Why doesn't Alitalia sometimes respect seat selections?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: KATL
Programs: DL DM/2MM
Posts: 2,034
Why doesn't Alitalia sometimes respect seat selections?
Just got back from another AZ trip in Magnifica. I had problems upon check-in with the agents giving me boarding passes for different seats than I had pre-selected.
On my FCO>MXP leg which was an all-Y plane, I had pre-selected 5C, but when the agent gave me a boarding pass for 28C! I complained that this was too far back and that I had a very tight connection, so I was given 8E instead. Why did they move me? Particularly since I had an already chosen seat near the front, I was traveling on a Business class ticket, as a DL Diamond I am SkyTeam Elite, and I had a very tight connection
The second issue was on my MXP>MIA leg, which I had selected the very private 2L, I was given a boarding pass for 1E, which is one of the love seats, and I'd be sharing with someone I wasn't even traveling with. I asked for my original seat back or any L seat on any other row, and he gave me 2L - my original selection! Both the forward and the rear mini-cabins were both pretty full, so they weren't trying to compress the cabin like they sometimes do.
Just wondering what is the point of pre-selecting if they aren't going to honor them.
On my FCO>MXP leg which was an all-Y plane, I had pre-selected 5C, but when the agent gave me a boarding pass for 28C! I complained that this was too far back and that I had a very tight connection, so I was given 8E instead. Why did they move me? Particularly since I had an already chosen seat near the front, I was traveling on a Business class ticket, as a DL Diamond I am SkyTeam Elite, and I had a very tight connection
The second issue was on my MXP>MIA leg, which I had selected the very private 2L, I was given a boarding pass for 1E, which is one of the love seats, and I'd be sharing with someone I wasn't even traveling with. I asked for my original seat back or any L seat on any other row, and he gave me 2L - my original selection! Both the forward and the rear mini-cabins were both pretty full, so they weren't trying to compress the cabin like they sometimes do.
Just wondering what is the point of pre-selecting if they aren't going to honor them.
#2
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Italy 90% - Rest of the World 10%
Programs: Marriott + Hilton. Fly BA and AZ
Posts: 2,912
Why doesn't Alitalia sometimes respect seat selections?
Are you sure that your preselection was accepted / saved?
If one flight had been changed... But both??
I've not had problems on this...
How was the mxp - mia?
If one flight had been changed... But both??
I've not had problems on this...
How was the mxp - mia?
#3
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Delhi
Programs: Emirates gold *alliance silver jet airways platinum tridentprivilege gold.
Posts: 1,817
Alitalia has no systems expertise, read other threads on their reservation systems, call centers etc. They are quite simply, not a serious airline.
There is enough traditional Alitalia in them for issues such as this and others in the last 25 threads to keep coming up ..., issues which you simply wont see on boards of major airlines.
AZ has Good hard product intercontinental now but they have kept one tradition alive very succesfully... they are still the joke of the airline industry
There is enough traditional Alitalia in them for issues such as this and others in the last 25 threads to keep coming up ..., issues which you simply wont see on boards of major airlines.
AZ has Good hard product intercontinental now but they have kept one tradition alive very succesfully... they are still the joke of the airline industry
#4
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: NYC
Programs: DL PM MM SC; GE; Bonvoy Titanium; IHG Diamond
Posts: 2,310
I booked AZ flights on DL's website yesterday and chose seats but wanted to make sure they were in AZ's system - the whole SkyTeam integration thing does not always include seat assignments.
I've booked AF on DL.com many times and have always been able to log into AF.com to make sure my seats were there, and checked back often since AF also tends to change seats for no reason.
I was all over the AZ website and could not find a place to check my flight. Nothing comparable to the My Trips on DL's website. I posted on AZ's facebook page and there were multiple posts going back and forth, with them finally confirming my seats. But they never did answer my question - I asked if there was a way to check it on their website and they responded by asking for my ticket number. I don't like that there doesn't seem to be a way for me to check on their website periodically to make sure the seat assignments stuck. Am I missing something? Is there no way to pull up your booking with a ticket number or PNR?
I've booked AF on DL.com many times and have always been able to log into AF.com to make sure my seats were there, and checked back often since AF also tends to change seats for no reason.
