What makes these seats special?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: New York City
Programs: AA Platunum
Posts: 498
What makes these seats special?
I just noticed that AA has new graphics in their seat selection pages, with new colors like pinks, purples, etc.
As a Gold, I was able to get the Exit row (fingers crossed that the upgrade to Biz comes through!).
The AA chart shows seats in rows 23 - 27 highlighted in purple, with the notation that these are "Preferred Seats". (however, row 26 is excluded) In checking Seat Guru, there's no indication that there's anything special about them. In fact, in a few of them, seatguru thinks they're worse because of the difficulty in seeing the movie screen from some of them, while in others, they're less desirable because of the close proximity to the lavatory's (noise, more people around you, etc). While all of these seats offer power ports, so do others scattered around the plane, which are not keyed as "preferred".
So, why are these seats "Preferred" according to AA? And, because they're noted at Preferred, is there an additional charge to sit in them? If so, is that charge for Gold, Plat and EXP's?
Seems odd that AA views a Preferred Seat where SeatGuru see's one that's less desirable.
As a Gold, I was able to get the Exit row (fingers crossed that the upgrade to Biz comes through!).
The AA chart shows seats in rows 23 - 27 highlighted in purple, with the notation that these are "Preferred Seats". (however, row 26 is excluded) In checking Seat Guru, there's no indication that there's anything special about them. In fact, in a few of them, seatguru thinks they're worse because of the difficulty in seeing the movie screen from some of them, while in others, they're less desirable because of the close proximity to the lavatory's (noise, more people around you, etc). While all of these seats offer power ports, so do others scattered around the plane, which are not keyed as "preferred".
So, why are these seats "Preferred" according to AA? And, because they're noted at Preferred, is there an additional charge to sit in them? If so, is that charge for Gold, Plat and EXP's?
Seems odd that AA views a Preferred Seat where SeatGuru see's one that's less desirable.
#2
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: NorCal
Programs: AA EXP, Marriott GLD, HH PLT, Hertz 5*
Posts: 766
Because they are nearer to the front, so you can smell the aroma of freshly baked cookies and free booze being handed out.
BM
BM
#3
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2006
Programs: AAdvantage PP
Posts: 13,913
Wishing you were a few seats ahead to make into the J/F cabin. Seriously, other than Y seats under airport control, I did not think that the forward Y seats were offlimits to non elites.
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: SJC/VCE
Programs: AA PLT (2.9+ MM), HH GLD, Hyatt Diamond, SPG PLT
Posts: 10,161
I
So, why are these seats "Preferred" according to AA? And, because they're noted at Preferred, is there an additional charge to sit in them? If so, is that charge for Gold, Plat and EXP's?
Seems odd that AA views a Preferred Seat where SeatGuru see's one that's less desirable.
So, why are these seats "Preferred" according to AA? And, because they're noted at Preferred, is there an additional charge to sit in them? If so, is that charge for Gold, Plat and EXP's?
Seems odd that AA views a Preferred Seat where SeatGuru see's one that's less desirable.
Last edited by bdemaria; Oct 15, 2008 at 9:50 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: New York City
Programs: AA Platunum
Posts: 498
Right! And according to Seatguru, you can't see the movie screen as easily, and you'll be disturbed by people going in/out of the lavs.
Obviously, if a pax has a connecting flight, they want to be as close as possible to the front, but other than that, I still don't see why these seats are "preferred", even when I clicked on the link that passinginterest gave. People in that thread are thrilled about it but I still don't see why.
#7
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Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Tampa, Florida, U.S.A.
Posts: 7,664
Interesting.... a full fledged AA board type discussion without one mention of the possible type aircraft involved.
mike
mike
#9
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: SAT
Programs: AA EXP BA Gold, TK Gold, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, AS 100K, QR PLT, SAS Gold, IHG Spire, AMR
Posts: 5,898
#10
Join Date: Apr 2002
Programs: AA (Exec Plat), UAL (Premier Exec), SPG (Platinum), Hyatt (Diamond), Marriott (Plat), Hertz (Prez)
Posts: 151
ignore the AA markings and go by seatguru. there is no fee - it's just that non-elite status passengers can't select those seats.
good luck with the upgrades - but don't get your hopes up too high. that still leaves all the exec plats and plats ahead of you on the upgrade list.
good luck with the upgrades - but don't get your hopes up too high. that still leaves all the exec plats and plats ahead of you on the upgrade list.
