Oct 26, 2018, 5:20 pm
[Heads Up] Reconfiguration of Airbus A320 (319?) Seat Map
Nov 1, 2018, 7:29 pm
#106
Join Date: Sep 2001
Programs: Alaska Tanzanite 100K
Posts: 3,858
Bingo - I'm sure it's a bit more complicated than us armchair airline IT execs want to think in terms of how to actually integrate code like this into production systems, but it strikes me that it probably would have been a higher level of effort (and cost) than they felt was necessary to expend on a relatively short-term/low impact project like this. If their goal is to be reducing costs and improving margins for shareholders, spending tens of thousands of dollars on system upgrades that only last a few weeks/impact a relatively small number of their passengers (higher impact being on elites, yes), it's probably a no-brainer for them to just hope for the best and throw impacted folks that complain loud enough a few discount codes (which means bounceback revenue later, too!) and then move forward on other issues.
but this is one thing we cover, and I know my competitors at other firms cover, when dealing with PSS migrations, integrations, and IRROP management. Someone knew this was going to happen, someone presented a plan, and yet someone HIGH UP at Alaska made a decision. THAT is where I'm .....ing. And why I'm disclosing that its NOT hard to "fix". Yes, it does take time to load and implement macros, servers, and scripts -- sometimes a week, sometimes a month, but again - Alaska has known for a year what they were doing with their Airbus cabins. And a cost-free fix, which would have taken maybe *1 hour* is to do a Z block on rows 6, 16, and 17 on all Airbus A320s (and comparable to A319/A321) so that only the gate agent or 24 hour OLCI allows those seats to be booked. This way, when there WAS a swap to a newly renumbered plane, guess what - those seats are now open for elites and people who had exit rows.
So not quite an armchair CEO, I actually am in a recliner right now, and just working on res migration dates for another client (Amadeus and Travelport).....
and fwiw, just accidentally flew SFOSEA the other day. Plane was packed pretty well, except I'm told that AS had did a swap 2 hours prior to departure to a plane with the new reseating. I was in row 29, and lots of empty seats around me. Passenger in 28D was originally in row 4 and not happy. Guy across aisle was in row 3. Both said agents offered them nothing.....
Nov 1, 2018, 9:13 pm
#107
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend, Moderator, Information Desk, Ambassador, Alaska Airlines
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: FAI
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If gate agents were empowered to either do something or offer something, this would be less of an issue. So yes, please follow up with Customer Care.
Nov 1, 2018, 10:31 pm
#108
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: BUR/LAX
Programs: AS MVP
Posts: 300
I followed up with customer care after my JFK-LAX flight in 15 - no recline. A whole bunch of boiler plate about they reserve the right to change your seat, blah blah blah and then - oh yeah, we're renumbering the rows on our Airbus aircraft and that might have affected you. Sorry, here's $75 off your next flight.
Nov 2, 2018, 9:22 am
#109
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: SEA
Programs: HH Silver
Posts: 2,400
I have read through, and am confused. I am in seat 5F on flight 1422. From what I am reading, I will be relocated to one of the empty seats on the plane? The only empty seats right now are middle seats in the back of the plane. If I get moved to one of those at T-24, what are the chances of them allowing me to switch to a different (Earlier) flight that has different seats available? I am MVP.
Nov 2, 2018, 2:23 pm
#110
Join Date: Apr 2017
Programs: VX, AA, DL, UA, B6
Posts: 13
This is exactly my take of the situation too. However, if they have an IT constraint that doesn't allow them to have 2 configurations of the same airplane time, they should have just made a physical constraint to match. When they changed the row numbers, they could have put stickers over the new numbers with the old ones, so all aircraft would be in the same configuration. Then, when they were ready to switch to the new config, they could have pulled all the stickers off on a single day so that people wouldn't get bumped around like this.
Last edited by m_j_n; Nov 2, 2018 at 2:33 pm
Nov 2, 2018, 3:41 pm
#111
Join Date: Dec 2017
Programs: Alaska Airlines
Posts: 48
I have read through, and am confused. I am in seat 5F on flight 1422. From what I am reading, I will be relocated to one of the empty seats on the plane? The only empty seats right now are middle seats in the back of the plane. If I get moved to one of those at T-24, what are the chances of them allowing me to switch to a different (Earlier) flight that has different seats available? I am MVP.
i was moved from row 3 to row 21. The agent acknowledged that lower status MP members got better seats, but they weren’t willing to move any of them for me. I was offer 4000 miles.
