Just booked Iceland air
Oct 17, 2013, 2:05 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Dartmouth NS
Posts: 20
Just booked Iceland air
Just booked iceland air fro halifax to Copenhagen next august . We decided to book economy comfort on their web site . Everything went fine . we finished the booking and received our confirmation and invoice for cc payment .
i looked on the seat map on seatguru and discovered we were assigned seats in Business saga class instead of economy comfort .
Now do not get me wrong this is great to be in business class saga but i was just wondering why they would give us the upgraded seat and can they take it away
i looked on the seat map on seatguru and discovered we were assigned seats in Business saga class instead of economy comfort .
Now do not get me wrong this is great to be in business class saga but i was just wondering why they would give us the upgraded seat and can they take it away
Oct 17, 2013, 3:48 pm
#2
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Welcome to Flyertalk.
As this is not about Travel Tools, we have moved your query to the proper airline forum for better exposure and answers to your questions. A one month trailing link has been left in Travel Tools Forum.
JDiver
senior moderator
As this is not about Travel Tools, we have moved your query to the proper airline forum for better exposure and answers to your questions. A one month trailing link has been left in Travel Tools Forum.
JDiver
senior moderator
Oct 19, 2013, 6:26 pm
#3
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: YXY
Posts: 3,506
Yeah, they can take it away. Don't count on it. (And it might even be an error on seatguru's side.)
I remember having booked Economy on Air France, but the confirmations where for Business. It was an error and we did actually fly Economy.
I remember having booked Economy on Air France, but the confirmations where for Business. It was an error and we did actually fly Economy.
Oct 19, 2013, 7:38 pm
#4
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
If OP was really assigned seats in J (Saga), there won't be a ticket to back that up and there will be a significant add/collect at departure. Or, OP will be seated in whatever is left for seat scraps in steerage.
Or Seat Guru is wrong as usual.
Or Seat Guru is wrong as usual.
Oct 20, 2013, 12:19 pm
#5
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Orlando
Programs: DL DM 2MM (NW+DL) FI Gold
Posts: 787
I fly Icelandair on a regular basis, and as an Icelandair Gold Card holder, qualify for a one category upgrade the day of the flight; so I am really aware of seating conditions on FI
What you experienced is normal for FI. They move EC into Saga class on a regular basis; you get the bigger seat, but the service of EC.
The EC section of the plane is easily convertible back to standard coach by the F/A's, so they sell the EC seats as coach and move you to a Saga seat, but with EC service.
But no seating is definite until the day of the flight. If they sell more business class seats before your departure date, you will be moved back into the EC section.
A similar issue (coach ticket, assigned seats in the EC section) was discussed a while back on a different forum, but the idea is the same in that Icelandair will move you from economy into the EC section, or from the EC section into business, as needed to maximize total revenue for the flight.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic....html#51461280
This can seem very strange, but Icelandair does this all the time.
Post back if you have further questions.
What you experienced is normal for FI. They move EC into Saga class on a regular basis; you get the bigger seat, but the service of EC.
The EC section of the plane is easily convertible back to standard coach by the F/A's, so they sell the EC seats as coach and move you to a Saga seat, but with EC service.
But no seating is definite until the day of the flight. If they sell more business class seats before your departure date, you will be moved back into the EC section.
A similar issue (coach ticket, assigned seats in the EC section) was discussed a while back on a different forum, but the idea is the same in that Icelandair will move you from economy into the EC section, or from the EC section into business, as needed to maximize total revenue for the flight.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic....html#51461280
This can seem very strange, but Icelandair does this all the time.
Post back if you have further questions.
Nov 3, 2013, 5:30 pm
#6
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: YXY
Posts: 3,506
Nov 5, 2013, 8:51 am
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: New York, NY, USA
Posts: 12,476
Nov 8, 2013, 3:40 am
#8
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: GLA
Programs: BD (in memoriam), BA
Posts: 1,359
I've sat in a Saga seat on an economy ticket before - I presume there were no EC pax to upgrade, so I got lucky. But they had a curtain between us and the rest of the Saga seats in front.
Nov 9, 2013, 9:49 am
#9
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Orlando
Programs: DL DM 2MM (NW+DL) FI Gold
Posts: 787
raikje, you are exactly correct.
Icelandair never downgrades from your paid status. If you have a Saga class ticket, you will be in Saga class, and so on.
But after booking your ticket, they may show your seat as being in a higher status cabin than your ticket. Seated in EC on a coach ticket, or seated in Saga on an EC ticket. But that can change at any time, depending of the load for that particular flight.
