Is AS continuing to block middle seats in premium coach thru 5/31/2021? (Yes)
Feb 24, 2021, 11:06 am
#31
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: PDX
Programs: AS MVP Gold 100K
Posts: 2,329
Here's the fine print referenced in post #2-
1Open middle seats are not guaranteed. Certain occasions, such as aircraft changes or reaccommodating guests from a previously canceled flight, may require guests to be seated next to someone not in their party. If you're uncomfortable with the distance between you and others on your date of travel, please speak with a customer service agent about your options. On aircraft that do not have middle seats, the Premium Class section will not have additional seats left open. Guests traveling in parties of 3 can select Premium Class seats in the same row by contacting reservations. On the date of travel, guests traveling in parties of 3 or more may be asked to sit together without leaving middle seats open, in order to minimize the need for guests to be seated next to others not in their party.
They leave it pretty open to fill them at their discretion. So, I'd say, "yes" to all the things you list and add, "whenever they feel like it." I've been in PC 4X this year (PDX>OGG or back) and have yet to see a middle seat filled.
Edit: Funny timing - woke up to this email today. I'm flying out in PC tomorrow and am not sure if this was sent due to that or is just a general message sent to everyone. I don't think I've ever seen it before.
1Open middle seats are not guaranteed. Certain occasions, such as aircraft changes or reaccommodating guests from a previously canceled flight, may require guests to be seated next to someone not in their party. If you're uncomfortable with the distance between you and others on your date of travel, please speak with a customer service agent about your options. On aircraft that do not have middle seats, the Premium Class section will not have additional seats left open. Guests traveling in parties of 3 can select Premium Class seats in the same row by contacting reservations. On the date of travel, guests traveling in parties of 3 or more may be asked to sit together without leaving middle seats open, in order to minimize the need for guests to be seated next to others not in their party.
They leave it pretty open to fill them at their discretion. So, I'd say, "yes" to all the things you list and add, "whenever they feel like it." I've been in PC 4X this year (PDX>OGG or back) and have yet to see a middle seat filled.
Edit: Funny timing - woke up to this email today. I'm flying out in PC tomorrow and am not sure if this was sent due to that or is just a general message sent to everyone. I don't think I've ever seen it before.
Feb 24, 2021, 1:01 pm
#32
Join Date: Oct 2019
Location: PDX, OGG or between the two
Programs: AS 75K
Posts: 2,864
What ended up happening? I just got the email for flights this weekend. I'm in F on 1 leg and PC on the other 3. The email only gave the confirmation number so I have no way of knowing which flight it might be. A quick check of seat maps shows plenty of room on all of the flights as well.
Feb 24, 2021, 5:50 pm
#33
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Manhattan Beach, California
Programs: BMI Diamond Club Gold forever
Posts: 6,367
On PSP-SeA tonight booked into F. I started to worry earlier this week as the first class cabin was filling up and the empty seat next to me became occupied. I moved to an empty row of two seats but contemplated calling and asking to be moved to premium with a blocked middle seat. Fast forward to today and I see they have finally zeroed out the front cabin with an empty seat next to me remaining, but premium is totally chockablock. But coach is otherwise pretty empty. Hmmm.
Feb 24, 2021, 5:52 pm
#34
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: PDX
Programs: AS MVP Gold 100K
Posts: 2,329
On PSP-SeA tonight booked into F. I started to worry earlier this week as the first class cabin was filling up and the empty seat next to me became occupied. I moved to an empty row of two seats but contemplated calling and asking to be moved to premium with a blocked middle seat. Fast forward to today and I see they have finally zeroed out the front cabin with an empty seat next to me remaining, but premium is totally chockablock. But coach is otherwise pretty empty. Hmmm.
Feb 24, 2021, 8:08 pm
#35
Moderator: Alaska Mileage Plan
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 12,316
Indeed that happened, I was the only one who had an empty next to me filled up. And BTW, there is no way to SDC or upgrade when all the fare buckets for first are zero. So who knows what happened, but I wasnt born yesterday. I cancelled and refunded the F ticket and rebooked a $48 saver ticket and have a whole exit row to myself. I will definitely be following up with Alaska, if the buckets were zero'd out then this is a nonrev or something like that. they are free to do that, but if they want to make money off me I would prefer to not be gamed.
Feb 24, 2021, 8:25 pm
#36
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Manhattan Beach, California
Programs: BMI Diamond Club Gold forever
Posts: 6,367
We had some editing issues here in the last few posts, so i will repost with additional brevity.
