Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer - *G flying Y: selected aisle online, put in middle seat during check-in and lied to

I'm writing from the SK gold lounge in SIN to vent about the fact that I'll have to spend the next 13 hours in a cramped middle seat courtesy of the "best airline of the world" :td: .

Had carefully selected a good aisle seat online, checked this morning that the seat assignment was still fine. Upon checkin I'm given a middle seat BP. I complain and I get an outright lie that the system is not working (it was evident the agent was lying) and to check later in the lounge. In the lounge I'm redirected to the transfer lounge. There I'm told flight is fully booked and no more seats left.

If they needed to shuffle seats for any reason, I'm sure there are plenty of non-status pax they could have inconvenienced. This is further proof that *A means absolutely nothing (this is not exclusive of SQ). Wish me luck in my J seat.

Sorry to hear about this. Good luck on the flight.

You should ask to stand-by for an aisle seat. Ask again at the lounge and at the gate.

......Had carefully selected a good aisle seat online, checked this morning that the seat assignment was still fine. Upon checkin I'm given a middle seat BP.......

I hope you have a print out with your seat number. Show that to a supervisor and he/she should fix it. @:-) Better yet, print your own boarding pass next time.

.........Wish me luck in my J seat.

Did you get an op-up to J? :confused: A middle seat in J is far better than an aisle seat in Y. :p

Did you get an op-up to J? :confused: A middle seat in J is far better than an aisle seat in Y. :p

My guess is that the OP is talking about a "J" seat in Economy. J as in ABCDEFGHJK rather than J class.

Mark

I wasn't aware that SQ agents in SIN have learnt the trick of lying. Next time, ask for seat audit.

I wasn't aware that SQ agents in SIN have learnt the trick of lying. Next time, ask for seat audit.

From experience over the last 2-3 years, they are fluent in lying, passing the buck and fully capable of giving you a general runaround.

Once you step outside the planned schpiel/script by a whisker you are off un extremely unpredictable and unchartered territories.

-A

exactly!
I feel sorry for the OP, this kind of thing does happen from time to time with SQ and what you will almost never get is an apology. you'll get some crap like this where they try to make up lame excuses. It's not the perfect airline some try to make it out to be!

From experience over the last 2-3 years, they are fluent in lying, passing the buck and fully capable of giving you a general runaround.

Once you step outside the planned schpiel/script by a whisker you are off un extremely unpredictable and unchartered territories.

-A

Sorry to hear. Horror scenario for me too. Hope you managed to pass time quickly. As a rule, always print out ÿour seat confirmation and also enable that it get's emailed to you. Even better - as mentioned - print you boarding pass and now they really need to come up with something good as a story line to take that away from you. Here you now have the leverage to then demand a similar seating arrangenment (e.g. aisle) than what you aready had.

Sorry, but what do you mean by 'ask for a seat audit?'
Thanks

Wow... I've had precisely ONE experience with SQ.. and it was so good I have already booked other flights with them.... seems I should "keep my eyes open" eh?

Sorry for the OP.. but thanks for the advice....... The rep was too good to be true I suppose?.....

(Star Gold through NZ...Checked in at SYD for the 380 to SIN - and on to BKK - in Y, seats as requested online.. offer of single exit row seat declined because there were two of us... Priority tags without asking.... asked if directions to lounge were needed.. very helpful staff indeed....)

Sorry to hear about this. Good luck on the flight.

You should ask to stand-by for an aisle seat. Ask again at the lounge and at the gate.

In the end, that's exactly what I did - I mentioned the issue at the gate, they said they would page me if an aisle opened up, and fair enough it did and they paged me to give me my new seat ^ . Not as good as my originally selected seat, but it still made the long flight bearable.

Still a bit puzzled that I was bumped from my seat in the first place though :confused: .

As a rule, always print out ÿour seat confirmation and also enable that it get's emailed to you. Even better - as mentioned - print you boarding pass and now they really need to come up with something good as a story line to take that away from you. Here you now have the leverage to then demand a similar seating arrangenment (e.g. aisle) than what you aready had.


This won't make a blind bit of difference. They'll just say we have the right to change your seat and seats are not guaranteed.

Wow... I've had precisely ONE experience with SQ.. and it was so good I have already booked other flights with them.... seems I should "keep my eyes open" eh?

Sorry for the OP.. but thanks for the advice....... The rep was too good to be true I suppose?.....


You don't have to feel you've done bad. Just beware that as long as you stay with the standard script and don't do anything unusual then you are most likely to have the heavenly experience they are known for, and if you go outside the schript you'll have one of those "snowstorminchicagowithua-days". :)

-A

exactly!
I feel sorry for the OP, this kind of thing does happen from time to time with SQ and what you will almost never get is an apology. you'll get some crap like this where they try to make up lame excuses. It's not the perfect airline some try to make it out to be!So true... I've had agents lie to me as well. In the beginning I was so buffled I didn't know what to say... (especially when on a full fare F ticket and PPS status).