So in the case of the OP, it is not unusual to buy an EC ticket and check the seat map and see that you are in the back of Saga class. But if Icelandair sells all the seats in Saga class, they will move the OP back to EC.
Icelandair has good historical data to know how many Saga class seats they will on each flight, so they will move some EC to Saga and some coach to EC, so they can sell every seat on the airplane.
Rather than leave with an empty seat, they will move EC to Saga, and convert some/all EC seats to regular coach and fill up what was EC with coach passengers.
So you might get to select a better seat on a lower class ticket, but you will get the service you paid for, and you may not get to keep the better seat if they need it. Icelandair has this disclaimer on their website when making a purchase:
"The Carrier will endeavour to honour advance seating requests if possible, however it cannot guarantee any particular seat.
The Carrier reserves the right to assign or reassign seats at any time, even after boarding of the aircraft. This may be necessary for operational, safety or security reasons."
Icelandair never downgrades from your paid status. If you have a Saga class ticket, you will be in Saga class, and so on.
But after booking your ticket, they may show your seat as being in a higher status cabin than your ticket. Seated in EC on a coach ticket, or seated in Saga on an EC ticket. But that can change at any time, depending of the load for that particular flight.
So in the case of the OP, it is not unusual to buy an EC ticket and check the seat map and see that you are in the back of Saga class. But if Icelandair sells all the seats in Saga class, they will move the OP back to EC.
Icelandair has good historical data to know how many Saga class seats they will on each flight, so they will move some EC to Saga and some coach to EC, so they can sell every seat on the airplane.
Rather than leave with an empty seat, they will move EC to Saga, and convert some/all EC seats to regular coach and fill up what was EC with coach passengers.
So you might get to select a better seat on a lower class ticket, but you will get the service you paid for, and you may not get to keep the better seat if they need it. Icelandair has this disclaimer on their website when making a purchase:
"The Carrier will endeavour to honour advance seating requests if possible, however it cannot guarantee any particular seat.
The Carrier reserves the right to assign or reassign seats at any time, even after boarding of the aircraft. This may be necessary for operational, safety or security reasons."
Nov 9, 2013, 10:34 am
#10
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: YXY
Posts: 3,506
Is there a difference in the seats between EC and Coach? Is it just the pitch? I couldn't discern a difference when I flew AMS-KEF-YHZ on Monday. To my surprise, both flights where almost full. But I got lucky: empty middle seat, twice! Especially on the second flight where I only saw one other empty seat on the plane (don't know about Saga class).
Result: Happy first time customer, inclined to recommend to others and book again. :-)
Food choices could be better. First flight had no warm meals, and the baguette I chose was sold out.
Food choices could be better, but I guess I'm spoilt from flying Niki (HG) a lot. Icelandair has definitely has a better menu than your random North American airline.
Result: Happy first time customer, inclined to recommend to others and book again. :-)
Food choices could be better. First flight had no warm meals, and the baguette I chose was sold out.
Food choices could be better, but I guess I'm spoilt from flying Niki (HG) a lot. Icelandair has definitely has a better menu than your random North American airline.
Nov 11, 2013, 9:10 am
#11
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: NYC
Programs: DL PM, HH Diamond, Hertz PC
Posts: 171
This might be a good thread to jump in to ask a question.
We are flying Icelandair for the first time in a few weeks.
We are flying in Economy but does Icelandair offer (for sale) at the gate any upgrade chances to EC or to Saga?
thank you
We are flying Icelandair for the first time in a few weeks.
We are flying in Economy but does Icelandair offer (for sale) at the gate any upgrade chances to EC or to Saga?
thank you
Nov 12, 2013, 7:17 pm
#12
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Orlando
Programs: DL DM 2MM (NW+DL) FI Gold
Posts: 787
The EC seats have 1" additional pitch, otherwise it is a standard coach seat.
The middle seat in EC has a drop down device that serves as a mini-table for the aisle and window seat passengers. This is how 2x2 seating is accomplished in EC, as there are 6 actual seats in every row.
This device can be folded up into the back of the middle seat, turning the seat into a useable seat, if a portion (or all ) of EC is converted to regular Economy class. This can be done on a flight by flight basis, as it is a very simple procedure.
Don't know if this will work, but here is a link to photo of an EC seat:
Check out the top right photo, and you can see the drop down
http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=...8&fr=yfp-t-900
OneHourPhoto, unfortunately, Icelandair does not sell upgrades at the gate, or even day passes to their rather nice Saga lounge in KEF, but that might change in the future. That seems to be the way airlines are headed; sell anything the day of the flight that hasn't already been sold.
sokolov, glad you had a nice experience. Icelandair is what it is, not everything passengers want, but better than most North American carriers.
