Icelandair Seat Change?
 

I've just received an email from Icelandair letting me know that they've changed my seat - from a nice aisle seat to a window in the far back of the a/c. As a 6'2" guy this isn't very kind, and the seat map on the site is generally unhelpful as there are no decent seats available in the rest of the plane according to said map.

Is there anything one can do to see A. why the changed my seat and B. change it to something like I initially chose, or upgrade to Premium Econ/business to get myself some space again?

Very annoying...

What was your initial seat assignment?

I have known people who buy a coach seat, get the option of an EC seat at purchase (and knowing where EC is is not shown on the seat map, it just looks like a great seat) only to have that seat taken away down the road....when Saga/EC sales exceed expectations....and they need to put you back in a coach seat.

You not only loose the better seat, but you end up with a much inferior coach seat than you would have had if you had selected from an available coach seat when you book.

This is a problem with FI, in that it will allow you to select an EC seat on a coach fare if their model allows it; but if enough people buy Saga/EC fares after your purchase and FI needs your EC seat, you will loose the original seat, and get something that is left. Which means something worse that what you could have had at time of booking. A real pain if this happens.

Perhaps this is what happened to you.

Your best alternative is to call FI res and see what you can get. If that doesn't work, do OLCI at D-24, and get the best available seat. Every seat in class is available at D-24 with OLCI.

You may find these threads informative:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic....html#51461280

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/other...eland-air.html

I hope you get something that is acceptable. It is a real pain to experience a seat change as you have.

Best of luck.

Thanks for your super helpful reply. I will call up and ask - and post back here about it!

I think my original seat was 14D or something. So perhaps your explanation is correct. Either way, quite annoying.

I just looked my reservation and I also noticed that Icelandair has changed my confirmed seat to another seat. I guess I have to call them and ask for explanations.

It is just a hunch on my part, but these seat changes could be a result of a new bid program Icelandair has just introduced called CLASS UP.

Ten days prior to your flight on FI, you could receive an e-mail, offering you the opportunity to bid for a better seat. Additional info about CLASS UP is here:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/other...re-flight.html

I know that in the past, Icelandair has selectively allowed economy passengers to select EC seats, and EC passengers to select Saga seats, at the time of booking...knowing that the seats selected were not going to sell using historical infometrics for that particular flight. Not that you got the better service; you just got the better seat, which meant nothing for an EC seat, as it can be changed by the FA's back to 3x3 coach.

But with this new bid program, I'm beginning to think they want to keep each cabin free from such cabin creep, so that at the 10 day prior to departure mark, they can put unsold seats in EC or Saga up for bid

Instead of overselling coach by moving economy to EC seats, and EC to Saga seats; they hold them all back so these unsold seats can be bid upon at the departure-10days point.

I'd be interested to find out if those who have had their seat changed, were actually seated in a different cabin when you selected your seat at booking. They allowed such a seat selection before, but now, they may want your better seat back, so it can go on auction.

Just a hunch. I could be wrong...might be some type of an equipment change....but I'll bet if you bought an economy ticket, and at time of booking they allowed you to select a seat in the EC section, they want that seat back for the auction.

Apparently this program in not new (just new to Icelandair). Google plusgrade.com and see all the airlines that are trying this as a way to sell empty premium coach/business/first seats at the last minute as a revenue enhancement. Interesting.

Just checked or seats for next month --14 D and 14C. They still look okay. I think EC is up to row 13.