American Airlines - Paid seat upgrades given away
Mar 17, 2019, 8:58 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 1
American Airlines - Paid seat upgrades given away
Hey all! First time poster. Normally fly Delta for everything business/personal but American had the best flight for this trip so gave it a shot.
I was booking my honeymoon from NY to Punta Cana and back and made sure to purchase seat assignments ahead of time as my wife has a small fear of flying. Upon arrive to the airport and checking in for the return flight my main cabin extra seats which I paid for and had receipt of payment in my email we’re not available and my wife and I were placed in two separate rows in different areas of the plane.
I emailed AAs customer complaint line and received a canned response apologizing and saying they cannot provide me any compensation for this matter.
Does this happen often with American? Should I pursue compensation further? Appreciate the advice!
I was booking my honeymoon from NY to Punta Cana and back and made sure to purchase seat assignments ahead of time as my wife has a small fear of flying. Upon arrive to the airport and checking in for the return flight my main cabin extra seats which I paid for and had receipt of payment in my email we’re not available and my wife and I were placed in two separate rows in different areas of the plane.
I emailed AAs customer complaint line and received a canned response apologizing and saying they cannot provide me any compensation for this matter.
Does this happen often with American? Should I pursue compensation further? Appreciate the advice!
Mar 17, 2019, 9:02 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 21,006
Hey all! First time poster. Normally fly Delta for everything business/personal but American had the best flight for this trip so gave it a shot.
I was booking my honeymoon from NY to Punta Cana and back and made sure to purchase seat assignments ahead of time as my wife has a small fear of flying. Upon arrive to the airport and checking in for the return flight my main cabin extra seats which I paid for and had receipt of payment in my email we’re not available and my wife and I were placed in two separate rows in different areas of the plane.
I emailed AAs customer complaint line and received a canned response apologizing and saying they cannot provide me any compensation for this matter.
Does this happen often with American? Should I pursue compensation further? Appreciate the advice!
I was booking my honeymoon from NY to Punta Cana and back and made sure to purchase seat assignments ahead of time as my wife has a small fear of flying. Upon arrive to the airport and checking in for the return flight my main cabin extra seats which I paid for and had receipt of payment in my email we’re not available and my wife and I were placed in two separate rows in different areas of the plane.
I emailed AAs customer complaint line and received a canned response apologizing and saying they cannot provide me any compensation for this matter.
Does this happen often with American? Should I pursue compensation further? Appreciate the advice!
What rows did you end up in vs originally selected?
Airlines never guarantee a a particular seat allocation.
Mar 17, 2019, 9:06 pm
#3
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 4,374
Welcome to FlyerTalk, Matt. You should definitely receive a refund of the seat assignment fees. If AA is unresponsive, initiate a dispute through your credit card.
AA is the only airline I've ever flown to lose my seat assignments, even in transatlantic business class, so I'm inclined to believe the airline has issues. I avoid AA when possible and suggest you do the same.
AA is the only airline I've ever flown to lose my seat assignments, even in transatlantic business class, so I'm inclined to believe the airline has issues. I avoid AA when possible and suggest you do the same.
Mar 17, 2019, 9:07 pm
#4
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 4,374
Mar 17, 2019, 9:10 pm
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 21,006
Is a long running thread on BA forum about seat allocation changes.
Mar 18, 2019, 7:05 am
#9
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
The issue here is the use of the word "compensation." Presuming that OP and his wife were not placed in MCE or were placed in seats with a lower-price, he is due a refund, not compensation. As noted above by platbrownguy, this can be handled online.
I don't know of any carrier which guarantees seats and certainly DL, UA, and AA, all note that seat assignments are not guaranteed. A refund is, however, due.
BTW - If one is offered alternative MCE seats and those are not acceptable, one may decline those seats and have a full refund of the seat fee and then take whatever the GA assigns.
I don't know of any carrier which guarantees seats and certainly DL, UA, and AA, all note that seat assignments are not guaranteed. A refund is, however, due.
BTW - If one is offered alternative MCE seats and those are not acceptable, one may decline those seats and have a full refund of the seat fee and then take whatever the GA assigns.
Mar 18, 2019, 8:46 am
#10
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
Welcome to FlyerTalk, Matt. You should definitely receive a refund of the seat assignment fees. If AA is unresponsive, initiate a dispute through your credit card.
AA is the only airline I've ever flown to lose my seat assignments, even in transatlantic business class, so I'm inclined to believe the airline has issues. I avoid AA when possible and suggest you do the same.
AA is the only airline I've ever flown to lose my seat assignments, even in transatlantic business class, so I'm inclined to believe the airline has issues. I avoid AA when possible and suggest you do the same.
Mar 18, 2019, 1:00 pm
#11
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: SAN
Programs: AA CK, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 839
Really? You’ve led a charmed life. I’ve lost selected seats on a number of airlines. It happens with greater frequency when there are equipment (aircraft) changes, and unfortunately these are common on AA (and will be for a couple of years) as they justify the narrowbody aircrafts’ seating under Project Oasis.
Mar 18, 2019, 1:43 pm
#12
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: USA
Programs: Chase Sapphire Reserve, WFBF
Posts: 1,573
Some airlines are better than others. Moreover there are all kinds of reasons why they might move seats. AA tends to be pretty glitchy. On the other hand, once I was flying on Delta and the gate agent told me that she needed to move me to accommodate a person with a disability. Naturally I would have obliged anyway but she also offered me 10,000 skymiles. Small customer service gestures like that go a long way.
Mar 18, 2019, 2:14 pm
#13
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: SAN
Programs: AA CK, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 839
Some airlines are better than others. Moreover there are all kinds of reasons why they might move seats. AA tends to be pretty glitchy. On the other hand, once I was flying on Delta and the gate agent told me that she needed to move me to accommodate a person with a disability. Naturally I would have obliged anyway but she also offered me 10,000 skymiles. Small customer service gestures like that go a long way.
Mar 18, 2019, 2:56 pm
#14
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: MIA, VIE and DPS
Programs: DL Plat 1MM, AA EXP 3MM, SQ Krisflyer Gold, UA Silver, Marriott LTT, HH Gold
Posts: 1,132
Once on Delta, I not only lost my seat assignment, I was rebooked at the gate to a later flight, no explanation given. And I was on a paid ticket, not an award redemption, so YMMV. Delta is not the kind, caring airline all the frustrated AA loyalists seem to to believe they are at least in my experience.
But customer service between the two can not be compared