Seat blocking question with lap infant
Jan 16, 2019, 10:23 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2017
Location: ORD
Posts: 369
Seat blocking question with lap infant
Mrs. Meathead and the Little Meathead and I are traveling ORD-DFW on Friday on a BE ticket. Little Meathead is a lap infant. Flight is operated by a 738. When we book, say, the A and C seats, the system blocks the B seat, and that block follows us around even when I change rows/seats. Does anyone know why this is the case? aa.com support is no help (agent kept asking me if I wanted to reserve the B seat and eventually just left me on hold for about 5 minutes and counting).
Thanks!
Thanks!
Jan 16, 2019, 10:36 am
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2017
Location: ORD
Posts: 369
Agent ultimately left me on hold for about 10 mins and came back on the line to swear up, down, and sideways that, every time I change our seat assignments, at the exact same moment in time, another passenger/other passengers are reserving the middle seat in the new row and moving out of the middle seat in the old row. This beggars belief. At the very least, is there someone else I can talk to who can answer my question besides Reservations or aa.com support?
Jan 16, 2019, 11:04 am
#5
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2006
Programs: AAdvantage PP
Posts: 13,913
That's what I thought. There might be programming that allows for this as long as the load factor is at some percentage. However, I wouldn't count on that seat remaining empty at door closing.
Jan 16, 2019, 11:22 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2017
Location: ORD
Posts: 369
That would be my guess, yeah. I'm just a little frustrated that no one at AA can confirm this. Really it's annoying because I don't know if anyone is actually in that middle seat and, consequently, if I need to find another row where the middle isn't currently reserved. Unless I look at the seat map available if I do a dummy booking. Which shows the middle seat empty.
Jan 16, 2019, 11:43 am
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2017
Location: ORD
Posts: 369
Oh, it gets better: If you're traveling with an infant on BA, you can book a BE ticket and select any WT seat on the plane for free at booking. Doesn't even have to be a bassinet seat.
Jan 16, 2019, 11:46 am
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2017
Location: ORD
Posts: 369
Jan 16, 2019, 12:05 pm
#11
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
FARs require infants have oxygen masks available in emergencies. I suspect the blocked seat is to assure the lap infant will have emergency O2 available.
Jan 16, 2019, 12:13 pm
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2017
Location: ORD
Posts: 369
But aren't there 4 oxygen masks per 3 seats on a 738 (or any airplane with 3-3 seating in coach) for this purpose? I don't see what blocking a middle seat has to do with this.
Jan 16, 2019, 1:52 pm
#13
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Jan 16, 2019, 3:05 pm
#14
Moderator: Avis and Rental Cars
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 8,032
When I've traveled with a lap infant, and they've been added to the ressie, AA.com automatically prevented me from selecting certain seats that are open. Or if I tried to add a lap infant at the airport, I've been kicked out of my seat. The ticket agent says it's due to the oxygen mask count for those seats.
Jan 16, 2019, 4:51 pm
#15
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: HEL
Programs: AY GOLD, HH GOLD
Posts: 411
It is an automated seat block for the infant as long as load factor allows it. Just go ahead with aisle & window and if plane is full and someone is assigned to the middle seat they'll be more than happy to take the aisle or window. Done this multiple times.