Vent: last minute equipment changes, early start to boarding MCE and kids
Nov 26, 2013, 3:10 pm
#1
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Vent: last minute equipment changes, early start to boarding MCE and kids
This is just venting, but it does make me question the value of MCE, and leaves me with a continuing worry for anything having to do with the 773, where MCE isn't just more leg room.
When flying with kids, the unsympathetic are usually "well, book far in advance if you want to sit together." We did, and picked AA85 today (on via gogo right now) because it had 11CEG open. Didn't help.
We were notified of a gate change at the main building AC, and moved to outer building AC, but were not told about any seating issues or change of equipment.
Went to the gate early (T-45) because we were traveling with an infant, and try to catch the very beginning of PLT (or the rare cases where they allow preboard)... and they're already well into Group 1. Held up at the reader because of seat change, where we are rudely informed that we've been separated (29DE,31D -- not even a legal window seat for an infant in car seat!) and that there's nothing the gate can do, just "board and trade."
Given advance notice, I would have asked if any center-3 seats were available or could be freed up on 177.
Luckily 29F was annoyed at losing her window seat, and happy to trade.
Looks like a couple of other families in our vicinity also split, and had a harder time trading, although with FA intervention everyone eventually got seated together.
Despite the bad scramble of seats, the FAs were consistently professional and courteous. Wish I could say that about the gate, who was clearly stressed and taking it out by being verbally short with customers.
I moved my travel to AA 13 yrs ago because AA had been consistently the most proactive in communications and resolving problems with IRROPS (especially as compared to NW where I had been doing a lot of my other flying.)
I suppose it speaks well of AA that this is the first time I can remember in 13 years where they managed to seriously piss me off, but I'm still unhappily cramped, lacking a DC outlet (or room to work if the woman ahead of me ever reclines -- and the poor woman in 28F can't recline with a rear-facing car seat behind her.)
I'm also not sure which is worse -- if the AC agent knew about the equipment change but didn't tell us, or if AA didn't make that information available (I have to imagine that the routing people knew at the same time as the gate change.) Either way, poorly done, although not something I can blame specifically like the gate agent.
Put a short complaint on Twitter, and got a quick apology from their Social Media staff.
Not sure if there's anything to reply to here, although I anticipate that SOMEONE will tell me I'm being unreasonable.
Edit to add: another "bonus" of being moved to the back of the bus (although, I grant, this comes pretty close to "stupidest complaints" territory), pretty much everything is picked off of the food-for-sale cart. Ate earlier, but was going to get a fruit and cheese tray. Long gone.
When flying with kids, the unsympathetic are usually "well, book far in advance if you want to sit together." We did, and picked AA85 today (on via gogo right now) because it had 11CEG open. Didn't help.
We were notified of a gate change at the main building AC, and moved to outer building AC, but were not told about any seating issues or change of equipment.
Went to the gate early (T-45) because we were traveling with an infant, and try to catch the very beginning of PLT (or the rare cases where they allow preboard)... and they're already well into Group 1. Held up at the reader because of seat change, where we are rudely informed that we've been separated (29DE,31D -- not even a legal window seat for an infant in car seat!) and that there's nothing the gate can do, just "board and trade."
Given advance notice, I would have asked if any center-3 seats were available or could be freed up on 177.
Luckily 29F was annoyed at losing her window seat, and happy to trade.
Looks like a couple of other families in our vicinity also split, and had a harder time trading, although with FA intervention everyone eventually got seated together.
Despite the bad scramble of seats, the FAs were consistently professional and courteous. Wish I could say that about the gate, who was clearly stressed and taking it out by being verbally short with customers.
I moved my travel to AA 13 yrs ago because AA had been consistently the most proactive in communications and resolving problems with IRROPS (especially as compared to NW where I had been doing a lot of my other flying.)
I suppose it speaks well of AA that this is the first time I can remember in 13 years where they managed to seriously piss me off, but I'm still unhappily cramped, lacking a DC outlet (or room to work if the woman ahead of me ever reclines -- and the poor woman in 28F can't recline with a rear-facing car seat behind her.)
