Delta Prefered seats out of control
Apr 8, 2012, 9:24 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 6
Delta Prefered seats out of control
So as a former airline employee I understand that preferred seats are neccessary to accommodate status members but are also there to accommodate inconvenienced passengers. We are going on a family vacation, the first flights our kids will be on, and experienced the sometimes horror stories called schedule change! I didn't receive notification so could not call right away to make sure seats where together, now that we approaching departure I again check our itinerary to make sure it is good to go, we are now flying back two hours later with no seats asigned.
So I first check delta.com to see what is left... The scattered middle seats throughout the plane! I call the service line, go through the horrid voice recognition system and finally get a rep, only to be told sorry we can't assign you together because our youngest is old enough to fly unaccompanied (5) and we need to call back to purchase the preferred seats twenty four hours prior to departure, it is our return flight so I would be calling from Disneyworld! Even after explaining my fiancé has anxiety attacks while flying and our fifteen year old has chlostrophobia they where unwilling to help, neither was a supervisor!
So even though I did everything so called right, booked well in advanced, gave contact information for this specific reason (schedule changes, delays and cacellations) I am still going to have to potentially spend twenty nine dollars a seat or risk getting bumped from an overbooked protection flight! Way to make the difference Delta Airlines, you will never earn JD Power with service like that.
So I first check delta.com to see what is left... The scattered middle seats throughout the plane! I call the service line, go through the horrid voice recognition system and finally get a rep, only to be told sorry we can't assign you together because our youngest is old enough to fly unaccompanied (5) and we need to call back to purchase the preferred seats twenty four hours prior to departure, it is our return flight so I would be calling from Disneyworld! Even after explaining my fiancé has anxiety attacks while flying and our fifteen year old has chlostrophobia they where unwilling to help, neither was a supervisor!
So even though I did everything so called right, booked well in advanced, gave contact information for this specific reason (schedule changes, delays and cacellations) I am still going to have to potentially spend twenty nine dollars a seat or risk getting bumped from an overbooked protection flight! Way to make the difference Delta Airlines, you will never earn JD Power with service like that.
Last edited by Indp246; Apr 8, 2012 at 9:39 pm
Apr 8, 2012, 9:40 pm
#2
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Welcome to FlyerTalk, Indp246. 
Since this thread is specific to one airline, we'll move to the Delta forum for further discussion. Thanks. /JY1024, TravelBuzz co-moderator
Since this thread is specific to one airline, we'll move to the Delta forum for further discussion. Thanks. /JY1024, TravelBuzz co-moderator
Apr 8, 2012, 9:59 pm
#5
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NOT to seem like a jerk. . . . But, if claiming anxiety attacks while flying and chlostrophobia were known to get airlines to give in in these matters, EVERYBODY would have anxiety attacks and chlostrophobia.
Your spelling set off my spell checker - - IT's claus·tro·pho·bi·a
Apr 8, 2012, 10:27 pm
#6
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NOT to seem like a jerk. . . . But, if claiming anxiety attacks while flying and chlostrophobia were known to get airlines to givJve in in these matters, EVERYBODY would have anxiety attacks and chlostrophobia.
Your spelling set off my spell checker - - IT's claus·tro·pho·bi·a
Apr 8, 2012, 10:30 pm
#7
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While I agree DL should have waived fees to find some seats together, I'll point out a few things:
- Try Twitter assist.
- If your flight changed 2 hours, you're likely entitled to make a change free. Is there another flight that day with better seating?
- If there are middle seats open and you don't take them, the flight isn't overbooked and you aren't entitled to compensation. But as a former airline employee, I'm sure you know that.
- Keep checking for seats to open up, especially at the upgrade windows.
- Check in promptly at T-24 and see what's open.
- Get to the airport early, and see what the gate agent can do for you.
- Remember, you don't all need to sit together. Assuming there are four of you (you, fiancee, 5yo, 15yo), you only need two pairs of seats which is much easier than four seats.
- Even if you board the plane with nothing but middles, a polite plea to a neighbor along the lines of ("I know how horrible it is to ask you to switch to a middle, but this horrible airline sat me and my 5yo apart. Would one of you please be willing to switch with me?") will likely resolve the issue.
Apr 9, 2012, 12:59 am
#8
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I tweeted delta assist to get 3 seats together for 2 of my brothers and brother-in-law (none have status) as the flight map had nothing available, and they did. Give it a try and good luck
Apr 9, 2012, 1:37 am
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 6
Thank you all for the imput. Sorry for the spelling auto fill on iPad is not my best friend. I did look at other flight options, I went to Facebook instead of tweeting, same answers. Anxiety and chlostrophobia are considered medical conditions that have to be accommodated according to dot regulations, much like an emotional support animal. Documentation may be asked for if it is a disorder that isn't physical. Just because there are still seats open to assign does not mean the flight is not oversold, many people when booking do not assign seats most of them being .com bookings and travel agents. The flight that got changed was a nonstop MCO MSP flight that got changed to a cx flight to MEM the airline I worked for had policy to overbook by up to ten percent hoping people would change the automated rebooking, which also won't assign seats unless there are enough to seat the party together. I was just commenting on the bad service, I have tried the routes I know of to try to fix it, but I will keep trying. Again thanks for feedback I know the gm dm and pm members are the best to get feedback from.
Last edited by Indp246; Apr 9, 2012 at 1:50 am
Apr 9, 2012, 4:10 am
#10
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Still trying to remove my first impression of a Cathay Pacific flight from MCO to MEM...
Anyway, don't worry I find that the folks at MCO are good at helping families get proximate seating. Given the ratio of families and first time fliers to business/individual travelers on those routes it's seems as if it is SOP every flight.
