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Air Canada Randomly Changes My Seats

Air Canada Randomly Changes My Seats

Old Jun 22, 2018, 10:57 pm
  #1  
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Air Canada Randomly Changes My Seats

Hello everyone,

Long time lurker, but first time poster.

I just wanted to know if this has happened to any of you and what you all think of this situation.

I booked round trip business class tickets for my wife and I departing on June 24 for YVR - ICN (2 days from today). I booked this ticket back in the middle of March and made our seat selections immediately (1A,2A). All was find until 2 days ago when I double checked out flight info and saw our seats were changed randomly. Our original seats were still available so I just re-selected them.

Flash forward to today, I check it this morning and no problem. I just checked it again and now they were changed AGAIN to 8A and 2K. Now it shows that the seats I originally selected were now unavailable and taken.

I called Air Canada Reservations and after an hour long conversation am told that this was a "system glitch" and that no agent has changed anything on their system to move my seats (No equipment change, schedule change or interruption). The agent calls various different people and tells me no one can figure this out and a ticket needs to be opened for their IT department to find out what happened and get back to them and me.

With today being a Friday evening and flight on a Sunday morning, I doubt I will hear anything back or get my seats back.

I am offered a vague promise of compensation for this mistake. The agents could not tell me what it was going to be and that he would send a written correspondence to the appropriate department for compensation. I ask if I can speak to that department directly and am told that they only communicate via e-mail and mail (seriously?).

Anyways, he tells me that he has left a note for the check-in agent to try to accommodate my original seats and am told by this agent to be "extremely nice" to the check in agent to see if they will help me out. (I understand this problem is not due to the agent I am speaking with on the phone or the check-in agent but seriously, be "extremely-nice" when a mistake was made against me?)

In the end, I understand it is just a seat assignment, but we paid a lot of money for these tickets and made sure to do everything well in advance to avoid a situation like this.

Thoughts?
sanggyu88 is offline  
Old Jun 22, 2018, 11:00 pm
  #2  
 
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Aircraft probably changed.
Sean Peever is offline  
Old Jun 22, 2018, 11:03 pm
  #3  
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That's what I potentially thought but the agent confirmed no equipment change, schedule change or interruptions were made.

This is AC63 YVR TO ICN. 787-9.

Last edited by sanggyu88; Jun 22, 2018 at 11:04 pm Reason: Spelling
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Old Jun 22, 2018, 11:05 pm
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Originally Posted by sanggyu88
That's what I potentially thought but the agent confirmed no equipment change, schedule change or interrupations were made.

This is AC63 YVR TO ICN. 787-9.

Aircraft probably changed, then changed back, and the agent has no idea how to look that up.
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Old Jun 22, 2018, 11:11 pm
  #5  
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Does this really happen? They switch the equipment and switch it back twice in a span of 2 days without any notification?

If so then I am very dissapointed in this service from Air Canada. Do I need to check my seat selection every hour to verify nothing changes?
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Old Jun 22, 2018, 11:13 pm
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Originally Posted by sanggyu88
Does this really happen? They switch the equipment and switch it back twice in a span of 2 days without any notification?

If so then I am very dissapointed in this service from Air Canada. Do I need to check my seat selection every hour to verify nothing changes?
I mean, I've had that happen in the period of an hour so I would imagine that within 2 days is no problem.

And yes.
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Old Jun 22, 2018, 11:14 pm
  #7  
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Originally Posted by sanggyu88
…..In the end, I understand it is just a seat assignment, but we paid a lot of money for these tickets and made sure to do everything well in advance to avoid a situation like this.

Thoughts?
1. Welcome to FT!

2. This has happened to me twice in the past year. The first time, I didn’t catch it and my seat was already given to someone else.

The second time, I monitored EF and the AC seat map together and caught it early enough and my original seat just went empty with no clue from the AC res agent. No equipment swaps.

3. Yes, for some reason, when you buy a ticket that includes seat selection (e.g. in business class), you are not really guaranteed that seat and I have no idea why.


Originally Posted by sanggyu88
…...I am offered a vague promise of compensation for this mistake. The agents could not tell me what it was going to be and that he would send a written correspondence to the appropriate department for compensation. I ask if I can speak to that department directly and am told that they only communicate via e-mail and mail (seriously?)……..
Yup, you have to use the online form. You can include attachments.