Nov 2, 2018, 3:43 pm
#112
Join Date: Dec 2017
Programs: Alaska Airlines
Posts: 48
Did some searching in Sabre tonight, it looks like our nightmare is over on the 9th of November. That's when pretty much all Airbii are showing row 6 as the bulkhead. Its hit or miss between now and then. I've already spot checked the transcons, up and down the coast, PSP, LAS, MCO, FLL, etc. some flights show row 3 on the 8th, and then 6 on the 9th. So far, I haven't found a single Airbus with row 3 as the bulkhead on the 9th or later.
Nov 2, 2018, 3:55 pm
#113
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: SEA
Programs: HH Silver
Posts: 2,400
Lol, thanks a lot. Seriously though, I appreciate your bluntness. I will go in expecting to sit in the restroom, and maybe be happy in a jumpseat instead. I do not mind a middle seat, if it is forward of the wings. I have claustrophobia that only kicks in when I am in the back of the plane looking forward through that long long tube full of people. Does not matter what seat I am in. It is the number of people crammed in between me and the forward exit. Glad I have a full supply of anti anxiety meds. I cannot remember the last time I was in a seat in back of the wings.
Nov 2, 2018, 7:49 pm
#114
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: SFO, CLT
Programs: AA Bonsai EXP (2.9 MM), AS MVPG
Posts: 1,395
My advice: DEFINITELY call customer service and complain. Be polite, but make it clear that you are extremely upset (I like to say, in a calm voice: "Ok, I'm really upset... here's why"). Make it clear that you selected a seat that requires a fee for non-elites, and ended up in a non-elite seat in the back of the plane. At least you'll get a discount code.
The seat assignment circus, which absolutely, positively should not even exist, continues in full force. I politely complained and received a $100 discount code.
Nov 2, 2018, 7:59 pm
#115
Join Date: Sep 2001
Programs: Alaska Tanzanite 100K
Posts: 3,858
I have read through, and am confused. I am in seat 5F on flight 1422. From what I am reading, I will be relocated to one of the empty seats on the plane? The only empty seats right now are middle seats in the back of the plane. If I get moved to one of those at T-24, what are the chances of them allowing me to switch to a different (Earlier) flight that has different seats available? I am MVP.
that's what happened to a handful of people near me on my SFO-SEA flight the other day. The forward part of the cabin was absolutely packed to the gills, and after row 28, lots of open middles, windows, aisles, etc.
Nov 2, 2018, 8:37 pm
#116
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: SFO
Programs: AS, UA, WN, IHG Diamond Elite, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Gold, CET 7*
Posts: 3,301
Lol, thanks a lot. Seriously though, I appreciate your bluntness. I will go in expecting to sit in the restroom, and maybe be happy in a jumpseat instead. I do not mind a middle seat, if it is forward of the wings. I have claustrophobia that only kicks in when I am in the back of the plane looking forward through that long long tube full of people. Does not matter what seat I am in. It is the number of people crammed in between me and the forward exit. Glad I have a full supply of anti anxiety meds. I cannot remember the last time I was in a seat in back of the wings.
Nov 2, 2018, 8:50 pm
#117
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Pacific Wonderland
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Posts: 5,336
Unbelievable. The sold seat maps are all Row 6 Airbus (per UAPremierExec's research) in a week. The only way there's foul ups after that is swapping in Row 3 Airbus that haven't been physically renumbered. Is AS proactively working to renumber them or they just waiting for the next A check to do it? I can't believe they don't have a firm date for agents to tell customers by now.
Nov 2, 2018, 10:09 pm
#118
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: PDX
Programs: AS MVP Gold 100K
Posts: 2,329
To add another story to the list: I have several friends on a flight with me tomorrow, on an A320, who were originally scattered throughout the back. They all checked in right at 24hr before departure and "Row 4" was available. They were all able to select seats there and had boarding passes... until a few hours went by and they received emails saying they needed to check in again. They were then, of course, put back in random seats in the back.
Nov 3, 2018, 1:10 am
#119
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: SEA
Programs: HH Silver
Posts: 2,400
Nov 3, 2018, 8:50 am
#120
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: SFO
Programs: AS, UA, WN, IHG Diamond Elite, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Gold, CET 7*
Posts: 3,301
Ok, so this has me even more confused. The seat map is not showing any preferred/elite seats. Wouldn't they be selling them if they had them? Do they suddenly go from no elite seats to a half a plane full? I am MVP, if there were elite seats to choose at T-24, shouldn't they be showing now?
Hopefully you can get an U/G at the airport.