I would adjust my expectations about getting all of them in the same row. As bennos said If you get two sets of two together in different rows things should be fine.
As a former airline employee you should feel pretty confident on ways to get this resolved.
Welcome to flyertalk, and don't worry if your mobile phone isn't working they have phones to call from in Disneyworld!!!
Enjoy the vacation
Maps
P.S. the folks on the board seem very gentle -- must be the holiday
Anyway, don't worry I find that the folks at MCO are good at helping families get proximate seating. Given the ratio of families and first time fliers to business/individual travelers on those routes it's seems as if it is SOP every flight.
I would adjust my expectations about getting all of them in the same row. As bennos said If you get two sets of two together in different rows things should be fine.
As a former airline employee you should feel pretty confident on ways to get this resolved.
Welcome to flyertalk, and don't worry if your mobile phone isn't working they have phones to call from in Disneyworld!!!
Enjoy the vacation
Maps
P.S. the folks on the board seem very gentle -- must be the holiday
Apr 9, 2012, 4:33 am
#11
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I had an unfriendly DL Preferred Seat Monetization (PSM) discussion with DL yesterday. I don't know what exactly caused the problem that I had, therefore I'm reluctant to get into a lot of the details, but DL is apparently going to work this PSM thing pretty aggressively. When did they start charging for these seats for non-status flyers? It isn't very customer friendly to charge to have families sit together when all other possibilities have been exhausted. In an extreme scenario, DL can effectively control strategic access to seats rendering it impossible for families to sit together without acquiescing to the extortion possible through the PSM initiative.
I know DL is entitiled to do what they can do to raise revenue, but I was mildly taken aback when this PSM initiative impacted me and all DL had to offer was "show me the money".
I'll be monitoring my seat assignments made for my family members (non-status) more closely. DL will apparently move the little ham sammies at their will.
I know DL is entitiled to do what they can do to raise revenue, but I was mildly taken aback when this PSM initiative impacted me and all DL had to offer was "show me the money".
I'll be monitoring my seat assignments made for my family members (non-status) more closely. DL will apparently move the little ham sammies at their will.
Apr 9, 2012, 5:37 am
#12
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,614
Just check in as close to 24 hours before your flight as you can. As upgrades clear, surely there should be something available so that you don't have to pay for a seat. If not, just show up at the airport early. Even without an actual seat assignment, they'll certainly solicit volunteers if the flight is overbooked, before they bump you off against your will.
NOT to seem like a jerk. . . . But, if claiming anxiety attacks while flying and chlostrophobia were known to get airlines to give in in these matters, EVERYBODY would have anxiety attacks and chlostrophobia.
Your spelling set off my spell checker - - IT's claus·tro·pho·bi·a
NOT to seem like a jerk. . . . But, if claiming anxiety attacks while flying and chlostrophobia were known to get airlines to give in in these matters, EVERYBODY would have anxiety attacks and chlostrophobia.
Your spelling set off my spell checker - - IT's claus·tro·pho·bi·a
Apr 9, 2012, 7:19 am
#14
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It isn't very customer friendly to charge to have families sit together when all other possibilities have been exhausted. In an extreme scenario, DL can effectively control strategic access to seats rendering it impossible for families to sit together without acquiescing to the extortion possible through the PSM initiative.
Apr 9, 2012, 7:27 am
#15
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 3,458
So as a former airline employee I understand that preferred seats are neccessary to accommodate status members but are also there to accommodate inconvenienced passengers. We are going on a family vacation, the first flights our kids will be on, and experienced the sometimes horror stories called schedule change! I didn't receive notification so could not call right away to make sure seats where together, now that we approaching departure I again check our itinerary to make sure it is good to go, we are now flying back two hours later with no seats asigned.
So I first check delta.com to see what is left... The scattered middle seats throughout the plane! I call the service line, go through the horrid voice recognition system and finally get a rep, only to be told sorry we can't assign you together because our youngest is old enough to fly unaccompanied (5) and we need to call back to purchase the preferred seats twenty four hours prior to departure, it is our return flight so I would be calling from Disneyworld! Even after explaining my fiancé has anxiety attacks while flying and our fifteen year old has chlostrophobia they where unwilling to help, neither was a supervisor!
So even though I did everything so called right, booked well in advanced, gave contact information for this specific reason (schedule changes, delays and cacellations) I am still going to have to potentially spend twenty nine dollars a seat or risk getting bumped from an overbooked protection flight! Way to make the difference Delta Airlines, you will never earn JD Power with service like that.
So I first check delta.com to see what is left... The scattered middle seats throughout the plane! I call the service line, go through the horrid voice recognition system and finally get a rep, only to be told sorry we can't assign you together because our youngest is old enough to fly unaccompanied (5) and we need to call back to purchase the preferred seats twenty four hours prior to departure, it is our return flight so I would be calling from Disneyworld! Even after explaining my fiancé has anxiety attacks while flying and our fifteen year old has chlostrophobia they where unwilling to help, neither was a supervisor!
So even though I did everything so called right, booked well in advanced, gave contact information for this specific reason (schedule changes, delays and cacellations) I am still going to have to potentially spend twenty nine dollars a seat or risk getting bumped from an overbooked protection flight! Way to make the difference Delta Airlines, you will never earn JD Power with service like that.
While Delta should have notified OP I think that "as a fromer airline employee" he might have known schedule chagnes occur? Not to mention the "risk getting bumped" hysteria which is not justified by the fact that you can't find seats you LIKE. (That's not "overbooked" LOL!)