AA limits 787-8 / 788 Business seat sales to 20 (2019 Q1)
Mar 7, 2019, 4:10 pm
#31
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This whole thing is a mess. I booked a flight on a 788 that showed the 7-row J cabin, with 8 seats blocked. Picked MCE bulkhead seats.
Got an aircraft change alert from EF, it changed to the 5-row J cabin, so I picked the row 6 (usually PE) seats that are classified as MCE.
Then the equipment changed again, to a 789. Got upgraded. The only seats were in rows 6-7.
Checked in... holding BPs w/seat assignments for the J seats. Then another equipment swap back to the retrofitted 788. Seat assignments gone... check-in cancelled. J cabin is full. Can't pick PE/MCE seats because we've been upgraded, we just get the message that there aren't available seats.
If I end up flying in the back row, middle seat of a full 788, I'm going to be pissed. Wondering if it's better to cancel the upgrade request and have them put us back in PE/MCE than roll the dice going to the airpot holding a BP for a J seat that no longer exists.
Got an aircraft change alert from EF, it changed to the 5-row J cabin, so I picked the row 6 (usually PE) seats that are classified as MCE.
Then the equipment changed again, to a 789. Got upgraded. The only seats were in rows 6-7.
Checked in... holding BPs w/seat assignments for the J seats. Then another equipment swap back to the retrofitted 788. Seat assignments gone... check-in cancelled. J cabin is full. Can't pick PE/MCE seats because we've been upgraded, we just get the message that there aren't available seats.
If I end up flying in the back row, middle seat of a full 788, I'm going to be pissed. Wondering if it's better to cancel the upgrade request and have them put us back in PE/MCE than roll the dice going to the airpot holding a BP for a J seat that no longer exists.
Mar 7, 2019, 4:22 pm
#32
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 1,285
This whole thing is a mess. I booked a flight on a 788 that showed the 7-row J cabin, with 8 seats blocked. Picked MCE bulkhead seats.
Got an aircraft change alert from EF, it changed to the 5-row J cabin, so I picked the row 6 (usually PE) seats that are classified as MCE.
Then the equipment changed again, to a 789. Got upgraded. The only seats were in rows 6-7.
Checked in... holding BPs w/seat assignments for the J seats. Then another equipment swap back to the retrofitted 788. Seat assignments gone... check-in cancelled. J cabin is full. Can't pick PE/MCE seats because we've been upgraded, we just get the message that there aren't available seats.
If I end up flying in the back row, middle seat of a full 788, I'm going to be pissed. Wondering if it's better to cancel the upgrade request and have them put us back in PE/MCE than roll the dice going to the airpot holding a BP for a J seat that no longer exists.
Got an aircraft change alert from EF, it changed to the 5-row J cabin, so I picked the row 6 (usually PE) seats that are classified as MCE.
Then the equipment changed again, to a 789. Got upgraded. The only seats were in rows 6-7.
Checked in... holding BPs w/seat assignments for the J seats. Then another equipment swap back to the retrofitted 788. Seat assignments gone... check-in cancelled. J cabin is full. Can't pick PE/MCE seats because we've been upgraded, we just get the message that there aren't available seats.
If I end up flying in the back row, middle seat of a full 788, I'm going to be pissed. Wondering if it's better to cancel the upgrade request and have them put us back in PE/MCE than roll the dice going to the airpot holding a BP for a J seat that no longer exists.
Mar 7, 2019, 4:25 pm
#33
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Mar 7, 2019, 4:27 pm
#34
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 1,285
Mar 7, 2019, 6:26 pm
#35
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There were many. Now, I see from EF that 7 PE seats have just been blocked. I assume this is to accommodate any pax that don’t end up in J, so I’ll probably hold off for now. I’ve got EF + IFTTT to call me if a seat opens so I can snag it.
Mar 8, 2019, 5:13 am
#36
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ExpertFlyer earns its keep once again. A pair of seats opened up and I snagged them. Not too long thereafter, 2 fewer seats blocked in PE.
