Aug 8, 2016, 12:26 pm
Last edit by: Prospero
Seat issues are not uncommon between finding, holding, booking and during the interim between booking and flying. There may be various reasons this can happen.
Seat held, changed or gone at booking: One member theorizes a held seat may be taken by a positive purchase by another passenger. But it could be due to another factor listed below.
Disability designated seat: Some seats are assigned preferentially to people with disabilities, and their companions, under the Air Carrier Access Act. Even some non-disability seats may be required for a person with a disability in some conditions.
"American blocks a limited number of seats on each aircraft to accommodate customers who identify themselves as having a qualified disability. Adjacent seats are provided, under certain circumstances, for customers with disabilities who must travel with a companion for assistance."
Flight nearly full: Once a flight has reached certain capacity guidelines, no further seats will be assigned. This leaves airport staff room to deal with the needs of persons with disabilities, no shows, delayed connections, etc.
Boarding pass scan fail: Sometimes a boarding pass scan fails (listen for the "Beep!") and your seat may register as no show, so another, later Passenger or standby gets your seat too.
Equipment change: AA Information Technology's very inefficient at these. You may have selected a Main Cabin Extra as an elite, yet a change from one aircraft subtype with differently numbered seat rows to another and you may find yourself moved from your carefully selected MCE aisle seat to a middle seat in one of the last rows. Aircraft substitutions from one type to another (77W to 772 or v. v.) or even "downgauging" (767 to 757) may occur - this will generally result in unanticipated seat changes.
Equipment malfunction: A seat may not be available on a specific flight because it was reported as malfunctioning and has not been repaired yet.
Crew rest seat: Some seats are contractually required to be set aside for resting crew, on flights of specific lengths.
Federal Air Marshal ("FAM"): FAMs are generally accommodated in the highest class of service in seats that are often popular with passengers. These accommodations may occur at any time, and by law AA must both comply and not reveal to passengers the reason for their seat loss or change. That's correct: AA is prohibited by law from telling you your seat was given to a FAM, so you will only hear implausible and made up reasons of how you lost your seat.
Other: AA might be required to seat a passenger with a small child together, displacing another passenger. There may be other reasons as well.
It is suggested you regularly check your itineraries to deal with route and flight changes (often unannounced) and seat changes (always unannounced).
Link to thread detailing use of Twitter for contact with AA (some have used for seat loss remediation)
Seat assignments Link
- We make every effort to ensure you get your chosen seat, but seat assignments are not guaranteed.
- We reserve the right to change seats for operational, safety or security reasons.
- You must check in at least 30 minutes before departure and be at the gate 15 minutes before departure or you may lose your seat.
Disability designated seat: Some seats are assigned preferentially to people with disabilities, and their companions, under the Air Carrier Access Act. Even some non-disability seats may be required for a person with a disability in some conditions.
"American blocks a limited number of seats on each aircraft to accommodate customers who identify themselves as having a qualified disability. Adjacent seats are provided, under certain circumstances, for customers with disabilities who must travel with a companion for assistance."
Flight nearly full: Once a flight has reached certain capacity guidelines, no further seats will be assigned. This leaves airport staff room to deal with the needs of persons with disabilities, no shows, delayed connections, etc.
Boarding pass scan fail: Sometimes a boarding pass scan fails (listen for the "Beep!") and your seat may register as no show, so another, later Passenger or standby gets your seat too.
Equipment change: AA Information Technology's very inefficient at these. You may have selected a Main Cabin Extra as an elite, yet a change from one aircraft subtype with differently numbered seat rows to another and you may find yourself moved from your carefully selected MCE aisle seat to a middle seat in one of the last rows. Aircraft substitutions from one type to another (77W to 772 or v. v.) or even "downgauging" (767 to 757) may occur - this will generally result in unanticipated seat changes.
Equipment malfunction: A seat may not be available on a specific flight because it was reported as malfunctioning and has not been repaired yet.
Crew rest seat: Some seats are contractually required to be set aside for resting crew, on flights of specific lengths.
Federal Air Marshal ("FAM"): FAMs are generally accommodated in the highest class of service in seats that are often popular with passengers. These accommodations may occur at any time, and by law AA must both comply and not reveal to passengers the reason for their seat loss or change. That's correct: AA is prohibited by law from telling you your seat was given to a FAM, so you will only hear implausible and made up reasons of how you lost your seat.
Passengers seated in the front cabin (or front of the cabin in single cabin and class aircraft) may occasionally find themselves displaced from their seat without any notice or comment, displaced to a less favored seat or even downgraded to the next lowest class of service. Contacting AA may provide answers as to "why" that don't make sense, multiple or non-specific reasons. These will often mean your seat has been requisitioned by a Federal Air Marshal (FAM).
Q. Why won't AA tell me why I lost my seat?
AA is prohibited by law from telling you your seat was requisitioned by a FAM or otherwise revealing there is a FAM on board or where they might be seated. FAMs are supposed to blend in with passengers. At best, you may be told "it's a security issue"; that's usually a confirmation of a FAM seat requisition.
