airmotive

I've not been on any of the limited number of Basic Economy flights, but I would imagine a few FTers have. So perhaps they could shed some insight on one of my concerns of BEC (time for a new acronym that won't be confused with Business Elite...I'll call it "BEC" for Basic EConomy.).

So, when Delta starts selling BEC seats on every flight, it's a pretty safe assumption that their primary target is the one-flight-per-year family of 4 (or 5 or 6). If not a 'primary' target, it's certainly a target.

In the past, this family would pick seats together when they booked their ticket. Or, if they couldn't get everyone together, they would at least be able to get mom and the 3 year old seats together, and dad and the 5 year old seated together. Reasonable enough for a two hour flight to see grandma.

Enter: Basic Economy.
I'm predicting the new cabin arrangement will pretty much guarantee every BEC ticket-holder a middle seat. Which also guarantees every family member to be seated separately. Of course, little Timmy can't sit by himself between two strangers. Nor can little Susie. Mom and dad begin trying to switch their low-cost middle seat with passengers who paid extra for their window/aisle seat.

As a bonus....there are three families of 4-5 on this flight, all with the same plight.

Passenger good will runs thin at this point.

How is this going to play out?

Dick Ginkowski

I was thinking of the same myself. But then Delta doesn't think.

GRALISTAIR

Oh dear - if I was on a failrly last minute YBM and I had to give my seat up in a situation like this I really would be pissed off.

As a matter of interest is there an age limit?

Renes Points

I think this is a cleaver way to think about BASIC

kop84

Doesn't this happen to families plenty now when they theoretically can get pre-assigned seats? It seems to happen a lot around the holidays/spring break.

Plus how many Basic Economy Fares do you think Rev management is going to sell per flight? My guess is not that many and it's mostly a way for DL to show up higher on the list for sites like Kayak.

jrl767

nice typo

Often1

DL is unlikely to sell a significant number of these seats on any given flight. Just like other fare buckets, if they could sell all seats at Y, they would. It is also the case that families which have booked months in advance when they could easily have selected seats at a time when a wide selection was available, don't. Who knows why, but they don't.

The entire seat-switching issue is easily dealt with. If you are asked to switch and what is offered isn't to your liking, don't. Here, the new seat is likely to be a particularly lousy middle seat as that is what is left over. So, just say "no".

howtofreetravel

It's going to be fun seeing what's going to happen

Renes Points

It was a typo but I like it better now that I see it!

3Cforme

Delta does think. Delta thinks that families who value sitting together should be willing to pay for it, either as a higher fare (Main Cabin instead of Basic Economy), or as Comfort Plus.

Welcome to America and market-based allocation of goods and services. People willing to spend more money live in bigger houses and drive better cars. They'll get better seats on the plane, too.

NWA Coach Choice, $15 for an aisle seat, circa 2006. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...toryId=5288007

GUWonder

Post-sale mandatory fees for transport of minor children ticketed with an accompanying adult or older teenager is hopefully going to invite regulatory and/or legal scrutiny of the airline. It's simply smart business to accommodate minor children with their accompanying adult on the PNR.

Here is how it plays out. Gate agents make adjustments, upon passenfer request, or tell the passengers to sort it out on board the flight. The latter is where it gets messy, as I've seen it get on LGA-MSP and various Florida routes.

xliioper

As noted above, this already happens pretty often. Also, I don't really see DL offering Basic fares everywhere as I don't think they are really that interested in chasing after every last ULCC flyer who tend to be non-traditional flyers where once-a-year travel would be considered "frequent".

GRALISTAIR

Yes because families travelling with small children board before Medallions. Possesion is 9/10ths of the law.

Crazyhotelguy

Good point by the OP.

As an MCO flyer, this will certainly be an issue, not that it doesn't already happen...

The difference is that now people will be under tge spelk of buying better seats and potetially less likely to relinquish them to little Tommy. .. This could get nasty in some cases.

I for one am not going to give up an aisle for a middle nor would I ever expect someone to do that for me... I have had GA's try to move me without first asking.

They could take the last 3 rows or so and call that open seating / WN style and let the E- - pax fight it out.

HongKonger

The issue isn't "better" seats. Nobody thinks that family will get good seats. The issue is whether they can sit together at all. Families with smaller children ought to be able to sit together, for the benefit of everyone else on the plane as much as for the benefit of the family. Markets are not magical nor are they a commandment from heaven. Society is free to alter or regulate them at any time. You may disagree and that's fine but I'll be laughing the day you post about sitting next to someone's 3-year old while the parents are 15 rows away.