I would make sure you include your original ticket showing date and seat confirmation. Because I don't trust the systems, I screen shot everything at purchase and at various points along the way prior to travel. Others here may see that as a waste of time, but that is what works for me, and it has been useful.

As for AC opening up an IT ticket, that will make no difference as I've reported errors on their website that remained un-solved/ un-addressed for months.

Last resort would be to do what we did on one trip and very nicely asked a person travelling alone if they would swap so we could sit together as we originally planned.

Good luck and safe travels.
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Old Jun 22, 2018, 11:26 pm
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Thanks Sean and 24Left for sharing your experiences.

It is my first time using the business class service for Air Canada. Last flight was Premium Economy for the same flight during this past Christmas.

I didn't have this problem at that time.

I usually fly Korean Airlines and never heard of having to monitor my seat assignment for random changes. I guess now I know that I need to constantly monitor.

I just thought they will take care of you when you buy their premium product.
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Old Jun 22, 2018, 11:31 pm
  #9  
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Can you not change your seat online?
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Old Jun 22, 2018, 11:34 pm
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Originally Posted by sanggyu88
Thanks Sean and 24Left for sharing your experiences.

It is my first time using the business class service for Air Canada. Last flight was Premium Economy for the same flight during this past Christmas.

I didn't have this problem at that time.

I usually fly Korean Airlines and never heard of having to monitor my seat assignment for random changes. I guess now I know that I need to constantly monitor.

I just thought they will take care of you when you buy their premium product.
I also never had a previous problem with my seats "disappearing" - in any cabin I purchased. After it happened the first time, I decided to keep an eye on them. It is annoying as all the tickets were purchased on AC.com and I had the original ticket showing my original seat.

I certainly can't explain AC IT.

Originally Posted by Repooc17
Can you not change your seat online?
His original seats were taken
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Old Jun 22, 2018, 11:34 pm
  #11  
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No, someone is now in my original seats.

When this happened 2 days ago I guess I caught it early enough that I could re select them.

This time they are now occupied by other people. The agent said the system automatically placed them there and could not move me with them.

The agent moved me to some other seats and aaid some sort of compensation will follow..
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Old Jun 22, 2018, 11:37 pm
  #12  
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Originally Posted by sanggyu88
Does this really happen? They switch the equipment and switch it back twice in a span of 2 days without any notification?

If so then I am very dissapointed in this service from Air Canada. Do I need to check my seat selection every hour to verify nothing changes?
Equipment swaps absolutely happen. With all airlines.

No, you don't need to check your seats every hour. I just keep the screen shots and the email confirmations, but in the end, when seats are changed without any of us knowing, I would be annoyed.
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Old Jun 22, 2018, 11:46 pm
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On the plus side 8A and 2K are both window seats, so if you need to ask someone to switch itll likely be easier to ask someone to switch to a similar type of seat.
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Old Jun 23, 2018, 12:46 am
  #14  
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Originally Posted by 24left

3. Yes, for some reason, when you buy a ticket that includes seat selection (e.g. in business class), you are not really guaranteed that seat and I have no idea why.
This might help...

and for OP, sorry to break it to you, Air Canada did NOT in any way agree to the seat assignment in any form, and whatever agents have told you is NOT binding either as they have zero power to alter tariff.

https://www.aircanada.com/content/da..._Tariff_en.pdf

Rule 10

C. Seat Allocation
(1) Carrier does not guarantee allocation of any particular space in the aircraft.


While this may NOT be a satisfactory response for you, in the end, your' getting exactly what you paid for... a seat in business class more or less on schedule, and if AC cannot accomplish this you also regretfully accepted compensation in the form of a refund...at least until the Passenger Protection legislation is implemented.

have a good trip, and I long ago accepted the vagaries of AC as it suits my professional and personal purposes...although this year my AC flying is way down, with lot more flying on OW & SKY as frankly J class is pretty much indistinguishable, except on truly excellent carriers such as SQ, CX & TK.
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Old Jun 23, 2018, 12:47 am
  #15  
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Originally Posted by sanggyu88
The agent moved me to some other seats and aaid some sort of compensation will follow..
Can you please report if compensation actually happens - seat musical chairs is quite common, and I never recall such an offer by either telephone or gate agents.

thanks
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