Question re:airline seat assignment at airport
Jun 11th, 2006, 10:03 AM
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Question re:airline seat assignment at airport
I just confirmed out flights on Eva air today. I was trying to get seats for our flight back in July. Our original return flight was changed because my DH is now able to follow and we had to book a return flight were we could all get in. The representative said that we could only get our seat assignments for the Taipei-Newark leg in Taipei on our way back as the seats they are able to assign are already closed and the airport keeps certain seats that only they can dispense. I am travelling with 2 children ages 5 and 7. My greatest nightmare would be that we would all be separated! The rep put in a request for our seats but then nothing is guaranteed. What would be my best move to try to insure that we can be seated together. Should I try to get our return seats when I fly into Taipei this Wednesday in the Eva counter? Does the airport counter keep blocks of seats together? Can someone help me understand what scenarios I might expect because of this situation. Thanks!!!
Jun 11th, 2006, 01:28 PM
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Some people have reported success by calling the airline frequently until they get a representative that will do an override. I'm not certain this is possible with all airlines. I think they call this the squeeking axle gets the grease system.
My recommendation would be that you arrive at the airport for your return flight extra early, so you can be first in line when the gate agents arrive. Explain you situation to them and ask them to help you. I would think they would at least be able to get you two pairs of seats, unless you are late in making your request.
If that fails, knowing that many adults want nothing to do with kids on flights, I would just approach the adult assigned to sit next to your child and offer to swap seats.
What does DH mean?
My recommendation would be that you arrive at the airport for your return flight extra early, so you can be first in line when the gate agents arrive. Explain you situation to them and ask them to help you. I would think they would at least be able to get you two pairs of seats, unless you are late in making your request.
If that fails, knowing that many adults want nothing to do with kids on flights, I would just approach the adult assigned to sit next to your child and offer to swap seats.
What does DH mean?
Jun 11th, 2006, 01:54 PM
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No airline will want to separate young children from their parents so they will find a way to keep you together. An early arrival at the airport is a very good idea. This will make it easier for the airline staff to accomodate you.
Clevelandbrown: "DH" is a reference to the OP's husband.
Clevelandbrown: "DH" is a reference to the OP's husband.
Jun 11th, 2006, 02:43 PM
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The bankrupt, bloated, inefficient and loss making American carriers have created a terrible monster when it comes to American pax and their expectations/demands on seat assignments.
Well run Asian and European carriers have to put up with whiny people ringng up demanding a seat simply because it is de rigeur on bankrupt, walking dead carriers like US, DL and NW.
You need to get over the paranoia. A well managed airline will of course wish to maintain as much flexibility as possible on day of departure so will restrict the number of seats pre-allocated. If you're too late for the cut-off point then that's too bad. But, by god, it's not as if the airline has allocated everyone else a seat and ignored you. If you and your family on the same PNR, and your kids have child fares, then it is almost certain you will be sat together.
Anyway, pre-flight assignments are worth squat. If the airline feels like it, those assignments will be taken away quicker than an American carrier enters bankruptcy.
Your bankrupt airlines really do have a lot to answer for.
Well run Asian and European carriers have to put up with whiny people ringng up demanding a seat simply because it is de rigeur on bankrupt, walking dead carriers like US, DL and NW.
You need to get over the paranoia. A well managed airline will of course wish to maintain as much flexibility as possible on day of departure so will restrict the number of seats pre-allocated. If you're too late for the cut-off point then that's too bad. But, by god, it's not as if the airline has allocated everyone else a seat and ignored you. If you and your family on the same PNR, and your kids have child fares, then it is almost certain you will be sat together.
Anyway, pre-flight assignments are worth squat. If the airline feels like it, those assignments will be taken away quicker than an American carrier enters bankruptcy.
Your bankrupt airlines really do have a lot to answer for.
Jun 11th, 2006, 03:13 PM
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<b>cosmic_toadstool</b>,
got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?
