max_bos

Hello,

I am traveling BOS-MAD-BOS in June with my ten-year-old. Since I do not have OneWorld status this year, I can either pay $160 for seats now, or accept random seat assignment during online checkin. Does anybody know if they start with worst seats (middle seats in the back) just to punish you for not paying? Is it actually better to check in at the airport rather than using online checkin exactly 24 hours in advance? I looked at the seat map on iberia.com, and most seats are still available. My outbound flight is on June 13, and the return is on June 18.

Thanks a bunch,
Max

craigthemif

As I recall, you're not allowed to select your own seats without paying, even when using online check-in. I don't believe the agents have much more discretion in allowing you to select preferred seats.

You're almost definitely not going to be split up if you're on the same reservation (particularly travelling with a minor), but in my experience the computer systems do seem to automatically allocate seats starting at the back. It's unlikely to be 2 middle seats, but if there are a lot of people travelling alone that's a possibility.

Problem is... once the computer checks you in, I don't think you have the option to then choose to pay to improve your seating arrangements.

Piece of mind vs. $160... up to you...

krzysz

Try selecting your seats free of charge on the mobile website of TAM: m.tam.com.br . In case you get an error message, choose the Portuguese version of the website. Please report back if this has worked out for you.

max_bos

Thanks. It did not work unfortunately: I can see my reservation on m.tam.com.br, but the option to choose seats is grayed out in 'Quick Links' (both English and Portuguese versions). Perhaps the bug has been fixed...

spainflyer

Don't know if it is to punish you for not paying, but I had this experience: did not take the pay option (€30) on BOS - MAD, May 8th. Was first in line at Logan (2;15 pm for a 5:35 pm flight) and first to the counter. The system assigned me 42B. I asked if that could be changed (I am a member of both Iberia Plus and British Airways Executive Club), and I was told that this would not be possible.

I think if you check in with your son, you should get seats together because you will be assigned seats at the time of check-in. They may be bad seats, but they should be together.

max_bos

Thanks for the info, guys! I will just pay for the seats. I am hoping BA won't join this blackmail scheme...

Max

polarvoyage

I did not have a good experience with seat assignment on Iberia website at all. Tried to pay for the seat assignment on JFK-MAD twice. Both times got a confirmation email, but cc would not be charged and selected seat assignments just disappeared next day. In the airport, a check-in agent herself had a hard time assigning the seats because the agent next to her would try to assign the same seats at the same time.
On the flight back, MAD-JFK I tried to change the seats assignment during on-line check-in which resulted in some error, blank screen, and not being able to complete a check-in for the second person even if were on the same reservation. Both flights, we got separated with my spouse. Had to ask other people on the plane to switch seats with us to sit together.
Frustrating, to say the least.

LupineChemist

You could just try to play the system and just pay for one seat since they are obligated to place your son next to you.

spainflyer

A question I raised on another string lamenting Iberia's woeful customer IT systems: How long will Willie Walsh let this go on? He has now come to agreements with the pilots, the ground staff and flight attendants, dropping some of their astronomical salaries and forcing greater productivity. It would seem like a no-brainer to insist that the IT department get up to scratch, or start running the whole thing from London.

max_bos

I had the same idea, but decided to pay up on the end. Also, as far as I remember, the button to save the seats gets enabled only after seats are chosen for everyone on the reservation. So they thought about it too...

juaninspain

I think you did right because that system would know where you are sitting and pay no attention to the fact you are travelling together with another person. Its designed to do that to make you pay or play the lottery.

bowlingformatt

Try choosing your seats through Qantas. I 'requested' seats through the mmb section and was eventually given seat numbers.

Proof will be in the pudding on Sunday when I fly but it's worth a try!

craigthemif

I'm currently trying to check-in for a couple of Vueling flights. Despite the planes having lots of empty seats, clicking on "random" causes the computer to deliberately split me and my partner up, so as to incentivise us to pay for seating to sit together... If I'd left it so late there were no "cheap" seats together that would be fine, but to so blatantly split us up means no more Vueling after this...

XmaX

Did anyone ever succeed with selecting Iberia seats for free through another carrier's website?

I am flying to SCL in November with Y, and I'd rather not sit in the middle, especially if I get an old A340. I tried going through all of the OW members' websites and checking my booking there. What happened was:

• a few of them (MH, LA) wouldn't even recognise IB's booking reference
• most of them would display the seat map, but none of the seats is available.
• Qantas says that it is only possible to set a seat preference, but when I do that, it goes back to 'null'
• Qatar lets me choose the seat, but then returns an error.

Any other ideas what else I could try?

LupineChemist

I have gotten it from going via BA.