A friend of mine now just screams at them. I know it is culturally insensitive, but it seems to get things done - you should see them run to try and accommodate his (perfectly reasonable) requests...

This won't make a blind bit of difference. They'll just say we have the right to change your seat and seats are not guaranteed.

Yes agreed, but I have had well over 100 SQ flights and in cases were they changed my aisle seat (5-8 times) the printout allowed me to convince them to try very hard to accomodate me on an aisle seat. Worked each time though there is no 100% guarantee of course.

So true... I've had agents lie to me as well. In the beginning I was so buffled I didn't know what to say... (especially when on a full fare F ticket and PPS status).

A friend of mine now just screams at them. I know it is culturally insensitive, but it seems to get things done - you should see them run to try and accommodate his (perfectly reasonable) requests...

I think the 'screaming' only works if you are you are departing from SIN. Don't think it will work in anywhere else. :D

I have similar experience. I was travelling in J on a *A reward ticket. I was/am AC Elite/*Gold. I called SQ reservation to BTC and reserved an aisle seat. Everything was fine at on-line check-in and printed a boarding pass with my assigned aisle seat. At boarding in SIN, I was uncereomiously pulled aside and was told that I was being moved to a middle seat in the centre three-seater. (I was on a regional 772 flight.) The explanation was that my seat was "erroneously" assigned twice to two passengers. There wasn't much that I'd do as the flight was departing in 30 minutes as I did not want to miss the flight. My original seat was given to another passenger with a PPS tag. Problem - it was a *A reward ticket and my Aeroplan no. was not on file to show that I was a *G. Therefore, SQ thought that they could abuse me as non-status. I wrote to SQ's customer service subsequently and received a "standard" apology. If I're a Krisflyer member, write back with the no. and they'd offer some compensatory points. LOL! I suspect that the PPS passenger wanted an aisle seat so SQ moved a non-status to accomodate. It probably wouldn't happen if I're on a revenue ticket and my *G no. and status in the PNR. They just picked a soft target. It was only a slightly over 3 hours flight and it was not the end of the world but I personally disagree with such practice.

Sorry to hear about your experience. I agree with you, airlines should not change seats after check in has been completed, be it online or at the airport.

However, SQ does value their PPS members a lot more than *G.

Sorry to hear about your experience. I agree with you, airlines should not change seats after check in has been completed, be it online or at the airport.

However, SQ does value their PPS members a lot more than *G.

Than why be a member of the Alliance?

Than why be a member of the Alliance?

Ugh! :confused: UA values their GS members more than *G, LH values their HON members more than *G. It is just business practice of valuing your loyal customers first, then alliance customers, then the riff-raffs. :p:D

Ugh! :confused: UA values their GS members more than *G, LH values their HON members more than *G. It is just business practice of valuing your loyal customers first, then alliance customers, then the riff-raffs. :p:D

Yes, and AFAIK neither UA nor LH will regularly bump *G from their confirmed seat to accommodate a GS/HON ^ . And if they are going to bump someone, it will be non-status pax before *G from other airlines.

This thread has been quite an eye-opener, as it seems what happened to me is standard procedure rather than an exceptional circumstance.

Although I'm relieved that in the end I got an aisle seat, and although the on-board service (and especially the AVOD) are certainly excellent, I'd rather fly in my confirmed seat with crappy service and no entertainment than risking being bumped to a middle seat at the last minute with the best service in the world.

Ummm...Given that the OP said.....

"I'm sure there were plenty of non-status pax they could have inconvenienced"

... it strikes me as odd that folks are - later in the thread - expressing dislike of the practice of treating high status pax better.........

Is it only bad when it's "us"??? :D;)

... it strikes me as odd that folks are - later in the thread - expressing dislike of the practice of treating high status pax better.........



Conceptually fine but seat assignment should be on a first come first get basis. It is wrong to bump a lower or non status passenger who booked and reserved the particular seat earlier to give it to a PPS passenger just because he/she has wanted that particular seat. I sincerely hope that this PPS passenger will not one day lose his/her status to be bumped by another PPS:D! Is this a local Singaporean culture that privilege of rank comes with not having to treat others with respect?

I think the 'screaming' only works if you are you are departing from SIN. Don't think it will work in anywhere else. :DSo true... :)

Is this a local Singaporean culture that privilege of rank comes with not having to treat others with respect?

Yup, probably much better to just do it as per the "local British culture" and prevent pre-selection of seats unless you are full-fare or elite, even in business class (eg BA), or go with the "local American culture" of ignoring your protests and threatening you with arrest if you dare to ask the question a second time! :rolleyes: