50Kthehardway

Twice for my upcoming CLE-SFO flight, I've been moved from 2B to 1B (once on a weekend, once not). Got the hint (FAM?) so this time I'll try 3E....Both times they did make it seem like a sweet swap.

PushingTin

The major issue I have with the seat swaps is that they can't be reversed. Obviously seats change, so get typing and get my seat back and more some other schmuck. Heck, you might get them back in their original seats. Didn't UA price E+ seats differently for some flights? So obviously, all seats are not created equally.

anc-ord772

Flying EWR-LAX tomorrow on the 777HD and seated in 4A. Sometime overnight prior to check-in moved to 3A. 4A is now occupied, so I moved to 1L. to change it up. Still, lame.

LordHamster

Just had this happen to me twice.

ORD-LHR - Checked in flight, inexplicably my 1K seat assignment on a 767 was just undone. No new seat assignment given.
On the return leg, 1K was inexplicably turned into 2A twice now. They keep moving me, but then not occupying or blocking the seat. Drives me nuts.

zackery149

In the last two trips IAH/GIG I have seen my bus. seats changed on the 763 from middle single row (I book 2 to 3 months out)to window within 2 or 3 days of departure. No equipment change. Really annoying, I hate crawling over my neighbour to access the bathroom. I phoned but , of course, the agent can only go with what is left. With no equipment change as explanation, just curious, why this is happening. Do agents arbitrarily change seat assignments to accomodate customer demands?

mahasamatman

Just because you don't see an equipment change doesn't mean it didn't happen. Sometimes it gets changed and changed back before you see it.

Only for a FAM, which is very possible on that route.

Artpen100

I think there can be an equipment change, but to the same type of aircraft, and do this. You can tell by looking at the aircraft number again in the reservation if you happened to look at it before.

goalie

Bolding mine: If you're referring to the row of single seats in the middle of the cabin, with a seat change 2-3 days before departure I will wager that it was a FAM as those are their preferred seats on that configuration (and to confirm, get to the gate as early as possible and see if any "non airline personnel" board before the regular pax and see if that person is in the seat you were moved from )

Hipplewm

Especially if you see them in a sports coat, that they never take off. If you get there soon enough, they may be in the cockpit talking to the flight crew. Never order alcohol, never seen one use headphones or stuff like that either, generally pretty aware of their surroundings.

zackery149

oh, okay, got it: FAM- federal air marshal, gotta improve my vocabulary. Thought fam was family, which could happen as well I suppose. Anyway , just wish it was a move to any aisle accessible seat so not to disturb the person next to me on my (frequent) trips to the washroom.

st530

This past Sunday I was flying from Paris to Houston, connecting in Chicago. About an hour before boarding the Houston flight and while still in the Polaris lounge, I got a notification in Apple wallet that my seat had changed from 1K to 6K (this was a 2-class 763). I looked on the app for the seat map for the flight to see if there had been an aircraft swap or something but no - same aircraft except now I was in 6K while 1K was occupied. I went to the service desk in the lounge and asked the agent if I could get my seat back. He called the gate and was able to switch it back and gave me a new boarding pass for 1K. He tried to blame it on an aircraft swap them a swap back to the original aircraft which of course sounded quite dubious. Once on board I discovered that my seat mate in 1L was visited twice by his spouse or companion who was seated in ... You guessed it: 6K. So my theory is the gate agent acquiesced to their request to sit together and accomplished it by unilaterally reassigning my seat. I found it very annoying but kudos to the staff in the Polaris Lounge (and eventually the gate agent) for restoring it.

StuckinITH

You are Global Services, and they would do that to you? What level was your neighbor? Or the spouse or companion?

mozilla

They should be

Come to think about, they're supposed to operate discreetly and blend in with the pax (it's under "recommendations") for obvious reasons. If a pax can easily point out the FAM in the cabin based on attire or consistent behavior, it may be time to allow for some more variances in those.

st530

I do not know. It's only my theory but I don't know what other explanation there could be.

anc-ord772