Perhaps you forgot that there were also some very well run European airlines such as:
Sabena - resurrected as Brussels SN
SwissAirlines - resurrected as Swiss and then bought out by LH because they still had financial problems...and it's one of the best European airlines
Alitalia - every so often gets a little nudge from the government
Iberia - same as Alitalia
and I'm sure I could come up with few more.......
To answer the OP:
Nothing to worry about. That's exactly the reason the airline holds back a number of seats for airport control, to take care of cases like yours. Unfortunately, that means getting to the airport is part of the drill.
Most od the European airlines will asign first and business class seats and also take care of their and the elites from the alliances flying in economy, but they do withould more economy seats for airport assignment than their US, counterparts, so once the assignable seats are gone, there is nothing you can do.
On flights within Europe, there are no pre-assign seating in economy for anybody, until the 24 hour online check.
got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?
Perhaps you forgot that there were also some very well run European airlines such as:
Sabena - resurrected as Brussels SN
SwissAirlines - resurrected as Swiss and then bought out by LH because they still had financial problems...and it's one of the best European airlines
Alitalia - every so often gets a little nudge from the government
Iberia - same as Alitalia
and I'm sure I could come up with few more.......
To answer the OP:
Nothing to worry about. That's exactly the reason the airline holds back a number of seats for airport control, to take care of cases like yours. Unfortunately, that means getting to the airport is part of the drill.
Most od the European airlines will asign first and business class seats and also take care of their and the elites from the alliances flying in economy, but they do withould more economy seats for airport assignment than their US, counterparts, so once the assignable seats are gone, there is nothing you can do.
On flights within Europe, there are no pre-assign seating in economy for anybody, until the 24 hour online check.
Jun 11th, 2006, 05:30 PM
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Thanks clevelandbrown,Gavin,Flyboy and AAFrequent flyer for your helpful replies! When we travel with our children, we always arrive at the airport early, sometimes check-in counter isn't even open. So I guess we'll be OK.
Jun 11th, 2006, 07:05 PM
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I just find the NORTH AMERICAN obsession with seat assignments beyond belief. The Taiwanese on the Eva flight will not be too worried about seating, and neither will the Japanese, the Iranians or the Guatemalans. No other nationality gets as emotional about a bloody seat as an American.
AAFF -
For every bankrupt American carrier, there is perhaps one - and that's being generous - self sufficient carrier.
For every corrupt, state subsidised and extinct European carrier, there are about 5 excellently run, profitable carriers who provide a service that exceeds that of an American carrier by an almost infinite margin.
AAFF -
For every bankrupt American carrier, there is perhaps one - and that's being generous - self sufficient carrier.
For every corrupt, state subsidised and extinct European carrier, there are about 5 excellently run, profitable carriers who provide a service that exceeds that of an American carrier by an almost infinite margin.
8-)
Jun 12th, 2006, 01:34 AM
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NORTH AMERICAN?
I guess Mexicans and Canadians love their seat assignmets as well
I'm not going to get into, "mine is bigger tha yours" debate.
There are so many variables involved that it would take pages and pages of explanation of why this airline does it better than that airline, etc...
The one and only point here is that you choose the airline you fly and I get to choose the airline I will fly.
The OP asked why s/he couldn't get a seat assignment. Most of us did our best to explain, yet you chose to go on some tangent diatribe about NORTH AMERICANS and their seat assignment obsession.
Why???
Just the same, you could point out many of our mistakes, I could point out what I believe are yours, but is it really necessary?
We all are very much influenced by what we see and experience in our daily lives. Is it so unreasonable to ask why something does not work the same way on the other side of the street?
let it go man.....you'll live longer!
I guess Mexicans and Canadians love their seat assignmets as well
I'm not going to get into, "mine is bigger tha yours" debate.
There are so many variables involved that it would take pages and pages of explanation of why this airline does it better than that airline, etc...
The one and only point here is that you choose the airline you fly and I get to choose the airline I will fly.