Q. Can I get "unFAMed"?
There is no way to recover your original seat if it has been requisitioned by a FAM; you have no recourse other than to work with the AA system to seek a better available seat, or even reaccommodation on another flight with available and similar seating.
Q. Can I get compensated for losing my seat?
You can request fare differences, compensation and certainly get upgrade instruments reinstated if you were displaced to a lower class of service. You will not be eligible for compensation if your seat was changed within the same class of service (even if you are now separated from travel companions), however, as if you book a specific seat, a specific seat is not guaranteed by American Airlines.
Q. What is a FAM, anyway?
A Federal Air Marshal is a specially trained plain clothes anti-terrorism law enforcement officer of the Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS), "a United States federal law enforcement agency under the supervision of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS)." (Wikipedia)
Q. What is a FAMs specific job?
"The Air Marshal Service is meant to promote confidence in civil aviation by effectively deploying federal air marshals (FAMs) to detect, deter, and defeat hostile acts targeting the United States." (TSA)
Q. Why won't AA tell me why I lost my seat?
AA is prohibited by law from telling you your seat was requisitioned by a FAM or otherwise revealing there is a FAM on board or where they might be seated. FAMs are supposed to blend in with passengers. At best, you may be told "it's a security issue"; that's usually a confirmation of a FAM seat requisition.
Q. Can I get "unFAMed"?
There is no way to recover your original seat if it has been requisitioned by a FAM; you have no recourse other than to work with the AA system to seek a better available seat, or even reaccommodation on another flight with available and similar seating.
Q. Can I get compensated for losing my seat?
You can request fare differences, compensation and certainly get upgrade instruments reinstated if you were displaced to a lower class of service. You will not be eligible for compensation if your seat was changed within the same class of service (even if you are now separated from travel companions), however, as if you book a specific seat, a specific seat is not guaranteed by American Airlines.
Q. What is a FAM, anyway?
A Federal Air Marshal is a specially trained plain clothes anti-terrorism law enforcement officer of the Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS), "a United States federal law enforcement agency under the supervision of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS)." (Wikipedia)
Q. What is a FAMs specific job?
"The Air Marshal Service is meant to promote confidence in civil aviation by effectively deploying federal air marshals (FAMs) to detect, deter, and defeat hostile acts targeting the United States." (TSA)
It is suggested you regularly check your itineraries to deal with route and flight changes (often unannounced) and seat changes (always unannounced).
Link to thread detailing use of Twitter for contact with AA (some have used for seat loss remediation)
AA seat assignment loss / change / glitch / problem / FAM (master thread)
Dec 13, 2022, 10:39 am
#661
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: CLT
Programs: AA EXP; Avis PC; Hertz PC; Marriott LT Gold; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,133
You can use Seat Alerts from ExpertFlyer. It allows one free seat alert.
Dec 13, 2022, 11:49 am
#663
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: CLT
Programs: AA EXP; Avis PC; Hertz PC; Marriott LT Gold; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,133
FWIW, I set up seat alerts for any flight I'm on for the seat I'm in. That way, if there's a change and I get relocated, I will (hopefully) receive an alert. Doesn't always work as they may move me and put someone else in my seat between EF checks, but it's better than nothing.
Mar 3, 2023, 8:57 am
#664
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,239
FWIW, I set up seat alerts for any flight I'm on for the seat I'm in. That way, if there's a change and I get relocated, I will (hopefully) receive an alert. Doesn't always work as they may move me and put someone else in my seat between EF checks, but it's better than nothing.
Anyone successful with compensation for a seat swap?
Just discovered I was moved from 1A to 2J on 77W, had booked ~5 months in advance. I suppose 2J (or 2A) is the best of the alternatives -- any other seat and I'd be livid, I'm just seriously annoyed rn
Deciding how much of a fuss to make either on the phone or at the airport. Or even to cancel my ticket (refundable fare - $200 penalty) and use my backup mileage ticket on another airline. 
Could be the leverage for comp, but I doubt any low level employee really cares if I refund my ticket and I'm guessing a reservations agent can't issue a voucher or miles anyway.
Mar 21, 2023, 8:55 pm
#666
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,239
Anyone successful with compensation for a seat swap?
Just discovered I was moved from 1A to 2J on 77W, had booked ~5 months in advance. I suppose 2J (or 2A) is the best of the alternatives -- any other seat and I'd be livid, I'm just seriously annoyed rn
Deciding how much of a fuss to make either on the phone or at the airport. Or even to cancel my ticket (refundable fare - $200 penalty) and use my backup mileage ticket on another airline. Could be the leverage for comp, but I doubt any low level employee really cares if I refund my ticket and I'm guessing a reservations agent can't issue a voucher or miles anyway.
Nothing helpful from the Chelsea lounge agent either. I ultimately didn’t bother with the GA as I didn’t want to leave the lounge early just to be stonewalled for the third time.
Anyhoo, turns out my seat 1A was given to a gentleman whose apparent wife was in 1D.
