Seat Allocation Rant
May 14, 2005 | 7:46 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 7,566
Seat Allocation Rant
Just checked us in for a trip we are taking tomorrow afternoon (NWI-AMS-RIX).
We're in the same PNR, and from what I can see we were the first to check in for both flights.
Our pre-allocated seats were something like 9D and 11A on one flight and 10A and 12C on the other.
Needless to say I did manage to move us into adjacent seats... but why oh why can't the system seat people together any more when they are clearly travelling together? This never used to be a problem in the past...
We're in the same PNR, and from what I can see we were the first to check in for both flights.
Our pre-allocated seats were something like 9D and 11A on one flight and 10A and 12C on the other.
Needless to say I did manage to move us into adjacent seats... but why oh why can't the system seat people together any more when they are clearly travelling together? This never used to be a problem in the past...
May 15, 2005 | 2:09 am
#2
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: SYD+HND+GFK
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Aviatrix, I've travelled loads of KL intra-Europe this year with the Mrs., and I can tell you that not once have we been pre-assigned seats together. Every time we've been booked on the same PNR.
Last year, at least we were seated together.
This really stinks because if you don't do online checkin, you're screwed.
Last year, at least we were seated together.
This really stinks because if you don't do online checkin, you're screwed.
May 15, 2005 | 3:36 am
#3
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Norwich, UK
Posts: 127
I had a discussion about this with the AMS lounge staff - they just rolled their eyes at the uselessness of the seat allocation system. Their advice was to call once the reservation had been made & get the reservation staff to insert manually that passengers on the same PNR should be seated together.
May 15, 2005 | 3:45 am
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 7,566
So, clearly, this is a case of the system not working as it should. But how does one get a bug report to those in charge of the system? I know that writing to Customer Service won't do any good because the message won't get passed on - I tried it once with another bug I discovered and they just wrote back telling me there was no bug!
May 15, 2005 | 5:45 am
#5
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Travelling the skies over Europe
Programs: Lufthansa Senator, Hilton Diamond VIP, Marriott Gold Elite, Hertz President's Circle
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Hopefully this will improve through the influation of AirFrance. Their seat-assignment scheme on domestic French routes is quite nice. If you have an ElitePlus (incl. KLM FD) card in your booking you are automatically seated in the first 5-6-7 rows. If you do not have the card in the booking you are stuck in the back. Not sure how they do two-people-in-the-same-PNR though.
A second thought; could it be that the system refuses to put PEs in a B/E seat initially? Hence prioritizing not giving someone a bad seat over seating someone next to their travel partner.
A second thought; could it be that the system refuses to put PEs in a B/E seat initially? Hence prioritizing not giving someone a bad seat over seating someone next to their travel partner.
May 15, 2005 | 6:30 am
#6
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Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 7,566
Originally Posted by larsll
Hopefully this will improve through the influation of AirFrance. Their seat-assignment scheme on domestic French routes is quite nice. If you have an ElitePlus (incl. KLM FD) card in your booking you are automatically seated in the first 5-6-7 rows. If you do not have the card in the booking you are stuck in the back. Not sure how they do two-people-in-the-same-PNR though.
A second thought; could it be that the system refuses to put PEs in a B/E seat initially? Hence prioritizing not giving someone a bad seat over seating someone next to their travel partner.
May 15, 2005 | 7:11 am
#7
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Join Date: Dec 2000
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Interesting complaint. In prior flights, I have had to call UA, US, AA, BA, and a few others I do not recall at the moment many times to get a person who would allow me and my wife to sit in a pattern other than aisle and center seat.
The last go round in Jan with UA, the guy refused to give us 8 D&F on an empty 777 business class, claiming he was going to "fill C with employees!"
or: AZ on their 767's in FEB, where they do not have seat diagrams, and do not know how the rows are structured in C class.( seating was 2-2-1). wife and I were separated by a seat and an aisle.
The last go round in Jan with UA, the guy refused to give us 8 D&F on an empty 777 business class, claiming he was going to "fill C with employees!"
or: AZ on their 767's in FEB, where they do not have seat diagrams, and do not know how the rows are structured in C class.( seating was 2-2-1). wife and I were separated by a seat and an aisle.
May 15, 2005 | 10:44 am
#8
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Location: London, UK and Southern France
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Originally Posted by larsll
Hopefully this will improve through the influation of AirFrance. Their seat-assignment scheme on domestic French routes is quite nice. If you have an ElitePlus (incl. KLM FD) card in your booking you are automatically seated in the first 5-6-7 rows.
May 15, 2005 | 11:06 am
#9
Moderator: Flying Blue (Air France & KLM), France and TravelBuzz!
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Paris, France, AF F+ Rouge pour toujours, Flying Blue whatever, LH FTL, HHonors Gold, formerly proud SCC Executive, now IC Ambassador, BA down to nobody, Grand Voyageur Le Club
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Originally Posted by NickB
uhh? I have been stuck at the back (viz. the third section, after business and tempo challenge) flying with AF as an E+ (FD Gold).
May 15, 2005 | 12:16 pm
#10
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Posts: 14,352
Originally Posted by Aviatrix
But how does one get a bug report to those in charge of the system?
johan
May 15, 2005 | 1:16 pm
#11
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Location: London, UK and Southern France
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Originally Posted by JOUY31
Unless I am mistaken, you are referring to 3-class intra-European flights, while larsll is referring to 1 class domestic flights.
indeed. I will have to read more carefully next time.
Jun 14, 2005 | 12:37 am
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 7,566
It's getting worse!
Just checked us in for a pair of flights tomorrow, and whereas they usually had us two or three rows apart in the past, this time they put one of us in 15D and the other one in 5A on our connecting flight! (9A and 11A on NWI-AMS, which is about the usual standard). As always both flights were wide open.
Jun 14, 2005 | 1:28 am
#13
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: UK
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Same problem at the weekend for us.
One of us is platinum, the other silver.
From AMS to HUY, we didn't get a chance to on-line checkin. By the time we got to the airport, one of us was in row 4 and the other in 12. We were lucky though as two seats together were still available in row 17. Not my row of choice but at least we could still sit together.
One of us is platinum, the other silver.
From AMS to HUY, we didn't get a chance to on-line checkin. By the time we got to the airport, one of us was in row 4 and the other in 12. We were lucky though as two seats together were still available in row 17. Not my row of choice but at least we could still sit together.
Jun 14, 2005 | 5:46 am
#14
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Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 7,566
Originally Posted by EEB
Same problem at the weekend for us.
One of us is platinum, the other silver.
One of us is platinum, the other silver.
Jun 14, 2005 | 7:17 am
#15
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Cheltenham
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I agree. We are both PE and they always split us up. They seem to be encouraging Partner Swopping on board! I sense a new reality TV program possibility.
