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Old Nov 20, 2018, 8:56 am
  #421  
 
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Originally Posted by Zorak
In a separate thread it was noted that there are at least three different A321 configs, so this could all be easily explained by a change in which particular aircraft is assigned to the flight. (Not saying it's a great explanation, and it sucks to lose a carefully-selected seat assignment, but it didn't involve any sort of shenanigans at least)

Delta A321 rear exit row change
I hadn’t seen that thread, thanks. Are the other configurations being retrofitted? SeatGuru and Delta both just have one seat map for the A321, and the configuration of the aircraft we were on appeared to match what was shown on the website.

Last edited by strickerj; Nov 20, 2018 at 8:56 am Reason: Capitalization
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Old Nov 20, 2018, 5:26 pm
  #422  
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Originally Posted by Zorak
It may surprise you to learn that middle seats are also located in the main cabin



They don't do it "on the regular". Usually it happens if there is a swap in plane type etc -- the computer isn't very smart about trying to keep people in the same seat as before. Or if they need a seat for a Federal Air Marshal.

It sucks when it happens, but the fine print notes that seat assignments aren't guaranteed. And you should ignore whatever click bait articles are telling you you can get an F upgrade for sneezing

Sorry it happened; some miles as a customer service gesture seems appropriate and you got those
Playing devil’s (or rather passenger’s) advocate, I would argue though that with DL essentially monetizing seat selection with “Main Cabin” over “Basic Economy”, that “well they can technically swap your seats” isn’t going to cut it with many folks, even if the CoC says otherwise. One could argue that if they wanted to be treated like a BE passenger, they would have bought BE. If I paid a premium over BE for Main Cabin so I could actually select a non-middle and then was demoted to a middle, I would be asking for compensation for sure - at a minimum the difference between BE and MC when I booked (or at least an equivalent $$$ value in miles), if not more.
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Old Nov 20, 2018, 6:02 pm
  #423  
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Originally Posted by strickerj
Same here - about a year ago (returning home for Thanksgiving), we booked paid exit row seats and got moved from them after checking in. CS gave us the $50 vouchers but no one could explain how or why it happened. I won’t be paying extra for specific seats again.
Was the $50 you got more or less than you paid for the seats?
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Old Nov 22, 2018, 8:09 am
  #424  
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Flying on holidays can be so much fun; flying JFK-SFO this morning and right after boarding had completed and the door was shut, the purser came over to a couple a few rows ahead of my in C+ and asked to see their boarding passes. Apparently, the male of the pair had legitimate C+ access but his travelling companion did not and they tried to self-upgrade her into the empty middle seat next to them. A brief argument ensued with the end result being the lady doing the Walk of Shame back to rear of the cabin while we were pushing back.
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Old Nov 22, 2018, 9:28 am
  #425  
 
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Originally Posted by FlyinHawaiian
Flying on holidays can be so much fun; flying JFK-SFO this morning and right after boarding had completed and the door was shut, the purser came over to a couple a few rows ahead of my in C+ and asked to see their boarding passes. Apparently, the male of the pair had legitimate C+ access but his travelling companion did not and they tried to self-upgrade her into the empty middle seat next to them. A brief argument ensued with the end result being the lady doing the Walk of Shame back to rear of the cabin while we were pushing back.
I just love watching seat poachers getting caught and ejected from someone else's seat and then sent on The Walk of Shame to their back of the plane middle seat. Now that's good in-flight entertainment!
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Old Nov 22, 2018, 9:43 am
  #426  
 
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Originally Posted by ESPECIALROB
I just love watching seat poachers getting caught and ejected from someone else's seat and then sent on The Walk of Shame to their back of the plane middle seat. Now that's good in-flight entertainment!
Made even sweeter after the inevitable “DYKWIA” argument. If they just said “Oops! I’m sorry” and moved that’d be understandable. We all make mistakes or, when we gamble and lose, get caught and take our comeuppance with a smile. But the ones who push it or feel they are entitled are the ones we derive some pleasure in seeing them scoff as they do the walk.
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Old Nov 22, 2018, 1:38 pm
  #427  
 
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Originally Posted by FlyinHawaiian
Flying on holidays can be so much fun; flying JFK-SFO this morning and right after boarding had completed and the door was shut, the purser came over to a couple a few rows ahead of my in C+ and asked to see their boarding passes. Apparently, the male of the pair had legitimate C+ access but his travelling companion did not and they tried to self-upgrade her into the empty middle seat next to them. A brief argument ensued with the end result being the lady doing the Walk of Shame back to rear of the cabin while we were pushing back.
I flew PDX-LAX this last Monday on a 717. Boarded with Prem and took my seat in 3D. At the beginning of the second wave of boarding (SKY, presumably) a couple sat down in 10A&B. I only noticed what was going on because I had been upgraded out of 10A at the gate and I always have this morbid curiosity about who landed in my old seat.

Toward the end of boarding I noticed that the line was backing up. There was a lady and a 5 or 6 year old boy standing in the aisle and I overheard her talking to the guy in 10A. She said that she had 10A and 10B and that apparently there was a mix-up. The guy was insisting that he did. I saw the corner of the lady's boarding pass when she turned to talk to the FA - definitely 10A.