Mar 19, 2019, 9:03 pm
#37
Join Date: Mar 2005
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I have found at least one example where AA seems to be selling the entire old-style 788 J cabin. EF shows J7 for AA150 on 9 Apr despite showing only 7 unassigned seats.
Mar 21, 2019, 2:34 pm
#39
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Phoenix
Programs: AA Platinum Pro
Posts: 51
MCE seats for free
I'm scheduled to fly from DFW to FRA on a 788 (right now, it's the 7 J cabin version - who knows what it'll be day of departure). Anyway, I'm a measly Gold on AA and was able to select MCE seats for all 4 (2 domestic, 2 TATL) segments at no cost. Why? Something new, a glitch, a mistake? Are they going to figure this out at some point and take my seats away? Should I call them or is it stupid to bring it their attention? I have requested a miles + copay upgrade, which I know I probably won't get, so I'd like to keep the MCE seats, if I could 
Any advice?
Any advice?
Last edited by RaindropT; Mar 21, 2019 at 2:34 pm Reason: Punctuation is important
Mar 21, 2019, 3:57 pm
#40
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I'm scheduled to fly from DFW to FRA on a 788 (right now, it's the 7 J cabin version - who knows what it'll be day of departure). Anyway, I'm a measly Gold on AA and was able to select MCE seats for all 4 (2 domestic, 2 TATL) segments at no cost. Why? Something new, a glitch, a mistake? Are they going to figure this out at some point and take my seats away? Should I call them or is it stupid to bring it their attention? I have requested a miles + copay upgrade, which I know I probably won't get, so I'd like to keep the MCE seats, if I could Any advice?
Any advice?
Mar 21, 2019, 4:52 pm
#42
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Phoenix
Programs: AA Platinum Pro
Posts: 51
) Sorry for the confusion. And, yes, I am absolutely certain they are MCE seats - they are marked as such on the app and the website - they even show the little dollar sign, but I wasn't charged anything by selecting them. I then did a dummy booking and the MCE seats I selected are not available to be selected by anyone else. It's all so weird and I'm not quite sure what to make of it.
Mar 21, 2019, 4:54 pm
#43
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 1,285
Yes, thank you, that's exactly what I meant! (She, though, not he ) Sorry for the confusion. And, yes, I am absolutely certain they are MCE seats - they are marked as such on the app and the website - they even show the little dollar sign, but I wasn't charged anything by selecting them. I then did a dummy booking and the MCE seats I selected are not available to be selected by anyone else. It's all so weird and I'm not quite sure what to make of it.
) Sorry for the confusion. And, yes, I am absolutely certain they are MCE seats - they are marked as such on the app and the website - they even show the little dollar sign, but I wasn't charged anything by selecting them. I then did a dummy booking and the MCE seats I selected are not available to be selected by anyone else. It's all so weird and I'm not quite sure what to make of it.
Mar 21, 2019, 6:19 pm
#44
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Phoenix
Programs: AA Plat
Posts: 222
Downgrade on 787-8
We flew CDG-DFW yesterday. Our tickets were paid business but the grandchildren were miles and on a separate but connected reservation. They don't have any status on AA. They checked in and had boarding passes in rows 4 and 5. Even at baggage check they received a second set of boarding passes and all looked good. At the gate just before boarding their names were called and they were downgraded. My wife was speaking with the gentleman in one of the seats they previously held boarding passes for and he had been upgraded to business (we don't know when). So it appears that not selling those 8 seats does not guarantee that there will not be downgrades.
Last edited by Jeff_in_phoenix; Mar 21, 2019 at 6:25 pm
Mar 21, 2019, 7:36 pm
#45
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Posts: 4,477
We flew CDG-DFW yesterday. Our tickets were paid business but the grandchildren were miles and on a separate but connected reservation. They don't have any status on AA. They checked in and had boarding passes in rows 4 and 5. Even at baggage check they received a second set of boarding passes and all looked good. At the gate just before boarding their names were called and they were downgraded. My wife was speaking with the gentleman in one of the seats they previously held boarding passes for and he had been upgraded to business (we don't know when). So it appears that not selling those 8 seats does not guarantee that there will not be downgrades.