I'm also not sure which is worse -- if the AC agent knew about the equipment change but didn't tell us, or if AA didn't make that information available (I have to imagine that the routing people knew at the same time as the gate change.) Either way, poorly done, although not something I can blame specifically like the gate agent.
Put a short complaint on Twitter, and got a quick apology from their Social Media staff.
Not sure if there's anything to reply to here, although I anticipate that SOMEONE will tell me I'm being unreasonable.
Edit to add: another "bonus" of being moved to the back of the bus (although, I grant, this comes pretty close to "stupidest complaints" territory), pretty much everything is picked off of the food-for-sale cart. Ate earlier, but was going to get a fruit and cheese tray. Long gone.
Last edited by nkedel; Nov 26, 2013 at 3:38 pm
Nov 26, 2013, 3:47 pm
#2
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This is just venting, but it does make me question the value of MCE, and leaves me with a continuing worry for anything having to do with the 773, where MCE isn't just more leg room.
When flying with kids, the unsympathetic are usually "well, book far in advance if you want to sit together." We did, and picked AA85 today (on via gogo right now) because it had 11CEG open. Didn't help.
We were notified of a gate change at the main building AC, and moved to outer building AC, but were not told about any seating issues or change of equipment.
Went to the gate early (T-45) because we were traveling with an infant, and try to catch the very beginning of PLT (or the rare cases where they allow preboard)... and they're already well into Group 1. Held up at the reader because of seat change, where we are rudely informed that we've been separated (29DE,31D -- not even a legal window seat for an infant in car seat!) and that there's nothing the gate can do, just "board and trade."
Given advance notice, I would have asked if any center-3 seats were available or could be freed up on 177.
Luckily 29F was annoyed at losing her window seat, and happy to trade.
Looks like a couple of other families in our vicinity also split, and had a harder time trading, although with FA intervention everyone eventually got seated together.
Despite the bad scramble of seats, the FAs were consistently professional and courteous. Wish I could say that about the gate, who was clearly stressed and taking it out by being verbally short with customers.
I moved my travel to AA 13 yrs ago because AA had been consistently the most proactive in communications and resolving problems with IRROPS (especially as compared to NW where I had been doing a lot of my other flying.)
I suppose it speaks well of AA that this is the first time I can remember in 13 years where they managed to seriously piss me off, but I'm still unhappily cramped, lacking a DC outlet (or room to work if the woman ahead of me ever reclines -- and the poor woman in 28F can't recline with a rear-facing car seat behind her.)
I'm also not sure which is worse -- if the AC agent knew about the equipment change but didn't tell us, or if AA didn't make that information available (I have to imagine that the routing people knew at the same time as the gate change.) Either way, poorly done, although not something I can blame specifically like the gate agent.
Put a short complaint on Twitter, and got a quick apology from their Social Media staff.
Not sure if there's anything to reply to here, although I anticipate that SOMEONE will tell me I'm being unreasonable.
Edit to add: another "bonus" of being moved to the back of the bus (although, I grant, this comes pretty close to "stupidest complaints" territory), pretty much everything is picked off of the food-for-sale cart. Ate earlier, but was going to get a fruit and cheese tray. Long gone.
When flying with kids, the unsympathetic are usually "well, book far in advance if you want to sit together." We did, and picked AA85 today (on via gogo right now) because it had 11CEG open. Didn't help.
We were notified of a gate change at the main building AC, and moved to outer building AC, but were not told about any seating issues or change of equipment.
Went to the gate early (T-45) because we were traveling with an infant, and try to catch the very beginning of PLT (or the rare cases where they allow preboard)... and they're already well into Group 1. Held up at the reader because of seat change, where we are rudely informed that we've been separated (29DE,31D -- not even a legal window seat for an infant in car seat!) and that there's nothing the gate can do, just "board and trade."
Given advance notice, I would have asked if any center-3 seats were available or could be freed up on 177.
Luckily 29F was annoyed at losing her window seat, and happy to trade.
Looks like a couple of other families in our vicinity also split, and had a harder time trading, although with FA intervention everyone eventually got seated together.
Despite the bad scramble of seats, the FAs were consistently professional and courteous. Wish I could say that about the gate, who was clearly stressed and taking it out by being verbally short with customers.