So they shuffled me around just so a couple could sit closer to one another. No idea what their status was but it’s kind of infuriating they’ll do this. (And of course if I were to ever request to move other people around so I could sit near my companion, I’m sure they’ll laugh in my face.
Twitter was a useless complaint avenue (sorry not sorry!) but I feel like I should publicly shame them some more just for fun. I will complain again on the web form and then maybe send in a DOT complaint for good measure if they decline again to offer any sort of gesture of appreciation.
Oh and they didn’t load any pajamas so I had to sleep in MY STREET CLOTHES.
Will probably be another few years before I buy a ticket for another AA flight…
Mar 22, 2023, 1:09 pm
#667
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: DFW
Programs: UA Pleb, HH Gold, PWP General Secretary
Posts: 23,199
Just to update on the above, my seat change happened shortly before I did OLCI. At check-in the agent had nothing of value to say and even insisted there was no record of my prior 1A assignment or a seat change (despite showing her the iPhone notification of the seat change and the printout of my BA itinerary showing 1A). “Maybe ask the gate agent.”
Nothing helpful from the Chelsea lounge agent either. I ultimately didn’t bother with the GA as I didn’t want to leave the lounge early just to be stonewalled for the third time.
Anyhoo, turns out my seat 1A was given to a gentleman whose apparent wife was in 1D. So they shuffled me around just so a couple could sit closer to one another.
No idea what their status was but it’s kind of infuriating they’ll do this. (And of course if I were to ever request to move other people around so I could sit near my companion, I’m sure they’ll laugh in my face.
Twitter was a useless complaint avenue (sorry not sorry!) but I feel like I should publicly shame them some more just for fun. I will complain again on the web form and then maybe send in a DOT complaint for good measure if they decline again to offer any sort of gesture of appreciation.
Oh and they didn’t load any pajamas so I had to sleep in MY STREET CLOTHES.
Will probably be another few years before I buy a ticket for another AA flight…
Nothing helpful from the Chelsea lounge agent either. I ultimately didn’t bother with the GA as I didn’t want to leave the lounge early just to be stonewalled for the third time.
Anyhoo, turns out my seat 1A was given to a gentleman whose apparent wife was in 1D.
So they shuffled me around just so a couple could sit closer to one another. No idea what their status was but it’s kind of infuriating they’ll do this. (And of course if I were to ever request to move other people around so I could sit near my companion, I’m sure they’ll laugh in my face.
Twitter was a useless complaint avenue (sorry not sorry!) but I feel like I should publicly shame them some more just for fun. I will complain again on the web form and then maybe send in a DOT complaint for good measure if they decline again to offer any sort of gesture of appreciation.
Oh and they didn’t load any pajamas so I had to sleep in MY STREET CLOTHES.
Will probably be another few years before I buy a ticket for another AA flight…
Mar 22, 2023, 3:17 pm
#668
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,239
and it was not apparent there were any special needs.
Mar 22, 2023, 6:49 pm
#669
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
Well, then they should (1) block a seat from pre-assignment for special needs passengers and (2) apologize to the displaced passenger with either somewhat of an explanation (less generic than "operational reasons" recognizing potential privacy issues) or some type of compensation. In any event, I gave these two the evil eye during the entire boarding process and it was not apparent there were any special needs.
and it was not apparent there were any special needs.You harassing someone for having a disability is not a good look, by the way.
Mar 22, 2023, 9:34 pm
#670
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,239
I completely disagree. Blocking the seat is unnecessary; it will rarely come up. And AA should most certainly not share any details with you; someone else's disability is none of your business.
You harassing someone for having a disability is not a good look, by the way.
You harassing someone for having a disability is not a good look, by the way.
There was no disability. That angle doesn't actually even hold up on review of the facts and circumstances.
Oct 25, 2023, 8:35 pm
#672
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: New York
Programs: AA Exp / Marriott Titanium / Hilton Gold / Hyatt Globalist / United Silver
Posts: 958
What in the seat map glitch is this?
Picked 4 of last 6 seats available on my flight, but as soon as my booking is confirmed, everyone else's seat selection disappeared and shows completely empty flight!
Picked 4 of last 6 seats available on my flight, but as soon as my booking is confirmed, everyone else's seat selection disappeared and shows completely empty flight!
Apr 24, 2024, 3:17 pm
#673
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 15
Would a FAM be in Premium Economy
I had my seat in premium economy (Seat 7A on a 788) get reassigned when I did the online check-in. I am an EXP who has been bumped from the front cabin before a couple of times (once was for what I assume was a FAM and once that I am sure was a friend or family based on the interaction with the other FAs) so I know the drill. However, I have not had this happen in premium economy as the FAM will usually be in the front cabin. I am #1 on the upgrade list, but not optimistic so I am bracing myself to see a pilot in 7A when I board tomorrow. Wondering what the criteria is for who gets bumped if it is not a seat that is strategic (i.e. FAM, disability accommodation, etc.). Does anyone have experience being similarly re-assigned from a seat in PE?