Frustrating Seat Selections
Apr 12, 2019, 3:08 pm
#61
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Much of this is also driven by the fact that airlines want to show up near the top of search results on Google and other search engines so everything is an additional fee to make the base price seem low. Just like hotels and their nonsense “resort fee” or other nonsensical fee you can’t avoid.
Apr 12, 2019, 4:36 pm
#62
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The best way to share feedback is with your feet! But yea "special exceptions" are made for children under 14, so if you wanna sit together and your not elite you gotta pay - OP is being a bit dramatic here - I think the one thing AA should do is offer an discount on "Preferred" seats to CC holders - it would reward non-elite but still somewhat loyal folks and not eat up MCE for the elite.
AA is at fault here because it proactively misleads people: It advertises free seat selection for Main Cabin but doesn't disclose that free seat selection is mostly limited to middle seat. AA deserves to be slammed hard with a class action lawsuit and forced to disclose information that will let people know that free seat selection is limited so that prospective passengers can vote with their feet
Last edited by MasterGeek; Apr 12, 2019 at 4:43 pm
Apr 12, 2019, 4:43 pm
#63
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To reserve a preferred seat one free of charge must spend at least $3K a year for GLD status. To get MCE free $6K a year. It’s called you get what you pay for.
Other than Southwest pretty much all airlines price this way. So the alternatives are fly WN, pay for seats in advance, risk sitting apart or drive. It has nothing to do with “elitism.”
Other than Southwest pretty much all airlines price this way. So the alternatives are fly WN, pay for seats in advance, risk sitting apart or drive. It has nothing to do with “elitism.”
Apr 12, 2019, 4:49 pm
#64
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To reserve a preferred seat one free of charge must spend at least $3K a year for GLD status. To get MCE free $6K a year. It’s called you get what you pay for.
Other than Southwest pretty much all airlines price this way. So the alternatives are fly WN, pay for seats in advance, risk sitting apart or drive. It has nothing to do with “elitism.”
Other than Southwest pretty much all airlines price this way. So the alternatives are fly WN, pay for seats in advance, risk sitting apart or drive. It has nothing to do with “elitism.”
AA must should show an all inclusive price or post big warnings saying "Free seat selection, BUT LIMITED TO MIDDLE SEATS" for regular main cabin fares
AA is misleading by advertising competitive fares but not telling the full story.
Apr 12, 2019, 5:02 pm
#65
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no one is happy anyone else suffers. But if I am on 4 flights in a week, I'm not apologizing that I'm glad AA keeps some seats for my last minute bookings.
feel free to boycott the US3. There is a reason that NK continues to make money- temper tantrums like this do not result in any difference in consumer behavior.
Apr 12, 2019, 6:30 pm
#66
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Point being debated is AA limiting free seat selection to middle seats only. We're not talking about preferred seats.
AA must should show an all inclusive price or post big warnings saying "Free seat selection, BUT LIMITED TO MIDDLE SEATS" for regular main cabin fares
AA is misleading by advertising competitive fares but not telling the full story.
I'm fully against deceptive practices and forced fees like resort fees, but your expectations are beyond reality.
Apr 13, 2019, 1:03 am
#67
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Dallas, TX
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If your biggest goal is to sit together, then pay for seats together at booking, and then watch your booking like a hawk for any changes that shift those seat assignments (schedule changes, plane changes, etc). If you wait until check in, you may not have any options that are all together, even if paying for a seat assignment at that point.
Apr 15, 2019, 9:21 am
#68
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selfish centered "elites" act like children and applaud when others suffer and get less so that they can get more for themselves and feel extra special.
AA is at fault here because it proactively misleads people: It advertises free seat selection for Main Cabin but doesn't disclose that free seat selection is mostly limited to middle seat. AA deserves to be slammed hard with a class action lawsuit and forced to disclose information that will let people know that free seat selection is limited so that prospective passengers can vote with their feet
I also wonder if being basic economy actually tends to get you a better seat because so many main economy folks don't pay for MCE or preferred seats - seems like a real tough draw for main economy folks.
Apr 15, 2019, 9:31 am
#69
Join Date: Apr 2017
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Point being debated is AA limiting free seat selection to middle seats only. We're not talking about preferred seats.
AA must should show an all inclusive price or post big warnings saying "Free seat selection, BUT LIMITED TO MIDDLE SEATS" for regular main cabin fares
AA is misleading by advertising competitive fares but not telling the full story.
AA must should show an all inclusive price or post big warnings saying "Free seat selection, BUT LIMITED TO MIDDLE SEATS" for regular main cabin fares
AA is misleading by advertising competitive fares but not telling the full story.
Apr 15, 2019, 9:36 am
#70
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I agree - it is misleading, but I see both sides - folks ARE allowed to select seats before they purchase the ticket - so there is some transparency; however, I can see how it would be difficult for leisure travelers to make an informed decision with all of the options and screens, and know/think to switch to basic economy if they select main cabin, and see limited seats.
Jul 18, 2019, 1:30 pm
#71
Join Date: Feb 2014
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This thread had seemingly devolved into bickering, so I thought long and hard if I should open a new one (but ultimately decided against it).
I wanted to share this ridiculousness for a JFK-MXP flight I just booked for May 2020:
Of course, this seat map technically does still provide the option to make a free seat assignment. (Heck, my wife and I could even opt to sit together as long as we give up our ability to recline on a transatlantic flight.) But this practice is extremely deceptive and worth calling out, even if some FF have somehow tricked themselves into thinking that such exploitative schemes by airlines are justified or desirable.
In this particular case, I had actually booked regular over basic economy because I assumed we'd be able to get decent seats together for a flight that's ten months out.
I wanted to share this ridiculousness for a JFK-MXP flight I just booked for May 2020:
Of course, this seat map technically does still provide the option to make a free seat assignment. (Heck, my wife and I could even opt to sit together as long as we give up our ability to recline on a transatlantic flight.) But this practice is extremely deceptive and worth calling out, even if some FF have somehow tricked themselves into thinking that such exploitative schemes by airlines are justified or desirable.
In this particular case, I had actually booked regular over basic economy because I assumed we'd be able to get decent seats together for a flight that's ten months out.
Jul 18, 2019, 1:35 pm
#72
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Jul 18, 2019, 1:36 pm
#73
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Jul 18, 2019, 5:43 pm
#74
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As for the narrow body seat map example a few posts up --- what a joke of a post. The issue with AA holding a ridiculous limited number of free selectable seats is on long haul wide bodies. AA advertises a seat selection benefit which doesn't often exist in any practical way for non elites.
Jul 18, 2019, 6:13 pm
#75
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 1,285
I have a dfw-hnl flight in Aug that has looked just like that since I bought tickets a few months ago. No free selection for non elites, and the buy up seats are nearly completely wide open. Both an insult to anyone not buying a BE ticket being advertised free selection, and an indication that AA way overprices the cost of preferred and mce seats.
As for the narrow body seat map example a few posts up --- what a joke of a post. The issue with AA holding a ridiculous limited number of free selectable seats is on long haul wide bodies. AA advertises a seat selection benefit which doesn't often exist in any practical way for non elites.
As for the narrow body seat map example a few posts up --- what a joke of a post. The issue with AA holding a ridiculous limited number of free selectable seats is on long haul wide bodies. AA advertises a seat selection benefit which doesn't often exist in any practical way for non elites.