Oct 26, 2018, 5:20 pm
[Heads Up] Reconfiguration of Airbus A320 (319?) Seat Map
Oct 27, 2018, 8:03 pm
#47
Join Date: Sep 2001
Programs: Alaska Tanzanite 100K
Posts: 3,858
Well just looked at Tuesday's FLLLAX and of course got the shaft. Rows 16 & 17 are already full (at least non-middle seats). Ive asked for a refund on my ticket + use of customer service discount code I used for the flight.
Last edited by UAPremierExec; Oct 27, 2018 at 8:26 pm
Oct 28, 2018, 10:23 am
#49
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: SFO
Programs: AS, UA, WN, IHG Diamond Elite, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Gold, CET 7*
Posts: 3,300
I had a colleague traveling SFO-LAX last week and when he booked it (2 weeks ago) I gave him the heads up about the renumbering issues and jokingly told him he should just book 17C or D now and he'd probably end up in PC for free (he has no status).
Sure enough, it changed the day before departure and he enjoyed the legroom immensely, at the expense of some elite undoubtedly.
Sure enough, it changed the day before departure and he enjoyed the legroom immensely, at the expense of some elite undoubtedly.
Oct 28, 2018, 1:13 pm
#50
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Ewa Beach, Hawaii
Posts: 10,909
As I feared would happen. SFO-IAD tomorrow. Had 9D Exit row Premium class. Still have 9D but is no longer an exit premium class, just a regular aisle. Only middles left in premium class. took 6B but not happy about this. Sent a strongly worded tweet to AS that I wanted my premium class aisle back and they need to make it happen. Shouldn't be hosing people because they renumber the rows. I let them know there are a lot of angry people out there about this situation.
Edit to add:
After a few back and forth messages their "solution" is ask at the gate and here's a $50 discount code. Great "solution" for a transcon flight. Said, Ok, guess I'll get in line at the gate with all the rest who got hosed. Didn't thank them for the $50 code. Not happy about this at all.
Edit to add:
After a few back and forth messages their "solution" is ask at the gate and here's a $50 discount code. Great "solution" for a transcon flight. Said, Ok, guess I'll get in line at the gate with all the rest who got hosed. Didn't thank them for the $50 code. Not happy about this at all.
Last edited by Baze; Oct 28, 2018 at 1:34 pm
Oct 28, 2018, 5:22 pm
#52
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Northern California
Programs: I want to be free! Free!
Posts: 3,455
Not being handled well today SFO-IAD. Gate apparently didn't even know aircraft hadn't been reconfigured. 3C upgraded to 1C (1D? not sure. seemed to be traveling with each other and may have swapped), asked that her husband be moved to her old seat and told it doesn't exit. Put in row 15.
Woman badgered flight attendant for entire boarding process about it since row 3 did seem to exist. Gate agent involved. As departure time approaches 1B asks FA if this issue is going to affect departure. 1C aggressively tells 1B to mind his own business. FA calmly tells them to calm down and that if he can't manage them on the ground he can't manage them in the air, and if so someone won't be flying that day...
Personally think 1C should've been booted on the spot but also understand the frustration.
Woman badgered flight attendant for entire boarding process about it since row 3 did seem to exist. Gate agent involved. As departure time approaches 1B asks FA if this issue is going to affect departure. 1C aggressively tells 1B to mind his own business. FA calmly tells them to calm down and that if he can't manage them on the ground he can't manage them in the air, and if so someone won't be flying that day...
Personally think 1C should've been booted on the spot but also understand the frustration.
Oct 28, 2018, 6:53 pm
#53
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
How does the gate agent not know what seats exist? Isn't it on the screen in front of them? Unless the computer was wrong... but would that mean that mean that people has boarding passes for seats that didn't exist?
