Welp. A few thoughts.

I just booked my first CO ticket today for a last minute trip to LAX (CO $290 vs AC $1290-ish). After using our corporate booking engine (ugh) and waited for the flight to be ticketed, I logged in with my PNR and was allowed to check in and select exit row on both flights (YYZ-CLE-LAX), especially important as Seg1=E145 Seg2=Full 738. It recognized my Star Gold status and offered me the seats.

I haven't flown CO in years, and I have to say that's a brilliantly good start! If they get me to LA without event tonight then this might become a pattern.

While I never have had much luck with exit rows on AC, I've enjoyed many a bulkhead depending upon equipment. ER175/90 comes to mind immediately. I'm the tall guy with his legs out tripping people trying to cross The Curtain Barrier in row 12. :P Exit Row was also nice on my first Jazz CR7 trip (after 250+ segs... weird eh?) earlier this week YQB-YYZ.

I (read: My company) will pay it when the flight is full and its the only decent seat.

This is a bonehead move. Could have used the opportunity to offer reciprocal preferred seating to United *G members in E+.

When the other fleets catch up to AC, my allegiances will be carefully reviewed. Until then, I may from time to time be the guy cursing under his breath in 13C :P

You should be OK....I had the exact same thing, but just did OLCI for my flight tomorrow, and my seat was still assigned.

Interestingly enough EF has just added a feature to alert you when a particular seat is available, or window, aisle, etc... could be a very useful feature! ^

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/12817243-post33.html

I checked a March booking for YYZ-YUL-CDG-YUL-YYZ and our bulkheads-on-all-flights seats were no longer showing. Called immediately, and the agent confirmed that we still had all our seats. We booked before the preferred seating showed up, so I wonder if that makes them disappear (but not get reassigned) ?

Seats are still not showing on the itinerary online a day later. Annoying!

Thats a sweet deal, the closest CO comes to YXE is YYC & YEG and any flights to LAX are 2X or 3X that of AC?? The system always makes me go through YYZ to CO and not Westward?

I echo some of the thoughts shared already. I have in the past bought a ticket months in advance to secure the bulkhead seats (like row 18 on the 77L/77W). Looks like money will be better in my pocket than in theirs.

I have also gone from almost 350,000 AP points to almost nil through redemption. UA MP here I come!

Well I have 3 AE tickets for next year as an SE - checked all three online and they are showing no seating assigned. Checked EF and my seats are occupied. Call AE SE desk to inquire and was told they seats in fact are mine, did not change, and have an email to show that they are. Yes things may change, but it is not a defacto that bulkhead seating will be changed by this new initiative.

I have 5 PNRs booked with AC. The seat assignments (bulkhead row 18 on 777) are not displayed either. Called AC and the seats are still mine. So for some reasons, all the seats assignments are not shown on the AC manage my booking page. I'm planning to use the SSWUs on them but if the UGs don't clear, row 18 would be the next best thing to have.

Also, I have some AP bookings and when I checked them online, the seat assignments were not there either. AP is now closed and I'll call them in the morning to make sure they're still all there.

CX is also charging for bulkhead seats
 

Looks like CX is also joining the group of airlines charging for bulkhead seats. It is interesting that their Silver Tier and higher still will get the bulkhead seats free of charge

From: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/catha...-row-pack.html

Ditto, the gf and I still have our seats assigned for our rewards getaway in feb. AC no longer shows it on the website but calling AE they still show it assigned. Of course we're still 4 mos away and anything can happen.

Email to Calin and response
 

From: Calin Rovinescu
Sent: November 16, 2009 8:33 AM
To: id75
Subject: Re: Preferred Seating Policy

Mr id75, thanks for the feedback and your views. I will pass this on to our commercial group who is looking at next year's Tier program.
Calin

________________________________________
From: id75
To: Calin Rovinescu
Cc: Ben Smith
Sent: Sun Nov 15 16:18:32 2009
Subject: Preferred Seating Policy

Dear Mr Rovinescu

I am an Air Canada elite member and have been very pleased with the improved customer service at Air Canada since you took over in April. Overall, I find the service to be much improved and until this weekend believed that Air Canada was moving towards being a much more customer focused airline that valued my business.

However, I am writing to you to express my disappointment at the decision to not extend complementary preferred seat selection to Elite members at all fare levels. While I appreciate that the company has its reasons, this decision in my view goes against your recent improvements to airline. This decision is going to lead me to consider alternate carriers in the future. Other star alliance members extend this benefit to their status members, and in fact, Continental extends this privilege to star gold members too. While I believe that preferred (bulkhead and exit row) seating should be a core benefit for all status members, if you are not able to extend the benefit to all at least consider including it as one of the choice privileges for the elite program as an alternate to the lounge passes for next year’s program.

Thank you for your consideration.

id75

'Enjoy complimentary access to Preferred seats
with extra legroom.
Web version



Dear Getaround,

At Air Canada, we're always looking for ways to improve your travel experience. We've just introduced Preferred seats*, which allows you to choose seats with extra legroom for increased comfort.

Discover the difference a little more legroom can make


Preferred seats refer to the bulkhead and exit row seats in Economy Class that offer added legroom. These coveted seats are now available to all Air Canada and Jazz® customers for a fee that varies by fare option and destination. You'll find more details on this new option by clicking here.



As an Elite® member, you'll enjoy complimentary access to Preferred seats with a Latitude fare option! You can select your Preferred seats at aircanada.com or through Air Canada Reservations when you book your flight or at any time prior to check-in.

You will also continue to enjoy your existing Top Tier Privilege, which offers you access to select rows in the front of the Economy Class cabin and is now referred to as Priority seat selection.

No matter what seat you reserve, we look forward to having you on board with us very soon.

Sincerely,


Benjamin Smith
Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer
Air Canada



Well thanks Ben,

Yes selling the exit row thumbs up; taking away my benefit of the bulkhead and then sending me this mail to express this new benefit ridiculous.

Cant wait to spend my next 30 pass business flight pass's (T+)in some crap seat. Oh and BTW id bet if I try to use my flight pass and upgrade into this special bonus seat I wont because the IT is crap.

Exist seat thumbs up option; bulkhead heads scabby.

Considering quite a few of the international AC flights are code shared, why not book with the other airline and get those seats without having to pay the extra fee?

What is AC marketing doing now?
Once again they seem to like the idea of giving something and taking it away.
Row 18 and Emer Exit seats are better but should be for those who like them a preferred seat. Now, stating with a LAT fare tells me this is a sign of a poorly wrapped package for E and SE next year of things to come.

If priority seating is taken away as well as the same bs with SWU (aside from the UG from the NEW low (actually realistic) M U fares until the end of Feb 2010), moving over to CO's loyalty program.

Email like this is like a message from AC/AP trying to think they are giving E and SE something "good" when they really have made the AP idea that much worse.

I guess there is still a reason to be an SE:

" As a Super Elite® member, you'll enjoy complimentary access to Preferred seats with a Tango Plus or Latitude fare or with an Aeroplan® flight reward booking! You can select your Preferred seats at aircanada.com or through Air Canada Reservations when you book your flight or at any time prior to check-in.
"