Delta Gave Away My Assigned Seats
Jun 28, 2017, 2:04 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: North America
Posts: 2,265
Delta Gave Away My Assigned Seats
Flying 5963 tomorrow am. It's two of us.
Reserved our flight two months ago and selected 11 C&D.
Checked flight last week and all was well.
While checking in this morning I saw Delta moved us to 12D, 13C.
All other seats are taken except for the beloved EC ... Delta doesn't think we deserve to be moved into those seats without payment even after their random re-assignment. And they have no explanation for the random re-assignment and I really doubt it's a FAM (no, aircraft was not changed.)
I understand why there is a charge for EC and all of that good stuff ... but Delta could have handled this with more empathy.
Yes I fully understand seat assignments are not guaranteed ... but at the same time I feel like I got kicked out of my seats for no other reason but some other customer who some agent probably found to be of higher importance than us.
In other words ... Not nice! Not happy!
And no, I have no status with Delta. And this shenanigan serves as a reminder why I rarely fly with them.
/rant over
Reserved our flight two months ago and selected 11 C&D.
Checked flight last week and all was well.
While checking in this morning I saw Delta moved us to 12D, 13C.
All other seats are taken except for the beloved EC ... Delta doesn't think we deserve to be moved into those seats without payment even after their random re-assignment. And they have no explanation for the random re-assignment and I really doubt it's a FAM (no, aircraft was not changed.)
I understand why there is a charge for EC and all of that good stuff ... but Delta could have handled this with more empathy.
Yes I fully understand seat assignments are not guaranteed ... but at the same time I feel like I got kicked out of my seats for no other reason but some other customer who some agent probably found to be of higher importance than us.
In other words ... Not nice! Not happy!
And no, I have no status with Delta. And this shenanigan serves as a reminder why I rarely fly with them.
/rant over
Jun 28, 2017, 2:14 pm
#4
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: MCO
Programs: DL exDM MM
Posts: 762
I wonder how often this happens...
It has only happened to me once. Years ago Delta called and told me they needed to move me from 4B to 3C. I asked why, they said they could not tell me. I asked if they would move my wife, who was in 4A to 3A. I guess we were on separate records. They said yes.
The guy who got 4B looked like an air marshall to us. He boarded early, before all pre-boards.
It has only happened to me once. Years ago Delta called and told me they needed to move me from 4B to 3C. I asked why, they said they could not tell me. I asked if they would move my wife, who was in 4A to 3A. I guess we were on separate records. They said yes.
The guy who got 4B looked like an air marshall to us. He boarded early, before all pre-boards.
Jun 28, 2017, 2:16 pm
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Northern Calif./Eastern Ida.
Programs: Amethyst Premier Plutonium Medallion
Posts: 20,643
well, at least it's an E175 so you didn't end up in middles.
i haven't experienced this with Delta before, but plenty of times with UA and AA.
hopefully 12C or 13D will be willing to make a switch. otherwise, this seems to be LGA-ORD which is a fairly survivable flight to be separated from someone who is not a conjoined twin.
maybe you'll get a nice FCM offer.
i haven't experienced this with Delta before, but plenty of times with UA and AA.
hopefully 12C or 13D will be willing to make a switch. otherwise, this seems to be LGA-ORD which is a fairly survivable flight to be separated from someone who is not a conjoined twin.
maybe you'll get a nice FCM offer.
Jun 28, 2017, 2:29 pm
#6
Join Date: Jan 2013
Programs: AS MVPG, WN A-List
Posts: 102
I had this happen to me last week. Several months ago, I booked a flight, paying a 20% up-charge from Basic Economy to Main Cabin so I could select a seat and, ideally, board early enough to find bin space. At T-24, my reserved seat turned to a seat request card and a position 18 of 25 on the standby list. No equipment swap, no explaination (and my original seat was nowhere a FAM would ever typically sit). Ticket counter told me to see a gate agent. Gate agent told me to wait until 15 minutes prior to boarding, at which time the gate desk was unstaffed. I ended up with a seat assignment 10 minutes into boarding, told to board last with all the E fares. It was exactly as if I had booked an E fare in the first place. Feels like a bait and switch, or at very least a failure to meet bare minimum customer service standards.
