Enhancements in Main Cabin Extra Seating (now Q2 2018)
Mar 14, 2018, 11:18 am
#167
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Kirkland, WA
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Posts: 3,657
I have always wondered why this is considered an exit row. 23DE do not appear to have extra legroom and is not a path people exiting would take. 23F is right behind the door so "may be asked to assist" I could understand, but really row 22 is the exit row. I am wondering if this designation may change in the future.
Mar 14, 2018, 12:14 pm
#168
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Mar 14, 2018, 12:20 pm
#169
Suspended
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Mar 14, 2018, 1:03 pm
#170
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Mar 14, 2018, 2:33 pm
#171
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DL's extra legroom coach seats are marketed as Comfort +. They are considered a different class of service with extra legroom, dedicated overhead bins, free drinks and some extra snack choices. Exit rows are not considered part of this service class, though they do sometimes have better legroom. Elites, even their lowest level (Silver) can book exit row at time of purchase instead of waiting until T-24. Upgrades (Comfort and First) are complimentary for all elite levels (i.e. not 500 mile chits required) and you can choose to be moved up to Comfort + or First. Often I choose both and initialy get upgraded to Comfort at T-24 and then at the gate have sometimes been moved up again to First.
Mar 14, 2018, 9:45 pm
#172
Join Date: May 2008
Location: PHL (kinda, no airport is really close)
Programs: AA Exp, but not sure for how long. Enterprise Platinum woo-hoo!
Posts: 4,551
I have always wondered why this is considered an exit row. 23DE do not appear to have extra legroom and is not a path people exiting would take. 23F is right behind the door so "may be asked to assist" I could understand, but really row 22 is the exit row. I am wondering if this designation may change in the future.
I'm happy with the change. I usually book well in advance and I'm only gold now, so I would have to pay if they were MCE but not if they're preferred. So this way I can get them at purchase (since they're usually still available) for free. But I still find it puzzling.
As for the designation, I guess that since 23A and 23F are exit seats, they consider the whole row an exit row.
Mar 15, 2018, 2:30 am
#173
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: CUR
Posts: 2,170
Charging people $50 extra for an extra legroom seat and then giving them a regular seat with no extra legroom seems like a bad idea. (Bait and switch)
Thats what he's saying...
Mar 16, 2018, 3:25 pm
#174
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Chicago
Programs: AAdvantage EXP | United Silver | HH Diamond | Bonvoy Platinum | Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 718
AA 2346 on 3/15 had the stickers in the bins which seem honestly pretty useless. Its like a thin one inch strip that says MCE bags only, and is not visible if a few bags are already in there or you are shorter, unlike other carriers that make the whole inside a different color so you know not to put your bag there.
Question how do you know if you have an LAA or LUS crew? I ordered a drink and they were super quick to charge my card and then not give me the rum for the coke? Since they already proceeded a few seats behind me I had to get up out of my seat said can give me the rum you just charged me for? And they were like... HERE - no apology... I guess I'm just supposed to pay for things and not receive them, my mistake. Also the crew was just really bad all across the board, curious to see if it was LAA or LUS.
Question how do you know if you have an LAA or LUS crew? I ordered a drink and they were super quick to charge my card and then not give me the rum for the coke? Since they already proceeded a few seats behind me I had to get up out of my seat said can give me the rum you just charged me for? And they were like... HERE - no apology... I guess I'm just supposed to pay for things and not receive them, my mistake. Also the crew was just really bad all across the board, curious to see if it was LAA or LUS.
Mar 19, 2018, 3:00 pm
#175
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Long Beach, CA
Programs: AA PLTPRO, HH Diamond, IHG Plat, Marriott Plat, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 3,559
Oddly, I just received the following email from American:
====Important informationYou purchased a Main Cabin Extra seat for an upcoming flight that has been rebranded to a Preferred seat.
While there are no changes to your seat location or the extra legroom you’re expecting, you will not receive Main Cabin Extra benefits like Group 5 boarding and easier access to overhead bins.
You’ll receive an email soon with the details of your refund. No further action is necessary.
To choose another Main Cabin Extra seat, go to aa.com or use the American Airlines app.
