Help Help -seat assignment problem
 

I booked 2 bus class tiks sfo to australia nz etc.Picked up ideas from the board and did it on the 1st day i was able to-- so i did this over 11 months ago. We are leaving towmorrow and as i was reconfirming the flights i noticed no seat assignments- I dont know who goofed- AA or Quantas or I. But when you book husband and wife together you assume you are going to get seats together. Turns out I had to call quantas- only 2 seats available- a middle seat and a window. Now I am going to have to ask the person sitting next to me if he/she would like to exchange for my husbands window seat. what if theis person wants an aisle seat? this is a 13 or 17 or some ungodly amount oftime in the air. i certainly dont want to sit alone. I have read a lot of comments from several of you and most do not like to give up their seats-- but mine was not a last minute booking- I was probarbly the first one booked on this flight. I asked the res person to put in a request for 2 seats together and put in a note that i am a neurotic woman who needs her husband by her side. any ideas? I really need help

Am sure if you explain sitation at to flight attendants that they will help you get seats together. Right now if all seats are assigned there is little that Qantas can do.

I always call the airline after my reservation is confirmed and inquire about or confirm seating. I usually do it shortly after reservations are made and again on a trip like that 30 days or so out.

It is usually an equipment change that gets me in trouble. In any event, here's wishing you a good trip. My visit downunder almost 2 years ago was fabulous.

If you drive, beware -- there may be Americans like me driving on the wrong side of the road!!! That's another story. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

In all the times my wife and I have been bumped up to Business and ended up n different seats, we have never had a problem switching with somebody so we can sit together.

It will probably work out, somebody will be willing to switch with you.

Also ask at checkin, they may be able to move somebody.

I'll have to agree with the above. It's our responsibility to follow up and keep on checking. I will be traveling on AA F award ticket with CX to JNB and I did call CX after I received the paper ticket about 6 months ago and requested the seats I wanted. I also checked few weeks ago, and I keep on checking now about once a week. My trip is in about 3 weeks.

I think and hope this will work out for you. Have a great trip!

At the risk of sounding repetitive, your only option at this point is to handle it on board. Don't stress out too much. Even if the person next to one of you doesn't want to move, there's probably some combination of people in the cabin that will. There are usually lots of people that travel in the business cabin that are traveling solo - ask your seatmates for help once you're on board. If that doesn't fix the problem, as the FA.

Especially if you have to involve a FA, don't mention things like "we booked 11 months out, much earlier than everyone else" - this only works against you. Keep the matter to the fact that you and your spouse would like to sit together, and could they possibly help you in finding solo travelers that are willing to change seats,

Also, try to check-in a little early and try to get the seats changed at check-in. I don't know if QF holds back business seats for airport assignments, but who knows? There could also be cancellations.

This is an important point. There's nothing you can do about the situation now, so get to the airport a little early. When you check in, try to change your seats. If that doesn't work, go straight to the gate and speak with the gate agents -- they are the ones with the most power. Politely explain the situation, and ask them if they can help. (Try not to be pushy with the gate agents; they can be your allies if you're nice to them.) But ultimately there is only so much they can do, so be prepared to ask on board the plane if need be.

[This message has been edited by Blumie (edited Jan 25, 2004).]

Buzz?

Don't stress about this. It sounds like a note has already been made in your booking that you and your husband want to sit together. Qantas should pick this up when it looks at seating for the flight before check-in opens and starts to make arrangements and adjustments. You may well find that it has been sorted out by the time you reach check-in.

If it hasn't, ask the check-in agent to try to sort something out. Even if they can't do it there and then, it may get done between check-in and boarding. (For example, someone who is being involuntarily upgraded from economy may get their seat changed before they have been told about their upgrade.) If you use the business class lounge, you may get told what's happening while you're waiting there.

Asking on-board is a last resort if all else has failed up until that point.

You might also want to ask the experts on the Qantas board who have more intimate knowledge of how QF's seating works.

Thank you so so much everyone. You folks are great- i do fly some so i dont know how this escaped me- Your ideas are all great- unfortunately we are flying from sfo to lax so we do not have a great deal of time between flights. i will try in sfo. with AA. Steve thanks for telling me not to mention the "i booked this 11 months ago" i probarbly would have done that.
I will ask politely.
Hope we manage- if not maybe i will have to go to the bathroom a lot so the person next to me may want to exchange for my husbands window seat (thats if all else fails)
Will tell you whaat happened.

try calling again (you never know who you might get that has access if seat are held back)

try the folks at check-in at SFO. Try the gate again at SFO. Try the Gate Agent at LAX. Then try the FA's.

I'll bet someone along the way can help.

Don't stress. Be polite and explain. I'll bet it all works out.

I don't recommend being a pain to whoever you're sitting with if they don't want to exchange their seat. In the end, it's their right to do so (or not) and it IS a long flight for everyone on the plane.

Good Luck.

You're in a middle seat, right? I would think that the person sitting next to you at the window wouldn't have a problem trading for your husband's window seat, the aisle guy might not want to, but the window probably will. I would just ask really nicely, explain that you are a nervous flyer, and maybe offer to buy that person a cocktail or something. I would definitely not try to annoy the person that declined to trade with you. That just seems like taking things too far and probably will just make that person less likely to trade with you.

I wouldn't do that. It won't be much of an offer when that person discovers that drinks on QF are complimentary. http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...um/biggrin.gif

[This message has been edited by Globaliser (edited Mar 02, 2004).]

Just check in early, i'm sure they'll be able to accomodate you.