Recorded aa.com seat preferences vs. upgrade seat assignments (consolidated)

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Oct 16, 2009, 6:59 am

faloppi

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Join Date: Apr 2009

Posts: 117

Recorded aa.com seat preferences vs. upgrade seat assignments (consolidated)

Hello,

I'm currently an AA EXP and whenever my upgrade clears I'm always put into an A or B seat, and I prefer the EF side. (EF seats have always been available too once I log in to change my seat) Any way to note this preference with AA? It's not really a big deal, but I find myself on the road checking my phone for the upgrade email (which don't always come) so I can log in and get a seat on that side before they are taken. Thanks

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MODERATOR'S NOTE

For a reported difference between handling of seat assignments for upgrades requested online vs. via the phone system, see SkedGuy's post here:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/14044418-post66.html

For a method of using ExpertFlyer alerts to detect when your upgrade has cleared so that you can change your seat assignment quickly see CO FF's post here:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/13455114-post36.html

dstan
AA Forum Co-Moderator

Last edited by dstan; Nov 27, 2010 at 11:04 am

Oct 16, 2009, 7:08 am

Blumie

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AA does not permit that level of specificity, and in any event there's plenty of evidence that seat preferences are ignored when upgrades clear. Most of us know to go in and change our seat once an upgrade clears.

Oct 16, 2009, 7:34 am

SFO777

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Yep, welcome to the club. Even in an empty MD-80 cabin, I usually always get 6B. So like everyone else, I log on and change my seat. An extra step but better than AA randomly assigning 4E or 5E to someone else.

Oct 16, 2009, 8:21 am

ContinentalFan

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Quote:

Originally Posted by faloppi

No, but I can recount some interesting behavior when I get upgrades. My preference is a window; however, initially upgrades used to clear into aisle seats. I moved myself each time. Now upgrades almost always clear into window seats now.

In the spirit of Halloween, here's something even spookier: for about a year I took AA22/21 LAX/JFK Sunday/Friday. I cleared the upgrade on almost every flight. My preferred seat is 11J. After a few weeks of moving myself into that seat once I got the upgrade, I started to be assigned 11J--not all the time, but maybe about 70% of the time.

Has anyone else noticed this kind of thing?

Oct 16, 2009, 8:30 am

brp

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Not only all of the above but, when traveling with someone, the system will (almost invariably) put us in different rows even when there are seats together. And you want "side of the plane?" Not gonna happen.

Cheers.

Oct 16, 2009, 9:48 am

vail

Join Date: Aug 2005

Posts: 526

Same as brp--I always seem to get 6E or F on the 757 and my wife gets 5A.
Then we have to play the seat switch game at the airport or on the airplane as I am a lowly platinum and invariably by the time I receive the email there are no longer 2 seats together.
So I read the posts by others that wonder why people want to switch seats with good humor.
Of course there is usually some other couple in the same situation and we all get to play musical chairs.

Of course why should AA allow seat preferences??--no money in it for them and they don't do anything that is just service oriented..
Maybe if they could figure a way to charge for it they would program the choice?

Oct 16, 2009, 10:47 am

brp

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Quote:

Originally Posted by vail

Of course why should AA allow seat preferences??--no money in it for them and they don't do anything that is just service oriented..
Maybe if they could figure a way to charge for it they would program the choice?

But they do allow seat preference as a selection. They just do it really poorly.

Cheers.

Oct 16, 2009, 10:52 am

Blumie

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Quote:

Originally Posted by vail

Quite frankly, none of us really knows why you continue to fly AA.

Oct 16, 2009, 11:17 am

ijgordon

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Location: NYC

Posts: 27,227

Of course this is one reason why it's frustrating for higher level elites when upgrades don't clear until the last minute, when many clear at the same time. It doesn't give you much of an opportunity to select an alternative, preferred seat.

Oct 16, 2009, 11:21 am

#10

MiamiAirport Formerly NY George

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Quote:

Originally Posted by ijgordon

I have found that when my upg clears at 100 hours I get my preference of a window. When it clears within 24 hours it seems as if it is anything goes. In either event, the upgrade always seems to be in the last row of F.

MiamiAirport Formerly NY George is offline

Oct 16, 2009, 1:07 pm

#11

gemac

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Blumie

Quite frankly, none of us really knows why you continue to fly AA.

Perhaps his wife is EXP and insists on AA for her requalifying.

Oct 16, 2009, 1:53 pm

#12

vail

Join Date: Aug 2005

Posts: 526

Quite frankly, none of us really knows why you continue to fly AA.

Not that you care................

But AA happens to be the only carrier on most of the routes I fly--EGE-MIA
etc.
Besides all the legacy carriers are basically the same.
Old aircraft, shortage of funds etc.

Oct 16, 2009, 2:06 pm

#13

giceh

Join Date: Mar 2008

Posts: 160

Quote:

Originally Posted by faloppi

Hello,

I'm currently an AA EXP and whenever my upgrade clears I'm always put into an A or B seat, and I prefer the EF side.

Just curioius - what makes one side of the plane more favorable than the other? Is it the view out the window? You don't have to answer this of course, just asking out of interest!

Oct 16, 2009, 2:07 pm

#14

gemac

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Quote:

Originally Posted by giceh

Just curioius - what makes one side of the plane more favorable than the other? Is it the view out the window? You don't have to answer this of course, just asking out of interest!

On some aircraft, there is a little bit more legroom in F on the EF side.

Oct 16, 2009, 2:15 pm

#15

vail

Join Date: Aug 2005

Posts: 526

"Most of us know to go in and change our seat once an upgrade clears."

However sometimes AA upgrades most of the cabin in one shot--and then all the twosomes flying together get separated.
Not all of us get to upgrade at 100 hours when there are still plenty of seats to choose from.

By the time you receive the email it is too late.
I have seen many times other couples separated looking around to see if they can change.

I cannot imagine it takes much programming to upgrade records that have more than one person in them to have them seated in the same row??

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