Frustrating Seat Selections
Mar 15, 2018, 2:25 pm
#31
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: Rapid Rewards, AAdvantage, SkyMiles
Posts: 2,931
This is not true at all for Delta and United, who have larger portions of the cabin open for free seat assignments. AA is alone here, and AA is losing customers when DL and UA are offering you a free seat for the same price.
Mar 15, 2018, 5:40 pm
#32
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Mundelein, Il
Programs: Executive Platinum
Posts: 482
Mar 15, 2018, 5:45 pm
#33
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Mundelein, Il
Programs: Executive Platinum
Posts: 482
I must fly different routes than you. I see mostly full loads on my flights. I would not say AA is losing business to Delta and United or anyone else based on the number of passengers.
Mar 15, 2018, 10:02 pm
#34
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 3,698
That's not what we're talking about here. We're talking about no seats being available for assignment even when you're paying for a regular economy fare. That's been clarified several times in the thread already.
Mar 30, 2018, 11:18 am
#35
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2015
Programs: Marriott Platinum Elite; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 201
Everyone! Thank you so much for all your replies and information! My trip was complete and a good time was had by everyone. I do still have a bitter taste in my mouth thanks to American Airlines, but lesson learned. I thought I would share my lesson learned just in case anyone is interested.
I booked my tickets to Maui back on Feb 11th. When I booked my tickets there were not any "Free" seats on any of the 4 legs (there were a few singles scattered throughout the plane), there were however plenty of "Preferred & Main Cabin Extra" seats for purchase. I booked Main Cabin Economy (NOT BASIC ECONOMY). I decided to wait until 24 hour prior to see if anything would open up. It did not, I was forced to purchase 4 seats on 4 legs, most in MCE because that was all that was left. Also, on both of my long legs I overheard and saw on the plane MANY (not an exaggeration) families and groups talking about how nobody was seated together. That would have been us if we did not pay. This was a $1133.78 lesson. That comes to $271/person round trip to select seats. Yes, it was a little more costly because we bought MCE. However, there weren't 4 "preferred" seats together. Here was our itinerary:
Outbound: Sat, Mar 17
OKC-DFW AA2653 MD80
DFW-OGG AA7 777
Inbound: Fri, Mar 23
OGG-DFW AA6 777 (red eye)
DFW-OKC AA2443 MD80
Today I did a little self education to prevent the same mistake. I looked at the same type of trip 4 months from now. OKC-OGG, leave Sat, Jul 21 and return Sat, Jul 28th, 4 people traveling. What did I find? The exact same scenario (with the exception of one of the MD80 flights has Free seats). The other aggravating thing is that you don't know the cost of the "Preferred or Main Cabin Extra" seats until you put in all your passenger information. So the money value isn't given to you until right before you enter your credit card information. This particular scenario our tickets would cost $1570 rt per person. We would have spent an additional $165 rt per person to get seats sitting together (adding a total of $660 to our trip). Just like my actual trip we were 'forced' into purchasing MCE seats because nothing else was available. Just like I learned on my trip, you cannot just wait until check-in 24 hours prior and be given seats for free together. I saw many people split up (including pairs of 2 being split). Now I know that is a major tourist route with many families. It probably isn't always that way. But the fact is that it was on my trip, and if I repeated that trip in the summer I'd get the same result.
So... I continued my self education further.
I went to Delta, searched the same future trip, looked at the seats. First thing I noticed is Delta's flight was way more expensive. $1696 rt per person. However, all 6 legs (yes, only 3-leg trips OKC-OGG on Delta) had plenty (and I mean PLENTY) of free seats for selection. Even more interesting is when I entered all my passenger info, I selected the "preferred seats" to see what they cost. They were "Free". I don't know why, I am not a elite member at all. I wasn't even logged into a Delta account as I was browsing. It may be because I was "Main Cabin" and not "Basic Economy". I don't know why.
