bryenz

I tried several searches on this and did find a pretty good thread, albeit one that's two years old. So, rather than resurrect that old thread, I'm posting again.

Here's the quote:

Does anyone know if this order is still valid? Here's the situation --

I'm on AA 394 from ORD-LGA Monday morning (6/19.) When I booked the flight, it was showing '7' on several classes on EF but no seat assignments were available.. to me, a sure sign it's oversold. As of today I still haven't been able to pick up a seat assignment. The flight is now 0 across the board on EF and isn't available on aa.com for purchase either.

Most of the other Monday morning runs to LGA are also 0-across on EF, too.

I'm normally one to take any opportunity for a bump but of course this is one of those cases where I have to be in the city late Monday morning (yeah, yeah, fly Sunday night; not an option, long story) and a bump or IDB right now would be pretty inconvenient for me.

I'm guessing most of the people on this plane are EXP or Plat (at minimum) and most of us don't have a lot of flexibility to be in NY later, so volunteers will be at a minimum.. and unless there's a lot of folks connecting from the DEL-ORD overnight, there probably won't be a lot of missed connections.

In honor of some of the AA forum wags, I figure there's a 2.37% chance that someone will be IDB'd/IDBed/IDB'ed. I want to make sure I'm in the other 97.63%. I will be doing OLCI at 7am Sunday morning and will be at ORD at least an hour before flight time (although I might be in the Starbucks line for a lot longer, knowing Monday morning at ORD... )

JDiver

djk7 also posted there, and included this spiffy link to the DOT's "Fly-Rights - A Consumer Guide to Air Travel" (link direct to the Overbooking section, which includes "Involuntary Bumping.")

I'd also keep an eye on those seat charts - if there are any upgrades, check at 100, 72 and 24 hour windows and soon thereafter, in case someone got their upgrade and vacated (preferably an exit row) seat.

bryenz

The comp is fine.. but I'd like to actually avoid even being in the situation that I have to fight for comp. That's what most of the other threads seemed to be.. the whole "I got IDBed, they screwed me and gave me a voucher for $6.23..." thing.

We're inside the 100 and 72 hour windows.. when I booked last week, it was F0 A0. I can't imagine that anyone's getting upgraded here, let alone Golds.. but it never hurts!

acf573

One note is that you can't OLCI w/o a seat assignment. So you may be at the tail end of the line for EXP/Plat. But I figure even then there have to be many people more bumpable than you. Still, probably want to be at the gate as early as possible. Certainly by the time the GA gets there.

gemac

Wheelchair.

SCChris

Also remember that AA blocks some seats for airport control. I would suggest the following:

1. As JDiver suggests, check the seat maps on the flight early and often. As you said there probably wont be upgraders, but people could cancel/change their reservation.

2. Call AA perhaps once a day and ask if they can release a seat assignment to you. I've known people you have had seat assignments released at the 24 hour mark by AA.

3. Arrive at the airport early, check-in with an AAgent and try to get a seat assigned, inquire about seats under airport control.

Good luck!

bryenz

Too bad our "fat old man softball" league isn't playing tomorrow due to Father's Day. I may have had to arrange a temporary injury of some sort.

Anyhow, thanks for the advice. I didn't know about the no-OLCI-without-seat-assignment thing. Can I use the kiosk in the morning or do I have to stand on the line with everyone else? SCChris mentioned talking to an AAgent, but the lines in ORD at 5:30am Monday morning.... ew.

JGR01

ORD ticket counters open at 4am

And the AC opens at 5am.

Maybe plan to arrive a bit earlier to ORD.

SCChris

Yes, you can use a kiosk. If it still can't get you a seat assignment, it will print you a departure management card, which will let you get past security.

bryenz

The DM card will work just fine. So long as I can get past security, that's what matters to me.. I don't care if I get my seat at the AC, the gate, the counter, whatever.

Heck, at this point, I'll even take 32E if I have to (and a fresh battery in my ANR headset) -- I just need to get there for final interview/salary negotiations. *fingers crossed*

Deltahater

Dude... just chill. focus on your interview, not your seat assignment

mapsmith

I think that an hour early might just not be early enough. Try for at least 2 if not more, if you really need to be on the plane.

sunkistflyer

i wouldn't be overly concerned -- i've been flying the monday aa394 for the past six months. most of the time is has been nearly sold out or oversold, but rarely have i seen anyone involuntarily denied boarding. there are usually a couple people willing take compensation.

don't expect seats to become available through upgrades. first class is often fully occupied days in advance. be _very_ friendly with the GAs, who are usually frustrated after putting (or denying) 30-40 elite requests to be put on the upgrade list. i can't remember the last time i was upgraded.

bryenz

I'm not even going to ask to be on the list.. I know there's no chance unless some sort of computer glitch knocks all EXPs back to base members or something like that. Isn't gonna happen.

But this is what's good about FT -- people who have actually been on these flights on a regular basis!

I'm not too worried about the interview. It's the fourth one, more of a "meet the senior managers in your new division" sort of thing, but it still looks bad to call from ORD and say, "Sorry, I'll be late, ask the town car to wait; I got IDBed"

clbish

I just pulled up the seat map for F. There are 8 F seats available. Call and upgrade.