Seat Assignment Changes
Dec 28, 2008 | 10:43 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Programs: AC Nothing, Delta Gold
Posts: 166
Seat Assignment Changes
Booked Mrs. Jclass and the three little ones from YVR to YEG to visit family. Short flight and trying to pinch pennies so we were flying steerage class for this trip. Booked a Tango fare and paid our $15 each (17.50 inc taxes) so that we would not end up with all middle seats, especially with Christmas travel. Got five seats in row 14 on the 320. Now I did read the fine print that seat assignments are not guaranteed, but since I am paying $17.50 to pick my seat, I assume that once I pick my seats they won't just randomly assign me seats. Got confirming email with us in 14ABCD and E. I have 14D.
Did OLCI at the 24 hour mark before the flight and find that I am now in 14A, but Mrs. Jclass and the little ones are now in row 31. They do have seats together, but we are now split up. Well I guess someone at AC thinks I need a break from my family, but I don't. Easy to fix says I, just click on the button that says CHANGE SEATS. Oops, someone in ACs IT department just outsmarted me. I get a message that I am not allowed to change seats online if there are more than 4 people on my itinerary. Can only be done by a checkin agent. What the &*$%? Why did I just pay almost $90 for AC to just go and assign the seats the way that they chose anyways.
Get to the airport and leave Mrs Jclass to check the bags in and see if we can seats changed. (I am off to try and find parking in the snow filled lots). No seats available other than what we have, although the checkin agent did ask Mrs who the Elite member was. She told him that it was her husband who was trying to find parking. He mentioned that there was a "sorry" attached to the file.
I realize that even though you pay to pick your seats that they are not guaranteed. I also realize that I was on the cheapest fare (if a $335 one way tango is considered cheap), and that the booking engine allowed me to pick seats for the whole family in the forward part of the steerage cabin. However, is it AC's policy to split up families and only allow E and SE to sit in the first few rows? Also, when did the OLCI change take place that only allows 4 or less parties to change their seats on checkin. I have done this in the past for the five of us,in fact just last August. You can change the seats in the booking engine, but not in OLCI.
Did OLCI at the 24 hour mark before the flight and find that I am now in 14A, but Mrs. Jclass and the little ones are now in row 31. They do have seats together, but we are now split up. Well I guess someone at AC thinks I need a break from my family, but I don't. Easy to fix says I, just click on the button that says CHANGE SEATS. Oops, someone in ACs IT department just outsmarted me. I get a message that I am not allowed to change seats online if there are more than 4 people on my itinerary. Can only be done by a checkin agent. What the &*$%? Why did I just pay almost $90 for AC to just go and assign the seats the way that they chose anyways.
Get to the airport and leave Mrs Jclass to check the bags in and see if we can seats changed. (I am off to try and find parking in the snow filled lots). No seats available other than what we have, although the checkin agent did ask Mrs who the Elite member was. She told him that it was her husband who was trying to find parking. He mentioned that there was a "sorry" attached to the file.
I realize that even though you pay to pick your seats that they are not guaranteed. I also realize that I was on the cheapest fare (if a $335 one way tango is considered cheap), and that the booking engine allowed me to pick seats for the whole family in the forward part of the steerage cabin. However, is it AC's policy to split up families and only allow E and SE to sit in the first few rows? Also, when did the OLCI change take place that only allows 4 or less parties to change their seats on checkin. I have done this in the past for the five of us,in fact just last August. You can change the seats in the booking engine, but not in OLCI.
Dec 28, 2008 | 10:57 pm
#2
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: SJC
Programs: Hilton Diamond, AS 100k
Posts: 1,016
Booked Mrs. Jclass and the three little ones from YVR to YEG to visit family. Short flight and trying to pinch pennies so we were flying steerage class for this trip. Booked a Tango fare and paid our $15 each (17.50 inc taxes) so that we would not end up with all middle seats, especially with Christmas travel. Got five seats in row 14 on the 320. Now I did read the fine print that seat assignments are not guaranteed, but since I am paying $17.50 to pick my seat, I assume that once I pick my seats they won't just randomly assign me seats. Got confirming email with us in 14ABCD and E. I have 14D.
Did OLCI at the 24 hour mark before the flight and find that I am now in 14A, but Mrs. Jclass and the little ones are now in row 31. They do have seats together, but we are now split up. Well I guess someone at AC thinks I need a break from my family, but I don't. Easy to fix says I, just click on the button that says CHANGE SEATS. Oops, someone in ACs IT department just outsmarted me. I get a message that I am not allowed to change seats online if there are more than 4 people on my itinerary. Can only be done by a checkin agent. What the &*$%? Why did I just pay almost $90 for AC to just go and assign the seats the way that they chose anyways.
