chuckanderson

We purchased two main cabin extra seats, 13 H & J, on AA's JFK to Zurich, and return, back in June. No evident schedule or equipment change. But when I went to put our passports in last week, our reservation showed that we were unassigned, and that our seats were not available. Agents and supervisors were able to get us almost equivalent seats outbound, but only main cabin on return. Basically bait and switch. Pleading has not helped. Any suggestions.

jay_dubya

What do you mean by bait and switch? Pleading for what?

javabytes

I assume OP wants his MCE seats back. Or at least some MCE seats, for which he has already paid and is now without.

Often1

Using terms such as "bait & switch" does not help you because it is simply untrue. As you are aware from the contract, seats are not guaranteed. But, if you paid a fee and cannot be accommodated in MCE, AA must refund the fee to you.

I am not sure that pleading helps you either because if there are no seats, there are no seats. AA won't boot someone else out of an assigned seat and thereby do to someone else what has made you unhappy.

I would leave things as they are for the moment and keep watching the seat map. You have paid for MCE. If you see seats you want, grab them (or call AA).

If you do not get MCE seats you want, on return simply ask AA for a refund of the MCE fee for the seats. You could, of course, ask for the refund now and then repurchase MCE later if you find seats.

No bait. No switch.

jordyn

Seems like the actual solution would be to avoid "overselling" MCE in the first place, no? In any case, a fairer solution would be to boot the most recent people to get into MCE into regular coach, since the seats shouldn't have been available in the first place.

Depends. If OP wouldn't have bought the ticket but for the availability of MCE, then it's basically a perfect example of a bait and switch. You advertise a price, but then instead deliver an inferior product when the customer shows up. The fact they get some of their money back doesn't change the fact that AA still get to keep most of it and you might have chosen to buy from a different airline instead otherwise.

beachfan

Switching seats without a refund is bait and switch without automatically refunding is clearly bait and switch.

chuckanderson

Yes. I paid for the MCE seats; they were assigned; then gave them to someone else.

arlflyer

This post exemplifies the insanity that is the airline industry.

Madison Guy

I do understand how this feels like bait and switch. Sadly, AA has the CoC going for them, and the most AA has to do is refund the cost of MCE for the lost seats.

I believe it is possible a FAM grabbed your seat(s). While I understand they generally operate from the front cabin, I believe I have read (although have zero actual knowledge) that on occasion they operate in pairs with one in econ somewhere. IF that is the case, AA cannot comment to you.

chuckanderson

FAM equal family? Ugh!

danielonn

OP I am very sorry you were not given the MCE seats. If you have your receipt showing that you were entitled to the seats(I would carry it with me during my travels for proof that I purchased it and a written reason as to why AA downgraded me to regular Y) then you can get a refund. I am sure AA sees you paid for them. Perhaps you can get bonus miles too plus the refund back to the original form of payment.

Also in the terms and conditions doesn't it say that in extenuating circumstances AA can downgrade you and you will be given a refund? I thougt this can happen on rare occasions just like British Airways forgetting to load the Ala Cart meal a passenger paid for and it does not make it on board for one reason or another. Most likely BA would refund the money and offer bonus miles.

Hope the OP gets the refund soon. Please keep us posted.

ediemac1

no, it's Federal Air Marshall

if that's the reason for your reassignment, AA is prohibited by law from telling you that.

The FAM would only need 1 seat, but since both your seats were on the same PNR, you lost them both.

chuckanderson

Oh Federal Air Marshal. Got it. But they took two seats. I'll keep checking before the return...

StirredNotShaken

I don't think there's any harm in asking to have their original seats given back. I did that on another airline and they booted the other pax who took my F seat and returned it to me. Granted, it was an IT issue that caused me to lose my seat, but I am grateful to them for doing so.

There's nothing wrong with asking AA to correct a mistake that the OP didn't appear to have caused on his/her own. I hope things work out for them.

arollins

I know we wont know the real reason for OP loosing his seat, but I do not think it is FAM, because OP seats where changed to unassigned to both flights. Odds of FAM on both flights????