Jun 28, 2017, 2:37 pm
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Northern Calif./Eastern Ida.
Programs: Amethyst Premier Plutonium Medallion
Posts: 20,643
I had this happen to me last week. Several months ago, I booked a flight, paying a 20% up-charge from Basic Economy to Main Cabin so I could select a seat and, ideally, board early enough to find bin space. At T-24, my reserved seat turned to a seat request card and a position 18 of 25 on the standby list. No equipment swap, no explaination (and my original seat was nowhere a FAM would ever typically sit). Ticket counter told me to see a gate agent. Gate agent told me to wait until 15 minutes prior to boarding, at which time the gate desk was unstaffed. I ended up with a seat assignment 10 minutes into boarding, told to board last with all the E fares. It was exactly as if I had booked an E fare in the first place. Feels like a bait and switch, or at very least a failure to meet bare minimum customer service standards.
Jun 28, 2017, 2:40 pm
#8
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: SAN
Posts: 4,923
Last two trips I've had my assigned seat moved on 1 segment. This last one, both my daughter and I were moved to middle seats
It typically happens to me at least once a year. About half the times it involves some irrop issue. I've had it happen in first/biz, C+ and Main Cabin.
It typically happens to me at least once a year. About half the times it involves some irrop issue. I've had it happen in first/biz, C+ and Main Cabin.
Jun 28, 2017, 2:55 pm
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: North America
Posts: 2,265
Well I called Delta and the (very empathetic) agent unblocked Row 20 C,D (last row) and put us there ... you win some ... you dim some! Yes it's a short flight and no harm in sitting apart from one another, but because I'm a big guy I only fly economy when I'm with a family member ... so while I feel it is perfectly OK to squash my family members ... I find it kind of rude to do it to strangers.
Last row ... here I come!
PS- Agent first didn't know how/why this reassignment happened but self-offered a vague explanation at the end ... 'aircraft change' ... I don't know that much about Delta but I think they only fly one kind of 175 ! I could be wrong, I guess.
Last row ... here I come!
PS- Agent first didn't know how/why this reassignment happened but self-offered a vague explanation at the end ... 'aircraft change' ... I don't know that much about Delta but I think they only fly one kind of 175 ! I could be wrong, I guess.
Jun 28, 2017, 2:56 pm
#10
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Anywhere EXCEPT DL metal
Programs: DL: PM/2MM; MHG; HH;
Posts: 330
I feel the same way you do. Something similar happened to us but I thought I had status. But today, it's not loyalty or status, it's how much did you pay for your ticket. All passengers NOT BEING EQUAL.
And for you flame-throwers, let it happen to you and see how it feels. I asked all of the phone agents to switch places with me (my issue was much more than just lost seat assignments) and tell me how they would feel. One was truthful and said they would be angry and the others refused to answer the question. Pleading the 5th???
And for you flame-throwers, let it happen to you and see how it feels. I asked all of the phone agents to switch places with me (my issue was much more than just lost seat assignments) and tell me how they would feel. One was truthful and said they would be angry and the others refused to answer the question. Pleading the 5th???
Jun 28, 2017, 3:22 pm
#12
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: MSP
Programs: Marriott LT Titanium, UA Silver (via Marriott)
Posts: 642
Well I called Delta and the (very empathetic) agent unblocked Row 20 C,D (last row) and put us there ... you win some ... you dim some! Yes it's a short flight and no harm in sitting apart from one another, but because I'm a big guy I only fly economy when I'm with a family member ... so while I feel it is perfectly OK to squash my family members ... I find it kind of rude to do it to strangers.
Last row ... here I come!
PS- Agent first didn't know how/why this reassignment happened but self-offered a vague explanation at the end ... 'aircraft change' ... I don't know that much about Delta but I think they only fly one kind of 175 ! I could be wrong, I guess.
Last row ... here I come!
PS- Agent first didn't know how/why this reassignment happened but self-offered a vague explanation at the end ... 'aircraft change' ... I don't know that much about Delta but I think they only fly one kind of 175 ! I could be wrong, I guess.
Jun 28, 2017, 3:42 pm
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: North America
Posts: 2,265