aviators99

On Thursday I flew RV1605 FLL-YUL. I had heard some pretty bad things on here, so I didn't have high hopes. I am an EP on AA, but the flght times weren't good for us, so I decided to give RV a try. I am also *G, via UA. I paid for exit row seats (18E, 18F), as the seat pitch in Y is unbelievable at 29".

We arrived at FLL and had to go to the ticket counter to get our BP. As expected, the TA noted our exit row seats and made sure we were okay with our responsibilities. So far, so good.

We boarded on time, but immediately noticed a problem. Row 18 was not an exit row. Row 17 was. Obviously an equipment change. The people boarding right in front of us had the same issue. But even more of an issue for them, because one of them was 6'5" (196 cm). We collectively decided to sit in row 17 while we waited for things to get sorted out (I mean, the tall guy had no choice). It wasn't long before the people with BP in 17 showed up, and as you can imagine, and mass confusion ensued. The FAs didn't know about the equipment change, and neither did the GAs. They both sort of threw their hands up and said, we can't force people to move. Then the people who were supposed to be in 16 showed up. On this aircraft there is no 16F, due to the FA jumpseat. Of course someone was assigned 16F. AND, the person who was assigned 17A was 12 years old (not legal for the exit row). These two things finally caused the FAs and GAs to have to do something. Thanks to some very accommodating people all around, everything worked out. Additionally, the flight was on time and we made our dinner reservations. So I have nothing to complain about, and much to be thankful for. Not sure what I would have done if we would have had to take our "ticketed" seat. The FA said something about refunding our fees for the exit row, but I mean I certainly wouldn't have booked RV over AA if we had to sit in standard Y. I would have bitten the bullet and flown AA at a worse time for us. Again, everything worked out, so I am happy. I just can't understand how an airline can make an equipment change and not tell the station?? They had at least several hours to try to sort it out (there was no swap on the ground), but chose instead to just let things play out.

Tonight is AC818 YUL-VCE. Looking forward to it.

YOWgary

So... you just decided you were entitled to take somebody else's seat, refused to move to the seats you were actually assigned, and I guess dared the flight attendants to forcibly remove you?

I wonder how everyone else on the flight feels.

YZF_Elite

It's a two hour flight you would have survived either way. People squatting in seats they aren't assigned is not good form IMO. I fly AC all the time and find it strange that if there was equipment change that the person in a seat that no longer exists wouldn't have gotten captured, that certainly is an odd glitch. Rouge when introduced was appalling, but the rest of the industry seems to have pretty much gotten to the bottom of the same barrel or at least close to it.

RangerNS

Rouge has 2 layouts of their 321, presumably if they were ex-WOW aircraft or not.

That said, no argument about it being absurd that it was left until after boarding to notice. The 4 people who would have gotten bumped out of premium rouge would be really pissed.

YOWgary

Nah, turns out you just shove other people out of their seats, make it their problem.

Flight Attendants Hate This One Weird Trick!

aviators99

You guys all didn't read my post. I wasn't "squatting". I was sitting there while waiting to figure it out. When the other people showed up, we offered to get up from those seats (the tall guy couldn't). Sheesh, I should have just left that part out.

Everyone was very happy. We all got what we paid for, the 12 year old got to fly, and the person in 16F switched with someone. All very civilized, despite Rouge's cock-up.

Duff76

You sat in seats that weren’t yours “waiting to figure it out”? The only reason to do that would be to create a problem for the FA and put pressure on the people whose seats you were in to acquiesce to your demand to sit there.

Ridiculous, imo.

YOWgary

Yep, sounds like bullying their way into somebody else's seats and assuming people won't want a confrontation.,

RangerNS

Your - justified - complaint is that the gate agents left the problem for someone else, and in response to that you made your problem someone else's? Why did you not engage with the FAs at the point you discovered the problem?

Stranger

I definitely would not have sat in a seat that was not mine according to my BP. Stnding in the corridor until the FA comes by. :-)

In other words, let the FAs and the gate agent deal with the problem. In whatever way they might.

One wonders why so many people get expelled from planes these days, and why so many flights get delayed... Oh well. OP should be lucky it did not happen to him.

RatherBeInYOW

Rouge has this problem with the 321s in two different configurations where they end up switching the fins last minute and end up screwing up who has the exit row or not. This is a fairly big deal since the exit rows on those planes are the best seats in economy by a very significant margin, and there is nothing like boarding and finding out you are not sitting where you expected to - this has happened to me more than once flying to Vegas or Florida.

That being said when I've ended up in this situation I've just sat where my BP said to sit...

canadiancow

Probably worse if you were booked in row 4

1P

Not in the least. OP had paid for exit row, and sat in the exit row while waiting for resolution of issue. It was the airline's problem, not his, that the exit row had the "wrong" seating numbers.

TheViperOne

If my e-upgrade doesn't clear I usually just sit in 8 A/K and wait for a confrontation. Usually when they see how big I am they just go back to Y.

ffsim

Meanwhile, other pax actually had boarding passes for those seats.

OP lucked out having run into very accommodating passengers.