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Old Oct 11, 2024 | 6:55 am
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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
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Old Oct 11, 2024 | 7:13 am
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Is this on mainline or Eagle?
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Old Oct 11, 2024 | 7:20 am
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I can't think of a time in the past 10 years I've ever been moved, regardless of cabin.
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Old Oct 11, 2024 | 7:25 am
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Originally Posted by dw
Is this on mainline or Eagle?
mainline LAX-PHX and then PHX-ORD
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Old Oct 11, 2024 | 9:07 am
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Originally Posted by CT-UK
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.
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.
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Old Oct 11, 2024 | 9:41 am
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That is odd as it was on mainline. (1A on certain Eagle aircraft can get reseated if theres an issue with the FA jumpseat.)

I think the only time Ive 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
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Old Oct 11, 2024 | 10:21 am
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Originally Posted by CT-UK
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
Not common at all.

Originally Posted by PHL
I can't think of a time in the past 10 years I've ever been moved, regardless of cabin.
I think Ive 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.
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Old Oct 11, 2024 | 10:34 am
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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: Bizarre seat reshuffle

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.
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Old Oct 11, 2024 | 11:46 am
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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.
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Old Oct 11, 2024 | 5:11 pm
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Originally Posted by USFlyerUS
Originally Posted by CT-UK
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
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.
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?
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Old Oct 11, 2024 | 6:41 pm
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I dont 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 cant explain the reasons for this and Im sure there are many people here who have flown in seat 1A dozens of times without getting bumped. I just know that Ive 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.
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Old Oct 12, 2024 | 12:35 am
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No TA involved just a booking via BA LHR-:AX-PHX-ORD-LHR all in F. Not the end of the world just annoying.
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Old Oct 12, 2024 | 7:32 am
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Ive 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 couldnt 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 couldnt 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 Id say yes to a swap 😕
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Old Oct 12, 2024 | 7:40 am
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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).
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Last edited by jhalapin; Oct 13, 2024 at 9:06 am
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Old Oct 12, 2024 | 8:23 am
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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.
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