Can AA Change my seat to accommodate.....
 

another passenger?

I was on AA #1300 ABQ-DFW yesterday (5/6).

Trip was booked at the beginning of April, cleared the upgrade at the 100 hour mark, and I changed my seat to my preferred 3E.

Checked online to see if anyone was sitting next to me at 8am local time 5/6 and there wasn't, as 3F was the only empty seat in F.

Check in at the airport, get boarding pass, don't look at seat assignment, clear security, work for about 2 hours (got done early)go to gate, and THEN notice I am in 3B. No time to ask, as the boarding starts right then.

3 E&F are eventually taken by a youngish couple.

On arrival as we are all grabbing our carry ons, I asked if they booked their travel recently. The response a vague "couple of days ago. Why?" I said that I could be wrong, and it's no big deal, but I was 99% sure that I was assigned 3F when I checked this morning. His reply was "I don't remember. We always take these seats. There's more legroom. Besides, we're lifetime airpass."

Sorry for the length-but the questions are:

1. What is airpass?

2. Can AA arbitrarily change my seat at will?

3. Can they be changed to accomodate another passenger with a "greater" need (real or percieved) without checking with me first? (Which is what I suspect may have happened.)

Like I said, it was no big deal. Inquiring minds want to know.

A couple wanted to sit together. One of that couple was probably seated in 3B. The only empty seat was 3F. Some AAgent probably went ahead and made the switch to seat the couple together. AAgent didn't feel a need to ask: 3E and 3B are virtually identical.

save for the extra few inches of leg room

Every time I've ever asked for this type of request, its ALWAYS 100% of the time regardless of class of service been to ask to swap on board. As much as I agree its almost identical and the overall harm (at least IMHO) is virtually nill... moving someone without asking the original seated pax is not right.

I always select the EF side over the AB side in F or even in the masses in the back. So if they come on and ask.. no biggie to switch but I just don't like it that they would do this (assuming there are no other reasons).. just my two cents

Don't know definitively here, Google seems to show that it's related to Quantus. Something along the line of million-miler, just not sure from Google if it's a status (MM), or product (bundle of segments).

Steve B.

Personal preference on F seating in order:

3E
3F
3B
3A
Any E
Any F
Anywhere up front.

Spending multiple trips per week on the MDs, there is a difference between 3B & 3E. I've been booted out of 3E before for similar circumstances even having my boarding pass changed at the reader. Unfortunately not much one can do other than politely explain to the individual who snagged your prized seat that this is not the way to make friendly.

A link would be interesting. Then we might be able to find out what Quantus is.

EDIT: purpleskiesfly posted the AAirpass link first: http://www.aairpass.com/ Can't help on what "lifetime" might mean, though. Sounds as if someone was a little confused.

Lifetime AAirpass used to be available but is not anymore. Don't remember the buy in numbers but it was quite substantial. Spent my money on a house instead.

Thanks. I should have done my homework. It's been discussed here a few times over the years.

Wow. That must be some house, given that this old thread suggests the prices were $3,000,000 and $5,000,000 for a couple.

That sucks. I would gladly switch if the couple asked me onboard, but for the GA to assume - not acceptable. Makes you think that you are not valuable.

If you read the whole thread you'll see that the FA had nothing to do with this as the couple were assigned the seats, and FAs do not issue BPs.

We've asked for seat changes a number of times. We've asked at the AC, and had the AC staff ask someone who was also in the AC (we didn't ask them to do that, and there's been debate here as to whether this was an appropriate AC action, but that's beside the point) and on the plane. When we switch like-for-like (window-window or aisle-aisle, we've never been turned down).

Cheers.

If it was 5 million for a couple I guess they get seated hwereever they want no matter who was seated there.

I think that's probably what happened. Lifetime AAirpass members have paid MILLIONS (literally) for the privilege of flying AA in any class of service, to any destination, at a moment's notice, for the rest of their lives. It makes sense that they are Lifetime AAirpass if they said they booked their travel "a couple of days ago." With the Lifetime AAirpass program, you don't need any kind of advance booking, and there are no capacity controls in any class of service

They probably called the AAirpass (or EXP) desk and wanted to sit together in their favorite seats (which just happened to be yours, and mine as well). The AAgent saw you were traveling alone, and moved you across the aisle. If I had paid AA 5 million dollars (or whatever the equivalent was decades ago), I imagine AA would be happy to oblige for me as well.

That's why it is critical to stay on top of your seat assignments! They are NOT guaranteed under the Conditions of Carriage! I've had some change at the last minute and managed to salvage an E or F-side seat only because I happened to check it on AA.com!

Stay away from the AB side!!!

We have asked at the gate, and the GA pages someone to find out if they'll switch.

That's the key: like for like. 3E (bulkhead aisle) for 3B (bulkhead aisle) is like for like. Anyone who claims that one is a whole lot better than the other is just being petty.

Having said that, I prefer AA (or anyone, I don't care how rich they were just before they blew $5 million on airfare) to ask before switching. If they switch then ask, my answer is always "no".

I do shudder to think what might happen if someone asks in advance to swap like for like (i.e. 3B for 3E) so a couple can sit together, and gets refused because 3E is supposedly so much better than 3B.