Oct 28, 2018, 7:23 pm
#54
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Ewa Beach, Hawaii
Posts: 10,909
Not being handled well today SFO-IAD. Gate apparently didn't even know aircraft hadn't been reconfigured. 3C upgraded to 1C (1D? not sure. seemed to be traveling with each other and may have swapped), asked that her husband be moved to her old seat and told it doesn't exit. Put in row 15.
Woman badgered flight attendant for entire boarding process about it since row 3 did seem to exist. Gate agent involved. As departure time approaches 1B asks FA if this issue is going to affect departure. 1C aggressively tells 1B to mind his own business. FA calmly tells them to calm down and that if he can't manage them on the ground he can't manage them in the air, and if so someone won't be flying that day...
Personally think 1C should've been booted on the spot but also understand the frustration.
Woman badgered flight attendant for entire boarding process about it since row 3 did seem to exist. Gate agent involved. As departure time approaches 1B asks FA if this issue is going to affect departure. 1C aggressively tells 1B to mind his own business. FA calmly tells them to calm down and that if he can't manage them on the ground he can't manage them in the air, and if so someone won't be flying that day...
Personally think 1C should've been booted on the spot but also understand the frustration.
Oct 28, 2018, 9:25 pm
#55
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend, Moderator, Information Desk, Ambassador, Alaska Airlines
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: FAI
Programs: AS MVP Gold100K, AS 1MM, Maika`i Card, AGR, HH Gold, Hertz PC, Marriott Titanium LTG, CO, 7H, BA, 8E
Posts: 42,953
If this happens to you, I encourage reaching out to Customer Care after the fact. I heard this should be completed soon, not sure when precisely. GA's typically aren't moving pax from what I've seen, unless they don't meet the requirements of the exit row, etc. Although there are some anecdotal reports of GA's removing the lucky few who were relocated to the PE seats.
Oct 28, 2018, 9:31 pm
#56
Join Date: Sep 2001
Programs: Alaska Tanzanite 100K
Posts: 3,858
I'll report back what I get from Customer Care tomorrow. Normally I'd just rebook the trip (and use the value), but miraculously my November isn't quite planned out just yet. Still disappointed AS won't do blocks on rows 6, 16,17 to "protect" them in case of a swap, nor moving exit rows to exit rows, and PE to PE. Its NOT a hard thing to do. Seems like Alaska and other airlines have repeatedly moved people and their seats, so why not yank out "new" people in 6, 16, and 17 and move them to rows 27 and higher (since those didn't exist on the VX A320s)....
Oct 28, 2018, 9:36 pm
#57
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend, Moderator, Information Desk, Ambassador, Alaska Airlines
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: FAI
Programs: AS MVP Gold100K, AS 1MM, Maika`i Card, AGR, HH Gold, Hertz PC, Marriott Titanium LTG, CO, 7H, BA, 8E
Posts: 42,953
I'll report back what I get from Customer Care tomorrow. Normally I'd just rebook the trip (and use the value), but miraculously my November isn't quite planned out just yet. Still disappointed AS won't do blocks on rows 6, 16,17 to "protect" them in case of a swap, nor moving exit rows to exit rows, and PE to PE. Its NOT a hard thing to do. Seems like Alaska and other airlines have repeatedly moved people and their seats, so why not yank out "new" people in 6, 16, and 17 and move them to rows 27 and higher (since those didn't exist on the VX A320s)....
I get the sense there are specific aircraft that have been renumbered, but not the whole series (ie A320 ETOPS). I did bring this up at the AS session last night at the Alaska Airlines Center, among other things.
Oct 29, 2018, 12:25 pm
#58
Join Date: Sep 2001
Programs: Alaska Tanzanite 100K
Posts: 3,858
I spoke with some friends that work RES for Alaska - its causing some significant tempers from the customers and the res folks are really taking a beating. One said her coworker had to sign out for 15 minutes because the flyer had her crying and was saying absolutely horrible things.
This really REALLY does suck on how Alaska is rolling this out, and they really could have managed these seat map variations better, but lets please be courteous to the AS staff, management and IT's decisions shouldn't be taken out on the front line staff.
