CX split us up
 

So my newly betrothed and I are scheduled to depart DPS tomorrow in C. The flight had been scheduled to be a 747 and we had previously selected seats together. I just OLCI'd and CX changed planes to a 777 and they split us up, 16A and 16K. Ordinarily I could handle it, but since it is our return from honeymoon, I am under heat to fix it. I tried calling MP, but they said get to airport 4 hrs early and hope desk agents can fix.

Do you guys have any solutions. BTW - it's about 10:30pm here and flight leaves tomorrow around 4pm. Thanks!!!

Grats on stepping up and getting hitched. ^

Because it's within 72 hours of the flight, seat assignment may indeed already be under airport control which is probably why the MP hotline couldn't fix it for you the day before the flight. :rolleyes::(

I would try calling them 1 more time. Perhaps something has changed or a different agent has a better handle on the situation. I am surprised they split you. I assume you were on the same booking from the start ? Splitting you if you were on the same PNR is very strange indeed.

And, if push comes to shove, you could always ask the passenger sitting next to you if they would mind swapping with your new lady or vice versa.

Call E-service centre for help.

The cut-over is between T-55 and T-48.

perhaps you called MPC and pressed "English" and you are lowly green/silver thus they routed your call to the incompetent Phillipine center. (They were clueless in my request mind as well speak to a fortune teller for my questions)

try call HK, press "2 for Cantonese" to get HK based staff (or china for that matter). Then ask in English. Hopefully you get a better trained agent.

We are on same PNR (booked a year ago), i'll try calling eservices and if that doesn't work i'll try fakecd's idea. which btw entirely correct - silver and english

I always receive good service from the cantonese speaking staff, although I speak canto so that might make a different. Pity about the wait time though, and with the typhoon in HKG, you might have a hard time calling indeed.

Update: After 4th call to MP, finally got an agent willing to put us back together. Why was that so hard?

ha welcome to the world of CX telephone customer service

Yep, and that customer service cost $45 in long distance charges at the Hyatt. Got checked in and they reverted back to 747. All in all, we began with row 87 and are now in 90. At least we're back in the upper deck!

In my experience it can be even before T-55.

That is true. In my experience I've try calling and changing at T-21 but as other as pointed out..it all depend on the agent.

i tried to post yesterday but i was going to say that we were flying from HND to HKG and the flight went from 74A, to 77D to regional 777 back to 74A and finally 77D again....all in 48 hours. there were three of us on 2PNR's and had me on lower deck and wife and child on upper deck etc. that said, finally, in the lounge on day of departure, were put in 12 D, G, K....looks like this is common as I have read around here. they were very good at the airport as most on the flight were single business persons.

Whatever happened to simple logic?

Ask when you at check in!
If the flight is full, ask the person seated next to either of you if they mind switching cos.... (your reasons here)

Generally it works fine...

suggest you look at CX seat maps

T-55 is what is stated on CX's website.

I never said that a CX RES or MPO / AM agent cannot select seats for you after the cut-over to airport control. In fact, they can. I am merely stating the time frame seat maps are changed to OLCI mode.

That's correct.

However, the website and Amadeus are obviously programmed by different teams as Amadeus seems gleefully unaware that the website says that seats can be pre-selected before OLCI up to T-55 :p

Not sure where you are coming from. Seats can be pre-selected anytime until T-4!

You are correct. From T-48 onwards, seats can be selected via OLCI.

However, I'm talking about selecting seats before OLCI opens. CX says this can be done upto T-55 but in my experience the seatmap is often locked a few hours earlier than T-55. If you're trying to have your travel agent do a seat assignment, it needs to be done before this locking happens. Else, you need to OLCI yourself or call CX.

Seats can be selected by a TA or MPO / CX RES until T-4, which is what I was saying. Demonstration (note the time now: ~1445L/23AUG):

Note: "KK" means confirmed.

Seat map before:
Seat map after:

Weird, my TA can't do it...

Are you using Abacus?

Yes! On the other hand, are you talking about some special (extra leg room, bassinet, etc.) seats? Those may be different.

Not special seats, but they're the blocked off rows that normally people can't select without status.

Those seats are unblocked when the seat map is cut-over to OLCI mode (sometime between T-55 and T-48) and a TA should easily been able to select it.