Elite Benefit: Reserved Seat Fee
Aug 30, 2011, 9:30 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 305
Elite Benefit: Reserved Seat Fee
For years I have enjoyed not paying FL's fee to reserve a seat. Occasionally, when booking an online reservation for myself and a travel companion, I have to call in order to avoid the seat fee for the person traveling with me. Often the agent is not familiar with the benefit and asks "the supervisor" but I have always gotten a reserved seat at no additional cost for both myself and my travel companion as long as we are on the same PNR.
Tonight I went through the same drill and called A+ rewards to get the second seat reserved. I was told this is no longer an Elite benefit. I get a reserved seat, but the person traveling with me needs to pay the $15 fee in each direction to have a reserved seat next to me. She claimed the policy changed in December 2010???
I've definitely used the benefit since December 2010. Did I just get lucky, or is the agent I spoke to today clueless? There is no longer any mention of this benefit on the Elite page on the website, but I'm not 100% sure it was ever there.
Interestingly, the agent said that the only benefit for the traveling companion is a free upgrade if I get upgraded.
And if no cost seat reservation is no longer a benefit, what is the best strategy to be able to sit together, short of paying $15 each way? How long before the flight can I select the seat of the person traveling with me?
Tonight I went through the same drill and called A+ rewards to get the second seat reserved. I was told this is no longer an Elite benefit. I get a reserved seat, but the person traveling with me needs to pay the $15 fee in each direction to have a reserved seat next to me. She claimed the policy changed in December 2010???
I've definitely used the benefit since December 2010. Did I just get lucky, or is the agent I spoke to today clueless? There is no longer any mention of this benefit on the Elite page on the website, but I'm not 100% sure it was ever there.
Interestingly, the agent said that the only benefit for the traveling companion is a free upgrade if I get upgraded.
And if no cost seat reservation is no longer a benefit, what is the best strategy to be able to sit together, short of paying $15 each way? How long before the flight can I select the seat of the person traveling with me?
Aug 31, 2011, 7:09 am
#2
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: ATL
Programs: Delta PM, IHG Spire
Posts: 356
I just reserved a seat for free for a travel companion like 2 weeks ago. Exit row seats had a fee, some seats towards the front had a (smaller) fee, but the seats that normally cost $6 to reserve were free. That was online.
I'd call and talk to a different agent...you know how these things can be. If you get an agent that gives you an answer you don't like, ask another.
I'd call and talk to a different agent...you know how these things can be. If you get an agent that gives you an answer you don't like, ask another.
Aug 31, 2011, 8:21 am
#3
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: PA
Programs: Airtran A+ Elite, SPG Preferred Plus, Hilton HHonors Gold, AGR
Posts: 139
You can still reserve free seats for a companion but only the $6 ones, no exit row or the front about 8 rows of coach. At least this has been my experience.
Sep 2, 2011, 11:36 am
#4
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: BWI (Annapolis) & PWM (Bailey Island)
Programs: AA LT Gold (MM), WN A-List, Fairmont L/T Plat, HH Diamond
Posts: 884
Good luck, I couldn't even select seats for us within the 24 hours window, ended up with 24 A/B. That sucked. The elite product might as well be dead, it is slowly being drained of any benefit, and can only expect to get worse.
Sep 2, 2011, 11:39 am
#5
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: ONT
Programs: AA Gold, WN A-, UA S, HH ♦, IHG Spire, Hertz Prez O, TSA Disparager
Posts: 2,159
Don't worry about it. In a few more months there will be no reserved seats.
