Highly desirable EC seats
Jul 21, 2014, 10:12 am
#1
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Highly desirable EC seats
As DL advertising tells us, EC seats should be highly desirable as they offer significant benefit. In fact, the superiority of an EC seat is lauded to the point that one might infer that only a damned fool would pass up the opportunity. 
Accepting that, if there is an aisle EC seat available, and a DM has "aisle seat" documented as his seat preference, and if he is flying alone... why does the DL computer system not automatically assign an EC aisle seat to the DM who has access to EC as a stated free benefit?
Standing to the side of the path to avoid the trampling stampede of stockholder responses....
Accepting that, if there is an aisle EC seat available, and a DM has "aisle seat" documented as his seat preference, and if he is flying alone... why does the DL computer system not automatically assign an EC aisle seat to the DM who has access to EC as a stated free benefit?
Standing to the side of the path to avoid the trampling stampede of stockholder responses....
Jul 21, 2014, 10:20 am
#2
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: No longer in MSP; now in Portland, OR USA :)
Programs: Diamond Medallion, Kryptonium Medallion, Hilton HHonors Diamond
Posts: 543
I am not a stockholder; but it makes sense to me that if you dont' choose the seat yourself when booking; the system will not automatically give you an EC seat--since...well; they actually can make money on those seats from non or lower status pax.
Jul 21, 2014, 11:03 am
#5
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I would not want this as not all EC seats are created equal.
A few examples...
764 - Row 15 is not considered better than row 30 by many.
MD90 - a seat farther back may very well be better than 10C
763ER - rows 20/21 (exit) have great leg room but are close to the lav which is ok with some and not others.
All discussed here to a great degree: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...t-seating.html
A few examples...
764 - Row 15 is not considered better than row 30 by many.
MD90 - a seat farther back may very well be better than 10C
763ER - rows 20/21 (exit) have great leg room but are close to the lav which is ok with some and not others.
All discussed here to a great degree: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...t-seating.html
Jul 21, 2014, 11:34 am
#6
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: DL DM, SPG Gold
Posts: 832
I would not want this as not all EC seats are created equal.
A few examples...
764 - Row 15 is not considered better than row 30 by many.
MD90 - a seat farther back may very well be better than 10C
763ER - rows 20/21 (exit) have great leg room but are close to the lav which is ok with some and not others.
All discussed here to a great degree: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...t-seating.html
A few examples...
764 - Row 15 is not considered better than row 30 by many.
MD90 - a seat farther back may very well be better than 10C
763ER - rows 20/21 (exit) have great leg room but are close to the lav which is ok with some and not others.
All discussed here to a great degree: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...t-seating.html
Jul 21, 2014, 1:41 pm
#7
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Jul 21, 2014, 1:47 pm
#8
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Brooklyn, NYC
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 785
The biggest sad irony of EC seats, at least in my experience, is that non-elites never pony up for the upgrade fee, so they end up being filled by last-minute standby passengers. As such, an elite sitting in EC ends up surrounded non-medallion standby groups who didn't pay for EC.
Not that this should normally be a big deal, but I always seem to end up with families and children who missed a connection surrounding me in EC coming on the plane last minute fighting over overhead space, causing a commotion, and not being terribly polite since they spent the past 12 hours hoping to get on the flight.
Not that this should normally be a big deal, but I always seem to end up with families and children who missed a connection surrounding me in EC coming on the plane last minute fighting over overhead space, causing a commotion, and not being terribly polite since they spent the past 12 hours hoping to get on the flight.
Jul 21, 2014, 1:52 pm
#9
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The biggest sad irony of EC seats, at least in my experience, is that non-elites never pony up for the upgrade fee, so they end up being filled by last-minute standby passengers. As such, an elite sitting in EC ends up surrounded non-medallion standby groups who didn't pay for EC.
....
....
Perhaps different markets, different results.
Jul 21, 2014, 2:13 pm
#10
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Ohio
Programs: DL; HH
Posts: 12
The biggest sad irony of EC seats, at least in my experience, is that non-elites never pony up for the upgrade fee, so they end up being filled by last-minute standby passengers. As such, an elite sitting in EC ends up surrounded non-medallion standby groups who didn't pay for EC.
Not that this should normally be a big deal, but I always seem to end up with families and children who missed a connection surrounding me in EC coming on the plane last minute fighting over overhead space, causing a commotion, and not being terribly polite since they spent the past 12 hours hoping to get on the flight.
Not that this should normally be a big deal, but I always seem to end up with families and children who missed a connection surrounding me in EC coming on the plane last minute fighting over overhead space, causing a commotion, and not being terribly polite since they spent the past 12 hours hoping to get on the flight.
Jul 21, 2014, 2:34 pm
#11
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Brooklyn, NYC
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 785
Definitely different experience here. I do a lot of transcon ex-JFK (LAX, LAS, SFO) and EC is rarely full even at t-24. It opens up even more as they clear upgrades and then gets filled by standbys and self-upgraders.
Jul 21, 2014, 2:35 pm
#12
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Brooklyn, NYC
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 785
Gotta love that euphoric feeling of knowing you don't have anyone next to you at door close only to be deflated by Upgrade McUpgradestein.
Jul 21, 2014, 3:43 pm
#13
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Jul 21, 2014, 6:57 pm
#14
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: MCO
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The biggest sad irony of EC seats, at least in my experience, is that non-elites never pony up for the upgrade fee, so they end up being filled by last-minute standby passengers. As such, an elite sitting in EC ends up surrounded non-medallion standby groups who didn't pay for EC.
Not that this should normally be a big deal, but I always seem to end up with families and children who missed a connection surrounding me in EC coming on the plane last minute fighting over overhead space, causing a commotion, and not being terribly polite since they spent the past 12 hours hoping to get on the flight.
Not that this should normally be a big deal, but I always seem to end up with families and children who missed a connection surrounding me in EC coming on the plane last minute fighting over overhead space, causing a commotion, and not being terribly polite since they spent the past 12 hours hoping to get on the flight.
I actually asked a GA @ MSP about moving to an aisle in EC from my aisle further back. I luckily was given 10C last minute, but was amongst other standby/NRSA (i know because dad was a pilot and announced it..)
I do think that elites should have first option on these seats if they open.
My issue is that I think there are too few of these and DL's rules for booking them are a little lax. one big family can wipe out most of the good seats, esp. Out of the MCO.
AA seems to have more MCE seats, for now.
Jul 21, 2014, 9:51 pm
#15
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Makati City, Philippines
Programs: Delta Skymiles DM, CX GO, Hilton Honors Diamond
Posts: 1,361
^this, though they have gotten better lately with enforcing it, especially on the TPACS that I've seen.