worldtravellerSEA

Long-time lurker, first-time poster here
Me and wifey were travelling to LIH from SEA (6-hour flight) and had made the booking way back. I had selected seats 11A and 11C, hoping that B would go empty and we would have space to free our legs. We had done this before and had decided that if someone came, we would exchange the window seat with the middle since aisle on a long flight is a better deal.

Anyhow, I kept checking and the seat was empty until we had checked in and cleared security at the airport. We reached the boarding gate about 10 mins before boarding was to start and I heard my name being called out on PA. On checking with the representative, I was told that they had re-assigned our 11C seat to 11B due to the flight being full. I argued a little and was told that there were 3-4 families who's seats were reassigned and that I was lucky that we were seated together. I was flabbergasted but due to lack of any choices, accepted the decision and trod on.

During the flight, I came to know that the person assigned my aisle seat had checked in last minute. She was travelling from SJC (different reservation) and didn't have any status on Alaska which could have prompted this.

I hit MVP while flying back and this was my 1st bad experience on Alaska but it has surely left a sore taste.

Is this normal? am I wrong in thinking that I was shortchanged here? Should I let Alaska know about this incident?

Often1

What do you mean by normal?

That AS has poor IT and a GA was able to move you without a supervisory override?

Ask AS to review the transaction. It can go back and see what the GA did and how you were moved.

CDKing

So you tried to take advantage and lost. One of you were going to end up in the middle anyways. Seems like a dumb complaint to me. Its not like both of you ended up in different rows. It say move on, you pressed your luck and you lost.

beckoa

Welcome to Flyertalk and the Alaska Airlines forum @worldtravellerSEA.

worldtravellerSEA

You are missing thr point. I am not pissed about "losing" the middle seat. I was anyways expecting that someone might show up on the middle seat and I make the switch with them. I am angry about my aisle seat replaced with middle without my consent, for no good reason at all. I don't find this acceptable!

CDKing

There is a new rule this year about splitting up families, they had to make moves to accommodate it. I'm not sure how to describe the practice of picking aisle and window w/ hopes of an empty middle without breaking the FT TOS, However you know the rules of the game before you played. Seat assignments are not guaranteed, you weren't separated, you lived through the flight, just move on.

Flying for Fun

Did you ask the passenger if he/she preferred the window seat? I think most would be upset losing a window seat. Seems logical to move the other passenger on the same reservation to the middle than you away from the window. You are lucky you got to sit together. Would you also be upset if the middle seat was assinged and that passenger didn't want to change? I don't recall ever being on a Hawaiian flight that wasn't full. I totally agree with the other poster that you rolled the dice and you lost. You say that it was unacceptable for Alaska to reassign you out of the isle seat. I say it is unacceptable for you to play the system and be upset that the outcome wasn't to your liking. Perhaps next time select two seats together where you will be happy. When I am selecting seats I see your strategy at play so often. For the rare times I am flying economy I am the guy who is just fine with the middle seat for just that reason.

flymonthly

I don't understand what your problem is with a couple picking aisle-window hoping for an empty middle. Is there some unwritten rule that you have to select seats beside each other? When traveling by myself, I frequently pick an aisle where the window is occupied hoping an empty middle. And when traveling with my wife we usually pick aisle-window not only hoping for an empty middle, but because she prefers the window and I like the aisle. Even if the middle seat becomes occupied, we don't usually switch with the person. I've certainly moved when a gate agent asked (after giving me the reason), but if my seat assignments start being moved to middle seats without talking to me, then I'd have to reassess flying with that airline.

notquiteaff

Karma.

Seat assignments are not guaranteed. End of story.

Flying for Fun

[QUOTE=notquiteaff;28737027]Karma.

Seat assignments are not guaranteed. End of story.[/QUOTE/]

Thank you! 😁

FredT5

Another long term lurker, first time poster.

If this were me, I'd be livid. The reason I ALWAYS choose a isle seat is because I am 6'2, 240 lbs, and broad shouldered.... Put me in a middle seat and I am in agony... (Not to mention BOTH seat mates who's shoulder space I am intruding on...)

CDKing

Karma's a well, you know.

He was not moved to some random middle seat. He was moved one seat over next to his companion. Where he would have been the entire time. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. OP lost and just needs to move on. I don't play the game because I don't want to take the risk it doesn't go my way.

missamo80

I'm not sure why OP's getting so much hate. It doesn't matter whether OP is alone or with a companion, or whether someone was hoping for an empty middle: they booked an aisle and a window and OP got moved out of the aisle to a middle for a random person on a six hour flight.

I'd be cranky too and would ask Alaska what's up. www.alaskalistens.com.

Neil

Steve in Olympia

When my spouse picks a window seat and I pick an aisle seat, we are not playing a game. Those are our seat preferences, and we don't offer to switch with the person in the middle seat --- who obviously didn't check in early enough to get a better seat.

The two of us sitting together is not on our priority list.

Would you feel better if we picked our respective window/aisle preferences in different rows from each other? The result is still the same--- you are still stuck in a middle seat, looking for someone to blame. Not my problem. Try a mirror.

Bretmd

Where OP lost me was when OP seemingly decided in advance on behalf of the potential middle seat occupant that they would a) trade seats and b) exactly where they would trade to.