Basically, I dont care what the reason is. My family is helping keep this route going some days of the week (how many empty planes where it was us and 1-3 other passengers i have lost track). We go back and forth for family. I am happy if someone got an upgrade but it’s a terrible business model when i can just refund and rebuy a $49 saver fare at the counter. BTW, I did this for 5 F pax one evening because we didnt want one of our pax sitting next to someone else. In addition to some diminished revenue, when we downgrade there is the issue of lost revenue when we just move to Delta and Alaska gets zilch. It’s a buyer market on this route!
Basically, I dont care what the reason is. My family is helping keep this route going some days of the week (how many empty planes where it was us and 1-3 other passengers i have lost track). We go back and forth for family. I am happy if someone got an upgrade but it’s a terrible business model when i can just refund and rebuy a $49 saver fare at the counter. BTW, I did this for 5 F pax one evening because we didnt want one of our pax sitting next to someone else. In addition to some diminished revenue, when we downgrade there is the issue of lost revenue when we just move to Delta and Alaska gets zilch. It’s a buyer market on this route!
Feb 26, 2021, 10:54 am
#38
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Manhattan Beach, California
Programs: BMI Diamond Club Gold forever
Posts: 6,367
Two days later and same thing yesterday, so i again just put the money back into my AS wallet and bought a ticket on the DL flight an hour later. All C aisle seats were blocked on the DL flight in Main cabin as were D seats in the first cabin. I wound up getting the last free F seat (1A) as an upgrade but would have been fine in main cabin w nobody next to me.
Feb 26, 2021, 2:08 pm
#39
Join Date: Sep 2001
Programs: Alaska Tanzanite 100K
Posts: 3,858
Don't forget Alaska still offers a comfort seat option!
https://www.alaskaair.com/content/tr...GizHVCAjqIO7aE
https://www.alaskaair.com/content/tr...GizHVCAjqIO7aE
Feb 26, 2021, 3:35 pm
#40
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Manhattan Beach, California
Programs: BMI Diamond Club Gold forever
Posts: 6,367
Don't forget Alaska still offers a comfort seat option!
https://www.alaskaair.com/content/tr...GizHVCAjqIO7aE
https://www.alaskaair.com/content/tr...GizHVCAjqIO7aE
The reality on AS is becoming painfully obvious to me as I fly on completely empty planes and dodge the 1x frequency that fills up. For example, AS have 4-5x frequency on SEA-PSP and vv but people only want the mid afternoon flights. What AS seems to be doing is piling people on that popular flight, either they are Savers pax who had no seat, SDC, etc or maybe a few same day sales of new tickets. But they have a couple of empty 737s later today and I wonder why they allow so many people on the mid afternoon flights, and keep selling $49 saver seats even right now when I can see the seat map and hear people at the counter asking for seat assignments still! It is 2:35PM and they still are selling $49 saver tix for the 3:35pm SEA-PSP flight, and like I say, there are virtually no empty seats in Main. Thankfully they have kept the middle seat in Premium empty so far. The next 3 flights to PSP, 5:55pm, 7:30pm and 9:15pm are pretty much empty... Can ya smell the desperation?!? or maybe it's disorganization....
Feb 26, 2021, 4:35 pm
#41
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: PDX
Programs: AS 75K, BW Plat, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 10,724
To each his or her own, but every time I get on a flight, it feels like a little investment toward future rewards whether they be RDMs for award travel or EQMs for elite status benefits so taking a DL flight (especially during the 50% EQM AS promotion) because I get an empty seat next to me gives me more discomfort than comfort.....so now I get to fly DL with an empty seat next to me but I give up my RDMs, EQMs, advance-seat assignment, free baggage, in-flight beverage service, and no chance for an upgrade....yeah, no thanks.
Feb 26, 2021, 4:41 pm
#42
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Manhattan Beach, California
Programs: BMI Diamond Club Gold forever
Posts: 6,367
Feb 26, 2021, 4:50 pm
#43
Join Date: Sep 2001
Programs: Alaska Tanzanite 100K
Posts: 3,858
To each his or her own, but every time I get on a flight, it feels like a little investment toward future rewards whether they be RDMs for award travel or EQMs for elite status benefits so taking a DL flight (especially during the 50% EQM AS promotion) because I get an empty seat next to me gives me more discomfort than comfort.....so now I get to fly DL with an empty seat next to me but I give up my RDMs, EQMs, advance-seat assignment, free baggage, in-flight beverage service, and no chance for an upgrade....yeah, no thanks.