Kate_W

I've generally found that, if the airline changes the plane configuration, they generally respect the basic elements of your seat assignment (eg aisle or window) but you might end up with a less desirable location, e.g. further back in the plane, near a toilet, perhaps not the side-by-side aisle seats you hoped for.

I, too, am "claustrophic" on planes and could never cope with a middle seat (or even the window) on an economy flight. Melodie's advice about having the issue noted in the remarks section is a good one, as is everyone's advice that you check in early.

altour

First, I booked three business class milage seats with UA for a trip starting last June,using LH to Frankfurt,connecting to Rome. I, then, requested my seating with Lufthansa to Rome and from Venice (1) and Milan (2). No problem!! I, then, did the same thing for my kids, using their mileage from Denver to meet us in Rome. I also requested the actual seats from Lufthansa and confirmed them occasionally until the night before departure. However, when we arrived at the Lufthansa terminal in Los Angeles to board, Lufthansa had only two of us on the manifest (they didn't have my name), even 'tho they had all three seat assignments in Business Class (2A, 2B,2C)--go figure??? It took them over one half hour to check with UA. I had copies of all three E tickets in my hot, little hand!!! Finally, it was taken care of and we were off--sitting in 2A,B and C! When my husband and I flew home from Milan, Lufthansa had no record,again, of me, other than my seats! Our daughter had flown home earlier (and had no trouble). Our kids flew back to Denve (no trouble!

PamNC

Once again, I have screwed up somehow as this is my second attempt at a reply.

Thanks to ALL of you for your input. I will remain diligent in getting the seats that I have requested. Whenever I encounter someone who is making travel plans I ALWAYS refer them to you wonderful folks. Guide books are great, but you are the ones who are REALLY on top of things.

Thank you all SOOOO much!

kakalena

This is reposted from another thread I started about Lufthansa.


Recent trip from Washington Dulles to Florence via Munich w/return through Frankfurt on Lufthansa.

Bought 4 coach tix on Orbitz a few weeks ahead for around $500 each.

Flight over the pond was on time in both cases. 8 hours to Munich and 9 hours from Frankfurt. (10hrs and 12 hours with connections of no delays).

Equipment Airbus A340-300 over and 747 return. Seats in coach are absolutely shoe-horned in. Very uncomfortable flights. There was an equipment change on the return flight at the last minute and all the seats were cancelled. When seats were rebooked Lufthansa did not seat traveling parties together and so people were constantly milling about the plane to speak to one another. We asked to be reseated together and waited to board until no-show seats were released. It worked for us and we got a couple of aisles that way.

Connecting flights between Germany and Italy. Late several hours outbound because of fog. We were given a 10 euro lunch voucher on request. Munich and Frankfurt airports are unbelievably smoke filled. We took a little Air Dolomite jet BA 146 to Florence(more comfy legroom than the Airbus) and we all fell asleep from exhaustion. Small jet on return from Italy too.

Luggage was lost for 30 people from Munich to Florence. After we watched the conveyor go around about 25 times we got in line at lost baggage and were second to put in our claim. No help from Lufthansa saying that the bags were lost. We gave the claim to an airport employee. Bags showed up the next morning at our hotel.

Lufthansa flight crew was surly. Made my husband struggle to request a cup of coffee in German after we heard the flight attendant speaking English in rows before us. (I asked the same FA for a Grande Mocha Frappacino Light later just for fun). There was a poor guy who hadn't requested a special meal and they forced him to take it. He said that the same mistake had been made on the flight over. Food over was awful some sort of pasta goop. Return was better - choice of mad cow or bird flu. Movies both ways of course.

We will avoid Lufthansa in future and if we need a connection will go through London to reduce the length of the flight.

For $500 it got our group there and back but we gritted our teeth most of the way.

parisnow

Rule one: Check in early for international flights. When I travel with my elderly mother we are usually one of the first to check in. I explain to them that my mother had a broken hip (and we have a doctor's note for the metal protectors because of the rods and pins)and I POLITELY confirm that we booked an isle seat for her and they have always confirmed or accommodated this.
Rule two: On all the international flights that I have taken, it appears seat assignments is for boarding purposes only. Once they have closed the door and have done their count, I always see a mad rush of people climbing over each other for those vacant isle or window seats. Apparently the airlines allow a first come first serve to vacant seats.

luckykat

I think a website which would be of interest to all who have posted here is:

www.seatguru.com

It has the seating configurations for every single aircraft on every airline and indicators of good seats, bad seats and why they are graded as such!

It's brilliant!

rkkwan

seatguru.com is great, but it certainly doesn't have every plane type for every airline. For US-based airline, they're very good. For international one, their database is selective.

Christina

You're right, rkkwan, I've never been able to find configurations for my internatinal airlines on that website, unfortunately. I try to find a similar plane in a US fleet, but the seating configuration may not be exactly the same, especially in terms of number of rows and exactly where the rows break for bulkhead, lavatories, etc.

rkkwan

Christina - Seatexpert.com can fill in some info, for international carriers, though I don't think their information of specific seat is as thorough or accuate.

But take Lufthansa, as that's the airline we're talking here. Seatguru only has 330, 744 and 346. But LH also flies 343 to the US, though its configuration maybe similar to the 330. Seatexpert has the plan for the 343, but no comment, and they don't even have the 346 on there.

djkbooks

Pam: I really wouldn't worry about this at all. In all our trips to Europe, not once has the plane changed and we've always gotten the seats we booked.

viaggio_sempre

That's funny, after reading this thread, I checked with AA to see how my June itinerary was holding up. I found that they had changed one leg and that they had assigned pretty bad seats in the process.

When I talked to someone, they said they would have notified me of the change about 2 months out. She also thought that potentially there could be more changes between now and then. She said that January is a possible time for changes but possibly we would see none.

djkbooks

You can log into AA, pull up your itinerary, and select new seats.

viaggio_sempre

Thanks, did that (and will continue checking). I had to get the code from Alaska Air to do it, though.

Fabio

Your LH aircraft LAX-MUC flight in may 2006 will be operated by an Airbus 340-300.
Go to www.lufthansa.com, then "Information & service", then "On board", then "Lufthansa seatmaps" and you will find all the aircraft versions including A340-300 but there are 4 different class configurations on that aircraft first/business/coach:

8/42/197
8/54/173
44/222 (NO FIRST CLASS)
44/234 (NO FIRST CLASS)

however all versions have a 2-4-2 coach configurations except for some of lasts rows which have 2-3-2.
Configuration 3-5-3 simply does not exist in any aircraft

Regardless of the different class configuration, just to be on the safe side, if you want an aisle just ask for any C,D,G or H seat.
If you are travelling in two you may ask AC (window/aisle) or HK (aisle/window) and if you want to avoid the wing and near WC ask for rows well after n.o. 30, better around row 36-40.

If you prefer two seats across the aisle ask for C-D or G-H !!

Should the aircraft be changed into 747-400 configuration would be 3-4-3, adding B and J, but also in this case aisles remain on seats C-D or G-H