PSA: Beware booking Row 3 on new A319/320 First Class
I was booked on apparently the 1 reconfigured Virgin bird out of LAX today. Got upgraded several days prior but didn't check seat until check-in, row 3. All good until an equipment swap.
Flight was changed to the normal Virgin layout and AS merely took all row 3 folks and placed them into coach. In my case, a middle seat. As a 75k Million I wasn't too thrilled about it. Not as much the downgrade but the end result.
Spoke with AS Customer Service on phone before departure and just clueless service. Submitted my situation to someone else to determine response. Way to empower your people.
Couple of thoughts...before you reply I should've just booked First to begin, dude on phone said it was an automated process where everyone in row 3 was reseated in coach. So potentially someone in row 3 who bought a F fare was sent to the back. And if you're going to downgrade F passengers, find them better seats. Take some lackey out of a window or aisle who has no FF account or status and move them to a center seat. To me pretty simple customer service but apparently lost on AS...
Anyway, best to avoid a row 3 in first class on Airbus for many months until they're uniform to avoid swaps and automatic downgrades.