Seat changes with equip changes
 

A week ago I flew from SEA to London via MSP and the SEA-MSP flight changed from a 753 to a 752 about 4 days before the flight. NWA automatically (or manually, I'm not sure) re-assigned my already EUA'd seat from 1D to 2D. In other words, I still kept my bulkhead window seat on the side of the plane I wanted.

Now today I noticed that my Feb 10 MSP-SEA segment also changed from a 753 to a 752. Since I'm not EUA'd yet, I was booked in 29F - exit row window. They moved me to 16C -- exit row by the door. Not sure why they moved me to an aisle but 16A was still available so I grabbed it. Nice that they put me in an exit row. Although it's on the "wrong" side of the plane for this flight, I've never missed an EUA between SEA & MSP and I doubt it will start in Feb.

Both of these are after a disastrous seat change I had returning from AMS last year in DTW. The equip changed at the last minute and my exit row window went to an aisle in the back of the bus. I wasn't happy.

NWA has this penchant for upgrading me to aisles even though my profile says I prefer window seats. I really wish they would fix this. I'm wondering if that's why they put me in 16C instead of 16A when the Feb 10 equip changed.

I also wish they would send an email notifying you of equip changes because a lot of seats change --- especially the preferred seats like exit rows and bulkheads.

-RM

I have to say that this is another facet of NW that's great, esp. when compared to a carrier like Delta. Everytime there's an equipment swap or even a slight schedule change on a Delta itinerary, those seat assignments are lost and one needs to clamour back to get the seat assignments back, sometimes even losing the original seat.

Mine was the opposite last week. Equipment change PHX-MSP. Insted of 17F, I was put in 42C (with a 35 min layover) after OLCI. Called the Elite Line and they "un checked" me so I could get seats up front.

Similar thing happened to me as well for my flight next weekend. I was booked on a DC-9-40 in the exit row (13-A). There was an equipment swap to a DC-9-50 and I was automatically moved to the new exit row (15-A).

14B to 20A
 

Well I wish they would treat Skyteam Elites so kindly. I had 14b on a 753 and got moved to 20a on a 752 :td: :(

May I ask why it makes a difference to you which side of the plane you're on? View? Feng Shui? - - Just curious.

Yep. The "right" side for me is the north side of the aircraft. I tend to get warm on planes and I don't like the sun beating in on me and warming me up even more. And before you say, "Well lower the sunshade," I will remind you that I sit in window seats for a specific reason - for the view :-D

Thanks,
RM

On my last DTW-AMS flight, they changed equipment from 333 to 332 several days before the flight, moving me from 10B to 29A. I just happened to recheck my itinerary, saw it and called them to change to to other seats, but there were no seats available other than center section non-aisle seats, so I was stuck with a window seat. Then they changed it back to a 333 two days later. I was checking often for any seats opening up, so I caught it, but 10B was already assigned to someone else. Fortunately 10H was still open (had been filled before these changes), so I took that. I was very annoyed that they didn't put me back in my original seat, but whoever originally had 10H ended up in worse shape.

I wrote a letter to TTU to this effect, for one time I got moved from the exit window the the VERY back of the plane in between two people because of an equipment change.

I made the suggestion to notify pax of equipment changes and pointed out that many people get elite for the strict purpose of getting good seats in front; if they're just going to get shuffled, elite status loses its value.

Got a canned response saying "tough luck, buddy".