Seat switched when check-in
 

I am sitting at EWR and being upset. I secured my seat 6C 3 months ago and even checked it again this morning. However, when I checked in at the airport, I got seat 7B. They said the aircraft being changed so were the seats. I am not fat or anything, but sitting on the middle row for 6 hours is definitely not pleasant. I tried to ask the check-in crew to see if they can do something about it and they couldn't care less about it. They simply ignored me (Very rude) and pretended I was not there.
Oh well, what can I do. Just sucked it up I guess. I wouldn't be so mad/up if the crew had responded nicely. Next time I'll video tape the whole thing and put it on you-tube. I think at least I deserved to being treated humanly.

welcome to flyertalk. seat assignments are not guaranteed, unfortunately.

Let bygones be bygones with the check-in agents. Go to the gate and check with the GA to see if you can get a better seat.

Are you Elite?

Why didn't you check in online, if domestic? Much easier, and less likely to have disappearing seats. Make sure on the airplane change too, sometimes they'll just throw a reason out there, with no factual basis to back it up.

It is not out of the question to have seat assignments change after OLCI, though geeks like me always check before I leave for the airport. Middle seats and me dont go well together, and seats get assigned by the computer when there is an equipment change.

GAs completely ignored you and pretended you weren't there? Even at EWR, I find that hard to believe. Rude, sure but completely ignore? There has to be something missing from that part of the story...

Good point about OLCI, but why domestic? OLCI works for most CO international flights (yay!).

What is the best seat Row to go for based on the computer reseating you to another seat (avoiding a middle seat) on CO aircraft. Is it A,B,C,D...?

I am thinking row C, but maybe my rational is wrong...:)

There is a view/change seat option during the online check in process that will bring up the seatmap for the whole coach section of the plane. It also shows which seats are available, and you should be able to select one. I think this is correct. You can also call, but if you have already checked in online I don't think the phone rep can make a change.

Sounds like the substitute is a mid-lav 738.

So, perhaps the best thing to do to avoid ANY reseating is to avoid row 5 and 6ABC on all flights.

The usual line given by GAs (and even Intl BF concierge) whenever your seat assignments get changed is that the equipment has changed.

As I have learned, that is not always true. On one occassion, the day before our flight, a first Intl BF concierge cancelled my family's seat assignments in BF (IAH-CDG) to give our seats to another couple. We were not given any other seat assignments. At the airport, after 30 minutes of giving us (by a second Intl BF concierge) the standard GA BS line that we lost our seat assignments due to an equipment change, a third Intl BF finally fessed up and said that the first Intl BF concierge improperly cancelled our seat assignments.

However, I have to give kudos to the third Intl concierge, who literally contacted every passenger in the BF cabin to change people around so we could get seat assignments (row 4) close to where we should have been (row 3).

Welcome to FT! Sorry for the problems you had at EWR. I think apart from taking your business elsewhere, there isn't a lot you can do! :( Frankly, complaining to Continental, IMHO, is a waste of time--you get more empathy than problem resolution.

I can vouch for this statement. Did OLCI and at airport around 90 minutes prior to departure I reprinted my BP at kiosk and noticed my bulkhead seat changed due to equipment swap.

For those who are interested in more details..

I didn't have a printer with me so I thought I'd go to the airport earlier and printed out the boarding pass. Last time I checked in without printing out the boarding pass and the crew member gave me a hard time.

I am elite, but only SILVER. Yet I don't think it makes any difference even I were Platinum.

When I approached the counter, I told them that my seat got switched and asked them if it's possbiel to find me a better seat. And they simply looked at me and said they changed the aircraft and it's a full flight. When I went ahead and asked them more questions, they simply talked to each other and totally ignored me, pretending I was not there. They were definitely the rudest crew I've ever met.

Something's at least comfort me a little. When I took a look at the person sitting at 6C, the seat supposed to be mine, was a kind old lady. Very polite and smiled all the time. Somehow it soothed me.

The lesson I learnt, definitely NOT to deal with the check-in crew, especially those in EWR. I don't want to generalize it but over all the whole EWR made me feel unwelcome. From the crew members to TSA officers. I know it's a big airport and I understand it's a tiring job. But why do they have to have the attitude? I've been to many airports and I'd say ERW is the worst.

Anyway, just something to complain about. It didn't affect my liking for NYC. I'll probably still take continental but I'll make sure I'll pay least for the most. That's the way I get back to them :)

Thank u all!

Well, my last few international flights wouldn't allow it, so I didn't want a blanket "check in for any flight". :)