schedule or seating even up to a few days out.

On my trip a few years back I was traveling with 5 and was re-assigned seven rows up from the rest. It was dissapointing to say the least and the flight for me was very boring not being able to travel with the kids. Combine that with all the hoops you have to jump through at the airports and the total cost after all the fees...it's just tough to see how it's worth it with a big family liesure trip.

A couple or individual trip? Then it's the only way to go. It just seems the airlines are driving families into, um...driving.

 

[NHdisneylover]

OP--the others are correct in that you have nothing you can really insist on other than getting your $6 back. You can nicely ask if any unrealeased seats could be made available to you (both by phone and when arriving at the gate in if still needed), and of course you should check in right at the 24 hour mark, but getting demanding, or talking about having been made to give up your seats, etc is not likely to make you any friends or win you any favours with the airline staff.

I believe I saw some posts by you on the CB this weekend in which you said you do not have children (sorry if I am confused). If so, I take it you are a group of adults who just would like to sit together and would like to be near the front of the plane. Is this correct? While I certainly do not feel your rights to sit together are any less important than anyone else's, you should know you are pretty darned lucky that you can still get any seats all together at this point--and that you learned of the change prior to the day of flight. Many, many people suddenly find themselves unable to get even 2 seats together. Often this happens to those traveling with very young children.

This has been the case in the travel industry at least since the late 90s (based on my own experiences sitting apart from my kids when they were as young as 3). Other than the $6 you paid for seat assignment (which I fully believe you deserve to have reimbursed), your airfare is purchasing safe transport, via plane, from point A to point B, on a set of dates. Nothing more than that. Sorry for the rude awakening; this seems to take many people by surprise the first time.

 

[Green Tea]

So, crash, are you saying they won't have any sympathy with our situation. We were amongst the first 10-15 people on the flight to have reserved our seats. You'd think we would get some sort of preference over people who may have booked this other flight months after us.

Obviously, had we known this was how it would pan out, we would have booked, at least the return flight with a different airline.

Do you think there is any chance that if there are open seats toward the front of the plane that they will switch us to them, or do you think they will force us to take the (many) open seats in the back of the plane?

Every time someone in my family flies Airtran we look at the 24 hour mark to get boarding passes and we always change our seats. The best one is always open, so yes, I think some are held back. Just call. There is likley not much anyone here can really do other than to say good luck!

 

[Green Tea]

On a long flight my family got separated after making reservations in advance. One of my kids get put in business class from the east coast to Hawaii. He, for some reason, didn't mind one bit that he got separated from the parents.

 

[NHdisneylover]

On a long flight my family got separated after making reservations in advance. One of my kids get put in business class from the east coast to Hawaii. He, for some reason, didn't mind one bit that he got separated from the parents.

You are a better parent than I am I would have (okay have) taken the better seat and stuck my kid in coach
The kids love first class though--flew with them in first about three or four times when they were little and we had status. Oh the evil looks you get when you board with preschoolers and sit up there are priceless

 

[safetymom]

OP, are you a frequent flyer? If you have some status with the airline you may get more help. The airlines don't look to see who booked first when they are working with flyers.

 

[keishashadow]

OP, agree it is a pain to deal with changes with flight itinerary, after awhile you get used to itor book with an airline that tends to keep to their schedule (southwest).

Have you considered calling & asking re a different flight same day or outright cancellation (if you can book reasonable airfare with another carrier, ie. SW)? Don't know if you are registered as an AT rewards member, if so; call that department and ask to speak to a supervisor (ive had better problem resolution that way)

BTW, AT is notorious for changing flight times, substaintially in the case of my route to MCO (i've even had it happen the day before by a few minutes); and to a lesser degree cancelling flights and reassigning seats.

 

[kaytieeldr]

You mean like they did to US? Apparantly they WILL move people out of their seats to give someone else the seats they want, because it happened to us.

No, they didn't move you out of your seats - well, not the way you're interpreting it. They cancelled your flight. "Your" seat assignments no longer exist. They put you on a different flight on which most likely "your" seats had already been selected by someone else.