Why can't AC IT recognize AC status member & assign Preferred seats?
Apr 30, 2019, 9:12 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Canada's worst airport....YYJ
Programs: AC: E75K, Marriott :Titanium, National: EXEC ELITE
Posts: 596
Why can't AC IT recognize AC status member & assign Preferred seats?
This isn’t really insubstantial, but I certainly want to rant about it, so this is as good a place as any.
Had a last minute flight to Winnipeg booked for me in Standard for this week, and saw that the seat map was pretty much full, about 6-7 seats left in the back and a few more preferred seats. I didn’t check in right at T-24, and waited for the seat map to show full in back before I did.
The frigging IT system had assigned me a seat in row 17 (non-preferred) and still wanted to charge for preferred. But, some FOTSG who just checked at the airport or whatever are assigned Preferred seats. I find this beyond annoying. I mean, I know it’s an absolute joke of an IT system, but surely in a circumstance like this, the software could see the load, and place a status member in the preferred rows when the flight is full. It’s infuriating.
There has to be a way to allocate remaining preferred seats that will need to be filled to status customers at T-24. It would be an easy perk to add to the program. Screw FOTSG.
Had a last minute flight to Winnipeg booked for me in Standard for this week, and saw that the seat map was pretty much full, about 6-7 seats left in the back and a few more preferred seats. I didn’t check in right at T-24, and waited for the seat map to show full in back before I did.
The frigging IT system had assigned me a seat in row 17 (non-preferred) and still wanted to charge for preferred. But, some FOTSG who just checked at the airport or whatever are assigned Preferred seats. I find this beyond annoying. I mean, I know it’s an absolute joke of an IT system, but surely in a circumstance like this, the software could see the load, and place a status member in the preferred rows when the flight is full. It’s infuriating.
There has to be a way to allocate remaining preferred seats that will need to be filled to status customers at T-24. It would be an easy perk to add to the program. Screw FOTSG.
Last edited by tcook052; Apr 30, 2019 at 9:36 am
Apr 30, 2019, 9:35 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: YVR
Programs: AC SE 2MM; UA MP Premier Silver; Marriott Bonvoy LT Titanium Elite; Radisson; Avis PC
Posts: 35,255
This isn’t really insubstantial, but I certainly want to rant about it, so this is as good a place as any.
Had a last minute flight to Winnipeg booked for me in Standard for this week, and saw that the seat map was pretty much full, about 6-7 seats left in the back and a few more preferred seats. I didn’t check in right at T-24, and waited for the seat map to show full in back before I did.
The frigging IT system had assigned me a seat in row 17 (non-preferred) and still wanted to charge for preferred. But, some FOTSG who just checked at the airport or whatever are assigned Preferred seats. I find this beyond annoying. I mean, I know it’s an absolute joke of an IT system, but surely in a circumstance like this, the software could see the load, and place a status member in the preferred rows when the flight is full. It’s infuriating.
There has to be a way to allocate remaining preferred seats that will need to be filled to status customers at T-24. It would be an easy perk to add to the program. Screw FOTSG.
Had a last minute flight to Winnipeg booked for me in Standard for this week, and saw that the seat map was pretty much full, about 6-7 seats left in the back and a few more preferred seats. I didn’t check in right at T-24, and waited for the seat map to show full in back before I did.
The frigging IT system had assigned me a seat in row 17 (non-preferred) and still wanted to charge for preferred. But, some FOTSG who just checked at the airport or whatever are assigned Preferred seats. I find this beyond annoying. I mean, I know it’s an absolute joke of an IT system, but surely in a circumstance like this, the software could see the load, and place a status member in the preferred rows when the flight is full. It’s infuriating.
There has to be a way to allocate remaining preferred seats that will need to be filled to status customers at T-24. It would be an easy perk to add to the program. Screw FOTSG.
Last edited by tcook052; Apr 30, 2019 at 9:37 am Reason: edit quote
Apr 30, 2019, 9:52 am
#5
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: YYZ
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime PE, AC Altitude SE100K-1MM
Posts: 308
In the course of our flight, we got to chatting. I was told by this pax that she has almost always gotten a preferred row (granted typically middle seat) when booking the basic fare and not paying for assigned seats. Additionally, due to later boarding, she has typically gotten her bag(s) checked for free. She doesn't fly frequently enough to earn status and always books the cheapest flights when she needs to fly.
While we FT'ers may play the AQM accumulation game for status, others play the "pay as little as possible to get the maximum perks" game! However, I agree that it would be great if AC IT can recognize status and assign preferred seats to status pax first.
Apr 30, 2019, 10:00 am
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: YVR
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For SEs it's easier since they get any seat in Y for free.
For the lower tiers, it's only free above a certain fare category, depending on status and route.
So the tough part will be the musical chairs that someone or some algorithm has to figure out to swap out GTEs and FOTSGs who would otherwise get preferred seats... and adding a feature for status pax in Y to choose their personal preference of "No, I don't want a Preferred Seat and would rather stay in seat 45E so please have your algorithm ignore me".
