Jenn0625

I have a few questions regarding the extra comfort seats. If I book this type of seat it will allow me to go ahead and pick which one I want correct? Do I have to do any additional seat selecting at the 24 hr mark or is the seat I selected back when I purchased my ticket still my seat? Also if I purchase just a regular main cabin seat do I still get to select my seat when I purchase my ticket or not until 24 hours prior? I've never flown HA before and trying to understand the rules and procedures. Trying to make sure my family and I get to sit together and stay together.

Kumulani

With HA you can always pick your seat at the time of booking. There will be no charges to do this other than the Extra Comfort fee if you pick one of those. You won't have to reselect it later, otherwise what would have been the point of selecting it in the first place?

Jenn0625

thank you for your reply. I was seeing a few threads on other airlines where people had selected their seats at the time of booking and then found out right before boarding that the airline had moved them somewhere else on the plane (not due to plane reconfig) so I was just curious if this happens with HA.

Kumulani

I mean, there's always the potential for this to happen if there's an IT screwup of some sort. HA is no exception. But it isn't supposed to happen.

lkar

FBWFTW

lkar

FullFare

I guess I have been "burned" by the "extra comfort" concept. Bought tickets, one way, to KOA from SJC and paid up to extra comfort. Later that night, when I went to try and get different comfort seats, they gave me a notice on the website to consider buying up to first class. Wife has a medical problem, so she bugged me to take it. Original ticket price was $293.80, plus another $90 for the comfort seats. The price quoted for F class on the web site was $886.92.

I took the "let's chat" offer from the HA agent who agreed the fare was $886.92. Well, when I checked my Hawaiian Air Mastercard, they tacked on $593.12, for a total of $989.92. Furthermore, my invoice on the credit card has my itinerary parsed into 2 different ticket numbers--for both of us. Additionally, when I interacted with the chat agent, I asked if there were any hidden fees, charges, or whatever, for the exchange, and the guy said no.

I called back to protest, saying this defied common sense, that I would a purchase a ticket for $383.80 (parsed into $293.80 + $90) and was never told on the website that I was holding two different tickets, or that the $90 charge would be confiscated if I "paid up" to a different class. I requested a refund and was summarily denied. They offered me an opportunity to appeal to customer service, which I did. Seems a bizarre way to sell a pax a ticket for a flight.

Anyone else had this happen, or am I the first? It does make me feel like a fool to get duped by this technique.

CRJ200flyer

Sounds like this was an issue of an agent miscommunication or a misinformed agent. At HA, Extra Comfort purchases/surcharges are considered an ancillary charge, and are not refundable with BidUp or any other upgrade/change of seats, buried in the T&C in their website.

https://www.hawaiianairlines.com/leg...and-conditions

FullFare

Thanks for confirming my demise. My situation was a "buy up"---not a bid up. I fly DL all the time am DM status) and buy up to F class from DL's comfort class on many occasions. There are never any extra fees or loss of previous revenue dedicated to my ticket. Thus, this is very foreign to me. I suppose HA has beaten me out of the money at this time. This really makes no sense. I certainly won't let this happen again. Booked AS for the return back in F. I still think this policy from HA stinks, especially since I tried to ask about it from the chat guy.

747FC

What did chat guy say when you "tried to ask?"

FullFare

Said no other charges would apply.

747FC

If you have a record of the chat that shows clear evidence of misinformation, I would think you would use that in an appeal to HA or your credit card issuer.

FullFare

I do have a record. I wrote it down. I have already appealed to the credit card company, Barclay, who is totally understanding and processing a refund. Regardless, I have access to an attorney who has looked at the issues. He agrees that this is a ripoff that defies common sense, and more. Frankly, if HA does not simply relent and refund the "seat" charge of this seat construct (using the full value of a previously purchased ticket), the suit will go forward. My lawyer thinks it has class action implications and he has class action experience. To those of us who keep up and read the WSJ religiously (I do) this has been written about in multiple articles (the upsell of individual seats within the economy cabins). Consensus of the articles is that it has gotten out of hand, much like the charges for checked bags and use of the telephone to purchase a ticket.

We live in Santa Clara County, CA, one that has a high proportion of college graduates on juries (I have been to the process before). The $180 is not a hardship for me if the airline is trying to beat me out of it. It is the principle of the thing. Wish they'd find something else to do. Frankly, I'm itching to go to court for this cause.

onebigworld

I booked two economy tickets and paid to hold them for a week. The return flight did not have two seats left in regular economy on the two-seater aisles, so I booked the comfort seats (listed as $80 extra - assumed that was per seat) on the return. A price of over $1000 was quoted.

Five days later I went online to pay for the tickets and the website kept sending me in circles, not allowing me to pay. I got on chat and the person said they would open up a window in chat for me to pay. It never showed me what the amount should be. I'd never done that before so after I paid, I called my credit card company. They confirmed the charge went through to Hawaiian Airlines. But it was for $8xx. I wondered if the price dropped in the last week.

I noted that my seat assignments were still in an extra comfort row on the return (16) but there is no listing for an extra charge for that.

UPDATE: I called HA and she said the reason I am getting email reminders to finish my transaction is because the $80 extra comfort fee has to be paid and somehow cannot be charged in the online chat billing form I had the previous night. I gave her my credit card and explained why I only booked comfort seats for the return flight. In spite of this and the fact that the records show that comfort level row was only booked for the return flight, she charged my credit card for 4 x $80, instead of 2 x $80.

I had to call again, speak to someone else who then spoke to the other agent who made the mistake (but who never gets on the phone with me). The overcharge is now being credited back to me.

Be sure to read your receipt carefully.