Get to the airport and leave Mrs Jclass to check the bags in and see if we can seats changed. (I am off to try and find parking in the snow filled lots). No seats available other than what we have, although the checkin agent did ask Mrs who the Elite member was. She told him that it was her husband who was trying to find parking. He mentioned that there was a "sorry" attached to the file.
I realize that even though you pay to pick your seats that they are not guaranteed. I also realize that I was on the cheapest fare (if a $335 one way tango is considered cheap), and that the booking engine allowed me to pick seats for the whole family in the forward part of the steerage cabin. However, is it AC's policy to split up families and only allow E and SE to sit in the first few rows? Also, when did the OLCI change take place that only allows 4 or less parties to change their seats on checkin. I have done this in the past for the five of us,in fact just last August. You can change the seats in the booking engine, but not in OLCI.
Did OLCI at the 24 hour mark before the flight and find that I am now in 14A, but Mrs. Jclass and the little ones are now in row 31. They do have seats together, but we are now split up. Well I guess someone at AC thinks I need a break from my family, but I don't. Easy to fix says I, just click on the button that says CHANGE SEATS. Oops, someone in ACs IT department just outsmarted me. I get a message that I am not allowed to change seats online if there are more than 4 people on my itinerary. Can only be done by a checkin agent. What the &*$%? Why did I just pay almost $90 for AC to just go and assign the seats the way that they chose anyways.
Get to the airport and leave Mrs Jclass to check the bags in and see if we can seats changed. (I am off to try and find parking in the snow filled lots). No seats available other than what we have, although the checkin agent did ask Mrs who the Elite member was. She told him that it was her husband who was trying to find parking. He mentioned that there was a "sorry" attached to the file.
I realize that even though you pay to pick your seats that they are not guaranteed. I also realize that I was on the cheapest fare (if a $335 one way tango is considered cheap), and that the booking engine allowed me to pick seats for the whole family in the forward part of the steerage cabin. However, is it AC's policy to split up families and only allow E and SE to sit in the first few rows? Also, when did the OLCI change take place that only allows 4 or less parties to change their seats on checkin. I have done this in the past for the five of us,in fact just last August. You can change the seats in the booking engine, but not in OLCI.
Dec 28, 2008 | 11:16 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: YYC
Posts: 25,040
If you paid for seat assignments, you should get what you paid for. Actually, just reimbursement is, I submit, not sufficient.
I am sure they will reimburse, but that's not really the point. A contract cannot be unilaterally canceled by one of the parties. So arguably you qulify for reimbursement plus a satisfactory compensation. Satisfactory from your standpoint.
Time for a letter to "Customer Satisfaction" (sic).
I am sure they will reimburse, but that's not really the point. A contract cannot be unilaterally canceled by one of the parties. So arguably you qulify for reimbursement plus a satisfactory compensation. Satisfactory from your standpoint.
Time for a letter to "Customer Satisfaction" (sic).
Dec 29, 2008 | 3:01 am
#4
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: YYZ
Programs: A3*G, IHG Gold
Posts: 121
Is this a possible safety concern? In this case, each of the little ones has their own seat, but if they were littler, the one adult in the back could potentially have to help put masks on, or evacuate three kids alone.
Ideally the booking engine could flag this sort of situation when child/infant fares are booked, but if they can't even allow you to change more than four seat assignments at once....
Ideally the booking engine could flag this sort of situation when child/infant fares are booked, but if they can't even allow you to change more than four seat assignments at once....
Dec 29, 2008 | 3:08 pm
#5
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 3,760
Not a very good tack to take -- if that's the case then the OP would have been violating the rules as you're required to have one adult for each infant anyways. Ie, if they were littler and this was an issue then they shouldn't have had only two adults to manage three kids.
Dec 29, 2008 | 3:33 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Programs: AC Nothing, Delta Gold
Posts: 166
Not a very good tack to take -- if that's the case then the OP would have been violating the rules as you're required to have one adult for each infant anyways. Ie, if they were littler and this was an issue then they shouldn't have had only two adults to manage three kids.
I haven't actually had to complain to AC before. Are there any special email addresses for Elites like there are phone numbers?
Dec 29, 2008 | 8:52 pm
#7
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: YEG
Posts: 3,929
Should have clarified in the post that although I call them the little ones, they are not little anymore. They are 13, 15, and 16, and they have each done several flights by themselves. So now safety concerns there.
