sallyjane3

On the last two trips I have taken, I have logged oonline to check in for my flight and found my seat assignment changed.

I was passive and did nothing, but I do not want this to continue happening. Especially since I have plans to go to Greece and later Russia and I am quite choosy about where I spend 11 hours!

Do I have any recourse if this happens again?

Odin

Specific seat assignments are not guaranteed and the airline can and do change them when necessary.

janisj

Recourse for what? Nowhere on your ticket does it guarantee a specific seat. You can choose a seat but nothing you can do will ensure that is the seat you get it. Happens all the time.

Heck - on many airlines you can't even select a seat . . . .

Celiaanne

Another example of the arrogance of the airlines. You have no rights (can't change ANYTHING unless you pass thousands more, and they can change ANYTHING).

longboatkey

Actually, there are some valid reasons for your seat change, such as different configurations on changed equipment are common situations for changes. Also there is no contractual agreement between you and the carrier guaranteeing you a particular seat, the agreement is being transported from pooint a to b.

LAwoman

Call the airline and tell them you want your old seat back. If they can't give it to you, you can review your options and possible improve upong your "new" seat. I have done this many times with success.

Judyrem

LAwoman, you go girl! We will be flying BA to London and they won't give you a seat till you check in....I call taht customer CIRCUS!

Ackislander

Celiaane says "Another example of the arrogance of the airlines. You have no rights (can't change ANYTHING unless you pass thousands more, and they can change ANYTHING)."

Well, I have had far more experiences getting better seats than I have being given worse seats, and this is not even on airlines where I have had status.

I arrive early and decently dressed. I never carry more than the baggage allowance. I am polite to staff and never, ever, ever show attitude or a sense of being entitled. I request a possibility rather than demand it, and sometimes I am able to solve a problem for the agent by waiting for a later flight. Some examples: from economy to first class, Paris to Boston; same multiple times San Francisco to Boston; exit row seats on Thanksgiving weekend; allowed to change to earlier flight without charge, and on and on. All without status.

There are many good reasons for airlines to move you, in addition to equipment changes. Allowing families to fly together is one of the big ones. Would you like to sit next to a mother and her 8 month old or would you rather be moved? How about sitting next to the 80 year old with an enlarged prostate whose son has to take him to the toilet seven or eight times?

Dukey

Interesting thread...a couple of years ago I flew from Dulles to Berlin via Copenhagen on SAS.

When I checked in the computer system was down and I was given an assigned seat (based on a reservation receipt print out). Later, after boarding it turns out that the computer had come back up and someone else had also been assigned to the seat I was now occupying and, of course, it was this grandmother who just HAD to sit next to her daughter and son-in-law and their kid.

I refused to move and there was this pissing contest between myself and the head flight attendant...so the SINGLE UNMARRIED traveler (me) got moved into Business Class complimentary.

I agree there are all kinds of reasons why seat assignments get changed and the airline NEVER knows why it happened...I appreciate the politeness and nicely dressed part but, frankly, I don't know that it makes a lot of difference in many cases.

luv2cthings

<i>Do I have any recourse if this happens again?</i>

As others have stated, quite simply the answer is no. You haven't paid anything for a specific seat assignment.

<i>...I am quite choosy about where I spend 11 hours?</i>

Well, good luck with that. Short of shelling out extra for first/business class, you don't have any rights to a specific seat. As others have noted, there can be a variety of reasons for the change in seat assignment.

You mentioned logging in online to check in; I would suggest checking your itinerary online from time to time as well, to catch any changes in flight time, equipment change, etc., as the airlines are not always good about timely notification.

djkbooks

We always get to the departing airport very, very early. More often than not, we're able to get exit row or just better seats.

Last trip to Paris, I didn't realize until after we'd checked in and received our boarding passes that the seats were not the one's I'd booked. Returned to the counter and got exit row seats (and without &quot;status&quot; membership). Coming home, we were able to get (awesome) seats on the upper level of the plane.

Just be very nice.

nytraveler

If you're a platinum or similar FF member you can often get this fixed by calling the FF service department in advance. These agents can override certain changes/decisions made either by the computer or a regular agent.

BUT - if the equipment is really changed and there are enough other Platinum members ahed of you - you may be out of luck.

J_Correa

The advice to check your itinerary periodically is good - I have caught changes to seat assignments and had them changed again to something I liked better.

ira

Hi SJ,

I have found that every time the AL makes a flight change, even if they only change the schedule by 2 min, all the seats get reassigned.

Because of that, I check my seat assignments regularly and often.

When I find them changed, I call up and complain.

I have always gotten them back.

smacknmo

My husband and I travel frequently and this has happened to us more times than not. Have only resolved it to our satisfaction once. My DH is 6'5&quot; and some seats are better for him especially on a transatlantic overnight flight.

The last time we flew abroad we were told that the exit row seats would not be assigned to anyone prior to check-in. We arrived very early, were the second in line, and guess what! No seats available. How did that happen you may wonder. Never got a satisfactory answer.

We always show up early, treat the desk people with respect, and we are dressed decently. So I don't know if that theory works. Wish there was an easy solution. It doesn't matter where I sit because i am 5'4&quot; with short legs. We have been married for almost 29 years, so being separated doesn't faze us. It would be
nice if we pick an aisle seat for him that the airlines doesn't bump him out of it.

kybourbon

smacknmo - People with status usually get first dibs on exit row seats. It seems you don't have status.

smacknmo

By status do you mean FF club?

scatcat

The last two flights to Europe I've had my exit row seat taken from me. I am a gold FF. When I complain and tell them I want my exit row seat back, they say &quot;we cannot take the seat away from someone who already has it assigned.&quot; I tell apparently they can because they took my assigned seat from me. Once it was given to a cop and when I asked him if he was a cop, he said I'll change with you. He was sitting in my exit row seat with my son. My other son was directly behind us. And they put me all the way to the front of coach. It wasn't a bad seat but I wanted to sit with my family

kybourbon

No, status means you have FF status of either silver, gold or platinum. You attain that status within your FF program by flying a required number of miles for the year. Each level you move up has additional perks. Lowest level (silver in most programs) you must have 25,000 BIS (butt in seat) miles the previous year. Status gets you upgrades and exit row seats among other perks.

kybourbon

Here's Delta's status link:
http://www.delta.com/skymiles/about_...its_at_glance/