For the lower tiers, it's only free above a certain fare category, depending on status and route.
So the tough part will be the musical chairs that someone or some algorithm has to figure out to swap out GTEs and FOTSGs who would otherwise get preferred seats... and adding a feature for status pax in Y to choose their personal preference of "No, I don't want a Preferred Seat and would rather stay in seat 45E so please have your algorithm ignore me".
Apr 30, 2019, 10:10 am
#8
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: sqrt(-united states of apologist)
Programs: *$ Green
Posts: 5,403
I would argue that she's embodying the very essence of FT!
Apr 30, 2019, 10:28 am
#9
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC SEMM / HH Diamond
Posts: 3,158
While we're dreaming about the capabilities that a great IT system would provide ....
It would be awesome if the system put a block on the seats next to flyers with a certain status (ie, SE & MM). I'm not suggesting that the seat block would prevent FOTSG's from flying - if the plane was full, then I'd expect all of the blocked seats to end up with a bum in them - but the blocked seats should only be used when there are no non-blocked seats left.
This would avoid that annoying situation when SE's in preferred seats near the front of the Y cabin end up jammed in, with every single seat filled ... and meanwhile, there are a handful of open middle seats still left near the back of the plane.
It wouldn't cost AC anything to implement this (beyond the IT work), and unlike the potentially negative consequences of giving away free upgrades (thus cheapening the value of J) ... putting a seat block in Y wouldn't provide any incentive for flyers to drive the "wrong" behavior (wrong from AC's perspective).
It would be awesome if the system put a block on the seats next to flyers with a certain status (ie, SE & MM). I'm not suggesting that the seat block would prevent FOTSG's from flying - if the plane was full, then I'd expect all of the blocked seats to end up with a bum in them - but the blocked seats should only be used when there are no non-blocked seats left.
This would avoid that annoying situation when SE's in preferred seats near the front of the Y cabin end up jammed in, with every single seat filled ... and meanwhile, there are a handful of open middle seats still left near the back of the plane.
It wouldn't cost AC anything to implement this (beyond the IT work), and unlike the potentially negative consequences of giving away free upgrades (thus cheapening the value of J) ... putting a seat block in Y wouldn't provide any incentive for flyers to drive the "wrong" behavior (wrong from AC's perspective).
Apr 30, 2019, 10:35 am
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: YVR
Programs: AC SE 2MM; UA MP Premier Silver; Marriott Bonvoy LT Titanium Elite; Radisson; Avis PC
Posts: 35,255
Just give the GTE and FOTSG opups from the middle Preferred Seats in order to give the SE more space in Y.
Apr 30, 2019, 11:10 am
#11
Join Date: Mar 2016
Programs: AC SE
Posts: 1,505
For SEs it's easier since they get any seat in Y for free.
For the lower tiers, it's only free above a certain fare category, depending on status and route.
So the tough part will be the musical chairs that someone or some algorithm has to figure out to swap out GTEs and FOTSGs who would otherwise get preferred seats... and adding a feature for status pax in Y to choose their personal preference of "No, I don't want a Preferred Seat and would rather stay in seat 45E so please have your algorithm ignore me".
For the lower tiers, it's only free above a certain fare category, depending on status and route.
So the tough part will be the musical chairs that someone or some algorithm has to figure out to swap out GTEs and FOTSGs who would otherwise get preferred seats... and adding a feature for status pax in Y to choose their personal preference of "No, I don't want a Preferred Seat and would rather stay in seat 45E so please have your algorithm ignore me".
Apr 30, 2019, 11:16 am
#12
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,316
So the desired solution seems to be to add a further discount (50% -> 100%) or loosen restrictions (Standard+ instead of Flex+) on preferred seats for status pax if the load is such that the preferred seats will have to be filled at the gate.
Seems reasonable.
But I doubt it will ever happen. Certainly not before Amadeus.
Also I really don't want all the preferred seats to be occupied by freeloaders when I get rebooked at T-120 due to IRROPS
Seems reasonable.
But I doubt it will ever happen. Certainly not before Amadeus.
Also I really don't want all the preferred seats to be occupied by freeloaders when I get rebooked at T-120 due to IRROPS
Apr 30, 2019, 12:05 pm
#13
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Canada
Programs: *G
Posts: 2,304
Apr 30, 2019, 3:14 pm
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Canada's worst airport....YYJ
Programs: AC: E75K, Marriott :Titanium, National: EXEC ELITE
Posts: 596
I think that AC would say they were providing a service to their “most valued customers” by assigning a seat before OLCI, but really, they want to keep those preferred seats available for sale until the last possible second.
But the reality is, there are more people like Basic Mary that SteadyAT was talking about above. No one pays the $30 or $50 for a preferred seat when the non-preferred rows are full. They just wait it out, get rewarded, and I’m getting hosed.
But the reality is, there are more people like Basic Mary that SteadyAT was talking about above. No one pays the $30 or $50 for a preferred seat when the non-preferred rows are full. They just wait it out, get rewarded, and I’m getting hosed.