wigstheone
Jun 1, 02, 1:58 pm
WHEN Nadya Sagner booked a flight last year from Washington to Paris, she called Air France eight weeks in advance. Still, she and her husband were assigned to middle seats in different rows. "No matter how many times I called, they said, 'We've filled all the seats we've assigned, you'll have to do it at check-in,' " Ms. Sagner said. On the day of the flight the Sagners got to the airport early and tried one more time. They were given ideal seats, the window and aisle in a two-person row.
The right seat assignment can make the difference between a restful journey and an uncomfortable ordeal, particularly on long flights. Yet as the Sagners found out, getting a desirable seat can require a healthy dose of luck.
Even if you're the first person to buy a ticket on a given flight, the best seats already may be gone. Most airlines set aside up to a third of the seats for the passengers providing the most revenue: elite members of frequent-flier programs and full-fare economy passengers. Most frequent-flier programs give special status to people who log at least 50,000 miles a year; preferred seating is a way of rewarding their loyalty. Reserved seats — usually in the front of the plane — are also a perk for passengers buying full-price tickets.
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/02/travel/02PRAC.html
The right seat assignment can make the difference between a restful journey and an uncomfortable ordeal, particularly on long flights. Yet as the Sagners found out, getting a desirable seat can require a healthy dose of luck.
Even if you're the first person to buy a ticket on a given flight, the best seats already may be gone. Most airlines set aside up to a third of the seats for the passengers providing the most revenue: elite members of frequent-flier programs and full-fare economy passengers. Most frequent-flier programs give special status to people who log at least 50,000 miles a year; preferred seating is a way of rewarding their loyalty. Reserved seats — usually in the front of the plane — are also a perk for passengers buying full-price tickets.
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/02/travel/02PRAC.html