And I did get a $75 e-cert for the issues on my booking. I did cancel and am flying United now, but the phone rep I spoke with was able to coordinate with Customer Care on my cancellation & deposit in the wallet (plus e cert reissuance) - said I was her 5th call today about it and by far the most calm.
Kindness will get you further, even when we're flung from premium into middles.
This really REALLY does suck on how Alaska is rolling this out, and they really could have managed these seat map variations better, but lets please be courteous to the AS staff, management and IT's decisions shouldn't be taken out on the front line staff.
And I did get a $75 e-cert for the issues on my booking. I did cancel and am flying United now, but the phone rep I spoke with was able to coordinate with Customer Care on my cancellation & deposit in the wallet (plus e cert reissuance) - said I was her 5th call today about it and by far the most calm.
Kindness will get you further, even when we're flung from premium into middles.
Oct 29, 2018, 1:22 pm
#59
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
I spoke with some friends that work RES for Alaska - its causing some significant tempers from the customers and the res folks are really taking a beating. One said her coworker had to sign out for 15 minutes because the flyer had her crying and was saying absolutely horrible things.
T-4hr on my flight and 3 is still the bulkhead. I even moved from 10C to 3D. Even as I type this I realize how stupid this is and may go change back. If we get swapped last minute, my 3D will turn into 20-something middle or something. At least 10C would turn into an aisle seat near the front.
Edit: I'm back in 10C. I slightly prefer the bulkhead to the rear emergency exit row, but it's not worth the risk.
Oct 29, 2018, 1:49 pm
#60
Join Date: Aug 2018
Programs: AA Exec Plat, Bonvoy Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 621
I got bounced from the old 4D to the new 19C (old 12C) for my flight on Wednesday over this. It would up not mattering since I was just able to grab 17D (old 10D) since it's now in the upgrade window, plus it was just LAX-SFO anyhow; but now I'm nervous that I'm going to get hosed on losing 10F on my SFO-BOS redeye leg on Wednesday. :/
I'm more indignant about the LAX-SFO leg than I'd normally be because at the start of this month, at the last minute they bounced me from first class (guest upgrade; am MVP this year, but booked a DCA-LAX flight 12/31/17 while I was still MVP Gold to take advantage of the guest upgrade), and this is the very next flight I'm taking with them after that. And for that one the phone people first lied to me and said I'd never been in first class at all, then tried to blame an aircraft swap (which had been in July back when the seating chart was still wide open). Now they're ignoring me when I'm reaching out about the $300 certificate their gate agent promised me to make up for my trouble. And to add insult to injury my cheery "you've been upgrade to Premium!" (after having already checked in to first class) email showed I'd been put into 9C—I'm not one of those people who leans back all the way but it's hard to have ZERO recline on a transcon.
I had checked in with first class confirmed and got bumped a few hours later...in the mobile app my boarding pass was showing me first class up until about an hour before the flight, even after it started updating with the gate info. :/
I'm more indignant about the LAX-SFO leg than I'd normally be because at the start of this month, at the last minute they bounced me from first class (guest upgrade; am MVP this year, but booked a DCA-LAX flight 12/31/17 while I was still MVP Gold to take advantage of the guest upgrade), and this is the very next flight I'm taking with them after that. And for that one the phone people first lied to me and said I'd never been in first class at all, then tried to blame an aircraft swap (which had been in July back when the seating chart was still wide open). Now they're ignoring me when I'm reaching out about the $300 certificate their gate agent promised me to make up for my trouble. And to add insult to injury my cheery "you've been upgrade to Premium!" (after having already checked in to first class) email showed I'd been put into 9C—I'm not one of those people who leans back all the way but it's hard to have ZERO recline on a transcon.
I had checked in with first class confirmed and got bumped a few hours later...in the mobile app my boarding pass was showing me first class up until about an hour before the flight, even after it started updating with the gate info. :/