I moved my travel to AA 13 yrs ago because AA had been consistently the most proactive in communications and resolving problems with IRROPS (especially as compared to NW where I had been doing a lot of my other flying.)
I suppose it speaks well of AA that this is the first time I can remember in 13 years where they managed to seriously piss me off, but I'm still unhappily cramped, lacking a DC outlet (or room to work if the woman ahead of me ever reclines -- and the poor woman in 28F can't recline with a rear-facing car seat behind her.)
I'm also not sure which is worse -- if the AC agent knew about the equipment change but didn't tell us, or if AA didn't make that information available (I have to imagine that the routing people knew at the same time as the gate change.) Either way, poorly done, although not something I can blame specifically like the gate agent.
Put a short complaint on Twitter, and got a quick apology from their Social Media staff.
Not sure if there's anything to reply to here, although I anticipate that SOMEONE will tell me I'm being unreasonable.
Edit to add: another "bonus" of being moved to the back of the bus (although, I grant, this comes pretty close to "stupidest complaints" territory), pretty much everything is picked off of the food-for-sale cart. Ate earlier, but was going to get a fruit and cheese tray. Long gone.
Nov 26, 2013, 3:54 pm
#3
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Nov 26, 2013, 4:02 pm
#4
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I can't get onto the upgrade list via the web site with both wife and infant; not sure if it would be an option if I called, but with MCE middle-section it wouldn't seem worth 18 upgrades one-way.
Not looking forward to the inevitable chaos of the A321T transition period; I don't think it will be bad once the flights have moved over consistently, though, as MiniNKEdel will have moved out of her car seat and into CARES by then (she's almost too tall for the rear-facing carrier now.)
Nov 26, 2013, 6:38 pm
#5
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Glad to hear things worked out in the end.
Maybe I have a tendency to be early to the gate, but I wouldn't consider T-45 "early" for widebody transcon boarding. I'd tend to think of T-45, plus or minus 5 minutes, as the probable start of boarding. If I wanted to be early, I'd shoot for T-60, and maybe T-75 if I was hoping to have a conversation with the GAs about anything having to do with the flight.
Maybe I have a tendency to be early to the gate, but I wouldn't consider T-45 "early" for widebody transcon boarding. I'd tend to think of T-45, plus or minus 5 minutes, as the probable start of boarding. If I wanted to be early, I'd shoot for T-60, and maybe T-75 if I was hoping to have a conversation with the GAs about anything having to do with the flight.
Nov 26, 2013, 6:57 pm
#6
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On domestic flights, widebody or not, T-75 won't typically have anyone at the gate.
I had no reason to think the gate change was anything to require talking to anyone... I was just there "early" as boarding with an infant and the inevitable baby stuff is a pain in the rear best done with the lighter early groups esp in a bulkhead with no underseat space.
Given the comment about equipment downgrades happening frequently on that route, I guess I'll have to aim for t-60 but that certainly isn't what one would call convenient.
...and worked out is relative. Probably at least half of the 180-odd people on the plain can complain about worse seats, but given that there are more MCE seats on the 757 (52) than the 763 (21) by a much larger margin than the shortfall of F seats (30-24=6) there are more then enough to have given everyone with confirmed MCE (or non-MCE exit rows for that matter) MCE on the 757 and a better run process would have done so.
I had no reason to think the gate change was anything to require talking to anyone... I was just there "early" as boarding with an infant and the inevitable baby stuff is a pain in the rear best done with the lighter early groups esp in a bulkhead with no underseat space.
Given the comment about equipment downgrades happening frequently on that route, I guess I'll have to aim for t-60 but that certainly isn't what one would call convenient.
...and worked out is relative. Probably at least half of the 180-odd people on the plain can complain about worse seats, but given that there are more MCE seats on the 757 (52) than the 763 (21) by a much larger margin than the shortfall of F seats (30-24=6) there are more then enough to have given everyone with confirmed MCE (or non-MCE exit rows for that matter) MCE on the 757 and a better run process would have done so.
Last edited by nkedel; Nov 26, 2013 at 7:05 pm
Nov 26, 2013, 7:00 pm
#7
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Things could have been handled so much better. Kudos to the FAs, it seems, for keeping it together. I've always found those experiences good to great. GAs...not as much.