The FA came over and spoke to the couple, and after some back and forth the boarding passes finally came out. The FA pointed toward the back and the couple gathered up their stuff and moved back to at least row 20 - AND on the DEF side of the plane! That leads me to believe that not only were they not in row 10, they probably weren't SKY either, and it almost certainly wasn't an accident.
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Old Nov 22, 2018, 2:00 pm
  #428  
 
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Originally Posted by FlyinHawaiian
Flying on holidays can be so much fun; flying JFK-SFO this morning and right after boarding had completed and the door was shut, the purser came over to a couple a few rows ahead of my in C+ and asked to see their boarding passes. Apparently, the male of the pair had legitimate C+ access but his travelling companion did not and they tried to self-upgrade her into the empty middle seat next to them. A brief argument ensued with the end result being the lady doing the Walk of Shame back to rear of the cabin while we were pushing back.
I am amazed that there was a C+ seat available on JFK SFO.
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Old Nov 22, 2018, 7:21 pm
  #429  
 
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Originally Posted by Qwkynuf
I flew PDX-LAX this last Monday on a 717. Boarded with Prem and took my seat in 3D. At the beginning of the second wave of boarding (SKY, presumably) a couple sat down in 10A&B. I only noticed what was going on because I had been upgraded out of 10A at the gate and I always have this morbid curiosity about who landed in my old seat.

Toward the end of boarding I noticed that the line was backing up. There was a lady and a 5 or 6 year old boy standing in the aisle and I overheard her talking to the guy in 10A. She said that she had 10A and 10B and that apparently there was a mix-up. The guy was insisting that he did. I saw the corner of the lady's boarding pass when she turned to talk to the FA - definitely 10A.

The FA came over and spoke to the couple, and after some back and forth the boarding passes finally came out. The FA pointed toward the back and the couple gathered up their stuff and moved back to at least row 20 - AND on the DEF side of the plane! That leads me to believe that not only were they not in row 10, they probably weren't SKY either, and it almost certainly wasn't an accident.
I just don't understand why people take other people's seats! And on top of that, then when they do, how do they have the audacity to insist it is theirs??!!
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Old Nov 22, 2018, 7:23 pm
  #430  
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Originally Posted by MarkP24
I just don't understand why people take other people's seats! And on top of that, then when they do, how do they have the audacity to insist it is theirs??!!
They do it because it sometimes works. Some FAs will just tell the real owner of the seat to sit elsewhere and some passengers can be intimidated into taking the poacher's seat rather than make a fuss.
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Old Nov 22, 2018, 7:31 pm
  #431  
 
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Originally Posted by MSPeconomist
They do it because it sometimes works. Some FAs will just tell the real owner of the seat to sit elsewhere and some passengers can be intimidated into taking the poacher's seat rather than make a fuss.
Just wrong!
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Old Nov 22, 2018, 9:09 pm
  #432  
 
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Originally Posted by sethb
Was the $50 you got more or less than you paid for the seats?
I also got a refund of the cash paid for the preferred seat (which was $19 IIRC); the $50 gift card was purely a CS gesture. That was more than fair I’d say, but I am still curious why these particular seats seem to be problematic.
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Old Nov 23, 2018, 7:50 pm
  #433  
 
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Originally Posted by Qwkynuf
I flew PDX-LAX this last Monday on a 717. Boarded with Prem and took my seat in 3D. At the beginning of the second wave of boarding (SKY, presumably) a couple sat down in 10A&B. I only noticed what was going on because I had been upgraded out of 10A at the gate and I always have this morbid curiosity about who landed in my old seat.

Toward the end of boarding I noticed that the line was backing up. There was a lady and a 5 or 6 year old boy standing in the aisle and I overheard her talking to the guy in 10A. She said that she had 10A and 10B and that apparently there was a mix-up. The guy was insisting that he did. I saw the corner of the lady's boarding pass when she turned to talk to the FA - definitely 10A.

The FA came over and spoke to the couple, and after some back and forth the boarding passes finally came out. The FA pointed toward the back and the couple gathered up their stuff and moved back to at least row 20 - AND on the DEF side of the plane! That leads me to believe that not only were they not in row 10, they probably weren't SKY either, and it almost certainly wasn't an accident.
Mind blown when people do this. What exactly is end game? If no one comes , well good on you. But to actually try to oppose when someone does show up, what on earth is the expectation? These folks cannot be playing with a full deck.
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Old Nov 23, 2018, 8:12 pm
  #434  
 
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Originally Posted by MSPeconomist
Plus, with some probability, the owner of the FC seat will capitulate to avoid causing a fuss or delay, while some FAs/GAs unfortunately try to instruct or bully the seat owner to back down because this is easier for those FAs/GAs. In either case, it's a big win for the poacher.
I'm far from confrontational , but I cant see this as an option for anyone but Stapler guy from office space.
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Old Nov 24, 2018, 1:29 pm
  #435  
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Originally Posted by Tine Rod
I'm far from confrontational , but I cant see this as an option for anyone but Stapler guy from office space.
C’mon now, Milton got his revenge
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