The middle seat in EC has a drop down device that serves as a mini-table for the aisle and window seat passengers. This is how 2x2 seating is accomplished in EC, as there are 6 actual seats in every row.
This device can be folded up into the back of the middle seat, turning the seat into a useable seat, if a portion (or all ) of EC is converted to regular Economy class. This can be done on a flight by flight basis, as it is a very simple procedure.
Don't know if this will work, but here is a link to photo of an EC seat:
Check out the top right photo, and you can see the drop down
http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=...8&fr=yfp-t-900
OneHourPhoto, unfortunately, Icelandair does not sell upgrades at the gate, or even day passes to their rather nice Saga lounge in KEF, but that might change in the future. That seems to be the way airlines are headed; sell anything the day of the flight that hasn't already been sold.
sokolov, glad you had a nice experience. Icelandair is what it is, not everything passengers want, but better than most North American carriers.
Feb 3, 2015, 11:32 am
#13
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 23
This old thread is fascinating to me. It appears that Icelandair has this unusual ability to expand and contract the midgrade Economy Comfort seats it sells between Saga class and True Economy class on a flight-by-flight basis.
If there are empty seats in Saga, they may move some EC passengers up to the big Saga seats at the back of that section in hopes of converting and selling the newly-opened EC seats as True Economy ones. Or, if they sell a lot of EC seats on a given flight, they can expand EC rearward into True Economy. I just haven't seen this sort of flexibility in an big airline before.
So here's my strategy question. My wife and I just bought a pair of EC seats for ANC-KEF-HEL this summer. Icelandair's planes always have Saga seats in rows 1-6. For whatever reason, right now we can choose Saga seats for the first three flights in rows 5 and 6. Seems to me that, as mere EC ticket holders, we'd be more likely to retain Saga seats in row 6 than row 5 because, if Saga sells well, they'll probably move EC customers out of row 5 before they'll bump EC customers out of row 6. (They wouldn't want to provide Saga service in rows 1-4 and 6 and give EC service to row 5, they'd rather provide Saga service in rows 1-5 and EC in row 6.) So right now, seats 6A & 6C are ours.
On the final KEF-ANC leg, those Saga seats aren't available to us, we can only choose seats in true EC, which are Rows 7-11. Seems to me that the first EC customers they might bump up into empty Saga seats (in hopes of selling our EC seats as True Economy) would be the EC customers in Row 11. So, in hopes of being moved up to Saga seats, we've reserved seats 11A & 11C.
I realize that, in the end, Icelandair holds all the power here and can do what it wishes. But is this the best seat strategy for trying to ride Saga seats on EC tickets? Grab row 6 whenever you can, or, if no Sagas are offered, take row 11 in hopes of being the first EC passengers moved up?
If there are empty seats in Saga, they may move some EC passengers up to the big Saga seats at the back of that section in hopes of converting and selling the newly-opened EC seats as True Economy ones. Or, if they sell a lot of EC seats on a given flight, they can expand EC rearward into True Economy. I just haven't seen this sort of flexibility in an big airline before.
So here's my strategy question. My wife and I just bought a pair of EC seats for ANC-KEF-HEL this summer. Icelandair's planes always have Saga seats in rows 1-6. For whatever reason, right now we can choose Saga seats for the first three flights in rows 5 and 6. Seems to me that, as mere EC ticket holders, we'd be more likely to retain Saga seats in row 6 than row 5 because, if Saga sells well, they'll probably move EC customers out of row 5 before they'll bump EC customers out of row 6. (They wouldn't want to provide Saga service in rows 1-4 and 6 and give EC service to row 5, they'd rather provide Saga service in rows 1-5 and EC in row 6.) So right now, seats 6A & 6C are ours.
On the final KEF-ANC leg, those Saga seats aren't available to us, we can only choose seats in true EC, which are Rows 7-11. Seems to me that the first EC customers they might bump up into empty Saga seats (in hopes of selling our EC seats as True Economy) would be the EC customers in Row 11. So, in hopes of being moved up to Saga seats, we've reserved seats 11A & 11C.
I realize that, in the end, Icelandair holds all the power here and can do what it wishes. But is this the best seat strategy for trying to ride Saga seats on EC tickets? Grab row 6 whenever you can, or, if no Sagas are offered, take row 11 in hopes of being the first EC passengers moved up?
