Comments on: Have a seat: How to get a better reservation every time

By: Frank

Frank — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 00:01:56 +0000

only to hear, NOOOOOOOOOO. I paid for this seat. Sigh, compassion comes at a cost.

(typo)

By: Ed F London

Ed F London — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 23:12:38 +0000

Agree with you on SeatGuru.com. I’ve used them most often when flying on airlines that are not my “regular” ones. I’ve found them to be accurate if somewhat conservative (conservative as in it wasn’t quite as bad as they suggested).

As for changing seat assignments, I have been a UA Premiere Exec or 100K for each of the last 10 years or more. As a result, I get to pick my seats, including Econ Plus and exit rows, when I book.

However, recently, on their 767s, I’ve had my seats changed without notice. Like you, I check often, and, luckily, I was was able to put myself back in my chosen seat. But on one flight, they actually moved me out twice, once when they renumbered their rows and once for no apparent reason at all.

On another time, while they kept me in a coveted exit row on the 767, they moved me forward a row into the bulkhead exit which is too cramped for my stretch-out-and-slouch sitting style. I got reinstated to the old seat when I checked in at the airport which only made me wonder why they moved me out in the first place and were then able to move me back.

And because where I sit in a specific confirguation or plane model is THE most important part of the travel experience, I now feel the need to check even more often.

By: Frank

Frank — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 22:49:55 +0000

He assumed he would have the power port again, to run his laptop. Unfortunately the airline, in what they termed “a cost-saving measure,” pulled the ports out of coach in some of their A330 planes. He didn’t know that, but he could have.
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Fleet commonality is a tricky thing. An airline can have several different cabin interiors based on where they fly that particular aircraft. Years ago, USAirways had ONLY COACH on the shuttle, but the aircraft was Airbus 319’s and 320’s. Mainline had first class.
Seatguru is a perfect example for checking for inflight cabin differences. But, you need to check on what type of aircraft you’re scheduled to be on. And, what versions.
The selling of premuim or choice seats can be a headache to flight attendants who are trying to get a family together due to different areas of the aircraft. I have approached passengers if they would mind changing, only to hear, yes. I paid for this seat. Sigh, compassion comes at a cost.

By: Phil Cushman

Phil Cushman — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 21:17:11 +0000

I generally don’t pay for premium seating. A couple of years ago when I had plans that involved several flights on United I purchased their United Economy Plus package that provided premium seating for one year and I encouraged my sister who was flying on some of the same flights as me to do the same. While it was easy to purchase Economy Plus it was harder to get seats in it. Virtually every flight required multiple phone calls requesting reassignment to the proper seats and only constant monitoring of the reservation online kept me aware that I had been “re-seated.” My sister and her husband were on the same flights as me and my partner. We were seated together in Economy Plus both directions. On arriving at CDG for our flight back to the US she was told she had been reassigned to seats at the rear of the plane. The agent insisted there was no record of her having had Economy Plus seat assignments and no record of her having paid the $150 plus (I don’t recall what the exact price was at that time) membership fee. None of us had been given any sort of card to show we had purchased the Economy Plus program for a year but we were assured it showed up on our Frequent Flyer record which it apparently did not. Eventually the agent reassigned her to better seats but not the ones she had been assigned when she purchased the tickets. Even though we flew United again several times the following year neither of us paid the extra membership after that.

I have resigned myself to being reassigned to seats at the rear of the plane multiple times before I depart regardless of the airline. I try to check online frequently and when I discover I am at the rear again I try to choose better seats knowing that I will likely have to do so again before departure. The airlines seem more willing to take your money for premium seating than they are to provide it and I am no longer confident that paying extra will get me better seats in economy.