====
So, a few things don't make sense:
1. I'm Platinum, so I don't purchase MCE, it's free to me.
2. I went through my pending reservations and I don't see any equipment swaps, so not likely that was the reason
3. Where I'm in a Preferred seat versus an MCE seat, that was always the seat status. I don't believe anything changed where it was rebranded.
====Important informationYou purchased a Main Cabin Extra seat for an upcoming flight that has been rebranded to a Preferred seat.
While there are no changes to your seat location or the extra legroom you’re expecting, you will not receive Main Cabin Extra benefits like Group 5 boarding and easier access to overhead bins.
You’ll receive an email soon with the details of your refund. No further action is necessary.
To choose another Main Cabin Extra seat, go to aa.com or use the American Airlines app.
====
So, a few things don't make sense:
1. I'm Platinum, so I don't purchase MCE, it's free to me.
2. I went through my pending reservations and I don't see any equipment swaps, so not likely that was the reason
3. Where I'm in a Preferred seat versus an MCE seat, that was always the seat status. I don't believe anything changed where it was rebranded.
Mar 19, 2018, 5:24 pm
#176
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 1,159
Oddly, I just received the following email from American:
====Important informationYou purchased a Main Cabin Extra seat for an upcoming flight that has been rebranded to a Preferred seat.
While there are no changes to your seat location or the extra legroom you’re expecting, you will not receive Main Cabin Extra benefits like Group 5 boarding and easier access to overhead bins.
You’ll receive an email soon with the details of your refund. No further action is necessary.
To choose another Main Cabin Extra seat, go to aa.com or use the American Airlines app.
====
So, a few things don't make sense:
1. I'm Platinum, so I don't purchase MCE, it's free to me.
2. I went through my pending reservations and I don't see any equipment swaps, so not likely that was the reason
3. Where I'm in a Preferred seat versus an MCE seat, that was always the seat status. I don't believe anything changed where it was rebranded.
====Important informationYou purchased a Main Cabin Extra seat for an upcoming flight that has been rebranded to a Preferred seat.
While there are no changes to your seat location or the extra legroom you’re expecting, you will not receive Main Cabin Extra benefits like Group 5 boarding and easier access to overhead bins.
You’ll receive an email soon with the details of your refund. No further action is necessary.
To choose another Main Cabin Extra seat, go to aa.com or use the American Airlines app.
====
So, a few things don't make sense:
1. I'm Platinum, so I don't purchase MCE, it's free to me.
2. I went through my pending reservations and I don't see any equipment swaps, so not likely that was the reason
3. Where I'm in a Preferred seat versus an MCE seat, that was always the seat status. I don't believe anything changed where it was rebranded.
It makes sense to me since I am on an LUS A321 in 10F, which changed to preferred (along with 23AF).It fits redtop43's observations. I'm realizing that this is deliberate, not a glitch, and essentially AA is discounting those seats to preferred to avoid the awkwardness of having the soft product differ between adjacent seats (same row on same side of the aisle). Either all of ABC that exist are MCE or none of them are, and likewise for DEF. No complaints "Why does the person I'm rubbing elbows with get a free drink with no status, and I don't?"
AA is creating a soft sub-cabin like AS Premium, VX MCS, or DL C+, and traditionally the smallest unit for this is the (half-)row. On other airlines there are sometimes entire exit rows not included.
The oddball preferred seating seems like an improvement for GLD/OWR (now free) if all they care about is legroom. For PLT/PPR/OWS it will mean no drink, unlike true MCE. For EXP/OWE it'll still be practically as good as MCE except for the (non-enforced) overhead bin allocation.
Mar 19, 2018, 5:48 pm
#177
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Long Beach, CA
Programs: AA PLTPRO, HH Diamond, IHG Plat, Marriott Plat, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 3,559
I'm EXP and got the same thing. Technically you paid $0 and will be refunded $0. It makes sense to me since I am on an LUS A321 in 10F, which changed to preferred (along with 23AF).
It fits redtop43's observations. I'm realizing that this is deliberate, not a glitch, and essentially AA is discounting those seats to preferred to avoid the awkwardness of having the soft product differ between adjacent seats (same row on same side of the aisle). Either all of ABC that exist are MCE or none of them are, and likewise for DEF. No complaints "Why does the person I'm rubbing elbows with get a free drink with no status, and I don't?"
