Qwkynuf

Good catch! I got sloppy after (what else?) flying all day. Both of those options should have been after #7 . If I am going to be in a window behind the curtain, exit row is preferable to C+. And I would probably take a C+ bulkhead window/aisle over any non-exit-row Y seat - especially if it's one of those non-bulkhead bulkheads. And except for 11DEF on the 739, which has a miserable amount of leg room and benefits from getting whacked in the knee every time they open the closet door...

ethernal

Yuck. 11F on a 739 is truly oppressive. I'd easily take a C+ middle before 11F.

scottsam66

No, you should call and select a seat that isn't blocked.

BTW: How's it been going? Any more incidents?

jetsfan92588

I'm confused by this. For those arguing that it was ok for delta to make the change, they seem to be arguing that the ga was trying to do it for the benefit of the passenger. Which is fine, and the ga may be trying to do something nice, but if the ga has the time to be meddling in individual seat assignments for no other reason than to please the passenger being moved, they should have enough time to contact the passenger first.

If it's for any other reason, OP's strange seat choice isn't relevant at all and the ga isn't doing it to please OP, but to please someone else.

ethernal

Well then I wouldn't need to call in and ask for those. Just to be clear, the situation here is that all aisle and window seats are already taken by the time I book. I have been told that unblocking those seats is an unpublished benefit, and I am going to take advantage of that.

The frequency of gate agent swaps has gone down a bit (but it still happens occasionally). I've been suffering now from a separate issue - phantom equipment swaps. I've had my seat changed on 3 of my last 4 flights before it even goes to gate control even though the plane configuration did not change (A321->A321 and Delta only flies one A321 config). While two of the times it has been minor (e.g., getting moved from 38C to 37C), my flight this afternoon was moved from 26C to 27A. While 27A is not a bad seat (it is missing seat in front of it), I would still prefer my original aisle seat.

I spent several hours on the phone yesterday trying to get this resolved (starting 20 minutes after the non-equipment swap equipment swap) but was told consistently that Delta tries their best to maintain seat reservations and, therefore, moving someone out of the seat I originally had (even though they had just been put there 20 minutes ago) was just not allowed.

So apparently it is okay to completely reseat all passengers for no reason, and it is okay to have the gate agent switch people around without any good reason, but as soon as a customer makes a reasonable request to get his or her original seat back (before the other passenger - who just got moved into a new seat 20 minutes prior - even knows of their new seat), apparently seat reservations become sacrosanct.

cre95

Where in your hierarchy does 49C fall? How about 20D?

cre95

That was my reaction to the OP's dilemma as well...

ethernal

I could leave my seat unassigned and then get assigned (90%+ of the time) to 49C, 49A, 49D, 49F or similar seats at check-in... so no, that doesn't solve the problem.

defrosted

IMO, this can be simplified to the fact, as mentioned by others, you don't own the seat assignment.

Delta can (without your permission) move you or they can't.

Obviously we can all argue about what we want, or what they should do, but at the end of the day it doesn't matter. You can't argue with "but I want..." if Delta, by way of contract/agreement have the right to move you without your permission.

Ultimately you make your choice by the airline you choose to fly. Don't like it try another airline.

pvn

That's a completely unhelpful post. Nobody here is under the impression that they own a seat assignment absolutely, there's no objection to being reseated in cases where it's actually necessary, etc.

But thanks.

ethernal

I do fly other airlines whenever possible (I am UA Gold and AA Gold as well as DM). Obviously there are constraints on route networks that lead me to fly Delta more frequently than I would like. I would fly Delta more if they did not have such ridiculous issues (and also had more C+ seats like United).

And yes, they do have the ability to change one's seat for any reason and have contractual cover to do so. However, it is just bad business. I flew about 150 segments in United two years ago and only had my seat changed 3 times (excluding upgrades of course) - 2 were for real equipment swaps and the other was pretty clearly for an air marshal. I'm not sure why Delta has so much trouble with this.

apodo77

Me and my SO were on an ATL-LAS flight last October. We initially selected exit row aisle and windows hoping no one would select the middle. No one did up until about T-45 despite several window seats available towards the last 4 rows.

We were team board last since we were in no rush to get on and asked the GA if there were any rows empty we could have. She said the last row but was hesitant to give it to us it seemed. After I told her we were fine with the last row she gave us new BP's. Lo and behold we get on and the FA's had all there carry ons stored on the
When I showed one of them our BP she mentioned we were "ruining her rest area" in kind of a joking manner. The FA's definitely planned on using the last row for some R&R on that flight.

defrosted

My point is why all the argument over what should and should not be, when the policy is clear and it doesn't matter what seat you "want".

And you are most welcome.

Exactly, and I see your point. You don't like it and take your business elsewhere when you can and you told Delta why. That is the only way to make a point, if there are enough people that feel like you do then Delta will change.

But all the arguments in this thread about what should and should not happen is all pointless at the end of the day when they can arbitrarily change your seat at any time.

pvn

this is wrong in the general sense. There are tons of things where Delta agents may take your preferences into consideration even in cases where they aren't required to.

pvn

I mean, just the mere existence of a viewable seat map with the ability to select seats in the app without human intervention disproves the idea that "they can just change your seat so nothing matters" is the end of the conversation.