Seat Selection
 

NW's current site only allows you to pick your own seat 90 days in advance. I was wondering if this is exactly 90 days before the particular flight is scheduled to depart (down to the minute) or if it's just that - 90 days (meaning seat selection opens up after midnight).

Does anyone also known when NW starts blocking off seats for passengers with special needs? If my memory serves me right, it's not done automatically when seating opens up.

Usually the seating chart will open up sometime the evening on the 91st day before the flight. I've had it happen as early as 6:00pm and as late as 11:59pm. Disability seating is something you must call in to secure as you can not select those seats ahead of time.

When do the seat choices open up for Pinnacle flights? I've found that to be sporadic. I just booked a MSP-CVG flight today that leaves on Monday on Pinnacle/NWAirlink and it says seat unassigned, yet I can't pick one out.

It can be sporadic, both for NWA and Pinnacle. I have been able to choose seats as many as 91 days out, but have also had some where I couldn't until somewhere around 88 or 89. So call it 90 days "more or less".... For big trips (TATL or TPAC), I always start checking around 91 days and keep looking every few hours until I can select seats.

An FYI: I booked an award ticket via the NW website on Delta for travel to Lima. The email confirmation said that I also had to wait until 90 days before the flight to get seats. So, I simply logged into the Delta website entered the Delta confirmation number and selected seats - 11 months before the flight! I am happy.:)

Are we really having a discussion about the difference between choosing seats on the 91, 90, or 89 days out and how to take seats from the poeple with special needs?

Yes :p

No :td:

I did something like that last year. And then I got to pick my seats at 10 months, 9 months, 8 months, 7 months, 6 months (twice), 5 months, 4 months (twice), 3 months, 2 months, 1 month (twice), 1 week, and still didn't sit in the seats I picked for the return. I've never seen an airline change equipment and schedules as much as I saw Delta change them for that trip. Ok, maybe I exaggerated slightly. I think we booked 7 months out but the rest still holds true.

Pinnacle will open up the same time as mainline. If you are on a flight Monday and can't select it is probably because all of the seats are already taken. The first few rows will be held for elites (marked with P) and I think row 1a/b are designated for disability.

If there are P seats they should open up at the 24 hour checkin window for non-elites.

This may be a silly question from a fairly infrequent flyer, but are you allowed to call the airline before the 90 days to book your seat (say 5 months out)??

Sure, you are allowed to call. It won't do any good, but you can call. :D

:) thanks ... that's what I thought

My flight to bangkok on 20 October opened up around 10 Pm Seattle time. It then allowed me to select my Narita connection 91 days before.