I haven't actually had to complain to AC before. Are there any special email addresses for Elites like there are phone numbers?
I haven't actually had to complain to AC before. Are there any special email addresses for Elites like there are phone numbers?
No special email that I know of, but you do enter your status into the form.
Dec 29, 2008 | 10:22 pm
#8
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: YYC
Programs: AC Basic, UA MP Gold, Marriott Gold Elite, SPG Gold, Amex Platinum
Posts: 3,012
I realize that even though you pay to pick your seats that they are not guaranteed. I also realize that I was on the cheapest fare (if a $335 one way tango is considered cheap), and that the booking engine allowed me to pick seats for the whole family in the forward part of the steerage cabin. However, is it AC's policy to split up families and only allow E and SE to sit in the first few rows? Also, when did the OLCI change take place that only allows 4 or less parties to change their seats on checkin. I have done this in the past for the five of us,in fact just last August. You can change the seats in the booking engine, but not in OLCI.
Also, consider that most of the cabin had done some form of seat prebook by the time you checked in. More than 1/2 of all AC guests continue to prebook seats, the numbers of "seat me anywhere pax" have dropped considerably in the past 18 months.
Next time prebook seats in a non elite prebook row. Alternately and considering your families ages, maybe getting everyone a window or aisle is in order. Afterall friends don't let friends sit in the middle, same should go for family. Book the family into a 20A and 20C combination and let some other poor sod get 20B. You will still be on the same plane and the family might like a little alone time.
Dec 29, 2008 | 10:55 pm
#10
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: YQR
Posts: 2,910
Why, though, wouldn't the computer do this when the OP initially selected the seats at booking? If indeed--as it seems--a status passenger cannot bring more than 1-2 passengers into the section then the website should have rejected the selection at booking in which case the OP could have chosen a different non-E/SE row to keep his family together.
Dec 29, 2008 | 11:45 pm
#11
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: SJC
Programs: Hilton Diamond, AS 100k
Posts: 1,016
Why, though, wouldn't the computer do this when the OP initially selected the seats at booking? If indeed--as it seems--a status passenger cannot bring more than 1-2 passengers into the section then the website should have rejected the selection at booking in which case the OP could have chosen a different non-E/SE row to keep his family together.
Dec 29, 2008 | 11:55 pm
#12
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: YVR
Programs: WS Platinum, former AC E35K
Posts: 6,338
The seats got switched because row 14 is for SE, E and Latitude guests for prebooking only, therefore the computer punted the non elites to the back. A status pax can bring one or possibly two non status fliers into the elite section, but not 4.
Also, consider that most of the cabin had done some form of seat prebook by the time you checked in. More than 1/2 of all AC guests continue to prebook seats, the numbers of "seat me anywhere pax" have dropped considerably in the past 18 months.
Next time prebook seats in a non elite prebook row. Alternately and considering your families ages, maybe getting everyone a window or aisle is in order. Afterall friends don't let friends sit in the middle, same should go for family. Book the family into a 20A and 20C combination and let some other poor sod get 20B. You will still be on the same plane and the family might like a little alone time.
Also, consider that most of the cabin had done some form of seat prebook by the time you checked in. More than 1/2 of all AC guests continue to prebook seats, the numbers of "seat me anywhere pax" have dropped considerably in the past 18 months.
Next time prebook seats in a non elite prebook row. Alternately and considering your families ages, maybe getting everyone a window or aisle is in order. Afterall friends don't let friends sit in the middle, same should go for family. Book the family into a 20A and 20C combination and let some other poor sod get 20B. You will still be on the same plane and the family might like a little alone time.
Dec 30, 2008 | 7:26 am
#13
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 7,170
I assume that the OP's party of 5 were all one PNR.
Dec 30, 2008 | 7:36 am
#14
Join Date: May 2003
Programs: NZ Silver, AC SE100K, Westjet, Marriott, Global Entry
Posts: 6,868
Jclass, sorry to hear of the cockup on AC's part. Did they at the very least offer to refund the money you paid for seat assignments?
AC never ceases to amaze me with all the absurd things it is able to come up with to upset customers. AC can do a lot right, but then does basic silly things that aggravate people, and without an apparent rectification (refund offered with the apology).
AC never ceases to amaze me with all the absurd things it is able to come up with to upset customers. AC can do a lot right, but then does basic silly things that aggravate people, and without an apparent rectification (refund offered with the apology).
Dec 30, 2008 | 7:58 am
#15
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: YEG - No Particular Loyalty Anymore
Posts: 3,610
On US I've never had this 'issue' when booking others with me on the same PNR.