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Location: MSY; 2-time FT Fantasy Football Champ, now in recovery.
Programs: AA lifetime GLD; UA Silver; Marriott LTTE; IHG Plat,
Posts: 14,509
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: New York City
Programs: AA Platunum
Posts: 498
I'm just still searching for the answer as to why AA thinks that these are better seats. So far, no one has come up with a reason. Gee, I thought you all knew everything!
One person suggested it was because they're closer to the front. That doesn't fit because on my outbound AA shows rows 20, 23, 24, and 25 as Preferred, while row 22 is not Preferred. And on my inbound flight, the Preferred rows are: 20, 23, 24, 25, and 27, with 26 not preferred. So the closer to the front theory doesn't fly.
At first, I thought it might have to do with an extra inch or two of legroom, however, it's the same aircraft outbound and inbound, so why would row 27 be preferred in one direction and not the other?
Originally Posted by molly
good luck with the upgrades - but don't get your hopes up too high. that still leaves all the exec plats and plats ahead of you on the upgrade list.
MikeSilv - The aircraft is a 767-200. I didn't mention it because I didn't think it was relevant.
Last edited by MollyNYC; Oct 15, 2008 at 10:00 pm
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,190
Does it really matter why? Generally they are closer to the front. But the real point is that there is a subset of seats reserved for elites only, which, if executed properly, provides a late-booking, high-fare elite passenger with a better chance at not getting stuck in a middle seat in the back of the plane. It's about time AA did this.
#14
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: FLL
Programs: AA PLT 2.7 MM, DL GLD, UA Prem, BW Diamond, PC PLT, HH Diamond
Posts: 1,285
I just noticed that AA has new graphics in their seat selection pages, with new colors like pinks, purples, etc.
As a Gold, I was able to get the Exit row (fingers crossed that the upgrade to Biz comes through!).
The AA chart shows seats in rows 23 - 27 highlighted in purple, with the notation that these are "Preferred Seats". (however, row 26 is excluded) In checking Seat Guru, there's no indication that there's anything special about them. In fact, in a few of them, seatguru thinks they're worse because of the difficulty in seeing the movie screen from some of them, while in others, they're less desirable because of the close proximity to the lavatory's (noise, more people around you, etc). While all of these seats offer power ports, so do others scattered around the plane, which are not keyed as "preferred".
So, why are these seats "Preferred" according to AA? And, because they're noted at Preferred, is there an additional charge to sit in them? If so, is that charge for Gold, Plat and EXP's?
Seems odd that AA views a Preferred Seat where SeatGuru see's one that's less desirable.
As a Gold, I was able to get the Exit row (fingers crossed that the upgrade to Biz comes through!).
The AA chart shows seats in rows 23 - 27 highlighted in purple, with the notation that these are "Preferred Seats". (however, row 26 is excluded) In checking Seat Guru, there's no indication that there's anything special about them. In fact, in a few of them, seatguru thinks they're worse because of the difficulty in seeing the movie screen from some of them, while in others, they're less desirable because of the close proximity to the lavatory's (noise, more people around you, etc). While all of these seats offer power ports, so do others scattered around the plane, which are not keyed as "preferred".
So, why are these seats "Preferred" according to AA? And, because they're noted at Preferred, is there an additional charge to sit in them? If so, is that charge for Gold, Plat and EXP's?
Seems odd that AA views a Preferred Seat where SeatGuru see's one that's less desirable.
#15
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 932
I didn't get in in time to get an exit row on LHR-LAX at Xmas, but I got these strange preferred seats. They just seem to be each aisle seat going upto row 34. Oh well, picked some others and hope exit row becomes available on both legs