Last edited by Chilcoot; Feb 3, 2015 at 7:45 pm
Feb 4, 2015, 6:02 am
#14
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: PWM
Programs: AA EXP, DL Platinum, and assorted hotel loyalty schemes.
Posts: 281
This old thread is fascinating to me. It appears that Icelandair has this unusual ability to expand and contract the midgrade Economy Comfort seats it sells between Saga class and True Economy class on a flight-by-flight basis.
If there are empty seats in Saga, they may move some EC passengers up to the big Saga seats at the back of that section in hopes of converting and selling the newly-opened EC seats as True Economy ones. Or, if they sell a lot of EC seats on a given flight, they can expand EC rearward into True Economy. I just haven't seen this sort of flexibility in an big airline before.
So here's my strategy question. My wife and I just bought a pair of EC seats for ANC-KEF-HEL this summer. Icelandair's planes always have Saga seats in rows 1-6. For whatever reason, right now we can choose Saga seats for the first three flights in rows 5 and 6. Seems to me that, as mere EC ticket holders, we'd be more likely to retain Saga seats in row 6 than row 5 because, if Saga sells well, they'll probably move EC customers out of row 5 before they'll bump EC customers out of row 6. (They wouldn't want to provide Saga service in rows 1-4 and 6 and give EC service to row 5, they'd rather provide Saga service in rows 1-5 and EC in row 6.) So right now, seats 6A & 6C are ours.
On the final KEF-ANC leg, those Saga seats aren't available to us, we can only choose seats in true EC, which are Rows 7-11. Seems to me that the first EC customers they might bump up into empty Saga seats (in hopes of selling our EC seats as True Economy) would be the EC customers in Row 11. So, in hopes of being moved up to Saga seats, we've reserved seats 11A & 11C.
I realize that, in the end, Icelandair holds all the power here and can do what it wishes. But is this the best seat strategy for trying to ride Saga seats on EC tickets? Grab row 6 whenever you can, or, if no Sagas are offered, take row 11 in hopes of being the first EC passengers moved up?
If there are empty seats in Saga, they may move some EC passengers up to the big Saga seats at the back of that section in hopes of converting and selling the newly-opened EC seats as True Economy ones. Or, if they sell a lot of EC seats on a given flight, they can expand EC rearward into True Economy. I just haven't seen this sort of flexibility in an big airline before.
So here's my strategy question. My wife and I just bought a pair of EC seats for ANC-KEF-HEL this summer. Icelandair's planes always have Saga seats in rows 1-6. For whatever reason, right now we can choose Saga seats for the first three flights in rows 5 and 6. Seems to me that, as mere EC ticket holders, we'd be more likely to retain Saga seats in row 6 than row 5 because, if Saga sells well, they'll probably move EC customers out of row 5 before they'll bump EC customers out of row 6. (They wouldn't want to provide Saga service in rows 1-4 and 6 and give EC service to row 5, they'd rather provide Saga service in rows 1-5 and EC in row 6.) So right now, seats 6A & 6C are ours.
On the final KEF-ANC leg, those Saga seats aren't available to us, we can only choose seats in true EC, which are Rows 7-11. Seems to me that the first EC customers they might bump up into empty Saga seats (in hopes of selling our EC seats as True Economy) would be the EC customers in Row 11. So, in hopes of being moved up to Saga seats, we've reserved seats 11A & 11C.
I realize that, in the end, Icelandair holds all the power here and can do what it wishes. But is this the best seat strategy for trying to ride Saga seats on EC tickets? Grab row 6 whenever you can, or, if no Sagas are offered, take row 11 in hopes of being the first EC passengers moved up?
BTW, the SAGA seats are comfortable, but I wouldn't pay for SAGA class.
Feb 4, 2015, 6:34 am
#15
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Europe
Programs: UA:1K MM, AF:FB-Platinum; QR: PC Platinum, FI: Saga Gold
Posts: 2,931
I buy Icelandair EC seats a couple of times a year to fly BOS-KEF. I think your strategy is sound. That said, my strategy when row 5-6 is not available is to choose the seat in EC that I would be happiest sitting in. Then I frequently check the seat assignments as the availability in EC seems to change frequently. When row 5-6 opens, I grab it. I've never been bumped back once my seat was assigned, but I know that it could happen.
BTW, the SAGA seats are comfortable, but I wouldn't pay for SAGA class.
BTW, the SAGA seats are comfortable, but I wouldn't pay for SAGA class.