I then went ahead and searched United. What I found on United was a fair of $1376 rt per person with 2-legs each way. All 4 of United's flights had PLENTY of "free" seat selections. Also, on United the "preferred seat" things isn't even a thing. They only have Economy Plus and Economy.
So what exactly did I learn? I learned to look at the seat my before clicking Go. I learned how to find what seats will cost me if they cost me. If I actually did my future flight what I would have learned is I had 3 options. 1) AA at $1725 (including fees to purchase tickets) 2) Delta at $1696 and 3) United at $1376. United would of been the no brainer. I won't say I will never fly American again. If they have the correct flights for the correct price (including actually researching seats and adding them to the fare) then I would fly them. However, if they are close to the correct flights and prices, I will easily go to another carrier after how they aggressively charge their seat prices. Shame on American, Shame on Me.
I booked my tickets to Maui back on Feb 11th. When I booked my tickets there were not any "Free" seats on any of the 4 legs (there were a few singles scattered throughout the plane), there were however plenty of "Preferred & Main Cabin Extra" seats for purchase. I booked Main Cabin Economy (NOT BASIC ECONOMY). I decided to wait until 24 hour prior to see if anything would open up. It did not, I was forced to purchase 4 seats on 4 legs, most in MCE because that was all that was left. Also, on both of my long legs I overheard and saw on the plane MANY (not an exaggeration) families and groups talking about how nobody was seated together. That would have been us if we did not pay. This was a $1133.78 lesson. That comes to $271/person round trip to select seats. Yes, it was a little more costly because we bought MCE. However, there weren't 4 "preferred" seats together. Here was our itinerary:
Outbound: Sat, Mar 17
OKC-DFW AA2653 MD80
DFW-OGG AA7 777
Inbound: Fri, Mar 23
OGG-DFW AA6 777 (red eye)
DFW-OKC AA2443 MD80
Today I did a little self education to prevent the same mistake. I looked at the same type of trip 4 months from now. OKC-OGG, leave Sat, Jul 21 and return Sat, Jul 28th, 4 people traveling. What did I find? The exact same scenario (with the exception of one of the MD80 flights has Free seats). The other aggravating thing is that you don't know the cost of the "Preferred or Main Cabin Extra" seats until you put in all your passenger information. So the money value isn't given to you until right before you enter your credit card information. This particular scenario our tickets would cost $1570 rt per person. We would have spent an additional $165 rt per person to get seats sitting together (adding a total of $660 to our trip). Just like my actual trip we were 'forced' into purchasing MCE seats because nothing else was available. Just like I learned on my trip, you cannot just wait until check-in 24 hours prior and be given seats for free together. I saw many people split up (including pairs of 2 being split). Now I know that is a major tourist route with many families. It probably isn't always that way. But the fact is that it was on my trip, and if I repeated that trip in the summer I'd get the same result.
So... I continued my self education further.
I went to Delta, searched the same future trip, looked at the seats. First thing I noticed is Delta's flight was way more expensive. $1696 rt per person. However, all 6 legs (yes, only 3-leg trips OKC-OGG on Delta) had plenty (and I mean PLENTY) of free seats for selection. Even more interesting is when I entered all my passenger info, I selected the "preferred seats" to see what they cost. They were "Free". I don't know why, I am not a elite member at all. I wasn't even logged into a Delta account as I was browsing. It may be because I was "Main Cabin" and not "Basic Economy". I don't know why.
I then went ahead and searched United. What I found on United was a fair of $1376 rt per person with 2-legs each way. All 4 of United's flights had PLENTY of "free" seat selections. Also, on United the "preferred seat" things isn't even a thing. They only have Economy Plus and Economy.