Cheers.
Nov 26, 2013, 7:17 pm
#8
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In general, I've found AA's GAs to be polite and professional and at least minimally sympathetic when hands are tied in the case of irrops (and often if not always reasonably well empowered)...
Consistent bad GA experiences (especially in DTW) were why I gave up on NW a long time ago, and the last time I flew UA (last fall, not by choice) the experience was similar. No information and bad attitude when asked for updates.
Ah well. Another 45 minutes. Wish these 757 would get the new 738 seats/interior if they aren't just going to join the 762s and mad dogs in retirement.
Nov 26, 2013, 8:32 pm
#9
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good rant. on the same note, though, i recently was on a flight where a woman with an infant boarded the plane and then stopped next to 1B, only to shout "i'm not going to move forward. i want THAT seat or we're not going anywhere" while pointing to the Y bulkhead which was already seated. there was no equipment change.
Nov 26, 2013, 10:04 pm
#10
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good rant. on the same note, though, i recently was on a flight where a woman with an infant boarded the plane and then stopped next to 1B, only to shout "i'm not going to move forward. i want THAT seat or we're not going anywhere" while pointing to the Y bulkhead which was already seated. there was no equipment change.
Nov 26, 2013, 10:51 pm
#11
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good rant. on the same note, though, i recently was on a flight where a woman with an infant boarded the plane and then stopped next to 1B, only to shout "i'm not going to move forward. i want THAT seat or we're not going anywhere" while pointing to the Y bulkhead which was already seated. there was no equipment change.
--
On an aside, got home safely which is in the end the point of the exercise, without any outright meltdowns from the 1-year old (although a bit noisy) which is more than I can say for some of the neighboring kids.
To add comedy to the mix, one of our checked bags did not make onto the flight; baggage services indicated it was bumped to a flight arriving at 9pm (177, I assume.) Just got an automated call saying it had arrived and was being passed to the delivery company. We'll see if the delivery arrives tonight or tomorrow, but I don't particularly care. LUCKILY, this was on the return leg, and there's nothing in there we really need right now...
Nov 27, 2013, 10:57 am
#12
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According to EF, the equpt swap happened at 12:27pm
5JFK/6NRML B7673 WL NOW OPT IN B757 CONFIG 24/160 ACCT EDM N380
FTWDP RYCKAERT *1227
FTWDP RYCKAERT *1227
Nov 27, 2013, 11:17 am
#13
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Should have just put the kid in the car seat and put him in 31D and then ordered a few drinks form you seats!
Nov 27, 2013, 11:34 am
#14
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OP - Valid rant and very reasonable and well stated (sans hyperbole and histrionics).
Unfortunately, AA's IT system seems to do the worst job in the event of equipment swaps regarding seats. UA/DL seem to do a better job in my experience; only AA moves me from a window in front to an aisle in the very back.
I would write to AA just to let them know. Maybe they can eventually invest in a better piece of code to do seat reassignment.
Unfortunately, AA's IT system seems to do the worst job in the event of equipment swaps regarding seats. UA/DL seem to do a better job in my experience; only AA moves me from a window in front to an aisle in the very back.
I would write to AA just to let them know. Maybe they can eventually invest in a better piece of code to do seat reassignment.
Nov 27, 2013, 11:38 am
#15
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OP - Valid rant and very reasonable and well stated (sans hyperbole and histrionics).
Unfortunately, AA's IT system seems to do the worst job in the event of equipment swaps regarding seats. UA/DL seem to do a better job in my experience; only AA moves me from a window in front to an aisle in the very back.
I would write to AA just to let them know. Maybe they can eventually invest in a better piece of code to do seat reassignment.
Unfortunately, AA's IT system seems to do the worst job in the event of equipment swaps regarding seats. UA/DL seem to do a better job in my experience; only AA moves me from a window in front to an aisle in the very back.
I would write to AA just to let them know. Maybe they can eventually invest in a better piece of code to do seat reassignment.
The big three should borrow a page from WN and allocate some rows as open seating, available to families. Board the families after F,C,EXP board. Everyone is happy.
With an equipment swap, it is probably better to just use WN's boarding procedure. Disabled, Elites, families, the remainder.