Wexflyer

Flew SAN-PHL-DUB at the weekend, my first flights on US metal. While the A330 from PHL-DUB was great, I must say that the lounge agent I encountered in PHL was the least helpful I have ever encountered in over 30 years of flying. Not the end of the world awful, but just completely, utterly unhelpful from first to last. I would like to know if this is typical, and if she was right to refuse my seating request?

We arrived into Philadelphia on Saturday night amid torrential rain, and went straight to the US lounge located around gates A15 or A16. There were three agents at the desk, and a pretty empty lounge - they were not busy. After establishing our right to entry I asked if we could change seat assignments on our return flights, so as to sit together? This evoked the immediate response - "why had I not taken care of this earlier?!" That set the tone from the get go - why was I bothering her!? In over 30 years of flying, I never previously encountered such a wonderful "greeting" from a lounge agent! I felt like saying - truthfully - that I had expected to find a friendly, helpful agent at the lounge, but I stopped myself.

After having to explain that I had been busy (why did I have to justify myself?), I asked if my wife, son and I could be seated together on our return flights in two weeks time - in the reserved elite seating towards the front of coach. After having her try to tell us that we were already sitting together (not so), and were we not happy with the seats we already had (no), she finally just said no, we could not sit together unless we paid some fee. Is that correct? On AA I have never, ever had an issue with being able to sit in the "elite" researved seating with other family members when traveling on different PNRs A recent example of this curtesy on AA is given in the following thread - I think this may be a standard AA benefit.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...non-elite.html

So, was she a typical US lounge agent, and was she correct? I came away pretty astounded at her attitude.

FallenPlat

I think you'd stand a better chance of a helpful response if you rewrote your post.

There's no such thing as "elite" seating on US. There's just Choice (everyone pays) and Preferred (elites don't pay). How it all shakes out, however, is going to depend to some extent on how booked the cabin is, which in turn will depend on whether you're flying at a peak time or in peak season. If you're looking to have a large party sit together, for example, a week before a trans-Atlantic flight in the Summer, it may be hard to do so without paying for Choice.

You can also pull up the seating chart for your flight on line, for whatever insight that might give, if any.

JDiver

She may have been a bit of a jerk, but she was correct, to the best of my knowledge.

In spite of having a Single Operating a Certificate, AA and US operate as separate airlines with separate policies, and this is certainly one of them: even Chairman's Preferred pay for the so-called Choice seating (US merely offers some seating farther forward - it doesn't offer any MCE at this time).

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/us-ai...ice-seats.html

This policy difference will change when "One system. One code." goes into effect in October and all policy is unified and adheres to AA policy. Until that time, it's useful to become familiar with the different policies (and to avoid codeshares, of course).

Try again when you can, but be aware high season and Choice fees are impediments if you're unwilling to pay.

PWMTrav

I can't comment on the seating without knowing more of the details. But on the lounge dragon, err, agent, PHL is a mixed bag. In general, PHL seems to have a pretty toxic employee culture that IMHO is reflected quite often in the attitute demonstrated by front line agents. Lounge staff have often been the exception, but I've still run into plenty of rude or lazy lounge desk agents over the past few years. Your odds of finding someone helpful increase in the lounges, though.

Often1

It would have been better if the agent had simply pointed out that US has no "elite" seating and that everybody pays for "choice" as per published US policy (link follows):


http://shopping.usairways.com/en-US/...oiceseats.html

While you can certainly do this at an AC, as a suggestion, it is far easier to do this stuff yourself online as you can see the seat map in front of you and make your selections accordingly. For instance, while you may have wanted three seats together, to an agent that may mean 3 seats in one row on one side of the aircraft, while you might mean three seats with the aisle inbetween or with one of you seated directly behind.

Segments

Can someone confirm? I don't believe US extends elite benefits to companions on separate PNRs.

GNRMatt

They do not. However, agents can override this if they want to. However, as per policy, it is not allowed.

fastflyer

Just a note that on AA, and I assume on the post-October, merged reservations system, PNRs are linkable, and this is a function that happens frequently on AA. Linked PNRs are then eligible for upgrades with the inherited status, premium coach seating, etc.

Wexflyer

I would disagree. US has both "Preferred" and "Choice" seats. The Preferred seats are better than Choice, and are free to "elites," while (bizarrely IMHO), Choice is not (fee applies). There were/are plenty of available Preferred seats on the return flights I am on.

Wexflyer

I am aware that everyone, including elites, has to pay for the "Choice" seats. But IMHO the Preferred seats are better than Choice, and they are free (for elites). I was interested in getting my wife and son into Preferred seats, with me - I am in the Preferred seating.

Wexflyer

That was one of the things I mentioned to the "helpful" agent. Of course, she said that that was AA, and she was not able (not able to do anything, in fact).

Segments

Separate PNRs sound like the issue. Your expectation that AA policies on linking PNR and inheriting status apply to US may have resulted in the agent's offer of Choice seats as a compromise.

Wexflyer

Preferred seating is what I was asking about - as it is free to elites, I referred to it as "elite" seating. In any case, it is where I am sitting on the flights in question, and I asked if my son and wife could join me. The Preferred seating is wide open on our return DUB-PHL flight (I checked before and after), and I never mentioned Choice seating. It was the agent who brought up Choice, and said that we would have to pay. But of course, that is not what I was interested in.

Wexflyer

I would like to believe you, but her whole attitude was "why are you bothering me" **before** she knew the specifics of our flights, and what my request was.

Doc Savage

It doesn't sound like you were entitled to what you were asking for. While her attitude sounds bad, that may be the bottom line.

I'd go on line to try to change it, or call in where you can HUACA.