themicah

Attila, which seat selection system are you using?

View Reservations (linked from the home page and the Reservations Center menu and running on the www.nwa.com server) will let you view pretty much any NW itin you have booked. Its seat selection system also lets elites easily select exit rows.

MyInfo (running on the res.nwa.com server) has the advantage of letting you select some seats on KL metal flights. But you can't get exit rows even on NW metal flights through this system, and it will only let you change seats for flights you booked online.

I've changed seats dozens of times using both systems over the past couple years, and have never had a seat assignment that didn't stick. I've also never had a problem with the online-checkin seat selection system (which is a third, completely separate seat selection system).

But perhaps you were trying to select your seats before you completed purchasing the ticket? When you book a ticket online, it gives you the option to select specific seats before you've finished the purchase or to automatically have seats assigned according to your aisle/window preferences. I've never had my custom selections stick when using this system. So I now just have it automatically assign the seats, then after I've finished purchasing the ticket I immediately go back and re-choose my seats.

clarence5ybr

That's weird...I've never had the seats I pick when purchasing not stick, including two tickets I bought in the last two days. Since I usually go for an exit row aisle seat, I guess it's kind of a waste of my time since I go to View Reservations as soon as the purchase is complete and re-pick seats if a reclining exit row aisle seat is open. I guess it's just too hard to resist picking seats when given the option!

thezipper

if seat assignments are the only problem you have with NWA.com, then I'd say you need to try other web sites and see how lacking they are... i've never had problems with seat selections, save the one flight on KLM metal... but i attribute that to the "its not possible" computer...

MastaHanky

I haven't had the problem you described, but I have a different one. It only lets me choose the seat for the first five segments of my trip. I booked SLC-DTW-AMS-ARN, return is CPH-AMS-MSP-SLC. It doesn't let me change the seat on the MSP-SLC leg...all others work fine.

(OK, I can't change the segments in Europe either, but that's understandable, as they're KLM operated.)

RobOnLI

I used to think NWA.com was one of the best airline sites out there. However, I'm starting to doubt that now.

For example, doing a search for BRU-SEA brings up the error message that there are no NW/KL flights between your requested cities on the specified dates. <Cough> BS <Cough>. If you go in and search by schedule, most available flights come up and you can easily book a ticket --- in 'V' class.

Plus the lack of being able to use 'NYC' right now!

It's also very annoying that the drop-down menus at the top of the page (Reservations Center/Travel Tools/Promos/Worldperks) don't work if you are on any page but the homepage.

-RM

themicah

They work on any page hosted on the www.nwa.com server, but not on the res.nwa.com server.

clarence5ybr

Maybe they have it fixed. Searching by price for Jan 31-Feb 7, I got 13 flights listed--12 V fares, and one M/Q fare. I tried a couple other dates, and had similar results.

dwh

>>>>>I have changed my seat every time I get upgraded, and often before. I have never had a problem. Maybe you aren't clicking continue?

I've had seats fail to take--but I do think it's because I closed the webpage after selecting the seat, instead of continuing, or switching over to look at another seat on a different flight. If you just close the window after clicking on the new seat you want, the new seat selection often probably doesn't register.

Attila123

Thanks for the input guys but I don't believe it is my fault from closing the browser to soon. I even have the printouts of the seats that I wanted from the updated "View Reservations". I should mention that I fly alot. Like at least on US-Asia transpac each month with a couple of NE Asia to SE Asia via Tokyos each month also. It may be because I fly so oftent that I see this happen more. It just happened again today when I went to check in I had been "moved" to a window seat. I never sit in window seats.

Are we sure that NW does allow like dbl Plats or others to "Bump" our seat request like Cathay's does? Maybe I didnt know that NW.com worked like Cathays.

Also their inventory never matches with phone res center. I was going to apologise for writing that by saying I was in a bad mood then last nights NRT-SIN flight sits for 3 hours on the tarmac while we wait for mechanics. It doesnt matter. I just hate all travel nowdays. Where the hell do all these people come from? Load factors must be like 99% on all the 7> hour flights I do. Thank goodness I am usually in J -- which is just decent, not great-- I can actually remember the days when if you flew Y there was a good chance someone wasn't sitting next to you....and like 15-20 years ago you could actually see a whole row of seats up grab all 5 and sleep the whole Transpacific trip. I guess those days are over. It is time for me to just retire.
Sorry to rag on NW, actually its all the carriers