So what exactly did I learn? I learned to look at the seat my before clicking Go. I learned how to find what seats will cost me if they cost me. If I actually did my future flight what I would have learned is I had 3 options. 1) AA at $1725 (including fees to purchase tickets) 2) Delta at $1696 and 3) United at $1376. United would of been the no brainer. I won't say I will never fly American again. If they have the correct flights for the correct price (including actually researching seats and adding them to the fare) then I would fly them. However, if they are close to the correct flights and prices, I will easily go to another carrier after how they aggressively charge their seat prices. Shame on American, Shame on Me.
Mar 30, 2018, 1:54 pm
#37
Join Date: Jun 2015
Programs: ba executive, AA advantage,
Posts: 84
I must be missing something. Since you only booked about a month in advance, during spring break, to Hawaii I think I can understand why the free seats were taken. Had you looked and or booked 5 or 6 months ago it may have been a different story. This flight, I am guessing, is in high demand.
Mar 30, 2018, 5:46 pm
#38
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,549
I must be missing something. Since you only booked about a month in advance, during spring break, to Hawaii I think I can understand why the free seats were taken. Had you looked and or booked 5 or 6 months ago it may have been a different story. This flight, I am guessing, is in high demand.
What is available without surcharge, seems to be mainly middle seats
Using availability of 10/01/19
20K
21,22,23,24 B and K
24 E,G
are standard seats in the 1st section ( all middle )
Then rows 30-36 A,B,E,G,K,L
All of row 36
37,38 A,C,J,L
A total of 57 seats of which 8 are aisle seats, 18 are window seats and 31 are centre seats
57% of the seats are classified as premium
Doing a comparison against DL on a SCL-HNL flight on an A330 , 94 seats are marked as premium ( of which 40 are economy comfort ) out of 250 - so only 38% chargeable vs 57% on AA. As far as locations of free seats go, DL has 16-23 where only centre D,F seats are available , but rows 24-26 and 28-41 have no premium seats
Last edited by Dave Noble; Mar 30, 2018 at 6:43 pm
Mar 30, 2018, 6:22 pm
#39
Join Date: May 2004
Location: DFW-In Plano & CDG-In the 11th
Programs: DL Diamond, AA revenue negative, Bonvoy Titanium +, Avis likes me
Posts: 3,209
Mar 30, 2018, 8:19 pm
#40
Join Date: Mar 2016
Programs: AA-EXP
Posts: 615
Mar 30, 2018, 9:31 pm
#42
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Denver, CO, USA
Programs: Sometimes known as [ARG:6 UNDEFINED]
Posts: 26,669
Mar 30, 2018, 10:09 pm
#43
Join Date: May 2004
Location: HYI/AUS/SAT originally TTN/EWR/PHL
Programs: Southwest Rapid Rewards, Jetblue TrueBlue, American Advantage
Posts: 1,190
Depending on how old the kids are they may just be able to board after the A group with Family boarding and should be able to sit together. This is why I'm a fan of Southwest. No charge for bags, no change fees, $15 per person is the most you'll have to pay for your preferred seats. Even other carriers the change fee is half of the majors.
Mar 31, 2018, 1:17 am
#45
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: SAN
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, American Air, National Car
Posts: 1,131
Nice analysis
i just postponed a leisure trip over this same issue
would have booked a $450 transcon RT — but saw that only middle seats were available , and it would be $35-$77 per segment (x4) to get a comfortable seat
i’m without status until I make it to $3k spend (currency $1600 and 27k miles)
I’ve resigned to needing to buy a 1st class transcon rt to make it to $3k , but don’t want to do it this time around, since I don’t even need luggage, and they are usually about $1100 - not enough to make the hurtle yet
i just postponed a leisure trip over this same issue
would have booked a $450 transcon RT — but saw that only middle seats were available , and it would be $35-$77 per segment (x4) to get a comfortable seat
i’m without status until I make it to $3k spend (currency $1600 and 27k miles)
I’ve resigned to needing to buy a 1st class transcon rt to make it to $3k , but don’t want to do it this time around, since I don’t even need luggage, and they are usually about $1100 - not enough to make the hurtle yet