Exchanging and Trading Flight Seats
Dec 29, 2007 | 4:47 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 1
Exchanging and Trading Flight Seats
Hi everyone-
My apologies in advance if this is not the forum to post this (my first post in this forum).
I am looking for community feedback (positive and negative) on a new flight travel related site idea we are working on - a web site that connects flight travellers like yourself so that you can exchange and trade flight seats and get a better seat. You can check out the site at flightseatexchange.com (requires registration with valid email address)
How it works
say you are a business traveller stuck at middle seat (on a full flight) on a coast to coast trip. you are willing to pay say additional $50 to trade with a college student on the flight and get an aisle seat - both the business traveller and college student can post their seat exchange offer (specifying your seating preference, how much you want/pay etc) on the web site www.flightseatexchange.com. The moment there is a match the web site will generate automatic email alerts and it can help you directly connect with whoever offered their seat for exchange.
Please note that the site itself doesnt gaurantee exchange of seats - it only helps you to connect with passengers. You would need to contact the flight passenger directly along with the airline/flight attendent (to get their permission) to actually exchange seats.
Thanks for your time and feedback and wish you all safe and happy travels in 2008.
Harry
My apologies in advance if this is not the forum to post this (my first post in this forum).
I am looking for community feedback (positive and negative) on a new flight travel related site idea we are working on - a web site that connects flight travellers like yourself so that you can exchange and trade flight seats and get a better seat. You can check out the site at flightseatexchange.com (requires registration with valid email address)
How it works
say you are a business traveller stuck at middle seat (on a full flight) on a coast to coast trip. you are willing to pay say additional $50 to trade with a college student on the flight and get an aisle seat - both the business traveller and college student can post their seat exchange offer (specifying your seating preference, how much you want/pay etc) on the web site www.flightseatexchange.com. The moment there is a match the web site will generate automatic email alerts and it can help you directly connect with whoever offered their seat for exchange.
Please note that the site itself doesnt gaurantee exchange of seats - it only helps you to connect with passengers. You would need to contact the flight passenger directly along with the airline/flight attendent (to get their permission) to actually exchange seats.
Thanks for your time and feedback and wish you all safe and happy travels in 2008.
Harry
Dec 30, 2007 | 8:58 pm
#2
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Southern California
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As an FYI, this thread will remain in CommunityBuzz! until such time as a suitable home can be found.
Please feel free to comment on the content and concept that the OP is offering via his website.
_______________________
Cholula
CommunityBuzz! Co-Moderator
Please feel free to comment on the content and concept that the OP is offering via his website.
_______________________
Cholula
CommunityBuzz! Co-Moderator
Dec 30, 2007 | 9:24 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 23,999
Welcome to FlyerTalk, flightseat!
^
Very interesting and creative idea, IMO, so kudos to you for that!^
The problem I see is that I highly doubt so many people will do this to the point that there will be many matches. When you think about how many people travel, you'd need a LOT of people to join this (tens of millions) for it to even work a small percentage of the time.
That's the problem I see with it, but I like the idea in general.
^Very interesting and creative idea, IMO, so kudos to you for that!^
The problem I see is that I highly doubt so many people will do this to the point that there will be many matches. When you think about how many people travel, you'd need a LOT of people to join this (tens of millions) for it to even work a small percentage of the time.
That's the problem I see with it, but I like the idea in general.
Dec 30, 2007 | 9:27 pm
#4
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: ATL
Programs: DL, AA
Posts: 6,033
Interesting concept (as evidenced by all of the seat-swapping threads). However, I don't really see this working. There are too many things working against it:
*if you know your seat far enough in advance to use this service, you probably are not stuck in a back/middle/undesirable seat
*the flyer who would likely agree to "sell" you his/her seat probably wouldn't know to use this site. The odds of two users on the same flight... would require a huge user base
*a passenger may not know they want to swap seats 'til they board the aircraft (due to either an undesirable seatmate, spotting a more desirable seatmate elsewhere, a missed upgrade, etc)
*last minute aircraft swaps can mix up all the seats
*if you know your seat far enough in advance to use this service, you probably are not stuck in a back/middle/undesirable seat
*the flyer who would likely agree to "sell" you his/her seat probably wouldn't know to use this site. The odds of two users on the same flight... would require a huge user base
*a passenger may not know they want to swap seats 'til they board the aircraft (due to either an undesirable seatmate, spotting a more desirable seatmate elsewhere, a missed upgrade, etc)
*last minute aircraft swaps can mix up all the seats
Dec 30, 2007 | 11:30 pm
#5
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: GVA (Greater Vancouver Area)
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Posts: 53,184
One case where this would work is on United. If you're an elite, you get Economy Plus seating. If you're not, you don't. So, an elite could basically sell their E+ seat to a non-elite, as long as they don't mind sitting in the back. Or, the elite could even "sell" the E+ seat and not have to give up their own since they are allowed to take a companion into E+ with them, and could take the other person in that way.