Originally Posted by
ryandelmundo
Just called Cathay. I have a DFW-HKG-MNL flight booked, DFW-HKG on AA (with a hopeful points+$ upgrade) and then HKG-MNL on Cathay. They could see my AA# but were not able to allow me to pick seats for free even though I have AA-Plat/OW-Sapphire. They claimed they didn't see my status. Is this because my fare class is so low ("O"), or just ineptitude? The flight isn't so long that I really care too much (711 miles), but would prefer the exit row if possible.
Encountered a slightly different variation of this as I've got LAX-HKG-SIN, where HKG-SIN is an AA codeshare flight number. Used to be that I could select any seat in the app/website (including extra legroom) as an Emerald, even on an AA codeshare. Then about a year or two ago, I would get an error in the app/website to contact the operating carrier for seats, even though CX is the operating carrier. Still, I could call in and get any seat assigned.
Fast forward to today and the CX agent mentioned that seat assignments were chargeable and even with the Emerald charge waiver, I could only select standard seats.
Never encountered this before -- is it that the
S, N, Q, O seat assignment charges now apply to AA codeshares as well (maybe I was just lucky with fare class before), or should I have tried to remove/reload my AA Emerald number? Are Emeralds still eligible for extra legroom seats even on those lower fare classes?