AA is creating a soft sub-cabin like AS Premium, VX MCS, or DL C+, and traditionally the smallest unit for this is the (half-)row. On other airlines there are sometimes entire exit rows not included.
The oddball preferred seating seems like an improvement for GLD/OWR (now free) if all they care about is legroom. For PLT/PPR/OWS it will mean no drink, unlike true MCE. For EXP/OWE it'll still be practically as good as MCE except for the (non-enforced) overhead bin allocation.
It makes sense to me since I am on an LUS A321 in 10F, which changed to preferred (along with 23AF).It fits redtop43's observations. I'm realizing that this is deliberate, not a glitch, and essentially AA is discounting those seats to preferred to avoid the awkwardness of having the soft product differ between adjacent seats (same row on same side of the aisle). Either all of ABC that exist are MCE or none of them are, and likewise for DEF. No complaints "Why does the person I'm rubbing elbows with get a free drink with no status, and I don't?"
AA is creating a soft sub-cabin like AS Premium, VX MCS, or DL C+, and traditionally the smallest unit for this is the (half-)row. On other airlines there are sometimes entire exit rows not included.
The oddball preferred seating seems like an improvement for GLD/OWR (now free) if all they care about is legroom. For PLT/PPR/OWS it will mean no drink, unlike true MCE. For EXP/OWE it'll still be practically as good as MCE except for the (non-enforced) overhead bin allocation.
Good on AA for setting expectations, but a bit lost on me as I don't typically drink alcohol on the plane - so, that little "enhancement" is meaningless to me. I'd be open to an extra Biscoff, though...
Mar 19, 2018, 8:33 pm
#178
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Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Denver, CO, USA
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Posts: 26,706
I have always wondered why this is considered an exit row. 23DE do not appear to have extra legroom and is not a path people exiting would take. 23F is right behind the door so "may be asked to assist" I could understand, but really row 22 is the exit row. I am wondering if this designation may change in the future.
Mar 19, 2018, 8:42 pm
#179
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: KCGX
Posts: 144
Mar 20, 2018, 4:37 am
#180
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: MDE
Programs: AA-PLT, HH-GLD, PP
Posts: 1,511
The relevant text:
§ 121.585 Exit seating.(a)
(1) Each certificate holder shall determine, to the extent necessary to perform the applicable functions of paragraph (d) of this section, the suitability of each person it permits to occupy an exit seat, in accordance with this section. For the purpose of this section -
(i)Exit seat means -
(A) Each seat having direct access to an exit; and,
(B) Each seat in a row of seats through which passengers would have to pass to gain access to an exit, from the first seat inboard of the exit to the first aisle inboard of the exit.
(ii) A passenger seat having “direct access” means a seat from which a passenger can proceed directly to the exit without entering an aisle or passing around an obstruction.
(2) Each certificate holder shall make the passenger exit seating determinations required by this paragraph in a non-discriminatory manner consistent with the requirements of this section, by persons designated in the certificate holder's required operations manual.
(3) Each certificate holder shall designate the exit seats for each passenger seating configuration in its fleet in accordance with the definitions in this paragraph and submit those designations for approval as part of the procedures required to be submitted for approval under paragraphs (n) and (p) of this section.
1.i.B.ii makes all of the seats in the row exit seats since the occupant can proceed directly to the exit without entering an aisle.
(A) Each seat having direct access to an exit; and,
(B) Each seat in a row of seats through which passengers would have to pass to gain access to an exit, from the first seat inboard of the exit to the first aisle inboard of the exit.
(ii) A passenger seat having “direct access” means a seat from which a passenger can proceed directly to the exit without entering an aisle or passing around an obstruction.
(2) Each certificate holder shall make the passenger exit seating determinations required by this paragraph in a non-discriminatory manner consistent with the requirements of this section, by persons designated in the certificate holder's required operations manual.
(3) Each certificate holder shall designate the exit seats for each passenger seating configuration in its fleet in accordance with the definitions in this paragraph and submit those designations for approval as part of the procedures required to be submitted for approval under paragraphs (n) and (p) of this section.
1.i.B.ii makes all of the seats in the row exit seats since the occupant can proceed directly to the exit without entering an aisle.