Are seat changes common on AA?
 

Sorry if there is already a thread on this subject which I didn't see. I have 2 domestic paid F Segments coming up soon and on both flights I booked 1A and on both I have been moved 3 times to and when I go back those seats are taken. I am OWE is that makes any difference or not on AA.

Many thanks

Is this on mainline or Eagle?

I can't think of a time in the past 10 years I've ever been moved, regardless of cabin.

mainline LAX-PHX and then PHX-ORD

Did you book these through a TA? I've had my corporate travel agents override seat selections I make directly with airlines if another seat is available that meets the seating preferences in my CTA profile. It hasn't happened in a while, though.

That is odd as it was on mainline. (1A on certain Eagle aircraft can get reseated if there’s an issue with the FA jumpseat.)

I think the only time I’ve been reseated on AA (J on a premium transcon) was so a family of 4 could be seated near each other, it happened day of departure

Not common at all.

I think I’ve had it happen twice in 10+ years of being EXP. Once was being moved for either an Air Marshall or a CK; another time was on op-up being moved from one F seat on a 321T to another seat. No big deal.

Something like what you describe only happened to me once, and that was at the gate, not in advance. I was traveling with my wife and we got separated as a result. Never got an explanation and when I asked the person in my former seat when and how she was assigned that seat she wouldn't talk or even look up at me. I suspected she was an air marshal.

Then there was this oddball, where the entire plane got reseated: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...l#post36183303

Finally, seat changes can also happen for "schedule changes" that aren't really schedule changes. They change the flight number or go from, say, an E170 to an E175. Little or nothing really changed but the system can't preserve the seating even when it should have been simple to do so.

I've only had it happen once, before I was EXP, and it was so a family of 3 (mom + 2 young kids) could sit together in row 8. Hence why I avoid 8F now.

I think this may well be it. I've never experienced such moves, but have heard of this before in this forum when a TA is involved. CT-UK: Is a TA involved in this reservation?

I don’t have an answer for you, but I know that I have previously read complaints on FT about people getting bumped from seat 1A on different airlines and a variety of aircraft. Usually this pertains to international flights (unlike your domestic flights) and the reason/best guess offered is that the seat is used for pilot rest. On a domestic flight, is it possibly a bulkhead seat for which priority might be given to someone with a disability?

Again, I can’t explain the reasons for this and I’m sure there are many people here who have flown in seat 1A dozens of times without getting bumped. I just know that I’ve seen enough of these complaints that I do not choose 1A on any airline if there are other options and I am particular about selecting my precise seat. My general sense is that if airline ever has a reason to reserve a seat for some kind of special passenger, 1A is the default option.

No TA involved just a booking via BA LHR-:AX-PHX-ORD-LHR all in F. Not the end of the world just annoying.

I’ve only had it happen once and it was from a window to a middle on LHR-JFK in F last year. The person in my seat gave off “famous vibes”, though I couldn’t place him.

The check-in agent saw a comment saying it was an airport override. He then called his manger and after a lengthy back and forth, he smiled and said he was told he couldn’t move me back.

Informal seat changes happen far more frequently (2x this week for me), including a few times where the requester has actually been sitting in my seat assuming I’d say yes to a swap 😕

Same just happened to this Key. Woke up to a notification that our seats had been changed (AA Eagle flight FSD to ORD). Moved from 2 D&F to 1F and 2A. Thankfully there were still 2 seats together in 4 (D&F) so I just grabbed those. First time that's ever happened (and no, there was not an equipment change).

I've had it happen when an aircraft swap to an ex-AS 321neo over the summer. It took me out of E+ which was most unwelcome.