Seat Selection Lottery
Aug 27, 2014, 10:05 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 5,813
Seat Selection Lottery
OK this is pretty weird. I have been an frequent Airtran passenger since before it was Airtran. Since they went to assigned seating I have never had a problem with seat selection.
Last week I tried to change seats so my wife and I could sit together. I could not change my seat for a flight booked on Southwest. I could change her seat booked on Airtran all over the plane.
I went through all of our booked flights and made sure we had seat selections and on the few we are together that we were seated together. I made sure that all Southwest bookings on Airtran had seat selections.
Today we are flying together again. She was booked on Airtran I was booked on Southwest. When I printed our boarding passes yesterday I didn't notice by my seat assignment had been changed. We were no longer seated together. This morning I check the flight and discover that both our seats have been changed. She was upgraded to Business and I was moved again.
I went through all of my flights booked through the end of the year and discovered that some of the Airtran flights showed no seat assignment. I reselected seats for myself.
Has anyone else seen this? Or am I losing my mind?
Last week I tried to change seats so my wife and I could sit together. I could not change my seat for a flight booked on Southwest. I could change her seat booked on Airtran all over the plane.
I went through all of our booked flights and made sure we had seat selections and on the few we are together that we were seated together. I made sure that all Southwest bookings on Airtran had seat selections.
Today we are flying together again. She was booked on Airtran I was booked on Southwest. When I printed our boarding passes yesterday I didn't notice by my seat assignment had been changed. We were no longer seated together. This morning I check the flight and discover that both our seats have been changed. She was upgraded to Business and I was moved again.
I went through all of my flights booked through the end of the year and discovered that some of the Airtran flights showed no seat assignment. I reselected seats for myself.
Has anyone else seen this? Or am I losing my mind?
Aug 27, 2014, 1:59 pm
#2
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Nashville, TN
Programs: WN Nothing and spending the half million points from too many flights, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 8,043
Aug 27, 2014, 10:12 pm
#4
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 6,286
I booked a BS fare on Southwest for flights operated by AirTran, and after booking I was able to go back in and select my seat.
I also, later, received a confirmation email that included a link to "View/Select Seat(s)." It included the message:
AirTran has assigned seating. You may select your seat for your AirTran segments upon confirmation of your flight(s) or anytime prior to checking in.
Once you check in, you will not be able to change your seat until arrival at the airport.
Once you check in, you will not be able to change your seat until arrival at the airport.
Last edited by ursine1; Aug 27, 2014 at 10:19 pm
Aug 27, 2014, 10:31 pm
#5
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: MCI
Programs: CBP Global Entry, WN A-List Preferred, WN Companion Pass
Posts: 2,007
No, that's not true.
I booked a BS fare on Southwest for flights operated by AirTran, and after booking I was able to go back in and select my seat.
I also, later, received a confirmation email that included a link to "View/Select Seat(s)." It included the message:
I don't have experience with WGA or AT fares, but I know you could absolutely select your seat if booked BS.
I booked a BS fare on Southwest for flights operated by AirTran, and after booking I was able to go back in and select my seat.
I also, later, received a confirmation email that included a link to "View/Select Seat(s)." It included the message:
I don't have experience with WGA or AT fares, but I know you could absolutely select your seat if booked BS.
Aug 28, 2014, 8:56 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 5,813
I am A-List and Elite. I can always select a seat on Airtran Flights. It has worked for me until last week. I wonder if Southwest IT has take over maintaining the Airtran website.
Southwest has recently without any notice:
Southwest has recently without any notice:
- Closed the A+ Rewards Department
- Closed the Elite Desk
- Closed the A2B Desk
Aug 28, 2014, 10:17 am
#8
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 6,286
The Southwest website says seat selection is still available (for what that's worth):
Probably worth a call to see if that's now changed.
Is it possible to purchase an advanced seat assignment for the AirTran segment of an itinerary that was purchased via Southwest channels?
Seat assignments will be available for purchase for itineraries marketed via Southwest booking channels that contain an AirTran segment. You will be offered the option to purchase an assigned seat on the AirTran-operated portion of a mixed itinerary.
The option to purchase an assigned seat will be made available to you on the confirmation page upon completion of your booking at southwest.com, as well as in the confirmation e-mail you should receive post-purchase. You can also retrieve your itinerary at southwest.com up to 24 hours prior to your flight’s scheduled departure time and purchase a seat assignment for the AirTran-operated portion of a mixed itinerary.
Seat assignments will be available for purchase for itineraries marketed via Southwest booking channels that contain an AirTran segment. You will be offered the option to purchase an assigned seat on the AirTran-operated portion of a mixed itinerary.
The option to purchase an assigned seat will be made available to you on the confirmation page upon completion of your booking at southwest.com, as well as in the confirmation e-mail you should receive post-purchase. You can also retrieve your itinerary at southwest.com up to 24 hours prior to your flight’s scheduled departure time and purchase a seat assignment for the AirTran-operated portion of a mixed itinerary.
Aug 28, 2014, 10:40 am
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 5,813
As A-List I have never had to pay for seat selection. The prices are listed but I'm not charged. I can confirm this as late as yesterday.
Aug 28, 2014, 2:05 pm
#10
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Sarasota, FL (SRQ)
Programs: WN A-List, AA EXP, Hyatt Top Tier (definitely NOT a Globalist), National Exec Elite
Posts: 491
I am A-list and A+ Elite and can confirm that seats can be selected, even on WGA fares and even if purchased on southwest.com. I have probably done this 20 times, but one caveat, I have not been on an AirTran leg for 2 weeks.
Aug 28, 2014, 8:26 pm
#11
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: at 35,000 feet
Programs: WN A-List; Hyatt Glob: CC/HH Gold, Hertz 5*
Posts: 1,473
No, that's not true.
I booked a BS fare on Southwest for flights operated by AirTran, and after booking I was able to go back in and select my seat.
I also, later, received a confirmation email that included a link to "View/Select Seat(s)." It included the message:
I don't have experience with WGA or AT fares, but I know you could absolutely select your seat if booked BS.
I booked a BS fare on Southwest for flights operated by AirTran, and after booking I was able to go back in and select my seat.
I also, later, received a confirmation email that included a link to "View/Select Seat(s)." It included the message:
I don't have experience with WGA or AT fares, but I know you could absolutely select your seat if booked BS.
Aug 29, 2014, 10:41 pm
#12
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Houston (HOU/IAH)
Programs: WN, UA, DL, AA, Chase UR, Amex MR
Posts: 2,269
My experience has been with a non-elite at either airline on a WGA fare and the seat was assigned by AirTran at check-in. But this may have been old information, we haven't flown AirTran for at least a year now. Elites and BS/AT fares apparently are also different for seat selection.
Originally you just ended up with whatever was auto assigned at checkin.