Seats Under Airport Control - Changing

Old Oct 16, 2015, 3:04 pm
  #1  
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Seats Under Airport Control - Changing

I tried searching for recent threads and not much luck with AA.

Wife and I booked trips on separate PNRs due to different origin airports. The second segment we join each other for the reminder of the journey. While booking online, AA asked for $30 to get a premium seat as all the other 'fee' seats were taken. So, we declined and booked tickets without seat.

Checked in to our respective flights and AA automatically assigned us a premium seat, free of course, to make sure we have a seat - 8A and 10F. I called to have one of us moved to sit next to each other. One agent said I must pay $29 even when moving premium seat to premium seat. Second agent said seats are under airport control.

Should I visit airport today (just 5 miles down road) for flight that departs in 26:30hours (more than 24hours), or deal with it at airport tomorrow? Or call a third time? Never had this happen before and now risk sitting apart from each other or politely asking pax to move for us.
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Old Oct 16, 2015, 3:44 pm
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Originally Posted by joshuaw2
politely asking pax to move for us.
This seems to be the most reasonable alternative. Don't sweat it out too much. No need going to airport. Alternatively, once you arrive the second segment airport, you could approach the gate agent and see if they could do the change there, if time permits, some agents page the passenger and ask them.
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Old Oct 16, 2015, 3:51 pm
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Originally Posted by joshuaw2
now risk sitting apart from each other or politely asking pax to move for us.
What's the risk? Do you share a liver and thus will die if separated for a few hours?
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Old Oct 16, 2015, 4:26 pm
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I find it odd that they want to charge your wife for the seat. Every time that I've flown with friends on separate PNRs and itineraries, AA has always placed the other passengers in MCE with me for free on the segments that we fly together. In fact, afterwards, I can choose MCE online for all the other flights too.
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Old Oct 16, 2015, 10:27 pm
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I'll just talk to the second airport tomorrow. First flight lands about 3 hours before takeoff of next flight (with seat issue), so that should give me some time.
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Old Oct 17, 2015, 4:32 pm
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Gate agents were of no help at DFW. We asked 3 hours prior to departure and were told to come back one hour before. Came back one hour before and told no more seats to change with. What BS. Glad our loyalty has been slowly changing to another airline. We were both Platinum and Gold, but this service was horrible. They had a chance yesterday 26 hours out with PLENTY of seats open. No sense to charge $30 to switch from premium seat to premium seat.
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Old Oct 17, 2015, 5:25 pm
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Originally Posted by joshuaw2
Gate agents were of no help at DFW. We asked 3 hours prior to departure and were told to come back one hour before. Came back one hour before and told no more seats to change with. What BS. Glad our loyalty has been slowly changing to another airline. We were both Platinum and Gold, but this service was horrible. They had a chance yesterday 26 hours out with PLENTY of seats open. No sense to charge $30 to switch from premium seat to premium seat.
So you were given $60 value for free and decided that wasn't
t good enough because you were not together? As I see it, the airline already went above and beyond for you.

If you choose to determine that other airlines will provide you more value, you go forward with that. But do not come to bash this airline when they already did you a solid.
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Old Oct 17, 2015, 5:30 pm
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No good deed goes unpunished. AA should have just left OP and his wife without seat assignments and told them to get seats at the gate. GA would have given them random seats and that would have been it.

Instead OP got a $60 freebie handout, but that wasn't good enough.
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Old Oct 17, 2015, 8:03 pm
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Originally Posted by joshuaw2
What BS. Glad our loyalty has been slowly changing to another airline. We were both Platinum and Gold, but this service was horrible.
"Goodbye, Cruel Airline."
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Old Oct 17, 2015, 9:00 pm
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What am I missing?

OP is PLT per his profile. Why would he be required to pay for a preferred seat?
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Old Oct 17, 2015, 10:39 pm
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Originally Posted by vasantn
OP is PLT per his profile. Why would he be required to pay for a preferred seat?
I'm thinking maybe this was a US flight? US had the "premium" seats towards the front of the cabin that even EXP had to pay for. Hopefully those are a thing of the past now.
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Old Oct 17, 2015, 10:51 pm
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It amazes me people blame airlines for not being seated next to each other when they have the option of picking seats next to each other, but choosing not to do so. Oh wait that's right, the OP didn't want to pay so its the airline's fault lol. Let the open mocking continue. I doubt the OP is still PLT because he would've been able to pick the seat for free, but even then his wife was on a different PNR and to the letter of the rules AA is not obliged to seat her in a premium seat for free.

Have fun at DL or UA, because they have the same exact policy regarding paid seats. If the airline picks a seat for you its free, if you want to pick a seat, it will cost money.
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Old Oct 17, 2015, 10:57 pm
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Originally Posted by IggySD
I'm thinking maybe this was a US flight? US had the "premium" seats towards the front of the cabin that even EXP had to pay for. Hopefully those are a thing of the past now.
There are no more US flights.
If it is an AA flight, and OP's profile is correct, then he should have gotten both MCE seats for free. Maybe the profile is not correct.
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Old Oct 17, 2015, 11:03 pm
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Originally Posted by joshuaw2
<Snipped>. What BS. Glad our loyalty has been slowly changing to another airline. We were both Platinum and Gold, but this service was horrible.<snipped> .
Do you think this would have been different on another carrier which normally charges for preferred seating? If you are not entitled to fee free preferred seating, then you either pay for the seats you want or you take what they give you. This is not a new thing, and not restricted to AA.

Note: If this is an AA flight and your are Platinum, this should have been a non-issue as AA will give Platinum companions free preferred/MCE seating on the same flights as the Platinum, even if different PNRs and different overall itineraries. I have done this twice in the past 3 days.
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Old Oct 18, 2015, 6:43 am
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Originally Posted by mvoight
If it is an AA flight, and OP's profile is correct, then he should have gotten both MCE seats for free. Maybe the profile is not correct.
OP said:
Originally Posted by joshuaw2
We were both Platinum and Gold ...
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