The OP asked why s/he couldn't get a seat assignment. Most of us did our best to explain, yet you chose to go on some tangent diatribe about NORTH AMERICANS and their seat assignment obsession.
Why???
Just the same, you could point out many of our mistakes, I could point out what I believe are yours, but is it really necessary?
We all are very much influenced by what we see and experience in our daily lives. Is it so unreasonable to ask why something does not work the same way on the other side of the street?
let it go man.....you'll live longer!
Jun 12th, 2006, 04:21 AM
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AAFF - I thought if anybody knows the real secret of how to make an airline profitable, it's you! I'm disappointed.
The logic is simple:
SW doesn't have seat assignments. SW is profitable. Other airlines have seat assignments. Other airlines are non-profitbale or much less profitable. Therefore... Well you know the "therefore".
The logic is simple:
SW doesn't have seat assignments. SW is profitable. Other airlines have seat assignments. Other airlines are non-profitbale or much less profitable. Therefore... Well you know the "therefore".
Jun 12th, 2006, 05:04 AM
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I really don't care.....
All I know is that my flight to MIA tomorrow morning has been switched to tonight, because of the possibility of the storm Alberto disrupting TPA schedules tomorrow morning.
Then tomorrow morning I'm flying to DFW and connecting to a flight to KIX (Osaka).
I have all my seat assignments
oh, did I forget to mention that AA has not been to BK court!
Japan here I come.......
All I know is that my flight to MIA tomorrow morning has been switched to tonight, because of the possibility of the storm Alberto disrupting TPA schedules tomorrow morning.
Then tomorrow morning I'm flying to DFW and connecting to a flight to KIX (Osaka).
I have all my seat assignments
oh, did I forget to mention that AA has not been to BK court!
Japan here I come.......
Jun 12th, 2006, 06:24 AM
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Oh my, I seem to have caused trouble with my question!
Cosmic, first of all I am Asian. For clarification, I did not expect any special treatment, nor felt ignored by not getting a seat. I totally understand that our not getting seat assignments was our fault because of the late change in date of return. However, I wanted to see if there was anything I could do to try to make sure that my kids sat with me or my husband. Not so much as comfort to our family but for consideration to the other passengers. I would hate for others passengers to have to seat with my children and be incovenienced without me doing the best that I can to try to avoid that situation.
I asked the question because I am totally ignorant about airline policy of seating passengers. I was not sure whether they kept blocks of seats or if they will just plug in passengers wherever there was space. I am thankful to the people here who helped alleviate my worries. I thank you as well for letting me know this - "If you and your family on the same PNR, and your kids have child fares, then it is almost certain you will be sat together."
AAFrequentflyer, have a safe trip! Enjoy!
Cosmic, first of all I am Asian. For clarification, I did not expect any special treatment, nor felt ignored by not getting a seat. I totally understand that our not getting seat assignments was our fault because of the late change in date of return. However, I wanted to see if there was anything I could do to try to make sure that my kids sat with me or my husband. Not so much as comfort to our family but for consideration to the other passengers. I would hate for others passengers to have to seat with my children and be incovenienced without me doing the best that I can to try to avoid that situation.
I asked the question because I am totally ignorant about airline policy of seating passengers. I was not sure whether they kept blocks of seats or if they will just plug in passengers wherever there was space. I am thankful to the people here who helped alleviate my worries. I thank you as well for letting me know this - "If you and your family on the same PNR, and your kids have child fares, then it is almost certain you will be sat together."
AAFrequentflyer, have a safe trip! Enjoy!
Jun 12th, 2006, 07:08 AM
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Martinan, please don't fret about the Toad's harsh remarks. He jumped all over me too when I asked a question about Airport-Controlled Seating. For some reason, the Toad is very passionate about our "obsession" with wanting to sit with those we are traveling with.
Jun 12th, 2006, 07:25 AM
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Hi Austintraveler! Thanks! If I did a search as I should have before posting my question then I would have gotten my answer. But when anxious, I forget and just seek immediate help from the kind people here at Fodor's! Thanks for caring...