I was all over the AZ website and could not find a place to check my flight. Nothing comparable to the My Trips on DL's website. I posted on AZ's facebook page and there were multiple posts going back and forth, with them finally confirming my seats. But they never did answer my question - I asked if there was a way to check it on their website and they responded by asking for my ticket number. I don't like that there doesn't seem to be a way for me to check on their website periodically to make sure the seat assignments stuck. Am I missing something? Is there no way to pull up your booking with a ticket number or PNR?
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: KATL
Programs: DL DM/2MM
Posts: 2,034
Yes, I know my seats were saved.
I selected my seats when I purchased the flight at Alitalia.com, and they showed up on my e-mail itinerary. Next time I'll print it out so I can show the check-in agents if necessary.
I selected my seats when I purchased the flight at Alitalia.com, and they showed up on my e-mail itinerary. Next time I'll print it out so I can show the check-in agents if necessary.
#6
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Italy
Programs: ITA Executive for life; AZ CFP "per sempre" (ST E+); LH SEN; BA Bronze
Posts: 1,948
Also, did you notice if your seat was, e.g., given to a passenger requiring special assistance or otherwise disabled?
#7
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 925
It might help to do the online check-in - you don't have to print the boarding passes, you can select to pick up at the check-in, or you could even just check you have the right seats and then abort online check-in with the knowledge that your seats are correct. If they changed for some reason you might be able to claim back your original seats before someone else takes them.
In case of aircraft change or some miscellaneous issue (as raistlin pointed out) it can happen that seats are lost between reservation and flight, although it hasn't happened to me for now. If you really want that seat I presume the check-in agent could change it for you if you turn up early, and make someone else unhappy instead .
In case of aircraft change or some miscellaneous issue (as raistlin pointed out) it can happen that seats are lost between reservation and flight, although it hasn't happened to me for now. If you really want that seat I presume the check-in agent could change it for you if you turn up early, and make someone else unhappy instead .
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: KATL
Programs: DL DM/2MM
Posts: 2,034
It might help to do the online check-in - you don't have to print the boarding passes, you can select to pick up at the check-in, or you could even just check you have the right seats and then abort online check-in with the knowledge that your seats are correct. If they changed for some reason you might be able to claim back your original seats before someone else takes them.
In case of aircraft change or some miscellaneous issue (as raistlin pointed out) it can happen that seats are lost between reservation and flight, although it hasn't happened to me for now. If you really want that seat I presume the check-in agent could change it for you if you turn up early, and make someone else unhappy instead .
In case of aircraft change or some miscellaneous issue (as raistlin pointed out) it can happen that seats are lost between reservation and flight, although it hasn't happened to me for now. If you really want that seat I presume the check-in agent could change it for you if you turn up early, and make someone else unhappy instead .
I did actually try the online check-in and got an error message when checking in or some other message telling me that I couldn't continue.
When I arrived at the airport at BCN to check-in, I went into the SkyPriority lane. There was a woman in front of me in the SkyPriority lane and her father was in the regular check-in line. They both got in their resepctive lines at the same time. He got to the desk before she did.
#10
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: LAX
Programs: DL PM | Marriott Gold | Alaska Gold
Posts: 758
I booked AZ flights on DL's website yesterday and chose seats but wanted to make sure they were in AZ's system - the whole SkyTeam integration thing does not always include seat assignments.
I've booked AF on DL.com many times and have always been able to log into AF.com to make sure my seats were there, and checked back often since AF also tends to change seats for no reason.
I was all over the AZ website and could not find a place to check my flight. Nothing comparable to the My Trips on DL's website. I posted on AZ's facebook page and there were multiple posts going back and forth, with them finally confirming my seats. But they never did answer my question - I asked if there was a way to check it on their website and they responded by asking for my ticket number. I don't like that there doesn't seem to be a way for me to check on their website periodically to make sure the seat assignments stuck. Am I missing something? Is there no way to pull up your booking with a ticket number or PNR?
I've booked AF on DL.com many times and have always been able to log into AF.com to make sure my seats were there, and checked back often since AF also tends to change seats for no reason.
I was all over the AZ website and could not find a place to check my flight. Nothing comparable to the My Trips on DL's website. I posted on AZ's facebook page and there were multiple posts going back and forth, with them finally confirming my seats. But they never did answer my question - I asked if there was a way to check it on their website and they responded by asking for my ticket number. I don't like that there doesn't seem to be a way for me to check on their website periodically to make sure the seat assignments stuck. Am I missing something? Is there no way to pull up your booking with a ticket number or PNR?